Post Complete.
Just kidding.
For those who don't know: I produce digital art.
The image above is new and never before seen by anyone other than me.
Everything I produce starts with a blank digital canvas. It's all done freehand. My work isn't automated. It's never just a simple photograph or existing image/push button filter combo.
The style you see above is my own; one of many I've developed. What I've done here today could be compared to painting on glass, then applying another layer of glass on top and painting that, then another layer, more paint, again and again.
I did something similar with this one below but decided to merge all layers, then blend the colors together by hand, no filters (with filters I lose control of which direction the colors will flow).
The next was a combination of merged blended layers and individual glass-like layers.
Next is something somewhat similar to the one I produced today. This was one of my earlier examples of this glass-like layering technique.
Below you can see how I've incorporated this technique into productions that involve more than just swirly colors of eye candy.
Let's have another look at Belinda.
Can you spot any individual layers?
Here's one:
With separate layers, I'm able to alter features independently. If I mess up or become fussy, I'm able to delete the layer and start over without affecting the surrounding area.
Using layers correctly also gives you the ability to paint under existing layers without interfering with what's on top.
Using this simple image of a lake I produced as an example:
There were three main layers to that image during production. The bottom or first layer was the water. Other layers were added to that for shading and detail purposes but eventually merged into one layer. The trees and reflection became the second main layer. That sat on top of the water. The sky layer came last but I placed that layer behind the first two so I could pull the colors down, spray, or blend without getting any on the trees or water.
I know I could have started with the sky first but going in, I didn't plan on producing a lake. For more complex productions, I'll typically plan my layers in advance.
Anyway
If you're into digital art or would like to learn...
Now you know: Layers are your friend. Use them.
Also, to any folks out there who think digital art isn't real or consider it to be cheating because it's not in physical form, just know, I'd never consider your comment to this post to be cheating just because you didn't use a pen.
'I Finally Did It' really does it. I liked them all, but kept going back to the top. You've done it, again!
I had a feeling you'd like that one. You always said these are like glass and I think using the term glass-like layers was a rather fitting way to describe this process. I don't really know what else to call it or a better way to describe it, so, thanks for that.
Some of them remind me of smoke under colored lights too, but when I see what looks like a hint of a shiny edge here or there, I'm reminded of blown glass.
Smoke and blown glass reminds me of a new legal hobby we have here in Canada.
Oh yeah I forgot your hobby, I also see the dead people in some of the images.
Well, yeah. They follow me everywhere I go, I think. There's a huge face in I Finally Did It. His mouth and chin is green, eyes are blue. It's not obvious, but he's there.
All of these images have ghosts in them. One Of Those Days, the whole thing in the middle is a head. I even put eyes in the lake water.
Layers... like the dance of the seven veils (consider painting Salome some time in the future 😝)
Digital art is difficult and tricky because you can't be exactly sure how each mouse move or button click is going to look like (pretty much like "handmade" art). But (and here comes one of its great advantages) you always have the 'Undo' button to "clean up the mess" (or make it worse).
Still, a blank canvas is always a blank canvas calling the artist to fill it...
PS, my favorite colors are in Supper time 😊
I do have the luxury of CTRL+Z, but I can only backup about 20 steps. Since I like to use the spray paint tool set on barely anything comes out, I've sprayed 5 shots before the difference becomes noticeable. I have to be careful. I've rage quit on a few after a couple of hours simply because of nasty errors. The free form flowing pieces are easy to fix up but if I'm working on eyes, then notice I forgot to add a new layer and I've been messing up the white... I'm pissed. I've done that a few times.
"one of those days" I love that one. I have posted lots of my art here without talking about it and people refer to it as shit posts. Not to my face though. Ahh the good old days of fist fights outside of galleries lol
I can't afford pro layering... I have heard about it though ; )
It's annoying how the content police treat some instances of several hours worth of work here. I've come across a few who've failed to recognize the work that goes into the art. "One image and a few sentences? This would take me ten minutes," they say...
My kid could do that! I guess there are a lot of talented kids who work very fast.
I love layers. I can't believe I couldn't get my head around them at first but once you do, bin, it's smashing!
I noticed your thumbnail/cover images are kicking ass these days. That's some fine work you do.
Lol, nah, although I used to be a bit of a Photoshop whiz, nowadays I am restricted to what I can do on my phone. But cheers, I do the best with what I have!
I’d read your posts for the writing alone, but it’s often your art that catches my eye when I’m skimming through my feed. My favorites here are I Finally Did It and Just Because I Can for the way the colors punch and for the interplay between the shapes and textures. I dig how both the chaotic elements and the forms, like the darkness and the booms of color, accentuate each other. Also enjoyed hearing a little about your background and process. I work almost exclusively in digital now, and the creative freedom and flexibility it provides are unparalleled. The bias against digital media is ridiculous. If Leonardo and Van Gogh we’re alive today they’d be rocking layers and loving it! :)
The art I produce usually does stand out in those feeds. That's all intentional. Cheaper and more productive than buying votes to get attention.
The hate for digital art is getting old. I think some folks still hate the electric guitar though so I don't see it going away any time soon.
Very cool! You're right - this style is super unique and we definitely haven't seen anything quite like it before! Looking forward to seeing what other styles you will come up with!
That first image is my personal favorite - looks to me like someone accidentally spilled several cans of paint all over the floor!
I'm always experimenting, discovering new things. These digital art suites have a lot of different tools. Some I've yet to try.
You're right about that image. I could have named it The Studio Floor.
ta. wasn't sure how you did it before. thought maybe your house was full of white sheets and techno coloured stained walls
Well, it does say all images were produced digitally, by me, at the bottom of every post. Many seem to overlook that part.
Love the second and third ones, the colours are so pretty XD
I read the headline two ways simultaneously and am glad it wasn't th mental breakdown kind of breakdown!
It's always fun throwing dramatic words into the headline. If there was a mental breakdown though, this probably would be the place to find it... LOL
Players would make sense nad's to beautiful artistry. Winter's coming in layers to make additional sense as well. You use very happy colors I put a smile on my face.
Awesome art dude!
You are such a fundamentalist, but your pictures do look different.
For once I'll knock out a comment with no pictures and stay focused on yours...
Great stuff.
Thanks a lot. I taught myself and don't have any influences. That's why it's different, I think.
Personally, it's been far too long since I've gotten layered.
There might be on of those layers on 118th ave.
All my friends said they'd stand beside me when the going got rough
But the joke was on me, there was no one left there even to bluff :-)
I'm going back to New York city, I do believe I've had enough!
That was the first time I've heard that song.
That top one up there looks like a series of thoughts altogether, while the mind multitasks. That green thought looks intense; the dark blue jester looking guy with the long nose is an interesting thought - not sure what I think about him; then there is that pretty peaceful flower thought. Interesting places you've got there in your brain.
Clearly, my brain is a well organized sock drawer.
I'm envious then. I could use some of those organizational skills. My thoughts are smashed together and unfolded.
It has been a while since I visited here! Sometimes Steemit is impossible to navigate, for me at least. Fine images! What program are you using?
BTW. Maybe we should re-introduce the #nowords tag. I made a couple of posts where I only used images and music in both pots and comments, and refused to write anything (the images made by myself and the music mainly from youtube). After a while a lot of people started to make posts with the noword tag, and the comments section was often better than the post.
I found this example: https://steemit.com/nowords/@katharsisdrill/nowords-vii
Krita has been my main go-to program for quite awhile now. For me, that one seems better than most expensive software suites, if you can put up with a few bugs.
It's so hard for me to hush my mouth for some strange reason. I've been at this for over two years here and if I don't have any creative writing, I share the art and ramble on about whatever comes to mind. Most would think there's something wrong with me if I silently placed some art here and walked away. I do remember seeing the #nowords tag. I just think back to all the times people have been pissed with me for earning on short art posts and feel I'd alienate more.
Hahaha, well social media can be like a dysfunctional marriage. I am so bad at socialising that the select few who follows what I am doing are of the attentive sort. It was fun only to comment in images, animated gifs and music and I saw no one who was pissed off by the lacking words.
Anyway, I use Krita for all my digital art. It is better and as I only use Linux it is probably not something that I will change anytime soon.
You're talking about comment sections and just having fun. Look at this disaster of a mess I made one day:
https://steemit.com/life/@nonameslefttouse/i-don-t-think-i-ve-ever-been-more-pissed-off-in-my-life
That's more my style. Just letting everyone do and say whatever. This isn't a dead serious establishment. It's a free-for-all.
That is my style too, I never prevented anyone from anything (except for the people I beat up sometimes because I do not like the way they behave). People wrote comments with words, and I simply couldn't be bothered to find their Twitter accounts and start a Twitter-storm or trolling them on FB because they used words. If I meet them in person I might look differently at it of course and beat them up. But it was really, really, really free in my comment section. Like in Liberty and Democracy!
I like the glassy looks you get with those jewel toned layers. Beautiful!
Beautiful! I honestly have to apologize on behalf of "those who just don't get it". I'm a traditional pencil and paint artist so I used to undermine digital art until I actually tried it and payed attention to the work that goes into it. These are really dope I have to say again.
That pencil has an eraser. Cheater!
Just kidding.
My art teachers when I was young were the first to take a verbal dump on me for preferring digital. I'm glad I didn't listen.
I'm glad you like them. Thanks a lot!
You're welcome! Keep doing you.
Glass was my first thought when I saw this. I live in an area with a long tradition in glass making and also a lot of glass artists. I paint on glass myself and recently I am exploring more and more the possibilities of digital art. So of course this piece is very appealing to me. I’d love to see a step-by-step of how you did this. Quite extraordinary.
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If step-by-steps didn't mean adding another hour or two to production time, I'd be all over that. I responded recently to another commentator asking how it's made here:
https://steemit.com/art/@makowrites/re-nonameslefttouse-everyone-went-to-steemfest-the-place-is-dead-and-i-feel-like-that-kid-on-home-alone-20181109t194233649z
That link has two links. One leads back to here and the other leads to a post I did recently where I demonstrate some of the process behind a different image I worked on. Certain aspects I like to keep to myself. Some I don't mind giving away. In time I'll probably sit down and put the tricks of the trade on display but I'd like to make a few more before everyone is doing it... LOL
Quite alright, I'm not giving away all my "tricks" either. Thanks for adding the links, very interesting!
I like the coloring of the glass-like layered canvas.
Wow. This is so beautiful. I love it. It's so real.
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Thanks.