Tag Archives for art

Photoshop Turns 20 Years Old

I began using Adobe Photoshop in the mid nineties with my computer whiz next door neighbor to guide me. I had in mind to invent a company for graphic imagery production, and I called the corporation Prime Images (named after my favorite Autobot). My neighbor sat down with me at his computer and showed me the wonders of this application called Photoshop. In no time, he had made me a logo in a sophisticated black text with what looked like a blue comet forming the dot on the “i” in “Prime.” I just knew that I needed to get my hands on a copy of Photoshop, and I did. It was the best investment in my life up to 13 years of age. By the time I was 15, I had a rudimentary knowledge of the application and began learning to apply it to professional work. Continue reading →

For Productive Artists, Dreams Come True

Beginning to advanced artists enjoy the process of imagining. Coming up with the new, imagining the possibilities, thinking up something that can make people laugh and cry at the same time get’s artistic designers on a temporary high. Then the realization kicks in that to put those ideas on paper, film, or web would be work. Continue reading →

Before and After Representations of Beauty

My wife is an awesome, smart, beautiful woman. I love her to infinity. Regrettably, we all have our moments when the lighting and cheap digital cameras we have to take snapshots with don’t show us how attractive we actually look. My wife has been dealt the card of “not-so photogenic for life.” She looks much better in life than in most of her pictures.

Example of before and after image of my wife LizFor this reason, I am here to help sweeten her pictures from time to time. Here’s a recent shot I took with a before and after treatment in Photoshop. This is a simple cleanup in Photoshop, and it’s not very difficult if you know what you’re doing in the application on a Mac or PC.

Why do we care about the way we look? Is beauty in the eye of the beholder? I think not. There are fundamental consistent values we all think deem something beautiful. However, we often confuse beauty with our personal tastes and preferences. There is a subjective and objective quality to beauty at the same time. Continue reading →

Myths, Lies, and Half-Truths New Cover Art

The final cover

I create cover art every now and then. I like the creative. I could do without producing creative for others. : ) I like every mockup I create just about. For each book cover I work on I mockup at least 5 unique covers. Inevitably, the authors choose my second or third favorite of the lot. For once, I wish my preferred mockups would be chosen. Maybe one of these days….

The cover that was chosen was inspired by some new book covers I’ve seen at Barnes & Noble in the past year. Maybe the next time you’re browsing a book store, you’ll recognize a cover or two that also have a torn cover effect. Continue reading →

Defining Morality in Art

Most of my readers know that I am a Christian, and I like to think about the ramifications of Biblical worldview in the arts. It’s not easy to compete with the various worldviews in art and culture since what’s culturally acceptable is so influential. Popularity usually supersedes morality for patrons of the arts. If the majority of people enjoy something  good or bad, the negative peer pressure throughout culture will excuse anyone to enjoy the morally bankrupt movies, books, music . . . and so forth. Continue reading →

Secular And Sacred Culture

Most people in western culture, consciously or passively, consider art to fit in one of two categories: secular and/or sacred arts. Few people know how to define these categories. Churches usually don’t educate their flocks on the arts, but along the way—going to church, Sunday school, Bible studies, etc.—members of the flock get an indirect idea of what religious art is, and what it is not. The rest of the culture wants to put sacred art into a box that they can tuck away from their lives. Only on the rare Christmas or Easter church services they attend do they enjoy religious icons, decor, or other religious artistic works. Continue reading →

Adobe’s Art House Ad for CS4

This is one of the pieces of art that defies reality. It’s actually quite a pleasant romp through an Alice and Wonder Land out-of-this-world experience. While it is evidently sophisticated and cleverly simplistic, it would give you the illusion that it is nonsensical and without meaning.

adobe cs4 mini-movieVisit Laughing Squid’s post to watch the video »

Come on! I like the video. It’s pure genius. It has this unusual—perhaps uncomfortable—happy nature to it. However, it is anything but an example of successful pointlessness. If you mean by pointless that the creators wanted make a video that was seemingly pointless, then doesn’t that mean the point of the film was to be pointless? Ha—caught ya! Seriously, it’s a well made video that illustrates the finer potential of visual stimulation that Adobe’s products can provide. So sit back, and enjoy a little nonsense.

And don’t let it give you nightmares. ;-)