Monday, February 25, 2013

The Process of Making a Digital Montage

This Montage started with a picture of a purple hydrangea bloom. See the second picture below. I choose a background to put the cropped picture on. See the third picture below. The background is made from a photo I took of a stream in winter. Then I kept making changes, all in Photoshop Elements.

I like to keep several versions of a work as I go along. Just make a duplicate and continue to make changes to the duplicate. I work in layers. For the final product the layers are merged. Sometimes I put the work on a colored background to give the effect of a mat.

By keeping versions of the work in layers, it is possible to go back and make changes. Any layer can be deleted or added to. Any of the versions can be changed and made into something entirely different.


Original Picture

Second Step. Picture is cropped and put on a background.

My knowledge has come mostly from experimentation. I do have a book that explains Photoshop Elements. After studying that book, I just dug in and started. My first Montage I posted here. My work has improved and changed since that first Montage.

Monday, February 18, 2013

She's Back !

Somehow I drifted away from bolgging. But here I am. Still making digital art. Suffering from Cabin Fever or "Tired of Winter Syndrome." Today was seventeen degrees and windy. I was supposed to go snowshoeing but decided I am not hearty enough. Give me a warmer day and I'll get out there!

                              Without further ado .......... "Rose Montage"

by Nancy Olivia Hoffmann