Tag Archives: #aloevera

30 Days Of Art Collage

30 Day Collage, February 2023. Watercolor, acrylic & digital collage. © 2023 Sheila Delgado.

Once again, my plans were quickly left at the gate. The work led me down a path less traveled. I had decided to do collage for the gathering. I thought to make painted papers, and work on florals and landscapes.

I used the Photoshop pen tool on day one. To outline the bloom. By day three, I was hooked. There are only two pieces, that did not lean heavily on the pen tool. Day 2 and day 16.

Here is a video that will show you how to work with the Pen Tool. Of course, I am using it for a completely different outcome. (There I go using tools the wrong way again.)😄 I have started the video a few minutes in, and you only need to look at about a minute, to get a good idea. I wish I had found this particular video before. His explanations are so easy for me to understand. I learned by trial and error. Lots of errors.

This was my learning for the month. Each day I felt more and more comfortable with the tool. By the final week, my pieces were almost completely digitally rendered. 80-90%. I dared to take on more complex subjects.

I have avoided the pen tool for years. Trying to grasp it now and then, but soon giving in to frustration. It is slightly mathematical in nature. And you know, an artist’s brain does not work that way.

Favorites, February 2023. Watercolor, acrylic & digital collage. © 2023 Sheila Delgado.

I had fun playing with color, patterns and mood. I am happy with each piece. But, as always, I can see some that I would like to improve, having learned so much since then.

I managed to continue with my fabrics for the weekly Spoonflower challenge, for half of the month. I was behind for several days mid month, and I knew that working on a fabric design would sink me even further. I do plan on creating two designs, so that I can catch up on the weeks I missed. It is another challenge for my brain.

Thanks so much for following along with me this month. Your encouragement and support mean the world to me. I am so grateful for you, friends. My people. The ones who understand my art obsession. What it means to me, my soul, and my life.

Tomorrow I will post the Creative Gathering artists gallery. We have new members and I know you will love their work as much as I do. See you soon!

How do you make a round circle with a square knife?
That’s your challenge for the day.
Bob Ross

Happy are the painters, for they shall not be lonely.
Light and colour, peace and hope,
will keep them company to the end of the day.
Winston Churchill.

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World Watercolor Month Days 18 – 25

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Day 20, WWM, 2 x 2 inch watercolor on Arches 140 lb. cold pressed paper. © 2021 Sheila Delgado.

Color is my day-long obsession, joy and torment.
– Claude Monet

Day 18, WWM, 2 x 2 inch watercolor on Arches 140 lb. cold pressed paper. © 2021 Sheila Delgado.

Day 19, WWM, 2 x 2 inch watercolor on Arches 140 lb. cold pressed paper. © 2021 Sheila Delgado.

Day 21, WWM, 2 x 2 inch watercolor on Arches 140 lb. cold pressed paper. © 2021 Sheila Delgado.

To practice any art, no matter how well or how badly,
is a way to make your soul grow, for heaven’s sake. So do it.
– Kurt Vonnegut

Day 22, WWM, 2 x 2 inch watercolor on Arches 140 lb. cold pressed paper. © 2021 Sheila Delgado.

Day 23, WWM, 2 x 2 inch watercolor on Arches 140 lb. cold pressed paper. © 2021 Sheila Delgado.

Day 24, WWM, 2 x 2 inch watercolor on Arches 140 lb. cold pressed paper. © 2021 Sheila Delgado.

Day 25, WWM, 2 x 2 inch watercolor on Arches 140 lb. cold pressed paper. © 2021 Sheila Delgado.

In the final week now. Curious to know if your July has passed as quickly as mine. Haha. Choosing this 2 x 2 inch size was a surprisingly good idea. So much fun! I’m going to keep a stack of minis at the ready.

Time to paint!

Enjoy!

Don’t think.
Thinking is the enemy of creativity.
It’s self-conscious, and anything self-conscious is lousy.
You can’t try to do things. You simply must do things.
– Ray Bradbury

Two Pots

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My new scanner arrived. Yipee! I had to wait about a month for it. I played with the settings to get a true to life image. I used a piece that I had scanned on the older machine.

There are over a dozen combinations of settings, the interface is very easy to use. I do like that it is powered by USB. So I just need to connect it to the laptop, and it is ready to go. No need to wait for it to warm up. Nice! It was recommended by a couple of artists I follow.

I need to get used to having to preview first. It really is useful, as you can change the settings if the image is off, and then scan for the final saved image.

Two Pots was painted on a spiral-bound pad. I didn’t realize the scanner lid is removable, it expands to hold books. On the left of the image, I can see that it is blurry. Where the rings are. I will need to be more aware of that.

Below are some of the different settings. You might not be able to see much of a difference in some of them. The first one is an illustration setting. That was interesting. It simplifies the image to color “blocks”. More like a vector image. Or cartoon.

Below you can see the Epson scan and the scan from the old machine. The Epson is more true. Haha. Well, the blooms are. The vase and the background in the original are closer to real life. I’m fine with that. I know I will need to make adjustments in Photoshop as usual. It is just how the different colors reflect the light. I will work with the settings and see how close I can get them. But I’m sure they will be different for each piece. I have scanned about a dozen photos, and they came out true to life.

Day 30, 4 x 6 Watercolor and pen on paper. © 2021 Sheila Delgado.

This scanner is so slim. About an inch and a half. And it is so lightweight! About 3 pounds. It has a kickstand and you can scan while it is standing on its side. I love that I can tuck it away, and pull it out when needed. I don’t need to sacrifice valuable desk space.

It is so light and easy to connect. It will be perfect for travel. Visiting family, and sharing old photos. Oh, did I say? It is an Epson Perfection V39.