Hairy Blogman

Announcement

2011-11-08T08:57:00.000-05:00

I've run out of illustrations and design work from the past to post and am going to combine my blogs into one which will feature my contemporary projects such as paintings, various design projects as well as my computer experiments. If I run across any more work from years past, I will post them. No more posts on this blog, go to harryborgmanart.blogspot.com

Birthday Time !

2011-10-27T06:00:00.000-04:00

More digital experiments

2011-10-20T08:37:00.000-04:00

The computer is a fabulous medium for artists that love to experiment with color and design. The possibilities are endless and it's great fun to try out wild and crazy ideas.

Redhead At Rest
A color digital image that I may use as a sketch for one of my new painting series.

Moonwoman
It's quite interesting to incorporate photos in digital experiments.

Small Talk
I enjoy experimenting with various typefaces, using color and design.

Digital figure studies

2011-08-30T10:27:00.000-04:00

More of my color and design digital figure studies. These are very interesting to create and the computer is the best medium for doing these kinds of experiments.

New digital figure studies

2011-08-27T07:57:00.000-04:00

I've started a new series of color and design experiments which are created on the computer. Here are three new abstract figure studies which may eventually develop into acrylic paintings on canvas.

Lady on the beach

Black nude

Seated nude

I find that the computer is the perfect medium for doing these kinds of color and design studies.

New digital images

2011-08-23T11:17:00.000-04:00

I love to experiment with color and design on the computer. These are a couple of pieces created last night and this morning. I'm thinking about doing a whole series of these abstractions for a gallery exhibition. These are actually collages as I use pieces of previous digital images that I have done.

The images are 11 x 17" and will be limited edition prints on archival paper using pigmented inks.

Digital figure studies

2011-08-13T09:07:00.000-04:00

I experiment a great deal on the computer, creating abstract color designs and various types of figure studies. Here are a few examples of my figure studies which can be used as preliminary sketches for acrylic paintings or printed on archival paper as limited edition prints.

The computer is a terrific medium for experimenting with color and design. You can easily do several versions of the same study for evaluation, something that would take a great deal of time with traditional painting mediums.

Working on new logo design

2011-08-06T15:07:00.001-04:00

I frequently send out promotional brochures and am always in the process of altering my logo. Here are a couple of recent examples of new ideas for the logo. Just having fun with the computer, as always.

Color and design on the computer

2011-07-21T08:57:00.004-04:00

The computer is a fabulous medium for creating color and design experiments. No paper, paint pencils or brushes, just your own imagination. For students this is a great way to immerse yourself into the design world, just dive right in and start creating. It's great practice and also will help develop your computer skills.

Gallery event this weekend

2011-07-14T11:57:00.003-04:00

The Craig Smith Galley in Union Pier is hosting an Artist's Open House as part of the annual Moonlight Madness special event. If you are in the area, drop by.

I used an old ink line drawing from a Dracula book that I illustrated for this poster, coloring it and adding the type on the computer

Digital sketches for new acrylic paintings

2011-07-09T11:07:00.000-04:00

For the last few months I have been working on a new series of abstract nudes based on color sketches done on the computer. Here are some of my latest images that will be used as a basis for more paintings.

Happy holiday !

2011-07-04T06:34:00.003-04:00

Have a great holiday !

Old ads from the 1930's

2011-06-30T08:17:00.000-04:00

I love some of these old ads that used to run in various magazines when I was a kid. Once in a while I'll rewrite the copy in the balloons and send the ads to friends.

Color variations on a composition

2011-06-28T10:27:00.000-04:00

Taking an existing painting or illustration and trying different color variations can be a very interesting project and is a good way to hone your computer skills. Just let your imagination run wild and see what happens.

Above is one of 36 black and white illustrations that I did for Ben Leibson's book, "Drifting Sands". It was created on a Mac 4 computer. Many interesting variations can be created of an image like this easily in photoshop, it's interesting as well as a great learning experience.

Here's another black and white version, I could have gone on and done dozens of these, the computer makes this type of experimentation comparatively easy.

Having fun with a digital image

2011-06-20T09:57:00.000-04:00

Don't be afraid to experiment, the computer is a wonderful medium for altering images and changing colors. Here is an image consisting of two figure studies which I will use as an example of how I typically experiment with color and design.

Here is the basic image that I started with.

First I just added a yellow color.

Next I made a 50% copy of the original and positioned it over the larger image and added tone of orange.

Here I placed a 75% image over a negative image and added a few more colors.

In this version I tried a whole new color scheme.

In this last version I added a dark brown and a light purple color tones, again changing the whole look of the piece. I could keep going on, of course, as it's quite easy to do this type of thing on the computer, something that would take days or even weeks to create using traditional mediums such as acrylic or oil paint.

New exhibition

2011-06-18T08:07:00.005-04:00

"Medical Marijuana" is a new group exhibit at the Scarlet Macaw Community Art Center in Sawyer. Michigan. The three digital prints below are my entrees. I found some old engravings that I used to create these images. They were scanned into the computer where I added the color and type.

These images were a lot of fun to create as always.

Photo into abstract design

2011-06-09T08:22:00.001-04:00

As you probably know, I love to experiment with design and color, and the computer is the perfect medium for creative endeavors.

I posted a few photographs of shoes on my other blog and I will use this one for my demonstration.

I first decided to add a few orange areas to the composition.

Then I added the dark yellow and blue colors. I decided to add a white circle and the oval in the blue. I also made the shoe areas a solid black and changed the shape of the top of the right shoe.

I didn't like the spoon type shape in the blue, so I changed that. I added a purple color to the design as well as another circle shape. Then a couple of colors on the lower and right borders, finishing the design. I didn't really have anything specific in mind when I began, I just used the basic shapes of the shoes as my starting point.

Spunow

2011-06-07T15:40:00.002-04:00

More digital color abstract experiments

2011-06-02T14:50:00.006-04:00

A few more of the many color and design experiments that I create on the computer.

More design and color studies

2011-05-31T09:47:00.000-04:00

More of my color and design digital experiments. I encourage all artists to experiment with abstract images, it's a great learning process that is also fun.

Digital color studies

2011-05-24T09:27:00.000-04:00

More digital color and design studies. I experiment a great deal and often use these sketches as ideas for acrylic paintings.

It's a great way to hone your computer skills and it's a lot of fun.

More digital astract color studies

2011-05-19T09:07:00.000-04:00

More examples of the many color studies that I create on the computer. Many of these sketches give me inspiration as well as ideas for acrylic paintings. When doing studies like these an artist can go wild and even attempt things that seem outlandish, anything goes, the wilder, the better.

An abstract color experiment

2011-05-17T11:27:00.000-04:00

I've done this sequence to show you how I experiment with color on the computer. I don't start with anything in mind and gradually create an abstract color image. Even if you don't care for abstract art, this still is a great way to hone your computer skills.

I begin by simply added a black square to a letter size page.

Then I add another square and define it with two different colors.

Next I create a circular shape and color part of it blue and the other section black.

I decide to add an olive color to the uper left portion of the original square.

The previos images were all done in Photoshop Elements 2.0. I n ow open the last image in Painter Classic and soften and blend certain areas using different brushes and the water tool.

I further blend and also add more color brushstrokes.

I crop the image and change some of the colors and add a white shape to the composition.

I color the white shape a dark brown and change a few of the colors, added a coupe more shapes and am finished. I could keep going, but am satisfied with the image at this point. This is a fun way to practice and to learn about design and color. I've created hundreds of these types of images and it's been a great help for me to learn about the Photoshop and Painter Classic tools and how they work. Even if you hate abstractions it's still a worthwhile endeavor to experiment this way.

The last of the Fine Art Comics parodies

2011-05-12T07:23:00.000-04:00

The last batch of comic book cover parodies. I've completed about 50 of these in the last few months. They are fun to create and it's also a great way to learn and experiment on the computer.

More Fine Arts Comics cover parodies

2011-05-10T09:07:00.000-04:00

A few more of my new series of comic book cover parodies. Again, having a little fun with the fine art business. As the others, these were all created on the computer using Photoshop Elements 2.0

Last of the cartoons

2011-05-07T10:47:00.000-04:00

More cartoons from my book ART THERAPY.

More cartoons

2011-05-05T10:17:00.000-04:00

A couple more cartoons from my book ART THERAPY. Having a little fun with the fine art business.

The life of an artist

2011-05-03T09:47:00.000-04:00

A few more cartoons from my book ART THERAPY. The art was drawn in ink and then the color was added on the computer.

More Art Therapy

2011-04-26T09:47:00.000-04:00

A few more cartoons form my book, Art Therapy, which is available from Xlibris. Having a little fun with the fine art business.

Art therapy cartoons

2011-04-21T08:17:00.000-04:00

Here are some cartoons that I did about the fine art business. The were all done on the computer using Photshop Elements 2.0. They are from my book ART THERAPY which is available from Xlibris.

My cat Jpeg

2011-04-19T07:27:00.000-04:00

My cat, Jpeg, is going to have surgery today. She has a growth on her neck that has to be removed. I had a heck of a time getting her into the cat carrier when I took her in to the vet for examination last week. Fortunately, this morning she went in the carrier without too much of a hassle. The vet told me not to give her any food after 8pm the night before and no water after midnight. That was a bit of a problem as I have two other cats who like to eat early in the morning, they were not too happy with the lack of food and water around.

Jpeg likes to sit up on the beams in my house.

Here is Jpeg with her brother Tiff.

Carpenter ants

2011-04-17T07:07:00.000-04:00

I found a few Carpenter ants in the house and had to call Terminix. I couldn't resist doing this poster.

The last of the comic book covers

2011-04-14T08:07:00.000-04:00

More of my series of Fine Arts Comics covers. These are fun to do and are a great way to hone one's computer skills.

More parodies

2011-04-12T08:07:00.000-04:00

Having more fun with my Fine Arts Comics series.

Fine Arts Comics parodies

2011-04-09T11:07:00.000-04:00

A few more crazy covers from my Fine Arts Comics series. All ceated on the computer using Photoshop Elements 2.0

Cover parodies

2011-04-07T08:27:00.000-04:00

More comic book cover parodies in my new Fine Arts Comics series.

More CBC parodies

2011-04-05T06:37:00.000-04:00

A few more of my new series of comic book cover parodies, Fine Arts Comics.

That's me, painting on the computer in my studio.

I've been fooling around with a couple of new comic strip characters and used Gloria and myself as models for them.

Fine Arts Comics, part of a new series

2011-03-31T08:47:00.000-04:00

A few more of my new comic book cover parodies. Again, these were all created on the computer using Photoshop Elements 2.0. I have completed 54 of these new parodies so far, it's a fun series to do.

More Fine Arts Comics cover parodies

2011-03-29T08:07:00.000-04:00

Here are some of the new comic book cover parodies that I'm working on. These are all created on the computer using Photoshop Elements 2.0. I have finished over fifty of these covers, it's a fun series to do.

More comic book cover parodies

2011-03-24T07:17:00.001-04:00

More of the cover parodies that I have done. These are all created on the computer using Photoshop Elements 2.0. Often I begin these projects by first doing an ink line drawing which I scan in the computer and then add the type and color.

Comic book cover parodies

2011-03-22T08:20:00.000-04:00

As a kid I was determined to become a comic book artist. My high school teacher, Margaret Stein, steered me into the commercial and fine arts fields. So, at this late stage in my life I can't get the idea out of my system and have done a series of comic book cover parodies. These are done on the computer and I sell them as limited edition fine art prints. Naturally I am having a great time creating these prints.

A cartoon portrait that I drew of Gloria, it took her a while to get used to it.

I generally do an ink line drawing first, then add the type and color on the computer.

The final version which was colored using Photoshop Elements 2.0. This is my latest cover, one of over 100 of them so far. I'm trying to interest publishers to print a book of these covers and may also approach print and poster publishers as well.

Book proposals

2011-03-17T09:00:00.000-04:00

I'm working on some new book proposals about the subject of digital art. After ten years of experimenting with this medium I have quite a collection of unusual images. This would be a "How to..." book which would include a lot of demonstrations.

This cover is one of several that I designed.

This image and those below are some of the types of studies that will be shown and I will also demonstrate how some of them were created.

I will also show how my comic book cover parodies are created.

I have over 100 comic book cover parodies finished and am planning to propose them as a book idea to publishers, here is one of my cover ideas.

Variations on an image

2011-03-10T07:22:00.007-05:00

One of the real advantages of working digitally is that an artist can do several variations of the same image for evaluation purposes. The colors and design can be easily altered, something that would literally take days to accomplish when using traditional painting mediums. Here are a few variations of an image, these were all done in about one hour.

This is the original image.

Eight different variations in which I experimented with various color combination.

Two more examples and I could have done a few more. If you are an artist, try this on one of your images, it's a great way to hone your computer skills. These were all created using Photoshop Elements 2.0

Promotion brochure covers

2011-03-08T08:27:00.000-05:00

Here are a few more promotion brochures that I send to potential clients. I've stopped doing storyboard and ad comps because of the brutal deadlines, but still am interested in doing some illustration. As an artist you must promote yourself with interesting, strong material, so that your pieces stand out from the mounds of material art directors receive. The computer is a great help in producing and printing brochures. I worked for many years as a graphic designer so I am comfortable doing this type of work.

I enjoy illustrating paperback book covers, especially science fiction and fantasy subjects.

I've always had an interest in all types of aircraft and have illustrated a few paperback covers with airplanes as the subject matter.

This brochure demonstrates how I can create several different versions of the same painting on the computer.

I've produced many comic book cover parodies and am trying to get a book publisher interested.

I'll probably be sending some material to various art galleries as I want to expand my market in the fine arts area.

More digital illustration

2011-03-05T08:17:00.001-05:00

Having fun doing more experimental illustrations on the computer. I use Photoshop Elements 2.0 and sometimes the Painter Classic 1.0.2 program for special effects.

A couple of these images are pieces that I had done before and now have revised them.

Digital illustration experiments

2011-03-03T08:57:00.000-05:00

The computer is an amazing new medium for artists as one can do far out image experiments with ease. I often create wild images that would be impossible to do with the traditional mediums. It's fun to experiment with design and color and a great way to learn as you can easily do several different versions of the same image quickly, something that would take days to do when using traditional mediums.

This image was created using photographs.

Here I used a line drawing and photographs of a piece of sculpture that I had done.

This image emulates traditional painting techniques.

This image was created from photographs and shows how off the beaten track one can go.

Digital experimental illustrations

2011-03-01T07:37:00.001-05:00

Good grief, it's March already !
I love experimenting with images on the computer. The computer is a great new medium for artists and illustrators as it opens whole new worlds as well as new challenges. I have been working digitally for about ten years and feel that I have barely touched on the possibilities that the computer offers.

This is an illustration that I did a couple of years ago and I thought that I would revise it a bit and make it more dramatic. The final result is below.

Another experimental figure study.

A Chicago scene.

An interesting abstraction from my New Landscapes series.

The computer is perfect for creating interesting photo montages.

Two more Promotion brochures

2011-02-24T08:27:00.000-05:00

Here are a couple more brochures that I intend to send out to book publishers.

The cover.

The interior spread.

The rear cover.

The brochure below I have posted before and I have added some color to make the design more interesting.

The color border makes the cover a little more interesting.

On the interior spread I have also shown how I adapted one of the illustrations for my comic book cover parodies.

The rear cover.

Promotion brochure for CD album covers

2011-02-22T08:17:00.001-05:00

I'm designing some promotion brochures to send out. This one shows some of the CD album covers that I have designed. The art was done on the computer using Photoshop Elements 2.0.

The cover of the brochure with one of the covers that I designed for Eclectica.

Here is the rear cover showing albums for Joni Janak and proposed covers for Steve Clarke's group.

The interior spread of the brochure showing all the covers done for Eclectica.

Close up of cover number five with an abstract scene created on the computer.

A poster done for the group.

Memorial

2011-02-21T11:50:00.002-05:00

Digital self promotion

2011-02-17T09:37:00.001-05:00

The computer is not only great for doing graphic design and interesting illustrations, it is a very handy tool for creating your own promotional material. I decided to send some material to art reps or possibly book publishers and record companies and am working on some promotional brochures highlighting my ink line illustrations as well as some of my digital work. Below are some of the covers that I have completed.

This brochure highlights the ink line illustrations that I did for a book on Dracula.

This brochure shows examples of my ink line work that was done for a group of prints that illustrated some Edgar Rice Burroughs' stories.

Above is the rear cover for the previous brochure.

A brochure featuring paperback covers that I have illustrated.

My digital illustration experiments will be shown in this last brochure. The size of the brochures are 8.5 x 11" and will be printed on my Epson Stylus Photo R1800 printer.

A simple portrait computer demo

2011-02-10T09:00:00.000-05:00

Here is a very simplified version of a quick portrait sketch done on the computer using Photoshop Elements 2.0 and Painter Classic. It's a portrait sketch of Gloria and myself and is a great way to practice painting digitally.

I began by first drawing a quick sketch using a regular pen, then I added the heavy accents with a brush and India ink.

Next, I added some flat colors with the Paint Bucket Tool.

Then I decided to tone down the heavy black line by adding a color to it, softening the image.

I opened the image in Painter Classic and added brush tones to the hair as well as a few lighter skin tones.

I brought the image back into Photoshop and softened some of the tones using the Smudge Tool. Adding the lipstick and earring colors finished the sketch. Remember this is just a quick sketch, I could proceed further to create a finished portrait. For learning purposes, doing many rough sketches like this one will give you confidence and knowledge that will help you greatly when attempting more finished paintings.

A couple more gallery posters

2011-02-08T08:39:00.006-05:00

I decided to do one poster for each week that the Craig Smith Gallery is having it's ChocolateFest. If you are near Union Pier, Michigan on a Saturday evening during February, stop by Craig's gallery and have a little fun.

These posters were all created in Photoshop Elements 2.0.

Another gallery poster

2011-02-05T05:23:00.000-05:00

I had so much fun creating Craig's poster that I decided that I may do one for each week of his ChocolateFest event. Here is the second one. Tonight is the first of these events, if you are near Union Pier, Michigan, stop by the gallery.

New gallery poster

2011-02-01T07:00:00.002-05:00

I designed a new poster for the Craig Smith Gallery. Craig is having a weekly event this month every Saturday from 7 to 9 pm called ChocolateFest 2011. If you are in the Union Pier, Michigan area, stop by and enjoy some Champagne and chocolate treats.

Boy, time certainly does fly !!!

Fooling with photos

2011-01-25T08:00:00.001-05:00

More experiments with photography and the computer. Photomontages are a great way to brush up on your computer and design skills as well as being a lot of fun. I do these in Photoshop Elements 2.0 on a Mac computer.

OUTDOOR SKETCHING
Here I added my hand to create an oddball image.

OUTDOOR SKETCHING 2
By adding my hand as well as a line sketch I create an interesting situation.

PAVEMENT ENDS
On this photo I retouched out the road and added the background section where it had been.

SUNRISE IN SAWYER
Just adding the red spheres makes for an odd, interesting image. For you artists out there in blogland, this is a terrific way to experiment and come up with creative images, try it yourself.

More photographic experiments

2011-01-20T06:27:00.001-05:00

A great way to practice and sharpen your computer skills is to experiment with combining photographs, which are called photomontages. You can achieve very interesting surreal effects with this process and it's great fun to see what you can come up with.

FLOATING ORANGE PEPPER

SUSPENDED APPLE

GLORIA'S SHOES

BAGEL IN HALLWAY

I have created many images of this type which have been exhibited in galleries and art centers. They are limited edition prints, printed on archival paper using pigmented inks.

Photographic experiments

2011-01-18T08:27:00.001-05:00

The computer is ideal for creating interesting photomontages and other experimental imagery. Below are a few recent pieces that I have been working on.These images were all created using Photoshop Elements 2.0

This is Gloria's cat, Blackjack. I didn't do much to this photo, I just cleaned up the background a bit.

A photo of Gloria and I with her daughter Holly and her husband Steve. I retouched out the faces to create a surreal effect.

A photo of Gloria asleep with floating objects. The red balls are actually my cat's ball which I've used on many of my photomontages.

A photo taken out of my kitchen window. I added the floating objects for a surreal effect.

A photo of clouds with the red balls added.

The same photo with my hand added creates a very interesting image.

Time Flies

2011-01-16T08:33:00.001-05:00

Comic book cover parodies

2011-01-13T15:27:00.000-05:00

Here are a few of my comic book cover parodies which were all created on the computer. In this first series I have done 145 of them. Projects like these are a great way to learn how to create on the computer using Photoshop.

Check out this blog

2011-01-12T09:27:00.002-05:00

More to come here soon !

2011 has a few words

2011-01-09T12:00:00.000-05:00

Time sure flies, before we know it 2012 will be here. We've had a lot of snow in Southwest Michigan, below are a couple of photos of what it looks like here.

Happy New Year !

2010-12-29T11:05:00.002-05:00

Cartoons for Gloria's blogs

2010-12-16T07:27:00.000-05:00

My lady friend, Gloria, has two interesting blogs, Romance after 50 and The romance game. Go to my links and click on them if you want to have a look. She asked me to do a few cartoons to add some color and design interest to her blogs. You can see others on my blog harryborgmanart.blogspot.com.

These drawings were all done with a brush and ink, then scanned into the computer where the color and type was added.

What every artist should do

2010-12-09T09:57:00.001-05:00

Artists must learn all the basics such as drawing, composition and color, but it's also important to experiment with new mediums and try oddball ideas. Creating art always entails growing and learning throughout one's career, an exciting experience. I find the computer to be an excellent medium for creating unusual concepts and is also a daily new learning opportunity with unlimited possibilities.

Experimental self portraits

2010-12-02T07:27:00.000-05:00

Here are a few experiments that I did using my self portrait as a starting point. Originally I did this in a woodcut type of style which I felt was an interesting approach.

Here is the original art that I did for the portrait on my blogs. Below are a few interesting variations. See what fun you can have on the computer ?

This image is actually a negative of my original sketch, then I added a few colors.

More Fine Arts Comics

2010-11-30T06:07:00.002-05:00

More comic book cover parodies. These are all created on the computer using Photoshop Elements 2.0

Poster for new exhibit

2010-11-25T12:37:00.000-05:00

The Scarlet Macaw Community Art Center in Sawyer, Michigan has a new group exhibition titled ROUND IN CIRCLES. I did a poster and price sheet for my new series ARTBUGS. If anyone out there is interested in purchasing a print, let me know. There are ten prints available in two sizes, 13 x 19" and 8.5 x 11".

Happy Thanksgiving !!

2010-11-24T11:17:00.002-05:00

Have a great Thanksgiving from Gloria, Laura, Jpeg, Tiff, Blackjack, Shnicklefritz & me.

Wine tasting/Benefit tonight !

2010-11-18T06:54:00.005-05:00

Tonight is the Harbor Country Public Arts Initiative benefit to raise money to have one of my sculptures constructed and placed in Sawyer, Michigan. The event is being held at the Craig Smith Gallery at the Gordon Beach Inn in Union Pier, Michigan.

The sculpture will be 18 feet tall and constructed of steel.

More new art

2010-11-18T06:27:00.000-05:00

Here are a couple more new pieces for exhibition ROUND IN CIRCLES which will open on December 4th at the Scarlet Macaw Community Art Center in Sawyer, Michigan. These were created on the computer, as were the others in this series, and will be sold as limited edition prints.

More art for upcoming group exhibition

2010-11-16T08:38:00.005-05:00

Three more images done on the computer for the upcoming group exhibit ROUND IN CIRCLES which will be at the Scarlet Macaw Community Art Center in Sawyer, Michigan.

Altering the art for the new exhibition

2010-11-12T16:15:00.006-05:00

In the last post I showed a couple of new pieces for an exhibition which were done in black and white. I decided to add color and am thinking about entering these instead, they would certainly pop out in a group show. These prints are 13 x 19" and are printed on archival paper.

More new art for new exhibition

2010-11-11T08:42:00.005-05:00

Here are a few more prints that I did for the ROUNDS AND CIRCLES exhibition that's coming up soon at the Scarlet Macaw Community Art Center. These were all created on the computer using Photoshop Elements 2.0

Fund raising benefit coming up

2010-11-09T05:57:00.006-05:00

The Harbor Country Public Arts Initiative has chosen one of my sculptures to be constructed and erected in Sawyer, Michigan at the Red Arrow Highway and Sawyer Road. The Craig Smith Gallery is having a fund raising benefit to raise money for the construction of the piece which will be welded steel and painted orange. The sculpture will be 18 feet in height.

New art for new exhibit

2010-11-07T14:27:00.001-05:00

The Scarlet Macaw Community Art Center in Sawyer. Michigan is going to have a new exhibition soon titled ROUNDS AND CIRCLES and I started creating some images for the show. These were all created on my computer using Photoshop Elements 2.0

The above image is actually the view outside the window of my New York studio in the 1980's, minus the red ball, of course. That red ball is actually the ball that my cats play with, I've used it many times in my photomontages.

A step by step demo

2010-11-05T13:17:00.000-04:00

One of my readers, Ruth Kaldor, expressed interest in seeing a demo of just how these parodies are created, so I produced this demo. It will probably appear much less complex than it is in reality, but an artist must keep practicing and experimenting to understand just how create art and graphic images on the computer

I first did this figurative sketch using a brush and ink on layout paper, then scanned the image into the computer.

Next, I placed the scan into the cover format and added a background color. This was all done in Photoshop Elements 2.0

I then added the image of my hand into the composition as seen below.

The next step was to start adding color to the figure so that it would appear that I was painting.

After that, I added more color to the masthead and also added the speech balloons and text. It looks quit simple and to me, it is, but I've had years of experience with creating images on the computer. For the beginner, this would be quite a complex endeavor.

Parodies

2010-11-04T06:07:00.004-04:00

I'm having a great time creating these comic book cover parodies.

Here I used one of my figure studies which was part of an exhibition at the Craig Smith Gallery in Harbert, Michigan. Because of many problems, Craig has moved out of that space, but still has his other gallery at the Gordon Beach Inn in Union Pier, Michigan as well as the space in Oak Park, Illinois.

For this cover I used a cartoon drawing that I did of Gloria to use on one of her business cards. At first she didn't like it, but now has gotten used to it. These covers, like all of the others, were created on a Mac computer, using Photoshop Elements 2.0.

A couple more parodies

2010-11-02T05:47:00.000-04:00

Two more of my comic book cover parodies. These are a lot of fun to create, I do them on a Mac Computer using Photoshop Elements 2. Presently, a dozen of these on exhibition at the Scarlet Macaw Community Art Center in Sawyer, Michigan, if you are in the area, stop by.

More Fine Arts Comics

2010-10-30T06:00:00.000-04:00

Having fun continuing my new series of comic book cover parodies.

My blog's birthday !

2010-10-27T05:07:00.001-04:00

Above is Gloria, my fiance, announcing this blog's birthday.
Time sure flies, it seems as if I just began posting a short time ago and now it's going on to the third year already.

Fun with parodies

2010-10-21T09:17:00.000-04:00

More Art world parodies from my new series which are created on the computer.

For the above cover I actually used one of my acrylic paintings and added the type and copy. The painting is one of a series of figure studies that was done for an exhibition.

The painting used here is actually from my new series of abstract figure studies, acrylics on canvas. Those are my cats, Laura, Tiff and Jpeg.

I used a cartoon from my book ART THERAPY for this cover.

A few more parodies

2010-10-19T05:57:00.006-04:00

I'm having fun with these comic book cover parodies. If you are anywhere near Sawyer, Michigan, stop by the Scarlet Macaw Art Community Art Center and view the current LAMPOON exhibit to see more of my parodies. These were all created on the computer and are all printed on archival paper using pigmented inks.

Comic book cover parodies

2010-10-14T07:07:00.002-04:00

I've been working on a new series of comic book cover parodies called FINE ARTS COMICS. The Scarlet Macaw Art Center in Sawyer, Michigan is having an exhibition soon titled "LAMPOON" and some of these will be shown. These images were all created on the computer using the program Photoshop Elements 2.

On this cover I used one of my figure study acrylic painting which I had designed to look like a comic strip.

Comic book cover parodies

2010-10-06T12:17:00.000-04:00

Here are a couple of new comic book cover parodies titled FINE ART COMICS. I have posted some of these on my other blog recently. These are all created on the computer,the first two are cartoons from my book ART THERAPY. The third one was constructed from an ink drawing of a nude that I did.

The last of the Captain

2010-09-27T14:07:00.000-04:00

More crazy Captain Albania adventures, as well as more computer experimentation.

The art in the strip was getting more complex at this stage, as I was learning a great deal about just what could be done in this new medium.

One of the more interesting sequences as far as how the art is done, in my opinion.

A close up of an interesting section of the art.

I started to introduce other comic strip characters into the strip like Flash Gordon and Popeye. This was actually the last strip that I drew in the series.

Yet more Captain Albania

2010-09-23T07:47:00.006-04:00

Here are a couple more CAPTAIN ALBANIA strips from the series that I produced on the computer.

It's most interesting to experiment on the computer, I learned a great deal doing these comic strips. It seems that this new medium has endless possibilities for artists. However, the computer can be very frustrating at times to say the least, crashes, mysteriously losing images and various other crazy things, but if you grit your teeth, dive in and try various techniques, it can be a very rewarding experience. I really don't care for a lot of the hyper realist type of art that is done in this medium, but that's just a personal opinion.

Another crazy sequence and some blow-ups below so you can better see the detail in the renderings.

I had a great time working on this project.

More Captain Albania adventures

2010-09-21T16:27:00.000-04:00

Some of my strips for CAPTAIN ALBANIA got quite complex, but it was really interesting to create these strips with the exciting new computer medium which I was just getting familiar with. I'm still very active with computer art and feel that I've just barely tapped into what the possibilities that this great medium offers

These images are too small for you to read, but I'm mainly interested in viewers seeing the basic layouts and color images.

This was one of the promotion pieces that I did at the very beginning of this project.

Some more CA comics

2010-09-18T08:47:00.000-04:00

Here are a few more nutty segments of my experimental comic strip CAPTAIN ALBANIA. These strips were all created on the computer for fun and it also was a good way to practice and learn about using this amazing new medium.

A blowup so you can better study the art.

The Captain visits another planet and gets in serious trouble.

I even have myself in the strip drawing a couple of the panels. It was a rather surreal endeavor with some crazy plots.

Fun with Captain Albania

2010-09-15T07:47:00.000-04:00

A couple more examples of my CAPTAIN ALBANIA comic strip which was created on the computer. This project was a great way for me to learn about doing art in this new medium. I had no intention of marketing the strip, I did it just to send to a few friends. It was quite challenging and also a lot of fun.

The art was done in ink line, then scanned and assembled on the computer where the color and type were added. The plots were rather nutty and surreal.

A blowup of one of the frames for a better look at the technique.

Another weird segment as the captain saves a drowning woman who turns out to be a mermaid.

Many of these frames were drawn using marker pens on layout paper.

Training on the computer

2010-09-13T08:07:00.002-04:00

When I first started working with the computer around the year 2000, I used to create comic strips to send to friends. Actually, I would do ink line drawings and scan them into the computer, assemble the strips and then add lettering and color. It proved to be a great way to learn the many things an artist can do using this medium. I will show some of these comic strips in the next few posts. This particular strip was titled CAPTAIN ALBANIA and was kind of a parody on the old BUCK ROGERS strip. I always wanted to be a comic strip artist but pursued a career as a graphic designer and illustrator instead, here I'm back at it.
Anyway, these strips were fun to create as well as a great way to explore the computer medium.

A blown up section of the strip so that you can study the detail a little better.

More detail.

A promo piece for the strip.

CAPTAIN ALBANIA as an artist with MALICE from Wonderland.

The whole concept was intended to be a bit loony.

Creating my own U.S.postage stamps

2010-09-11T11:27:00.003-04:00

Someone gave me a PhotoStamps kit and I used it to create these personalized U.S.postage stamps. It was a fun project. I did one version using a photo of Gloria and the other two I used a couple of my new paintings. It was very easy to do and the instructions were quite clear. You create your design on the computer and send your order in and they print up the stamps and send them to you. Go to photostamps.com for more info.

I used a photo taken of Gloria while we were vacationing in Puerto Vallarta.

Here I used one of my new paintings titled COY NUDE.

NUDE WITH BLUE HAIR was used on this stamp.

Exotic glasses

2010-09-03T08:47:00.004-04:00

The Scarlet Macaw Community Art Center in Sawyer, Michigan sells some very interesting reading glasses with tiny lights on them for reading in the dark. I bought Gloria a pair and decided to take a few photos of her wearing the glasses. I retouched the photo in Photoshop Elements 2.0, creating a simple dark background.

Then I decided to create a poster for the gallery by adding some type. Niffee Krumrie, the owner and director, liked the poster and hung it in the window. The glasses are great, check them out. Also tomorrow the galley has an opening from 7:00 to 10:00 PM for
their "Going, going, GONE" exhibit which will be up through October 3rd.

Exhibit: Beyond The Photograph

2010-06-08T09:07:00.002-04:00

The Scarlet Macaw Art Center has an interesting exhibit currently, titled BEYOND THE PHOTOGRAPH. I'm showing a few of my photomontages which I've adapted into parodies of photographic magazine covers.
It's a group show and Gloria also is exhibiting three unique pieces. If you are near Sawyer, Michigan or passing by on I-94, get off at exit 12 and have a look. A fun place to have lunch or dinner is just across the street from the gallery, try Fitzgerald's, you'll enjoy it. Below are some of the pieces that I have in the exhibition. These pieces were all created on a Mac computer with Photoshop Elements 2.

MEMORIAL DAY 2010

2010-05-31T11:11:00.001-04:00

New digital sketches for paintings

2010-05-20T08:17:00.001-04:00

Here are four more sketches for my new acrylic painting series. I create these sketches on the computer, it's a great way to develop my abstract figure images. Working this way I am able to create several versions of the same concept and pick out the best one, something that would be very time consuming using traditional painting mediums. I really enjoy creating these images on the computer.

These sketches are done approximately 8" wide. When actually painting the final images, I don't copy the sketches verbatim, but use the digital images as a starting point. these paintings range in size from 36 x 36" to 44 x 44". As of now, I have 12 of these paintings in my local gallery and also have a gallery in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico that wants to exhibit them. A gallery in Cincinnati, Ohio contacted me the other day and is interested in exhibiting this series, so I'll be very busy painting for the next few weeks.
The Craig Smith Gallery in Harbert, Michigan has run a full page ad in the current May issue of Art in America featuring one of my new paintings. check it out if you have a chance.

A legend died today

2010-05-10T17:22:00.002-04:00

Frank Frazetta was one of my very favorite artists, he painted some spectacular paperback covers which will always be remembered.

Rich man's disease & photomontages

2010-05-06T10:37:00.000-04:00

For the last two weeks I've had the gout, known as the "rich man's disease". I'm not rich, so why did I get gout ? It first happened to me when I lived in Paris, must have been the rich food and wine. This painful event occurs about every four or five years. My father had gout, it must run in the family.

My girlfriend, Gloria, came down from Grand Rapids to baby me. She cooked meals, fed me pills, picked up my mail and did some shopping. The only thing she wouldn't do is to buy a little nurse's outfit from Frederick's that I recommended she wear. The cartoon of Gloria was done on the computer.

While bedridden I tried to do some work on the computer, but with three cats it was not easy.

The Scarlet Macaw Art Center in Sawyer, Michigan is planning on having a photographic exhibition soon and I though that I would enter some new photo montages. Here is the hallway in my home to which I added three red spheres. The spheres are actually a red ball that my cats play with, I've used it in many of my photo montages.

I shot this photo near my house of the sun rising and added a red sphere for the fun of it. The computer is the perfect medium for creating photo montages.

A great quote

2010-03-13T16:57:00.000-05:00

A great quote from Winston Churchill which I turned into a poster using Photoshop Elements 2.0.
I haven't been doing regular posts as two of my computers are down. I took them to the Apple Store and they are replacing the hard drive on one, they cleared the other one and I am now reinstalling programs, should be up and running in a few days.

A simple photomontage

2010-02-18T08:47:00.000-05:00

A photo taken out of one of the windows in Gloria's house was the basis for this photomontage.

I decided to use the cat's red ball for this experiment. I've used the ball for many of my photomontages.

I try several different positions before deciding on this composition.

I want the smaller ball to appear to be outside the window so I take my original photo and clear the window area that I will place over the ball.

I use the Polygonal Lasso Tool in photoshop to outline the area that is needed and place it over the area where the ball is located.

Photomontages are fun to experiment with and are a great way to learn how to use the various tools available in the Photoshop program.