Hudson Valley Photographer { New Photoshop Mixer Brushes }


August 16th 2021
Hudson Valley Photographer { New Photoshop Mixer Brushes }

So I recently bought one of those Wacom pen tablets.  I really wish I would have done it sooner.  It has been so much fun playing with this thing!  I love how I can make really awesome looking brush strokes on a digital canvas.  It’s totally wild.  Now I do have the advantage of using photoshop CS5’s new Mixer brushes, and I have to say I’m totally amazed by how great they look.  Honestly it’s like painting with a real brush in your hand.  It does take a little getting use to with the whole hand eye coordination of making strokes on something below the screen while watching it happen on your monitor.  Sadly I’ve been too busy playing with digital painting to try my hand at some really

cool dodging and burning.  Using pressure sensitivity on a pen to simulate exposure up and down is going to be really cool, I just don’t have any shots in my library that I really want to do that with.

These new mixer brushes have really opened up my creative energy.  I’m looking at shots I took ages ago with new eyes.  I’m looking at shots where there was just something off, a facial expression, a person in the wrong place, anything that “broke” the shot, and seeing if I can paint it into a masterpiece.  Ok… maybe not a masterpiece but something cool at least.  It’s just fun to get my creative juices flowing in a new direction.  Expanding my ability to create art.  I really try to throw myself into any new media anytime that I can.

I have to say that it has been a bit difficult to find just the right subject matter to “paint”.  It seems like things that have far too much detail become almost impossible to paint.  Although things that are too simple seem to just not garner enough interest.  This shot strikes the perfect balance.  There was enough open space to make brush strokes that really worked, but at the same time enough detail to bring some interest to the shot.  I’m sure if you go digging through my portfolio you can find the original to this shot.  You might be surprised at how similar and yet how different the shot really is in painted form.

I have to say new media aside.  This pen tablet is my new favorite toy.  I can’t believe how much fun it is to play with it.  Laying down digital paint is opening my eyes as far as how challenging it can be.  It’s also interesting to see more about shading, and how to achieve the same things that I do with lighting, only with paint, and stroke direction.  I think looking at the same piece of art in a new media really challenges your thinking about both medias.

If you’re a photographer I highly suggest getting a pen tablet, it can really open you up to things that you never thought were possible.  If you’re not a professional photographer, I would say get a pen tablet if you want to get into digital painting, because it’s so much fun.

Anyways hope you guys like it,

-Dave