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Collaborative Art WORKS!™

How to create a LAYERED LOOK

    Let's look at the Steps to another Collaboration

    Look how fun it is to create COLLABORATIVELY by working together. COLLABORATIONS have a touch of transparency. You'll love sharing your DIGITAL imaging in Photoshop LAYERS, whether art or photography!







    Through the magic of layering and varying degrees of opacity (transparency), one digital image stands as the background, and another becomes the (typically slightly transparent) foreground.  

    Find out more

    Let's look at some examples

    Architectural panels

    EXAMPLE 1: STEP 1

    As you see, this composition has no focal point. 

    For this reason, it is a perfect BACKGROUND image for Collaborations. Are you beginning to see how fun it is to create collaboratively?


    Photo by Wayne Fisher Photography, Inc.

    It has clean lines

    And it gives the feeling of a lot of DEPTH.

    You can see what the image is

    It is architectural . . . and yet we cannot see the entire building. That makes this image interesting, as it creates CURIOSITY, as we begin to create collaboratively!

    Black, White and Gray tones

    Not a requirement for  collaborations - yet, these monotones make way for a COLOR FOREGROUND.

    Let's move on to Step 2

    Here's the next step

    Watercolor and Ink on paper

    EXAMPLE 1: STEP 2

    Here is a fashion illustration. It definitely has a focal point. Faces always draw the viewer's eye into the composition! Hence, this layer is a perfect example for collaborations.

    This composition WORKS with the architectural piece because it is VERTICAL.

    There is no guess work: "What do I need to eliminate to make these two pieces fit well together, as I create collaboratively?"

    It is elegant and SIMPLE.

    Like the BACKGROUND piece, this illustration has great possibilities for TRANSPARENCY, a very BIG part of Collaborative Art WORKS!™

    Start 'seeing' the possibilities, and how to accomplish them.

    The WHITE suit and hat shall remain as they are. The white backgournd to this piece needs to disappear, so that only the illustration will be 'overlaid' on to the BACKGROUND - See Example 1, Step 1.

    On to Step 3

    And the next step

    Original Watercolor and ink painting

    EXAMPLE 1: STEP 3

    We want to emphasize the focal image as we dive into our collaborations. In Photoshop, you can make the 'noise' around an image disappear. 

    So, make the background of this image "go away".

    Once you have made the background of your focal image disappear - or have 'erased' it, you can play with the two images, working together, creating collaborations! One image is yours and the other image is someone else's, each giving permission, of course!

    What does it mean to play with the two images?

    Again, in Photoshop or a related program - as long as you use digital imaging, you can create layers and transparency!

    If you don't know how, Learn! It's really quite simple.

    Once you have the BACKGROUND image, literally set as the 'background layer' - then add your focal image for your collaborations. 

    The real fun is the experimenting!

    You can:

    1. Size and re-size your focal image - to see where it looks the best against the background image.

    2. You can move it around - for the same reason.

    3. You can flip it.

    4. You can duplicate it!

    5. You can change its color!


     Now, what do you think of COLLABORATIONS!

    final step

    Collaboration: Wayne Fisher architectural panels, painting, Gemini Woman

    EXAMPLE 1: STEP 4

    Once you have positioned your focal image (the 'upper layer') - and created the amount opacity (transparency) you like  - and FLATTENED your collaborations LAYERS . . .

    Make a Frame

    Creating 'frames' around your collaborations is simple, too. It's all about 'making boxes' - and placing your 'flattened' image as another layer. You can make as many frames as you see 'fit'!

    Give credit to you Collaborator

    You, as the creator of the Collaboration, will put your signature or logo - on the bottom, right. Your collaborator's signature, or 'text' name goes to the bottom, left.

    Three Collaborators?

    Then, give credit to all three at the bottom of your Triple Collaboration! Yay for Collaborations!

    Sample gallery II

      original artwork

      Sunshower Rose painting, Blue Heron

      Example 2: Step 1

      This Blue Heron's wing will be color-inverted, rotated and duplicated, to create the 'look' of a butterfly, as you will see in the next step. 

      The original Blue Heron watercolor was painted on white paper.

      As I manipulate in PhotoShop, only the wing becomes the top layer of this collaboration.

      Let's move on to Step 2

      this photo: background

      Ken Nikolai photo: Cathedral Rock & reflection, Sedona, AZ

      Example 2: Step 2

       A shot of the most photographed Red Rock in Sedona, Arizona - by Ken Nikolai.

      This photo becomes the background for a Collaboration.

      Reflections can really add to the effectiveness of any composition

       In the case of Collaborations, there is an added opportunity to play with transparency and upside down fun! 

      Let's move on to Step 3

      and the next step

      Heron wings digitally maneuvered, gradated background

      Example 2: Step 3

      Here, the one Heron wing has been duplicated and flipped - placing the two images in juxtaposition with each other, as we start to create collaboratively. 

      Let's move on!

      transparency

      Sunshower painting, Heron wings duplicated, mirrored

      Example 2: Step 4

      As in Example 1, we now must erase the 'noise' around the focal image 

      Now the image is 'clean'

       Thus, it stands alone . . . as the . . . 

      Top layer

      focal point of the collaboration

      Now you can play with the two images

       

      1. You have the photo of the Red Rocks as your background layer

      2. You have the 'butterfly wings', as your 'upper layer'

      3. Play with placement and opacity (transparency)

      4. Re-size and rotate the top layer, to 'fit' well as part of the reflection in the water

      final step

      Collaboration: Cathedral Rock photo; heron wings,

      Example 2: Step 5

      Once you have . . .

      1. positioned your focal image(s) - the 'upper' layer

      2. created the amount of opacity (transparency) you like

      3. flattened your collaborative layers

      4. created your frame(s)

      5. added you signature (or logo) and that of your collaborator's

      You can call your collaboration complete or . . .

      Get MORE bold as you create collaboratively, and add some 'electric' action lines! 

      ACTION LINES?

      Sure! You're in charge of your composition. The author of this site likes to add the appearance of movement to these cool Collaborations.

      So, use this idea - or not!

      Using your Brush Preset Tool . . .

      Experiment until you find the shape, color, spacing, rotation of the 'brush' you REALLY love, and . . .

      Using your stylus . . .

      Draw some 'action' curvy lines . . .

      or whatever suits your fancy!

      Contact Sunshower for some pointers, here, if you want.

      There! Wasn't that fun?!!

      Female dancer; architectural image

      Let's get your work digitalized

      (if it is not, already) . . . and start to play with other Creatives through this site!

      Self Collaborating - Sacred symbol with Sunshower's painting

      Parasol by the Sea

        Metatron's cube with lion

        Sunshower's illustration via PhotoShop, Tablet & Wacom

          Flower of life

          Originally illustrated for Sunshower's daughter

            Angelic Spiral

            Sunshower's illustration with Dominic Ewan's GIF.

            Galactic Butterfly

            Butterfly Wings

              Golden Mean Appears

              Original pencil illustration, Ram/Mayan Temple

                Introducing "Sunshower Rose"

                Toriah - a hand painted Watercolor Collaboration. 


                Please note the:


                1. female face, sublimated

                2. ballerina

                3. Impressionistic meadow and tree


                Sunshower can teach you this kind of painting. Just contact her!


                New Addition!

                Now you can purchase Sunshower's Art

                at Le Galeriste, THE site for 

                "ART on GARMENTS" 


                Just click on Le Galeriste, above!


                Sample page, left

                Hand of God excerpt, with Ram

                Creative revision from Hand of God, a watercolor and ink art piece - collaborated with a Ram and Mayan temple image, originally drawn with pencil.


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