One Image Transformation Options

I took that image during a trip to Argentina in 2011, I have a fascination for trees, I was attracted by the branches, feel really like looking at the lungs of our planet. I have a lot of respect for trees, they help the planet breathe by turning carbon dioxide into clean, pure, oxygen, we are lost without them.
They also keep our planet cool, and help stop the global warming, and add beauty to our landscape.
I took that image with my Lensbaby and a double glass optic, the reason why I use that lens was to focus on the delicate branches I wanted everything else out of focus.
I put the file away when I came back from the trip, I knew what I wanted to do with it, but I was not sure how too.  A year later I decided to try, I think if I remembered correctly the first 10 or 12 attempts were unsuccessful.
My first successful attempt took me a few weeks, using Photoshop Cut Out Filter, and Corel Painter I was able to do a mix of cut out and painting.
My second attempt took me a long time, few months, using only Corel Painter and all the different brushes, a lot of redo’s, took time to get exactly what I was looking for.
When I look at the two images, I cannot say which one I like better, and I don’t want to make a choice, they are both a representation of my vision, a vision that was inspired by beautiful and   majestic trees.

This was my first successful attempt, you can see the cut out filter effect for most of the image except for the middle part where I used Corel Painter to add the flowers and to define some of the branches. I used selective color and hue/saturation to get the final color.

This is my second successful attempt, so much work, that's probably the reason I like it so much, or maybe it's because it was a intense extraction of my vision, and a expression of my feeling. Took me few months, but it was a relaxing time listening to great music, and drinking wine. It's not for every taste, but it is a great representation of what I really wanted to achieve, and that's what is important, this kind of work is done first to please the artist, in that case me, and it's the same for everyone of us, doesn't really matter, if only we and few others like the result, if we are happy with it, that's what matter.

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Corel Painter Transforming a Photo into a Painting

Stephen Avenue Walk Downtown Calgary

Mirror

 I used Corel Painter for many years, starting with Painter 10 now using Painter X3 or 13. you can view many my work in my website gallery Concept and Fine Art, Fine Art Trees and Fine Art Flowers.
 Corel Painter is a wonderful software, one of the best. One thing great about Corel, is the 30
days full software trial, it's a big software and can be intimidating at time, the best way to
learn how to use it is by trying it, watch video tutorials and practice, same as when you download Photoshop
for the first time, after a while you get use to it, and more you use it, better you get at it.
I love using Corel Painter to transform photographs.

To do the digital paintings on this post I used different brushes, paper textures and paints, I still need to learn a lot more about all the features and how to use them, Painter is such a complete program, it will take me many years to learn maybe half of it, that lack of knowledge is not stopping me to use it, and should not stop you either.
I never rush this kind of work, it can take me few hours, too few months, depending of what I
want to achieve.

Canadian Forest, Calgary Alberta

Impressionist Forest, Banff Alberta

Escape, White Rock British Columbia

Sunset After the Rain Plaza San Martin, Buenos Aires, Argentina

The End of The Road, Canmore Alberta

Soft Flower

Floral Expression

Mendoza Tree, Plaza Independencia, Mendoza Argentina

Walk in the Park, Park San Martin, Mendoza, Argentina

To get Perfect Effect 4 for Free click on the link on the right of the page

My Vision "Montreal Quebec"

Inviting Stairs, Montreal, I used Corel Painter 12, The Best Digital Painting Software

" Montreal" my birth city, I called Montreal home for the first 20 years of my life .  I lived in the east side of the island, Montreal is an island, surrounding by rivers,  I lived close to the St-Lawrence River, in a French Neighborhood, with a distinct architecture, single houses, and many old duplexes and triplexes with their balconies and set of stairs, not a rich neighborhood  money wise, but life there was great, a lot of friends, many house parties, small corner stores, and greasy homey French fries and sugar pies snack bars  were all the teens used to meet every evening, after a hockey game at the local arena or baseball at the local park during summer.

 Our local teams were not very good, but they were part of our friends, so many great memories, this was a rich life, full of sharing, chatting, listening to music, hanging out, no internet, no video game, just us, a great time. I am very nostalgic when I think about that far away life, I was lucky, real lucky.

I when back to my old neighborhood, and visit places that bring many great memories "the river bank, the Mount Royal, downtown surrounding, Prince Arthur Street, I wanted to use different digital media to express my vision, using Corel Painter 12, Photoshop Cut Out Filters " Number of Level 6, Edge Simplicity 6, Edge Fidelity 2", onOne Perfect black and white 8 and onOne Perfect effect.

To get Perfect Effect 4 for Free click on the link on the right of the page

Montreal Duplexes, Again I used Corel Painter 12, you can download a free trial for the new Painter X3!

Montreal Duplexes, Again I used Corel Painter 12, you can download a free trial for the new Painter X3!

 Canon 5D Markii, 70-200 at 135mm, f3.2, 1/100sec, ISO 200, Black and White Using onOne Perfect BW 8

St-Lawrence River  Canon 5D Markii,24-105 at 24mm, f16, 1/100sec, ISO 200, Black and White Using onOne Perfect BW 8

St-Lawrence River  Canon 5D Markii,70-200 at 70mm, f14, 1/200sec, ISO 640, Software onOne Perfect Effect

  Canon 5D Markii,24-105 at 105mm, f5.6, 1/80sec, ISO200, Software onOne Perfect Effect

 Around Prince Arthur Street, Canon 5D Markii,70-200 at 95mm, f3.5, 1/100sec, ISO 200,Photoshop Cut Out Filter

  Around Prince Arthur Street, Canon 5D Markii,70-200 at 115mm, f2.8, 1/50sec, ISO 200,Photoshop Cut Out Filter

 Downtown View From the Mount Royal, Canon 5D Markii,24-105 at 73mm, f9.9, 1/80sec, ISO 200,Photoshop Cut Out Filter