Art and my Computer

Some people have a gift for seeing color, but I’ll admit it does not come as easy for me.  I use pieces of cardboard with a hole punched in the middle to block out surrounding areas and focus on just one spot of color. 

I’ve also developed a technique for doing the same thing using Photoshop.  This has an added advantage of being printed - I can put dabs of paint on the printout to check if I’ve mixed the right color.  You will need to know/learn how to create layers for this technique.

• Identify the major areas of color.  Create and name a layer for each color.
• Move your original image layer to the top.
• Using the Color Picker tool (eyedropper) click on one of those major color areas.
• Fill that layer with the selected color (Menu: Edit/Fill,   Keyboard: Alt+Backspace)
• Using the Move tool, I shift the layers so I can see a little of each one.  I give the larger masses of color more exposure as I rearrange the layers.

Also, looking at just the final layers is a good way to assess color harmony.  You may decide one of the local colors in your photo needs to be replaced by a different color, for the sake balance of the painting.

Hope you find this helpful, too.

Towels on the Line