Karen Sperling’s Blog

Editor’s note: Readers of Painting for Photographers and Artistry Tips and Tricks are submitting paintings they created from photos based on the lessons in the book and in the ezine issues.

Tom Thomas

Dear Karen,

I enjoyed your new book and I have enclosed a painting I did using your Impressionists Portrait chapter and the Opaque Acrylic Brush you suggested.

I have read many books on Corel Painter and taken courses from many of the master painters.

Your book is well organized and easy to follow.

Your chapters on brushes and tools take the mystery out of Painter for beginners. If you have a basic knowledge of Painter, the book can really take you past a beginner’s level fast and reinforce what a lot of long-term users have forgotten.

Of all the books that I have read, Painting for Photographers is my favorite.

Sincerely, Tom Thomas

S J Galletta

Hi Karen,

I photographed this butterfly at just the right time as it was about to fly off.

I used auto paint and varied the brush size, I then used soft cloner to bring in some of the detail.

I entered it at an art show and almost won 1st place till I told the judge how I did it. It seems they had no category for digital art, but I did sell this picture at the show. I hope one day they will accept this type of work.

I enjoy your tutorials [in Artistry Tips and Tricks] and am starting to grasp the digital art concept.

S J Galletta

Linda Immel

Karen,

Thought you might like to see two paintings I did yesterday. Both paintings resulted from ideas I got from your new book [Painting for Photographers] and a couple of your individual lessons [in Artistry Tips and Tricks].

I’ve been painting in Painter for quite awhile but wasn’t getting a painterly look. I think I have achieved the painterly look in these two pieces. Both are from personal photos.

I mainly used the smear, smudge and grainy blenders, square chalk, soft pastel and soft flat oil brushes. I need to find Basset Hound feet and fix his feet. His feet were in the grass and I could not see them but I can tell you these are not Basset feet.

I really enjoyed doing these using my new approach.

Thanks for your book and your lessons.

Linda Immel

Mel Lammers

Karen,

Your book [Painting for Photographers] is reinforcing my knowledge of color, composition, and digital painting. My confidence is growing.

Bridge Over Tranquil Waters [thanks to Simon and Garfunkel for inspiration]

Mel Lammers

Mike Miller

Hi Karen,

I tried to apply some of your ideas about painting a pastel landscape. I know I don’t have a clear central focus and haven’t met the Rule of Thirds requirement, but plowed ahead anyway, as you were the first artist to show me that digital painting from photographs could be more like painting and less like cloning. I found it exciting and mind stretching and look forward to learning more from your book. The ability to change brush variants to blenders is something I had read about before, but you walked us through it, and I found it easy to do.

I will work on composition, contrast and focal points, but I was anxious to try some of Painter 11’s tools in ways you show in your tutorials. As I look at the pastel I revised, I see I overdid the blending a bit. Should have tried to retain the texture on the charcoal paper I had selected. I think the first attempt has more energy and movement, though the foreground pastel strokes are a little distracting.

Thanks for these wonderful tutorials, both in the Painting for Photographers book and in your Artistry Tips and Tricks.

Mike Miller

Painting for Photographers and Artistry Tips and Tricks readers: Submit your photos and paintings by emailing Karen Sperling.

Tags: Artistry Tips and Tricks reviews (Corel Painter), Painting for Photographers Book Reviews (Corel Painter) //