Friday, May 29, 2009

Can You Dig It Triptych

We've had about a week and a half of cloudy/rainy weather, but finally, the clouds have parted. Today was a beautiful day, so I decided to get the kids out in the bright sunshine. I took them to the park to run around and explore nature. It's amazing how much stuff a toddler can find to do. He made a drum set using a stick and a trash can, threw pebbles down the steps, watched the ducks and the geese swim, then topped it off with picking a big wedgie. I guess all that playing had created quite a clog.

I kept trying to get his attention to take a portrait, but he wasn't even hearing me, so this is what I ended up with:

Fun with Photoshop Brushes Tutorial


Lately, I've been creating some Photoshop brushes using sketches made by hand. I just wanted to take a minute to step you through the process:

1. Sketch your ideas.
2. Scan them and do a live trace in Illustrator
3. Once your settings are where you like them, save them out as an EPS file
4. Open the EPS file in Photoshop
5. Delete the white portions with the magic wand tool (if you want it to be transparent and outline
form only)
6. Select each portion of the image that you want to be an individual brush
7. Go to edit, define brush preset, and name your new brush (it's that easy)
8. Decorate your pictures or artwork with your handmade Photoshop brushes!!!!

Monday, May 25, 2009

Wonderful Photo Collage Tool

I recently stumbled upon this great program (Shape Collage) that you can use to create photo collages. I used photos of my little girl and made them into her first name initial. It turned out so cute.

Friday, May 22, 2009

Photo Published on Schmap

I recently had a photo chosen to be published on www.schmap.com. The photo is of Oakland Cemetery, a famous spot here in Atlanta. Schmap has a very cool iPhone app too, so be sure to check it out here (top left photo by lmcphail22 is my submission).

Thursday, May 21, 2009

Alphabet Project

Hey there, just wanted to check in to let all of you know that I'm half way done with the photographic alphabet project. My family and I have had a great time working on this together. We've changed what will represent each letter a multitude of times. I find that after snapping a bunch of pictures, a completely different idea replaces the original. I'm hoping to finish this project up this weekend . . . weather permitting. I'll post the collage as soon as it's complete. Here's a little taste.

Monday, May 4, 2009

How I Rejuvenate My Creativity


All creative types know that sometimes it can be difficult to keep the inspirational juices flowing. After doing some soul searching, I have decided that I need to work on a personal project that will allow me to freely express myself. I think that this will help keep things fresh and inspire me in my everyday work.

The idea for the project stemmed from being a mommy. Right now my toddler is learning the alphabet, so I'm always singing the ABC song to him and showing him how letters apply to everyday life. I figured what better way to show him than with a photography alphabet?

Basically here's how it will work . . . I'll take pictures of things that he encounters in his daily activities. Once each letter is accounted for, I'll make a collage of the images and post it. Who knows, if it turns out really good, I may even turn it into artwork for his bedroom wall!