Blends

[Diane B]

Here is one issue that gives me a bit of trouble.

Mike, you say your textures are high res - so your preference would be to resize the original image to fit your texture (if they are different sizes) ?

A lot of the textures I've been using are medium-res jpegs. I find it difficult to get the same "punch" as you do.

All the stuff we are doing here is processed for the web. I assume you redo them for print?

Keith

PS I assume everyone here has seen the m4/3 adapter from Italy that has tilt and looks the same as the Lensbaby Composer. I have ordered one for M42 thread as I have a few old Pentax lenses. Should make the f-stop change a little easier than on the Composer.

Keith, let us know more. I've been following that. I would have to invest in some other MF lenses if they don't add anymore mounts---but may still be interested. I really have enjoyed using my TS with my 5D--and the Composer allowed me to do some similar things with the m4/3rds (though I did use the tilt and shift for different puposes with 5D, I also really enjoyed selective focusing).

I tend to shoot the Composer with f/2.8 or 4.0 discs primarily.

Diane

 

[mregnier]

Here is one issue that gives me a bit of trouble.

Mike, you say your textures are high res - so your preference would be to resize the original image to fit your texture (if they are different sizes) ?

A lot of the textures I've been using are medium-res jpegs. I find it difficult to get the same "punch" as you do.

All the stuff we are doing here is processed for the web. I assume you redo them for print?

Keith

PS I assume everyone here has seen the m4/3 adapter from Italy that has tilt and looks the same as the Lensbaby Composer. I have ordered one for M42 thread as I have a few old Pentax lenses. Should make the f-stop change a little easier than on the Composer.

Keith,
I always start with raw images and I work at the size that I think the final print will be. So, I will enlarge the raw image with Alien Skin blowup to let's say a 20x20 and then start the work on the image. Even if I am doing a shot
just to post to this site, like I did last night with the image of the dark woods, I will always work as large as possible. Then make a small jpeg to upload here. The reason that I don't start small is that I do so much work (dodging and burning,stretching,painting color in areas,etc.) that I could never get exactly the same thing if I tried to do it over for a hi-res version.
Most of my images are over 1 gig and sometimes 2 gigs. And I always save a version with layers and a flat version for printing.

Mike

 

[mregnier]

Re: Coating

Sure, go ahead
The next question is - do you think these coatings might affect the ink and paper underneath as regards quality and longevity?

Encaustic Wax Sample

first step. Glue print on board with Yes Glue or some roll adhesive. Second
coat the print with Liquitex Gloss medium varnish. Use a sponge brush. here is a close up of the surface.

Heat the wax and pour on the print and work it around with the heat gun and metal spatula.

Close up of texture of wax.

Close up of edge of paper on wood.

Large Encaustic Wax portrait on canvas

Mike

 

[woodmancy]

Re: Coating

Hey Mike

You've said at least twice that both your parents are painters, and you are not. I think we need to start a fund to send you to therapy!

I love this stuff - starting to clean out my basement now, to turn it into a studio. I'll put in a few wine racks as well.

Haven't told the wife yet

Keith

 

[mregnier]

Re: Coating

Hey Mike

You've said at least twice that both your parents are painters, and you are not. I think we need to start a fund to send you to therapy!

I love this stuff - starting to clean out my basement now, to turn it into a studio. I'll put in a few wine racks as well.

Haven't told the wife yet

Keith

Hi Keith,
I need to clean up my basement art room as well. I've pretty much taken over the house. Luckily my wife is an artist as well, so we both use the house as our studio. I was pretty spoiled when I was doing more commercial work. I had a 7,000 square foot studio and so now we pretty much use the whole house as a studio. But it works out great. The basement is nice an cold too, which is why the wine is down there. When I did work for Kendall-Jackson wines, they kept me well stocked. I'm running out!

Mike

 

[Diane B]

Re: Coating

Hey Mike

You've said at least twice that both your parents are painters, and you are not. I think we need to start a fund to send you to therapy!

I love this stuff - starting to clean out my basement now, to turn it into a studio. I'll put in a few wine racks as well.

Haven't told the wife yet

Keith

I've missed about Mike's parents being painters somehow.

I do have a separate studio with 2 rooms, great big tables that I did my warp painting, resists, surface design on, plus a 'wet area' below with small fridge for my dyes (to keep them usable longer), flat work area, sinks, all my tools, etc. Still-my really large loom, even folded, takes up a large area in one room, but it needs to go--I know I'll never weave again. If I can just get past a lazy point--or maybe a motivational point (I used to do large juried shows and exhibits plus commissions with textile works) and just put my creative hat back on just for my own pure love of it LOL. I've been working with handmade books, contemplating (for too long LOL), prints on fabric and then surface design--but this excites me more. Maybe just reading the thread will get me out to my studio where even if I just sit awhile it will motivate me--and maybe I"ll move some of our wine out there .

Diane

 

[Diane B]

Re: Coating

Encaustic Wax Sample
SNIP
Mike

Thank you so much for these. From what I can see the encaustic wax adds quite a lot. I'm curious about the edge of paper on wood--is it due to the pasting process onto the wood, the application of the wax or something else that you do. Its a wonderful edge. Some of my clay friends would love it---anyone working with surfaces and edges.

I just showed your studio/process to my husband (a designer, but not artist)--and said what I love about you and Uwe--and others--is the sharing here that so often is not done. Thanks to all--what a terrific thread.

Diane

 

[mregnier]

Re: Coating

Thank you so much for these. From what I can see the encaustic wax adds quite a lot. I'm curious about the edge of paper on wood--is it due to the pasting process onto the wood, the application of the wax or something else that you do. Its a wonderful edge. Some of my clay friends would love it---anyone working with surfaces and edges.

I just showed your studio/process to my husband (a designer, but not artist)--and said what I love about you and Uwe--and others--is the sharing here that so often is not done. Thanks to all--what a terrific thread.

Diane

Hi Diane,

When I make the print, I tear it along the edge with a straight edge, which usually give me a rough edge. Then it is glued on to a board and after I put the first coat of varnish on, I take a palm sander to it which make it even rougher. Then I paint the wood before waxing.
With all your art experience and working with your hands, I think you might like working this way.
cheers
Mike

 

[woodmancy]

"Ready to Attack - Falklands Battlefield"

Fight at night, on foot, and get to the top of the hill - can't avoid the rocks.

Keith

 

[ustein]

 

[ustein]

 

[mregnier]

this is my favorite of the two. I like the loneliness. It goes with the tonality of the image.
mike

 

[ustein]

this is my favorite of the two. I like the loneliness. It goes with the tonality of the image.
mike

Were born in the Vienna Zoo (shot 2001 with the Fuji S1). The texture makes it more painterly.

 

[woodmancy]

"Windows"

Keith

 

[JBurnett]

A couple inspired by a recent trip north of Toronto. I spent most of it "under the weather". Didn't shoot too many photos, and wasn't too taken with what I shot. So I thought I'd spend some time at the computer.

 

[ustein]

A couple inspired by a recent trip north of Toronto. I spent most of it "under the weather". Didn't shoot too many photos, and wasn't too taken with what I shot. So I thought I'd spend some time at the computer.

Works great.

 

[btrancho]

I had done some experimenting with blends and texture a while back, inspired by some of Mark Tucker's work (his Salton Sea series) but put it aside after a while.

This thread got me inspired again.

This is the state capitol building in Albany, New York. Shot one evening last summer with the Panasonic G1 and Lensbaby composer. The texture is scanned, black matboard that I scored with sandpaper.

 

[woodmancy]

I had done some experimenting with blends and texture a while back, inspired by some of Mark Tucker's work (his Salton Sea series) but put it aside after a while.

This thread got me inspired again.

This is the state capitol building in Albany, New York. Shot one evening last summer with the Panasonic G1 and Lensbaby composer. The texture is scanned, black matboard that I scored with sandpaper.

Lovely image, Bob

Keith

 

[ustein]

I had done some experimenting with blends and texture a while back, inspired by some of Mark Tucker's work (his Salton Sea series) but put it aside after a while.

This thread got me inspired again.

This is the state capitol building in Albany, New York. Shot one evening last summer with the Panasonic G1 and Lensbaby composer. The texture is scanned, black matboard that I scored with sandpaper.

Excellent.

 

[mregnier]

A couple inspired by a recent trip north of Toronto. I spent most of it "under the weather". Didn't shoot too many photos, and wasn't too taken with what I shot. So I thought I'd spend some time at the computer.

Beautiful shot, and very nice job of blending a texture.

Mike