Painter 12 for Photographers. Creating painterly images step by step

360 Pages·2011·237.26 MB·English

by  Martin Addison (Auth.)

Painter 12 for Photographers
Dedicated to Doreen
Painter 12 for Photographers
Creating painterly images step by step
Martin Addison
AMSTERDAM • BOSTON • HEIDELBERG • LONDON • NEW YORK • OXFORD
PARIS • SAN DIEGO • SAN FRANCISCO • SINGAPORE • SYDNEY • TOKYO
Focal Press is an imprint of Elsevier
Dedicated to Doreen
Focal Press is an imprint of Elsevier
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First published 2012
Copyright © 2012 Martin Addison. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved
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British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
Library of Congress Number: 2011935548
ISBN: 978-0-240-52271-5
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Foreword
Digital painting for me has been a long journey beginning with learning Corel
Painter software many versions back almost twelve years ago. In the early
days the most important and hardest step was the first one of learning the
software. It was only after being comfortable with the software that I was free
to paint and explore different styles of painting smoothly and easily.
When I found Martin’s book it opened up a whole new resource for learning
Painter. With this book he has outdone himself and adds so much information.
It is a complete reference, from the installation of Painter to creating brushes,
through painting basics and gives the user options to explore more complicated
techniques also. It even explains textures and final printing techniques.
Painter 12 is a complete overhaul of the software from the interface to the
management of brushes. It is unsurpassed as the complete digital painting
program and has many new features. Martin takes on the challenge of
documenting these features and how to use them quickly and in an artistic
manner. Whether you are new to Painter or a seasoned pro this is the one
book you must have.
The lessons are easy to follow and the detailed step by step organization of
the materials will have even the newest user digitally painting quickly. Martin
has covered everything an artist wishing to paint from photo reference could
possibly need to know. Many books focus on Painter from the artist's point of
view; Painter 12 for Photographers is the only one to focus on the photographic
aspect while retaining the art information.
I wish when I started using Painter back in version 6 I had a book like this. The
entire “learning curve” would have been so much easier and faster if I had a
book written in this manner.
So for me, the journey continues and expands my vision of how to take
advantage of the new technology. Reading this book will make you feel like you
have a Corel Painter Master looking over your shoulder and anticipating your
next question. It will be one of your most well-loved books in your collection.
Enjoy the Journey!
Marilyn Sholin
Corel Painter Master
Author, Artist & Educator
Asheville, NC
http://www.marilynsholin.com
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Foreword
Introduction
Who is this book for?
Whether you are new to digital imaging or are already familiar with Painter
and other graphics programs, I am confident that this book will help you to
expand your creative abilities and make many brilliant new pictures from your
photographs.
As the title suggests, this book is aimed solely at photographers of all types.
For the professional photographer there are techniques which can turn
a standard portrait into a premium priced product which is unique and
desirable.
If you are a serious amateur photographer you can learn how to make pictures
which are subtle or powerful according to your intentions and which are very
different from work produced by many others.
For the casual photographer who would like to turn family snapshots into
painterly pictures suitable for hanging on the wall, there are simple step
by step demonstrations to guide you from the original photograph to the
finished picture.
What’s special about this book?
There are other books which teach you how to use Painter from an artist’s
point of view, but this is the only one to focus solely on the photographic
aspect. This approach has the great advantage that everything in the book is
relevant and useful to photographers.
Painter 12 for Photographers progresses step by step from very simple
techniques to more advanced technical expertise. Throughout the book the
many illustrations are intended to provide ideas and inspiration combined
with clear instructions to make the very best of your own image.
The purpose of this book is to give you a sound knowledge of the tools which
Painter provides and of the techniques needed to use them. There is a wide
range of skills to be learned and this book guides you through them in a
simple, logical and exciting way. Of course this is only the starting point; good
technique does not ensure that you make a good picture, but it is essential to
master this first. Once that is done your own imagination and personal style
will lead you to make the great pictures that you are visualizing.
All the image files for the step by step examples are available to download
from www.painterforphotographers.com; I recommend that you use these
images first and then try out the technique on your own photographs.
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Introduction
Why use Painter?
Photography is about documenting the reality around us, the photographer
deciding how to interpret that reality through the choice of lenses, viewpoint
and composition. Sometimes, however, this reality is not enough, it doesn’t
reflect the feelings that we originally experienced. This is not surprising, of
course, as the conditions have changed, the sensory pleasure has been lost,
the smells, sounds and atmosphere are all gone and all we now have is a one-
dimensional piece of film, print or electronic image.
So we often want to take our picture further to better reflect what we felt
at the time and to communicate this to the viewer who has no recall of the
original experience.
This is where the fabulous Corel Painter program comes in; it is quite unique
in the way it replicates traditional media and gives us the opportunity to take
our pictures into another dimension altogether, revealing the hauntingly
beautiful, mysterious and alluring world of the imagination.
What’s in Painter 12 for Photographers?
The Introductory Chapters
What’s New in Painter 12 is an overview of all the new features; there are so
many changes in this update that I have devoted a complete chapter to them
and have still only scratched the surface.
First Steps in Cloning shows the process through which we transform
photographs from their original state to a new and exciting existence. Even at
this early stage of the book, you will be able to make beautifully soft images
and we are still only on the second chapter! Also included in this chapter is
a complete tutorial taking the picture from a camera and including all the
stages up to and including printing the finished picture.
The Reference Chapters
Painter 12 Basics is a look at the Painter interface, and includes how to use
the main tools and palettes plus hints and tips on how to get the best out
of the program. It also gives help to Photoshop users in understanding the
differences between the two programs. If you have used Painter before you
could skim this section and just read those sections which have changed in
Painter 12.
Choosing Brushes illustrates every one of the main brush categories and
explains how they differ. Brushes are at the heart of everything in Painter,
and understanding which brush to use and how it works is crucial to working
creatively. Examples of finished pictures are provided as a source of ideas and
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Introduction
inspiration. There are more detailed step by step tutorials to download from
the website, together with the source photographs to enable you to make
these pictures yourself.
Customizing Brushes shows how the standard brushes can be customized
using the Brush Control panels. There are a great number of control panels
where brushes can be customized and some of the most useful panels and
options are described in detail. Instructions on how to download the many
extra brushes from the Corel website are also included.
Using Color shows how to select colors and how to use the many adjustment
menus to enhance the tone and color in your pictures. Creative hand-tinting
and toning are also covered here.
Paper Textures are an essential part of using Painter, they provide depth
and texture to the picture and the program has hundreds to choose from.
This chapter explains what textures are and how to use them while cloning,
also how to apply the same textures at the end of the painting process.
Instructions on how to download the extra papers from the website are also
included.
The Creative Chapters
Montage shows how images can be combined creatively to produce stunning
new effects. Detailed tutorials show you the techniques necessary to merge
images using cloning from several images and using layers.
Portraits are always very popular and in this chapter many different brushes
and techniques are used to create pictures of children and adults.
Animals are another popular subject for the artist and a variety of
photographs of animals are the starting point for pictures using a variety of
brushes.
Landscapes cover a range of different views and the varied tutorials cover
many different interpretations.
Special Effects include everything from simulating burnt paper to making
kaleidoscopic images. This section is great fun and packed full of colorful
examples.
What should I know before I start?
This book has been written on a PC and all the screen shots reflect that
platform. Painter operates virtually identically on both PC and Macintosh
computers. Keyboard shortcuts are of course different, the Control key on
Windows becomes the Command key on the Mackintosh, and likewise the Alt
becomes the Option key.
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