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Monday Challenge: January 6, 2014


MariJ

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Happy New Year Everyone!! :new_year:


Hope you had a Happy Holiday and welcome to the first Monday challenge of 2014. :)


For January I thought we do a month of "Art" based themes and to start I'd like to explore Impressionist paintings. I researched this Art style and found that Impressionism originated in France in the 1870s and is characterized by an immediate visual IMPRESSION -- that's where its name comes from! Apparently an art critic considered one of Monet's paintings "sloppy" so referred to it sarcastically as "making an impression"!


Impressionist Art makes an immediate visual impression by using unmixed primary colors and small strokes to depict light. The paintings evoke a "mood" more than a reality without much attention to detail. The Impressionist Artists painted ordinary life around them rather than "ideal beauty" and used short, thick strokes to create the essence of their subject rather than its details. Colors were applied side-by-side rather than mixed and wet paint was mixed into wet to produce soft edges and intermingling of color.



So how do we translate that into digital scrapping? Here are some suggestions for different ways to create an Impressionist-themed layout.


1: Choose a colorful, photo with lots of light -- an "ordinary" photo of something in your normal everyday life -- and scrap it.



2: If you would also like to soften up your photo Impressionist-style, you can try these ways:


- Use the Impressionist brush found in PSE! (who knew?). In trying out this brush, I found flowers or a simple landscape work best.


- Use filters found under the filter menu such as "paint daubs" (under artistic), "cross hatch" and "splatter" (under brush strokes), a surface or gaussian blur (under the blur filter), or any combination of these.


- Use a ScrapGirls product such as a SS Template or action to soften your photo and then scrap!



3: Choose a favorite Impressionist painting and use those colors in your layout.



Please post your completed Impressionist Painting Layout using whatever method(s) you desire in the Monday Challenge Gallery. I can't wait to see your works of Art! :)



Here's my page:


Frozen Lake


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Marilyn and I spent a fair amount of time discussing ideas for this challenge and she told me she was using the Impressionist Brush and could I try one of the many different techniques... I don't use filters as much as I would like so I played around with the Artistic and Brush filters and blending modes... I had a head start so don't think I just made this now! It took less time to do the technique than it did to skew all the pieces haha. Here is my page.

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I'll give this challenge a whirl. I'll look through my photos and see what I can find that is bright and colorful. I think I'll use either Claude Monet or Vincent Van Gogh. Two of my favorites.

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Woah this is making me think too much this early in the morning ;) I'll have to think about it later after coffee.

 

It's been a while since I've played around with the filters in PSE.... I tend to get involved and run out time to actually scrap.

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Great challenge, Marilyn. I've played with the impressionist brush in the past and I've played quite a bit with filters. They are so much fun!

I'll have to see if I can come up with something for the challenge...

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Wow everyone! Thanks for the enthusiastic response and layouts so far! I was worried about this challenge but scrapGirls are the best and always up for something new. ;)
I had an early doctor appointment and am reading and typing this all on my tiny iPod screen. But I will be home soon to comment. Thanks! You're all the best!

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I would really like to try this, and have a layout in progress. Can someone tell me where that impressionist brush is located in PSE? I have looked high and low and can't find it. Fun challenge!

 

Hi Ann, the impressionist brush is nested with the regular brush. Here are screen shots for PSE 11. Click images to enlarge.

 

Step 1. Click the brush icon in the tools panel

SS 1.jpg

 

Step 2. Click the Impressionist Brush icon in the tool options

SS 2.jpg

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Hi - I never get to participate in Monday challenges because I work but I am home waiting for my sister to visit which isn't going to happen now because of the weather(stupid Chicago! sorry those of you there but I never get to see her and she just lost her husband and it makes me mad). Anyway this is probably not at all impressionist but I forgot to say I used an oil painting filter on PS6 and also a Gausian Blurhttp://scrapgirls.net/forum/gallery/category/22-monday-challenge/

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Thanks, Theresa! I finished my first layout, so I guess I'll just have to do another one using that brush. Oh, the things you learn about PSE....wonder what else I'm missing?

 

DESCHUTES IN WINTER.

 

Glad I could help! LOVE your layout and LYSL in the gallery. ;)

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I put my page up but not sure if the photo looks as impressionist as I would have liked. I like the challenge thanks for the inspiration.

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I have just got up & the first thing I did was check out the Monday challenge. I thought it a bit daunting when I read the topic but I have just checked out the gallery. I am totally gobsmacked by the awesome pieces of art. They are all worthy of a place in an art gallery. I will have a go at this after I have had some breakfast. I have a photo in mind to use for this.

 

Stunning work everyone & an inspiring topic Marilyn.

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Hi - I never get to participate in Monday challenges because I work but I am home waiting for my sister to visit which isn't going to happen now because of the weather(stupid Chicago! sorry those of you there but I never get to see her and she just lost her husband and it makes me mad). Anyway this is probably not at all impressionist but I forgot to say I used an oil painting filter on PS6 and also a Gausian Blur.http://scrapgirls.net/forum/index.php?app=forums&module=post&section=post&do=reply_post&f=25&t=60706

Hi Kathy

I sent you a PM - your link here doesn't work and I can't find your layout, so sorry! :(

Can you let me know where you posted it and I can post the link here for you? Thanks and so sorry about your sister's visit, I know how maddening that is and I love sister visits!

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AMAZING doesn't even express the response to this challenge... I am in awe of all the gorgeous Impressionist Paintings everyone has created. I was worried about this challenge, but ScrapGirls as always are willing to try and the originality and creativity shown in your work is remarkable! I smiled BIG looking at all the layouts and how BEAUTIFUL the gallery looks - like an Impressionist room in a digital Art Museum!

:clap::welldone4jb::clap:

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Ladies even tho I don't usually participate in the challenges, I always peek in to see what your are working on :) I have to say Marilyn this was a great choice and I'm loving all of the layouts that you have all posted in the Gallery! Your creativity and outside the box thinking has turned into beautiful pieces of art. Great Job!

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