Digital photography brings out the artist in many of us, and software such as Photoshop and Lightroom add a little extra sparkle to our images.
However, sometimes an atmospheric image can be improved further with a push towards the art world, using specialist painting software.
Akvis ArtWork 7 claims to turn your photos into impressive works of art that, in some instances, can turn a mediocre shot into an atmospheric image that's worth framing and sticking on the wall.
This latest upgrade introduces Gouche - a versatile painting technique that uses dense and intensive colours. Its characteristics are brilliance and opacity. Akvis ArtWork's opacity feature and covering power will, the developer claims, enable you to create outstanding effects that can't be achieved with watercolour paints.
Gouache technique is widely used in decorative painting and when creating colour sketches and drawings.
Akvis ArtWork 7 is available for both PC and Mac platforms, or you can use it as a plug-in for Photoshop. The basic idea is to turn a photo into a painting. The program goes a stage further than the Artistic filters built in to Photoshop and Photoshop Elements, which haven't been updated or extended for many years.
Other effects on offer from ArtWork include Oil, Watercolor, Comics, Pen & Ink, Linocut and Pastel. There are even some extra arty touches such as canvas textures and stylised signatures to add a little flourish to your masterpiece.
Of course, software to turn photos into art is nothing new. Corel Painter has been around for years, but at £279/$429 and with a fairly steep learning curve, it isn't for everyone.
Akvis ArtWork 7 sells for £93/$99 and the latest version includes a Preview feature so you can tweak and assess your opus magnum before printing it out. Version 7 sounds like it could be a fairly essential upgrade, and should have you on your way to the Royal Academy in no time at all.
Source: www.techradar.com
One is amused! The Queen a fan of wacky artist's stuffed animal portraits - Daily Mail
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Charlotte Cory's potty artwork, which fuses Victorian portraiture and taxidermy, is fast becoming a hit with collectors all over the world, including the Queen.
Although some might find the scenes of animals in humanised scenarios disturbing, the British artist has witnessed growing popularity since producing the works and her quirky images can now be found emblazoned on a range of goods from playing cards to tea towels.
Her Majesty herself purchased two pieces to hang on the walls at her home in Windsor Castle and dozens of the pictures have been put together for the first time in a book called You Animal, You.
Furry friends: A bright eyed creature models a tailored three-piece suit
Ms Cory, who also works as a writer, was inspired to create the series after being presented with a stuffed sparrow as a child by her grandmother.
As a teenager she gradually developed a fascination with the animal kingdom drawing and studying different species wherever she went.
Then in 2005 she decided to combine her lifelong fascination in zoology with a growing interest in photography and set up a darkroom at home to develop black and white prints.
In a bid to rescue old stuffed animals and forgotten photographs, she started fusing the two together revamping vintage photographic calling cards, knwon as 'cartes-de-visite' which were a craze in the Victorian era.
A good read? Ms Cory named this piece of artwork The Distinguished Essayist
A dog stands in all her finery while a gentleman badger showcases his top hat
Describing her inspiration she said: 'And yet there is something sadder: stuffed animals in museums, shot long ago not on glass plates but with guns, their very bodies likewise preserved for posterity to gawk at. Where did this moth-eaten tiger sniff his last antelope, over what distant verdure did that dusty parrot flap tremulous emerald wings?
'One day it came to me: why not recycle the dispossessed pictures and the long dead creatures. Grant them all a new lease of life. Better, more colourful, more deserving than before.'
To create the images she takes photographs of stuffed animals and puts them on the bodies of those posing in the vintage carte-de-visite pictures which she purchases from junk shops or antique markets.
To create the images Ms Cory takes photographs of stuffed animals and puts them on the bodies of those posing in the vintage cartes-de-visite pictures
The Queen purchased two pieces to hang on the walls at her home in Windsor Castle
The artist has labelled the creations 'Visitorians' and says initial reactions of laughter often give way to more serious contemplation.
Ms Cory added: 'So I’ve put these ideas together. At first people laugh and think they are quite funny, but then they stop laughing and find them moving.
'I didn’t want to call them 'people' or 'animals' so these are Visitorians. The Queen has bought two of them and I drove to Windsor Castle myself to drop them off.'
The book is published by Black Dog and costs 19.99
Source: www.dailymail.co.uk
Developmentally disabled artists creating artwork - Journal-News
Source: www.journal-news.com
New Artwork from Guillermo del Toro’s Stop-Motion Animated PINOCCHIO - Collider.com (blog)
Guillermo del Toro may very well be the most busy person in Hollywood. He’s attached to produce/write/direct/develop a multitude of projects, so when it was announced that del Toro would be producing a 3D stop-motion animated iteration of Pinocchio, the news came with the assumption that del Toro wouldn’t have a ton of time to be super hands-on with the project. All that changed last month when it was announced that, after spending more and more time with the project, del Toro has decided to co-direct with Mark Gustafson. Though we got our first look at some artwork from the unsurprisingly dark tale last February, some new artwork from Pinocchio has surfaced and it’s unsurprisingly gorgeous.
The image comes from EW, who notes that del Toro doesn’t plan on shooting Pinocchio until 2013 even though he recently stated he’d like to release the film in 2014. Given that he’s currently busy with post-production on Pacific Rim and pre-production on Beauty and the Beast with Emma Watson, the 2013 start-date makes sense. Though it appears we have quite a while to wait until we see the finished film, hit the jump to marvel at some of the enticing artwork as well as the previously released images.
Images via EW and Dread Central.
Source: collider.com
How to be a gallery technician - The Guardian
The job of a gallery technician varies depending on the gallery, for example whether it's public or private, its size, and the type of exhibitions and artwork on show.
In addition to working behind the scenes, some technicians might also have responsibility for the general maintenance of a gallery space, or for the day-to-day operations of an organisation. Some technicians are also freelance so have the opportunity to work in a range of different spaces and with a variety of people.
Ross Chalmers from Hannah Barry Gallery and Mark Wayman from ADi group describe what their work involves and the skills, knowledge and experience required to be a successful gallery technician.
Working for a small private gallery
Ross Chalmers works at Hannah Barry Gallery, a gallery located in Peckham's Copeland Cultural Quarter. The gallery is located in an open-plan warehouse space, which consists of a couple of separate exhibition areas, an office pod created by Kingston BA Architecture students last year and two storage rooms.
From its inception, Ross has been involved in all aspects of the gallery – from devising the use of these areas to painting the walls: "It's sometimes frustrating undertaking all the jobs that the space requires, for example changing the lights. However, working in a small organisation also has many positives.
"I get to work on a range of activities, including external projects related to the gallery, such as Bold Tendencies, a sculpture project on top of the nearby multistory car park."
Projects such as Bold Tendencies present practical challenges for technicians, offering the opportunity to try new technical solutions to exhibiting, and to working on a large scale.
Ross particularly enjoys putting together large and challenging installations that feature a variety of components such as light, sound and sculpture to create an immersive environment: "When installing artwork I enjoy thinking about how an artwork relates to the space in which it sits as well as its relationship to other artworks".
Ross also has to ensure that any professional technical solutions are within budget.
Getting experience for gallery work
Ross helped set up Hannah Barry Gallery with the directors, volunteering in the evenings until the gallery became well-established enough and able to pay him a wage.
During the day, Ross worked as a freelance technician at the South London Gallery, Bloomberg Space and Ben Brown Fine Arts: "I found friends that I wanted to work with, and we managed to create a gallery together. I worked on projects for free to develop my skills and experience.
"To become a technician you must be willing to immerse yourself in the art world, to be creative and create your own opportunities."
Qualifications for a gallery technician
Ross took a degree in illustration at Camberwell Art School where he was encouraged to exhibit his work. He found that he enjoyed the collaboration, problem solving and technical skills involved in setting up a show more than working on his own designs at home.
On completing his degree, Ross decided to take an internship at Zoo Art Fair, a London-based non-profit art fair held annually in October. "From 2004 to 2008, Zoo was pretty cutting-edge, platforming emerging commercial and non-commercial art organisations including galleries, project spaces, artist collectives, curatorial groups and publications.
"This gave me the chance to learn technical skills on the job, and develop important relationships with artists and galleries."
Ross obtained an internship at the Contemporary Art Society to further develop his skills. These internships enabled him to go freelance: "Being a technician is hard work and not particularly well-paid in the early stages. But if you love art, enjoy working as part of a team and find solving technical problems satisfying it can be extremely rewarding. Networking skills are vital as are problem solving skills and a practical approach to the artworks."
Being a freelance gallery technician
Mark Wayman is an audio-visual specialist who is also an artist. Following a BA in Fine Art at Cardiff Art College, Mark worked in a variety of jobs, including carpentry, building maintenance and specialist decorating.
Although not trained in any of these disciplines before starting, he learned on the job and picked up a range of skills which he still finds extremely useful as a gallery technician. Following an MA in Fine Art, Mark freelanced, installing exhibitions in art galleries – it was during this time he began to specialise in audio-visual works.
Building a career as a gallery technician
"Do any kind of relevant work that comes your way," Mark advises. "And it doesn't have to be for the arts sector; jobs generally come by word-of-mouth, so talk to people, offer your services, even for little financial reward at first so you can gain experience."
Mark recommends that technicians develop an understanding of building structures and practice their fabrication skills: "A visual sensibility is important. Always go the extra mile to ensure the installation looks as good as it can and the client will be happy – develop strong organisational and communication skills."
For several years Mark worked as a freelancer for Frith Street gallery, Camden Arts Centre and the Tate. He particularly enjoyed working on unusual installations and with exotic materials, such as Daphne Wright's exhibition of silver foil mountains at Frith Street gallery.
In 2001 Mark set up ADi Audiovisual (part of ADi group) – this enabled him to employ a team of technicians, and he has had to become adept at multi-tasking and managing people, budgets and premises. He enjoys the technically challenging, complex installations and the people that he gets to work with.
Developing freelancing skills
For every few big public galleries, there is often just one or two technician posts – there are also lots of small commercial galleries that are unable to afford full-time technicians. Because of this, both Ross and Mark found it important to develop freelancing skills.
Mark advises those wanting to become a technician to, "keep up-to-date with industry knowledge about what and who is being shown where. Develop technical knowledge, such as new display technologies and new suppliers."
They have both learned to network, market themselves and manage their accounts, alongside broadening their technical experiences and knowledge. It is this, alongside their commitment to art, that has ensured a successful career.
This article was originally published by Creative Choices
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Source: www.guardian.co.uk
Ringo Starr artwork to be displayed at Toronto gallery - Examiner
In addition to New York City, artwork by Ringo Starr is on view at a second gallery this month.
Through June 17, Toronto's Liss Gallery, 140 Yorkville Ave., is also exhibiting the Beatle drummer's artwork.
As in the New York event, some of the proceeds will benefit the Lotus Foundation, who "offer financial aid and assistance to facilitate family and child welfare, women's issues, animal protection, addiction recovery and education."
Starr's art is computer generated. He says he started doing it to pass the time while in hotels when he was touring with his All-Starr Band.
"I started in the late '90s with my computer art," Starr told an interviewer. "While I was touring it gave me something to do in all those crazy hotels you have to stay in on the road."
Ringo Starr and his All-Starr Band open their 2012 summer tour with two shows June 14 and 15 and Fallsview Casino Resort in Ontario.
New All Starrs this time around are Steve Lukather from Toto and Gregg Rolie from Santana and Journey. Returning are Richard Page, Todd Rundgren, Mark Rivera and drummer Gregg Bissonette.
The tour continues through July 21 at the Greek Theatre in Los Angeles.
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Source: www.examiner.com
The third photo, what a freaky looking dog, poor taxidermy...
- Grainne Gillespie, Athlone, Ireland, 08/6/2012 01:24
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