Art n Architecture

Link to Blueprint Magazine

2010-04-12T01:59:56Z

ProjectFurmanPark

2009-12-14T15:32:06Z

Michael J Petrow & Associates designed this park using a beautiful fountain and themed clock as design focal points.

The existing park was not getting very many visitors, but the new design with paver walkways, comfortable benches, and improved landscape will be hard to resist.

]]>

Link to Dumor Site Furnishings

2009-11-19T16:22:23Z

Dumor

Link to Kohn Pedersen Fox

2009-11-06T22:56:07Z

Kohn Pedersen Fox

Link to FXFowle

2009-11-06T22:52:59Z

FXFowle

Featured Design Studio - Hillman Curtis

2009-11-06T04:17:45Z

Hillman Curtis

Following a passion for film and design, Hillman has earned and maintained status as a leader in the new media design industry.
HillmanCurtis.com...

]]>

Ars Thanea

2009-11-06T03:58:35Z

http://www.thanea.com/

Olive

2009-11-06T03:51:30Z

http://www.olivedesign.com/

Avenue

2009-11-06T03:47:07Z

http://www.avenue-inc.com/

2Advanced

2009-11-06T03:27:23Z

http://www.2advanced.com/

Traditional Colors in Painter

2009-11-04T04:51:01Z

One of the biggest challenges in digital painting is choosing the right colors. Each type of traditional media has limitations based on the pigments available. Watercolors, for example, have a limited color range even when mixing various paints. Paint software, however, offers an unlimited number of colors, regardless of the medium you are trying to emulate. Using watercolor brushes, but unrealistic colors, will not create a traditional looking painting.

An interesting feature in Corel Painter exists in the color swatch dialog. It can really help you build an appropriate color palette. The first step is to open an image, a scan of an actual watercolor or oil painting for example, that contains the type of color palette you wish to use. Then select the triangle at the upper right of the color swatch dialog. A menu appears with several options available.

Select "New Color Set from Image". Painter will sample and create a color set of the swatches available in the image. Providing you use an appropriate source, you should now have a proper color range that will allow you to create a more true to life traditional painting.

Digital Illustration from Linework

2009-11-04T04:39:25Z

If you are scanning in linework and want to create a color illustration from it, it is easy to do in Photoshop, here's how. Make sure the linework is on it's own layer. Set that layer's blending mode to multiply. Create layers underneath that layer and begin adding color. The lines will still show, but you will see the color underneath. If you want the lines to disappear, move your color layers above the line layer. Here is an example of an illustration created using this technique.

If you want to fill areas with color you can do that too. Choose the Paint Bucket Tool, and make sure the "All Layers" option is checked. Go to your color layer and fill. This method will keep the color separate from the line layer. If too much area fills, go to the line layer and close any "leaks" in the linework. Use as many color layers as you need, but it best to never add color to the linework layer. The reason is that each layer has it's own mask. By using color layers with a strategy, you automatically create selections that can be used for fine tuning your illustration later on.

Winslow Homer Watercolors

2009-11-04T03:04:48Z

An inspiring book - "Watercolors by Winslow Homer: The Color of Light" - written by Martha Tedeschi with Kristi Dahm, features many works by the great watercolorist, but more importantly, Homer's techniques and materials are discussed as they related to each piece.

If you have never seen the works of Winslow Homer, the online National Gallery of Art Exhibition is very well done. The Art Institute of Chicago Exhibition also has very informative resources. You may want to check them out as well as this book.

Open Files Quickly in Photoshop

2009-11-04T02:29:48Z

One of the best features of Photoshop is the use of layers, lots of layers. It is not unusual to place anything that might need to be edited on it's own layer. Thus the file size can get to be quite large, sometimes ranging from 600mb to over 1gb. These large files can take quite a while to open, and if the only reason for opening the file is something simple like running a print, opening the layered file is not necessary.

Here is a short but very handy tip. Click FILE then click OPEN as usual. Find the file in the dialog box and highlight it with the cursor. Then holding down the Alt and Shift keys simultaneously, click on the OPEN button. A dialog box will pop up asking "Read the composite data instead?" Click YES and the file will open with all layers flattened. The time required to open the file is shortened dramatically. The layering is still intact on the original file, you are not altering it in any way. But a word of caution, do not save this version over the original or you will lose all your layering.

Link to Coudal

2009-10-30T03:07:09Z

Coudal Partners