Elevate Your Art Magazine, October 2021

O CTOBER 2021

E L E VA T E Y O U R A R T Bi-Monthly Magazine Featuring Photoshop Artists

featuring

M EL I NDA FA R R I NGTO N H E AT H ER MI CH EL L E CH I N N

Reviewer

Mem bers of the review team are integral to the success of hundre ds of P hotoshop art i st s. H i g hly trained, they provide over 15,000 video reviews a year for me mbe rs of Beyond t he Brushe s.

Vid eo feed back is the key to success for many who are new to P hotoshop pai nt i ng!

Feat ured

A r t i s t : C at h Smi t h h e a r t s to n e ar t .com Ca th p ainte d th is c h e e r f ul cardin al for a n a t u re t h emed ex h i b i t i on a t a loca l pa r k / wi ld li fe res c ue ce nte r.

She ro ug h e d in th e un de r p ainting , t h en went to wor k wi t h t h e n on - mi x i n g b r u s h es a n d h er favor i te b reye r b r us h tool to g i ve i t t h e feel of a n org a n i c oi l pa i nt i n g .

W EL COME... ....TO THE OCTOBER EDITION OF ELEVATE YOUR ART MAGAZINE! For many people,

Michelle

C OV E R I M AG E BY M e l i n d a Fa r r i n g t o n C h ec k ou t t h e a r t i c le on P a g e 9 for more i nfor ma t i on a b ou t t h i s a n d ot h er pa i nt i n g s by Meli n d a Fa r r i n g ton .

Ma g a z ine © M iche l l e Pa r s l ey, M. Ph oto g . , M. A r t i s t , C r. , C PP St u d e nt im a g e s © re m a i n w i t h e a c h i n d i v i d ua l a s n ote d .

Screen captur ing a rt wo rk fro m t he m a g a z ine fo r yo ur ow n us e - w h et h e r p e r s o n a l o r co m m e rc i a l us e - i s a vi olat i on of th e a rt ist s’ co py rig ht which is p un i s h a b l e by Fe d e ra l f i n e s of up to $ 1 5 0 , 0 0 0 p e r i m a g e .

P l e a se b e re sp e ct fu l of t h e co py r i g ht of t h e a r t i s t s . T h a n k yo u.

CONTENTS p1 p2 p5 p9 p22 p27

Featured Reviewer: Cath Smith Welcome from Michelle Be Like Coco Artist Feature: Melinda Farrington Rufus is a LIAR! Foundations: Know Your Paint

A rti s t: Lindsay Sor ian o L i n dsa y wa s work ing o n de co ratin g h e r b aby’s n ur s er y, a n d wh a t b et ter wa y to g et wh a t you wa nt t h a n ma k e i t you r s e l f? S he took t he o p p o rt u nit y a nd cha lle n g e d h e r s e l f to al s o le ar n a tool. Bra yer wa s t h e pr i ma r y b r u s h t h rou g h ou t t h e ent i re pa i nt i ng, a nd let ’s ju s t s a y bi rds, one stone.

M ASTH E A D & CO N TR IBU TO RS MICHELLE PARSLEY PUBLISHER HANNAH PARSLEY COPYWRITER CATH SMITH EDITOR ARTICLES: MELINDA FARRINGTON HEATHER MICHELLE CHIN FOUNDATIONS: KNOW YOUR PAINT IMAGES:

two

MARIE HELYAR CATH SMITH LINDSAY SORIANO JENNIFER WYNNE RUSSELL KINERSON MELINDA FARRINGTON JANICE BATTERBEE SHEILA TENNES ROWENA CHERRY DEB RICE ANN LAUWERS STEPHANIE DALMAN CHELLY HALL TIFFANY SCHMITT PORTIA SHAO MELISSA BONAR HEATHER MICHELLE CHINN SHELLY ELLIS SIGRID ARCHER VICKIE BOLDUC CATHERINE HALLECK PAULETTE CASSIDY STEPHANIE SABOURIN

BE LIKE COCO

I love puppies. I mean, who doesn’t love pu ppies?! There is nothing in my life that lives more in the moment than our Boston Terrier puppy, Coco. Aptly earning the nickname, “puddle diver”, she fully embraces carpe diem — regardless of the temperature! Admittedly, this has also gotten her dubbed, “Coco Loco” 😂 Even though it makes me crazy when I have to bathe her five times a day because she’s muddy again, it occurs to me th at I could learn a thing or two about life from Coco. Sometimes you just have to dive in headlong and hang the results!

That’s kind of how I approached paint ing in Ph otoshop. It was a pivotal moment where I knew if I was going to do what I wanted to do, I needed to be fully committed. In that moment I decided I was going to paint the way I wanted to paint in Photoshop and nobody was going to convince me otherwise. Looking back, it made about as much sense as diving in a mud puddle five times a day because literally nobody was doing it and everyone said it couldn’t be done. But despite all the naysayers — here we are.

There’s another, even bigger lesson that we can all learn from Coco. Be in the moment when you’re painting. I always go into a painting with a loose idea of where I want to go but I don’t latch onto that concept so tightly that I can’t let the paint “speak” to me. No I’m not crazy. While it’s not a literal voice, with time and experience creating your art, the paint will speak if you are listening. It will guide you to make the best choices for your subject. When the paint speaks, if you’re listening, that’s when the magic happens!

Let’s all choose to be like Coco. Let’s be completely in the moment and hang the results. Let’s listen to the paint. When we embrace being in the moment with our art, when we listen to the paint, we wil l truly will become the artists we are meant to be.

Michelle

Arti st: Je nnifer Wynne w ww. jennifer w y nnephoto g ra p hy. co m Je n ni fe r took a few month s of f f ro m p aintin g af te r l ife h a p p en e d . Desiring to re cove r h e r p aintin g s kil l s , s h e s ele cte d one of her pictu re s fo r a n o n -p rof it s h e r un s i n Keny a. She a imed to give h e r g iraf fe a s ur re al an d al m os t t ri bal ap pea ra nce by inco r p o ratin g th e b e auty an d co lor s of Keny a.

A rti s t: Russell Kiner so n Russe l l sna pped this s h ot o n e co ld m o r n in g in Jan ua r y on t h e Ma x well Wi ld li fe P res er ve i n Ka n s a s . Hi s g oa l wa s to convey t he m a je s t y the p la ins. The bru shs tro ke s an d co lo r p alette re al ly emph a s i ze t h e g ra n d eu r of t h e b ea s t s a n d t h e pla i n .

of t h e nati ve wild life on

ARTIST FE ATU R E

M E L I N DA FA R R I N G T O N H ON OR I N G T HE O LD M ASTER S I T ’ S E ASY TO G I V E U P W H E N YO U R PA I N T I N G AT T E M P T S E N D I N A M ES S B U T N OT FO R M E L I N DA . A F T E R S E E I N G W H AT B E YO N D T H E B R U S H ES ’ S T U D E N T S AC C O M P L I S H , S H E I M M E D I AT E LY D EC I D E D “ I WA N T TO D O T H AT ! ”

Ar ti s t: Me l i nd a Fa rr i ngton

A rti s t: Melinda Far r ing to n

Melinda began her painting adventure with several attempts that turned into complete messes. A self-proclaimed brush junkie, she originally believed having the brushes meant she could paint. But quickly, she learned that knowing how to use them makes all the difference.

A joyful cheerleader, she has been encouraging others throughout her journey.

The most notable though is how she encourages herself. She finds the best in every situation, and with this series of paintings, her personal journey really shines through.

When she began learning Photoshop, it was an intimidating task, but after th e first taste, she wanted more. Searching for guidance, Melinda stumbled across Beyond the Brushes. Her spontaneity redirected her path when she laid eyes on what other students were doing.

During the lessons, she discovered her love for pet portraits. She challenges herself to showcase the unique personality of each pet through the minor details, like expressions and color palette. These color palettes are entirely based upon what best suits the pups, and she credits the lessons for her ability to make that match.

Since joining, Melinda firmly believes the education she’s received has truly been BEYOND the brushes. Not only has she learned how to use the tools, but also she has learned about art itself. However, the most important tool on Melinda’s belt is one she couldn’t be taught, and that is her attitude.

A self-motivator, she reminds herself, “You can do it. Don’t give up.” As an artist, you can’t take yourself too seriously, and Melinda has the perfect balance of lightheartedness and work ethic. If she woke up tomorrow as a brush, she settled on Brushy Goodness, but it’s her reason ing that matters. She believes just small touches here and there bring big changes. How awesome is that perspective? And even better is she brings it into her artwor k.

For instance, she sets the mood in the studio with music. It could be old R&B, 80’s classics, pop, or just some peace and quiet. It’s also not uncommon for Melinda to watch other painters, and she particularly enjoys seeing Vladimir Volegov bring his oil paintings to life.

When selecting the photos, Melinda pulled from different sources and was intentional on the photos she selected. They needed to speak to her, and speak they did! These good boys and girls were primarily painted with Greasy Blender, Brushy Goodness, and Thick Fur Flipper. Though wet control lessons weren’t her favorite, they were invaluable for sharpening the eyes, but her fingers are crossed that she won’t be painting a blue plate on a wood surface again anytime soon.

Melinda was thrilled the final result matched the vision she had in mind. Being challenged by sharpening the eyes was nothing to her but a fun opportunity, and she thoroughly enjoyed herself working on this series. I think we could all use to be a little more like Melinda some days, making big differences with small touches of positivity here and there.

M E L I N DA J O I N E D I N F E B R UA RY 2 0 2 0 W I T H N O PA I N T I N G E X P E R I E N C E A N D A P O S I T I V E AT T I T U D E .

A S E L F - E N C O U R AG E R , S H E SAW T H E P OT E N T I A L O F W H E R E H E R A R T C O U L D G O, A N D S H E ’ S B E E N LO O K I N G A N D M OV I N G FO RWA R D E V E R S I N C E .

A r t i s t : Meli n da Fa r r i ng ton

A r tist: Melinda Fa rring to n

COMING UP IN

OCTOBER

H ISTORY OF ART

Malachite in Art

ELEMEN TS OF ART

Space

A r t i s t : Ja n i ce Bat te r b e e ht t p s : //w w w. i n s t a g ra m . co m / j a n i ce b at te r b e e 16 9 5/ Ja nice wa nted to do s o m eth in g s p e c ial fo r her veter i n a r i a n , w h o d emon s t ra ted a d mi ra b le d evot i on i n loo ki ng a fte r her horse for m any ye ar s . Th is p ic ture captu red t h e on ly b rea c h b i r t h h e wa s a b le to a r r i ve i n t i me to s ave . Ja ni ce m e m o r iali zed t h e s pec i a l moment i n h i s profes s i on a l ca reer of t h e mi ra cle foa l .

A rt ist: Sheila Tenn e s htt ps://ww w.insta g ra m . co m /she ilate nne s/ Sh eila wa nted to re c re ate th e re latio n s h ip b etween a c h i ld a n d pet . O n ce s h e s t u mb led a c ros s t h i s pi c t u re, s he knew i t wa s the one. The s e le c tio n m ul tip l ie d h e r exc ite m ent b eca u s e s h e’s n ever d on e a h or s e pa i nt i n g b efore, a n d I b e l i eve sh e a ccomplished h e r g o al b e autif ul ly.

A rti s t: Rowena C her r y https : //w ww.facebook . co m /I m a g eI nat io nby Rowe n a Rowen a chose to pa int Arc h ie , h e r f r ie n d’s re s c ue S het la n d pony. A t ra i l h or s e’s com p anion a nd jolly b utle r, Arc h ie e n j oys rac in g down t h e pa d d oc k , rolli n g i n t h e dust, ta k ing tra il wa lks , car r yin g ref re s h m e nts an d pi c n i c s , a n d , of cou r s e, meet i n g n ew fri end s. This pa intin g s h owcas e s h is f un an d sweet per s on a li t y.

De b wa nte d to te l l a

Ar t i s t : D e b Ri ce tale of two terriers with this on e . A w is e , cal m m oth e r an d h e r you n g , a n x i ou s s on s i t pa t i ent ly i n a room a lon e. T h e ow n e r wa l ks i n a nd draws th e i r a t tent i on . Now, let you r i ma g i n a t i on f i ll i n t h e d eta i ls a n d fi ni s h t he s tor y.

A rti st: Ann Lauwer s www. anar tistview.net An n s ta rted off with j us t a b ac kg ro un d s h e was wor k i n g on for a les s on . Af ter s c rolli n g t h rou g h s ome s toc k i ma ge s , s he cam e a cross this squir re l an d de c ide d to g ive h e r b a c k g rou n d a s u b jec t . S h e wa s plea s ed to h a ve s u c h a g reat pra ct i ce i m age for experimentin g w ith h air b r us h e s .

r a i L

RUFUS IS A

Learning something new can be a daunting task. It takes several baby steps of progress before you truly feel like you are getting anywhere, and Rufus LOVES to take advantage of this!

It will drive him CRAZY! You’re using his own words against him.

In the thick of the struggle, his goal is to be lurking over your shoulder and whispering in your ear self-depreciating statements.

So, don’t be afraid to share where you’re at in your struggle learning a new skill and get some constructive critique. Rufus might have you convinced that everyone thinks you’re incompetent, but the art community isn’t here to tear you down.

“You’re not good enough.”

Au contraire! 👩

“You don’t have the skills.”

Community is a continuous opportunity to make movement through unified Involvement in today’s yoke. What’s that mean? It means you don’t have to bear your burdens alone.

And the issue is, when you are learning something new, he might not be wrong ❕ So, he tears apart our confidence in ourselves as artists IF, and this is a big if, IF we let him.

You see, his snide comments are the whole reason you’re trying anyway. So yes, yo u might not have the proper tools in your belt Y ET. Notice that key word there? YET. Add “yet” to almost any statement Rufus is maliciously whispering in your ear, and I can almost guarantee it turns it from a tear down to a build up. 😏

We are in this together! 💪 Rufus wants to steal any and all confidence you have so you are ashamed to participate in something he has no chance of overcoming.

Don’t let him win! Use the power of YET and rely on the strength of your community. 🤗

A rti s t: Stephanie D alma n www. boxer sandbeer.co m Ste p ha nie d ecid ed to s te p o uts ide of h e r co mfo r t zon e a n d g i ve h er s elf a c h a llen g e. S h e wa nted t h e b r u s h s t roke s to b e ap p arent a nd visible, c re atin g a m o re texture d f in al pi ece. Us i n g t h e n on - mi x i n g b rea k er a n d t ra n s lu cent s h a d ows he l pe d he r ach i eve her goa l a nd h ave s o m e f un alo n g th e way.

A r ti s t : C h e lly Hall w w w. a zd i r t ro a d p h otog rap hy.com C h elly pa i nted t h i s a d ora b le por t ra i t for h er s on’s C h r i s t ma s pre s e nt . T hi s i s h i s sweet h u s ky, S i d n ey, a n d I wou ld g o ou t on a li mb a n d gu e s s t ha t he wa s t h r i lled w i t h h i s g i f t . T h e a mou nt of t i me pu t i nto s u c h a pe r s ona l i ze d pres ent i s pr i ce le s s .

A rti s t: Tiffany Schmitt www. picturesattiffanys. co m T i ffany need ed to ju st p aint s o m eth in g fo r h e r s e l f. S h e en joy s wor k i n g w i t h h or s es a n d d ec i d ed to t r y so m ething a bit beyon d h e r le s s o n s tag e . Th e o utcome i s a s t y le t h a t s h e look s for wa rd to ex plor i n g m o re of in the fu tu re.

A r t i s t : Po r t i a S h a o w w w. p o s i t i vev i s t a . co m P or t i a k n ew s h e h a d to pa i nt t h i s Afg h a n h ou n d a s s oon a s s h e s a w t h e lon g f u r. S h e li cen s ed t h e s toc k i ma g e bu t wa nted to pa i nt i t wi t h a t w i s t . Wh i le wor k i n g on t h e cha rcoa l les s on s , s h e ex per i mented wi t h ren d er i n g h a i r u s i n g cha rcoa l b r u s h es . M i g ht I s a y, wh a t a n ou tcome!

Art ist : Me liss a B o n a r www. m e lissa b o na rp hoto g ra p hy. co m Me l i ssa tra ins d ogs a nd do e s p et p h oto g rap hy. W h at a g rea t com bi n ation! She sna ppe d th is s h ot af te r th e p up py g ra d u a ted fro m obed ience tra inin g . Th e p in k f lowe r s o n th e b us h rea lly m ade th e pu p sta nd ou t , s o s h e de c ide d to in co r p o rate t h os e i n t he co m m e m o ratio n of th e co m m e ncement .

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K NOW YO U R PA I N T R E C E N T LY I S AW A V I D E O T H AT F E AT U R E D T WO R E S P E C T E D P R O F E S S I O N A L P H OTO G R A P H E R S S H OW I N G H OW TO TO P I C A L LY A P P LY PA I N T TO P R I N T S .

U P O N F I N I S H I N G T H E V I D E O I F E LT T H E N E E D TO W R I T E A WA R N I N G B E C AU S E T H I S V I D E O L AC K E D A N E N O R M O U S A M O U N T O F I N F O R M AT I O N O N S E V E R A L TO P I C S . . .

These topics were...

1. Archival quality 2. Proper mediums 3. WATER 4. Pre-sealing canvas 5. The “there is no wrong way” approach When it comes to painting, I try to use the best materials I can afford, or get my hands on because my soul goes into my art. Artists may not realize it, but THEY come out in thei r work.

My mother taught me an invaluable lesson. Use the “good” materials because you never know how the art will turn out.

I am not writing this in any way to disrespect the creators (I ADORE their portfolios and their teaching!), but to hopefully fill in some education gaps.

I’ve trained with and used Golden products as one of their handful of Golden Artist Educators.

I’ve also painted with most every type of medium in the acrylic world for the last few decades and I’ve made innumerable mistakes.

Consider me an obsessive grade A geek for research.

The video demonstrated getting a feel for acrylic paint, which appeared to be student grade quality (NOT professional grade) on a blank white canvas. They favored water as a thinner to create a “watercolor” effect. This is just a BIG NO. First, let’s talk “medium.” In painting, it’s used as a vehicle to change the manner of paint.

Mediums can alter transparency or thickness, drying time, etc. Otherwise, cracking, crazing, short life spans, improper adhesion or layering may occur. One of my favorite mediums is Golden’s heavy gel semigloss for contro llable texture!

You also have to understand binders in paints.

Teachable moment - every type of paint is simply ground pigment suspended in BINDER. For instance, acrylic is suspended in

a polymer based binder (ie: think of this like a tough, glossy plastic). Oil is suspended in an oil, typically linseed, which is why it’s not water soluble. Water soluble oils are bound with oil and surfactant so it can be made into a water soluble paint. Watercolors are pigment suspended in gum arabic. NOT water.

NEVER WATER. Water ACTIVATES gum arabic suspended pigment clumps (remember those dried out watercolor palettes?) but does not dilute plastic bound pigment (aka acrylic).

Do you know what happens when you add too much water to a paint (more than 15% of the mix)? The integrity of the paint falls apart. You risk chalky flaking, or mold. That’s why you see HUNDREDS of mediums and thinners.

In the video, it’s shown how to apply acrylics on top of printed canvases. There is no mention of how the canvases were prepped, sealed, etc. You never know how much water, or medium might leak into your canvas (or paper), leach into it, or if spray will come th rough, or SIDS (look it up, it’s a thing).

The first step is to ask your lab specifically what they use to seal your canvas. I like to make barrier layers on my prints before applying ANYTHING such as a compatible spray plus a polymer based layer. ”There is no wrong way.”

NOPE. Maybe in expression, but not in materials. In experimenting, sure. When you’re talking about mechanics, absolutely NOT. This is not how to go about adding paint to a print for your clients. And given the teaching platform of the artist, I worry that photographers will walk away thinking embellished canvases are this simple.

Overpainting a print is not as simple as using a dollar store brush and bottle of student grade acrylic. While I love the video’s gusto, there are mechanics that must compliment the heart.

Honor your art by starting with a sol id foundation.

BY HEATHER MICHELLE CHINN M . A R T I S T, P H . , C R . , E L I T E C O R E L PA I N T E R M AS T E R , C O R E L C E R T I F I E D PA I N T E R E D U CATO R , G O L D E N C E R T I F I E D A R T I S T E D U CATO R WWW.HEATHERTHEPAINTER.COM

A rti st: Shelly Ellis s elli sphotography.com Sh e l ly pa inted this pie ce fo r a retur n in g c us to m e r. Af ter complet i n g t h e f u r cou r s e, t h i s c li ent b ou g ht o n e of her first pa int ing s . Th o ug h S h e l ly adm its s h e i s a b i t emb a r ra s s ed of t h e f i r s t pa i nt i n g , s h e was p lea sed to k now th e c l ie nt love d it e n o ug h to come b a c k for a repea t pu rc h a s e.

A r t i s t : Si g r i d A rch e r ht t p s ://w w w.face b o

S i gr i d s ta r te d w i t h t d e a r fr i e nd , b u t t hi n “a ha ” m om e nt s . Now

A r t i s t : Vi cki e Bold uc ht t p s : //w w w.jvp h otos .com V ic kie was s e arc hi n g for pet pi c t u res a n d wa nted to c h a llen g e h er s elf by pa i nt i ng ce l l phone s h ots . S h e as ke d o n a per s on a l Fa ceb ook pos t for people to s h a re potent i a l ca n di d a te s a nd wa s ove r w h e l m e d w i t h t h e res pon s e. O f cou r s e, O d i e t h e Boxer won h er h ea r t t h rou g h la u g hte r.

r oo k. co m/si gri d .aicher.

he i nte nti o n s of this being a prac tice p aintin g s h e co uld g if t to a ngs j u s t cl i cke d. She ha d lot s of le ar n in g b re akth ro ug h s an d ma ny w, i t i s a sp eci al piece for her an d h e r f r ie n d to c h e r is h to g ether.

A rti s t: C ather ine Halle ck BA i n Ar t cather inehalleckphoto g ra p hy . co m C ath e rine ca pt u red a s e ntim e ntal an d m otivatio n al i ma g e. T h i s i s A n g el, h er d a u g hter ’s d ea f h or s e. Her d a u g hte r a nd s oni n -law rescu ed Angel f ro m b e in g e uth an ize d, taug ht h er s i g n la n g u a g e, a n d g a ve h er u n con d i t i on a l love a n d care . S he ha s l i ved a fu ll life, a nd al l it to o k was g iv in g h e r a c h a n ce.

A rti s t: C y nthia Gossel in C y nth i a wa s tou ched by th e inte rac tio n b etwe e n th is momma swa n a n d cy g n et . S h e u s ed Br u s hy G ood n es s , Gre asy B lend er, a nd B raye r fo r th e f ir s t draf t. Af te r s ome g u i d a n ce, C olor S c r u b b er s were u s ed to c rea te a more coh e si ve ba ck grou nd an d deve lo p th e p aintin g into w h a t s h e h a d or i g i n a lly env i s i on ed .

A r t i s t : Pa ul et te C a s si d y Pa u let te dis cove re d th is im ag e in th e f ree on es pos ted by Beyon d t h e Br u s h es memb er, P i et Fra n c k e .

Wit h no sq uir re l s in Aus tral ia, it’s e asy to s ee why t h i s f u r r y f r i en d ca u g ht h er eye. Ha v i n g a s u b jec t t ha t intr ig ue s yo u can m a k e a ll t h e d i f feren ce i n t h e c rea t i on proces s .

Ar t i s t : Ste p h a n i e S a b o ur i n ht t p s: //ste p h a n i e s a b o ur i n p h oto g ra p hy. co m Stephan ie lo c ke d eye s w ith th is c ur io u s ca t a n d k n ew s h e h a d to pa i nt i t . For h er, t h e ex pres s i on a lone to ld th e s to r y. Howeve r, in th e or i g i n a l i ma g e, t h e ta b le wa s s tea li n g a t tent i on . S elec t i n g neu t ra l co lo r s an d fadin g th e tab le into t h e b a c k g rou n d a llowed h er to ta k e cont rol i n g u i d i n g t h e v i ewer ’s eye.

E L E VAT E YO U R A R T. C O M