I was inspired by an artist named Shira Barzilav to try something a little different. I took one of my millions of tree pictures, cloned a few shrubs out in PS, then took the image into Painter where I actually drew on the image. I practiced drawing abstract faces, and when I felt I had sort of a plan, I started drawing them into the tree. I have a Wacom, but I had trouble because I couldn't draw fast enough for the flow rate, so I did it all with my mouse, which may have added to the "abstractedness" (actually a real word!). I took the final Painter version back into PS and added a Downey woodpecker and a 50% slight gradient over the sky.
I need a title for this, got any ideas?
This round’s discussion is now closed! 13 comments posted
Angela Bonner
(Groups 20 & 81)
Great idea and very well done!! Not too sure about a title though!!   Posted: 04/09/2021 10:48:24
Thanks Angela!   Posted: 04/18/2021 22:54:44
This is Soooooo Coool, Jan!!
Did you see the "Body Tree" in the PPC Image Comp? It reminds me of that..
Titles? I dunno... "Humanesque" "Family Affair"... hah hah..I'm not good at this.   Posted: 04/10/2021 14:25:00
Thanks Kathy! No, I didn't see the Body Tree. I did come up with a name though, The Hidden Life of Trees...   Posted: 04/18/2021 22:57:32
Love the name and the entire image!   Posted: 04/18/2021 23:46:05
This is so fun!! I love the faces and the bird is a great touch. Such a creative idea and so inspiring!!   Posted: 04/11/2021 16:02:34
This image makes me smile. It feels nicely balanced and is so whimsical. I don't know if it is an artifact of compression for posting but the bird it a bit pixelated. As a visual contrast to the the rest of the image I would like to see the bird shaper and maybe have a bit more punch as I didn't notice it in my first viewing.   Posted: 04/12/2021 11:37:00
Brad, I agree that bird is not the best quality, I did it in kind of a hurry. I actually think the bird could be a little smaller. I didn't want him to be too obvious, I wanted him to remain a secondary focal point.   Posted: 04/18/2021 23:01:57
Tom Kredo
Hi Jan,
Cute image. As an alternative idea, here is a crop where the bird becomes the subject instead of the tree. I'd clean up the branches.
  Posted: 04/12/2021 15:33:50
Yes, that is cute. I'll clean up the branches and see how it looks.   Posted: 04/24/2021 15:17:05
Henry Roberts
(Group 40)
Hmmm, love of my life might be good title. Jan, you did a good job with the tree and faces without making it overcrowded. The woodpecker adds just a touch of reality to a whimsical image. What a wonderful artistic creation!
Tom has a good idea, not necessarily better but just an equally good but different version.   Posted: 04/24/2021 15:06:12
Lisa Cuchara
I love this idea. and I am impressed that you drew the faces free hand, and with a mouse no less, wow. The woodpecker's expression is whimsical so the perfect fit for the scene.
Perhaps take the grasses out on the left? The tree holds the viewers interests, so why let them wander at the left edge...
Title ideas...
"Woodpecker at the Picasso Tree"
"I see faces"
"The Woodpecker's friends"
"Ever feel like you are being watched?"   Posted: 04/26/2021 15:16:19