Having Fun With Fonts 2

“Fun With Fonts” was so popular last time I thought I’d do it again. This time though, I’ve taken one phrase and used the same font for each example but a different effect. The font I used is “Americano” and the phrase is “A Rose”. I had a lot of fun working on each effect using both Illustrator and Photoshop to make each of the changes. Mainly I use Photoshop and some of the filters I have like Filter Forge and some of the filters that come with the program like drop shadows and bevels. Let me know which is your favorite.

Greeting Cards

I love making greeting cards. I’ve been making them for a very long time now. My favourites to make are Birthday cards because you can make them a little more personal than Christmas, Easter or other seasonal cards.

I want to share with you the last card I made because it is one of my faves to date. I wish I had documented the whole process, but I didn’t, so I’ll just describe to you how I made it. I started with a rough sketch, then a proper drawing. Next, I scanned it into the computer, and the drawing was tweaked and manipulated a little more in Photoshop. I painted on the colour next using the Photoshop water-colour brush, and when I was satisfied with what I had done, it was added to Indesign to make the final layout for the inside and outside of the card. I proceeded to print out the card once, then just the front a second time. I cut and scored the card to the size I wanted. The second printout was used to cut out certain portions to be taped to the front using double-sided tape at different thicknesses. The paper I used was a watercolour paper for digital printing.  Here is the final result.

Photos in Photoshop

I thought I’d try something a little different with my post this time.Instead of featuring art, an artist, graphic design or a photographer I decided to show a photograph and the fun you have using Photoshop CS4.
This program comes with all sorts of amazing filters. You can have lots of fun playing with your photos. Your friends will look at them and say “how did you do that”? I have taken two photos of dried guava that I took using natural light from a window. I used several of these filters to show the different effects. In the first set  I singled out one guava slice and played with combining colour & BW and a few other effects . In the second set I used only the filter and nothing else.
I hope you enjoy what I’ve done here and maybe even try something yourself and let me know what kind of results you came up with.
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Canadian Photographer of the Month…Ute Muller

This month I decided to feature a friend of mine here in Victoria. I have known Ute Muller for many years and have loved her photography since she began taking photographs. Ute mainly works with available light and uses it to perfection. The colours pop of the page and the extraordinary clarity is one of my favourite things about her work.  Here is a short bio.

Ute was born in a small town in Germany and moved to Canada when she was 24. She worked in several types of jobs but came into her own when she took up photography. After having her daughter, Ute took an online course with the New York Institute of Photography. She bought some photography gear from a man who shot weddings. They soon became friends and he offered her a chance to be his second shooter, and now a few years later she runs a small business called “fotoart photography” and her friend is now her second shooter.

Ute doesn’t only do weddings though, she also does family portraits. I don’t mean the kind where you have some painted backdrop and hot lighting everywhere, but very natural and beautiful photos out with nature or using the natural light from a nearby window. I find her photos to be imaginative and enchanting. It was very difficult for me to choose just a few photos, but I finally decided. I hope you enjoy these photos as much as I do. If you would like to see more of Ute’s photography visit her web site & blog. Be sure to check earlier posts as well, there many photos unrelated to weddings & family as well.

Canadian Artist of the Month…Theresa Young

This month I have chosen a very different type of artist. Her name is Theresa Young. She seems to combine two different styles using realistic yet very contemporary, with vibrant colours and an ethereal feeling.  I love the flow of her lines and the beautiful detail of the end results. In the samples I’ve chosen you will also see some black and white pieces that I love for their intricate lines and realistic faces. But enough about how I feel, here is a short bio of the artist.

Theresa Young started painted in oils at the age of eight and sold pastel and charcoal portraits from the age of fourteen.  She later took private art lessons with two professional artists on Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada.  These lessons resulted in her  mature style which integrated both approaches into itself in different ways.  Other artists that influenced Theresa are H.R. Giger, Salvador Dali and Gervasio Gallardo.

For a more in-depth bio and more fabulous pieces of art visit Theresa’s website http://www.teresa-young.net/.

Here are just a few samples of her work. Enjoy!