To me this looks deep – life being created right before our eyes … Again it is 3D – I can go right inside this image and floating around with the rest of the pieces of matter and life. We are now at the beginning of this year’s cycle of life (in the northern hemisphere). Time to start afresh!

Beginning Life III, Digital © Diane Clancy

I created 17 different images in the Beginning Life series. Once I got going playing with this set of digital paintings, I couldn’t stop. They are so similar yet so different. Years ago, someone suggested they would be fantastic in a video. I think I know how to do that now and it is on my list of things to do.

This was created entirely in the computer program Painter with KPT filters. As with many of my other digital images, extensive layering is involved to create the translucent properties of this painting.

I think I will translate this image into a different color scheme. Those of you who follow my work know that green is not my usual choice. I wonder what this would look like in my pink/purple/aqua. I will get back to you on that.

~ Diane Clancy

Technorati Tags: digital paintings, Painter, KPT filters, layering, color, creative process

Violet looks like she is surrounded by butterflies with spring in full force! This digital painting from my enhanced animal images was created in Painter as explained in the post Freckles in Flowers I and the post Abby in Butterflies that discuss this method of layering. This is the first you have seen of this special animal companion, Violet, my sister’s dog.

Violet in Butterflies, Digital © Diane Clancy

These butterflies are created from nozzles that I made myself from clipart that I have rights to use. I used Illustrator and Photoshop in creating this image while working with the nozzles and layers. I enjoy the almost 3D quality of this painting.

These images I have created using companion animals are some of my most popular images for cards. Many times when someone sees “their” kitty or puppy, they immediately want the card or print. It is fun to feel like I bring happiness to people as they see a touching image of their special friend.

Some people have asked me to make these paintings from photographs of their own animals. Because I use layering, I am able to keep the cost more affordable. I have also created specific backgrounds for people’s companions. I am happy that so many people like these paintings so much!

~ Diane Clancy

Technorati Tags: digital painting, enhanced animal images, Painter, layering, Illustrator, Photoshop, animal, nature, creative process

Freckles was my beloved kitty companion of 18 years. Here he is in another of my enhanced animal images all ready to hunt for Easter eggs. If you like, you can see and read about him in the post Freckles in Flowers I. There are many technical details in that post about creating this kind of digital painting.

Freckles in the Hunt, Digital © Diane Clancy

Barb de la Hunty created these Easter egg nozzles that I used in the Painter computer program. I put the eggs and flowers on different layers to create this scene. I have not put any other animals with Easter eggs but have considered it. Some people truly enjoy this image – I am never sure if someone will.

Barb has many incredible and fun nozzles that are freeware. This means that anyone may use them in their own creative process, but may not claim them as their own creation. Barb has beads, snowflakes and more available for downloading here.

Thank you for looking at my kitty and painting. This image gives me hope that spring will come and it will warm up! I hope you will post in the comments.

~ Diane Clancy

Technorati Tags: enhanced animal images, digital painting, Painter, animal, creative process, layering, nature

Purple, yellow and green are spring colors to me. That is why I have chosen a digital painting of a design in these colors on a day many celebrate as Easter. Purple and yellow are traditional Easter colors – at least for us growing up. But I want to continue the discussion started in comments in yesterday’s post about licensing – in the post Flowers XVII.

Animals V, Digital © Diane Clancy

Sue O’Kieffe said that some of my designs reminded her of wrapping paper and fabric. She also suggested that I pursue licensing for some of these images. Sue asked if I had considered that.

Many people have also stated that these designs would be outstanding wallpapers. I have actually had people (I didn’t know) want to order my wrapping paper from seeing these designs on my website. The only problem is that these designs are cards and prints but not wrapping paper yet.

I sent samples to one company and she was very nice but said they weren’t the kind of wrapping paper her clients want. Yet many stores and individuals have seen my fine art greeting cards and wished for the matching wrapping paper. They have said how much more enticing they are than current choices in wrapping paper.

Here I am back at one of my dilemmas. Which direction to pursue and how to best use my time. Also, how much to create for myself and how much to pursue the market. How much to persist and when to cut my losses. (I know one try isn’t a lot.) But sometimes I am not sure which direction to prioritize.

~ Diane Clancy

Technorati Tags: digital painting, design, licensing, wrapping paper, fabric, animal, Sue O’Kieffe

This is an example of a type of my digital painting that you haven’t seen yet. It is part of my design series that I created in the computer program Painter. I like the colors, flowers, and sense of Spring.

Flowers XVII, Digital © Diane Clancy

The creative process was fairly complicated – I started with vector clip art. I then brought the images into Painter and made nozzles out of them. The post Nature Reflections II talks about the difference between vector and bitmap images. The post Freckles in Flowers I discusses nozzles.

Once I made the flowers and such into nozzles, then I created the pattern. It is a 4-way repeat. Painter has cool tools so it is easier to get the corners to match up when repeating a pattern – using it more than once – in a seamless way. As with many thing, once I get the rhythm down, it is simple and easy. But then I have to relearn when I go to use this process again.

I really enjoy the colors and the sense of movement in this image. Several stores have bought this painting as a card to sell in their stores. I like looking at the flowers in this image – I think they are very interesting.

Thank you for looking and reading. In the comments there is a discussion started about licensing and more technical details about creating this kind of design.

~ Diane Clancy

Technorati Tags: digital painting, design, Painter, flower, creative process

Abby in Butterflies is another example of someone’s special animal companion enhanced by nature. Again, this is a complex layering process where Abby is scanned into the computer, “cut out” of her own background and placed onto a neutral background. This neutral background is actually my aunt’s photo as before.

Abby in Butterflies, Digital © Diane Clancy

Then butterflies are placed gracefully encircling Abby through the computer program Painter and then manipulated further in Photoshop. For more details of this process, see the post Freckles in Flowers I. The order of the layering is especially critical with these butterflies. Notice that I have sized them differently to give them perspective.

As far as I know, I am the only one using this particular creative process for digital paintings. I made it up and perhaps others have also – but I haven’t heard about them. Most people use Painter in different ways than I do.

Thank you for accompanying me through this journey.

- Diane Clancy

Technorati Tags: animal, nature, layering, Painter, Photoshop, creative process, digital painting, enhanced animal images

My “Enhanced Animal Images” are another kind of digital painting that I create. This particular image is of my beloved kitty companion of 18 years – who merged with the universal life force over 10 years ago. My 90+ year old aunt, that I have mentioned before, took this photograph years ago (in black and white). One day I decided to put Freckles into a field of flowers …

Freckles in Flowers I, Digital © Diane Clancy

I scanned the photo of Freckles into the computer so I could work digitally. Then I enhanced this image with layering as I did with some of the other digital images. The computer program Painter has a great feature called “image hose” and “nozzles.” One can load up a type of digital brush with images and then paint with the images. I have many layers so that I can non-destructively make changes and try different things out.

From trial and error, I have learned to have an individual layer for each kind of flower, grass or butterfly in general. Usually, I flip back and forth between Painter and Photoshop. Painter has these nozzles and other great features but I find Photoshop is easier to work in with layers. Again, the order of the layers make an incredible difference in the final painting.

Another great advantage with the layering of these enhanced animal images is that I can slip in another animal. Once I have a file (very large) with a neutral background (from my aunt’s first picture), then I can “cut” out another animal and slip them into the flowers. Of course, this can take hours even though it sounds easy!

- Diane Clancy

Technorati Tags: digital painting, layering, Painter, Photoshop, enhanced animal images, animal, creative process, nature