Cheetah Little

No matter the extent of difficulty, creating composite images is akin to a baker creating the perfect croissant with many layers of buttery, flaky dough.  (Sorry for the breakfast analogy, but, hey, that's what happens when blogging in the wee hours of the morning. Even the simplest composite contains numerous layers in its development stage.   

How I create images, and the tools and techniques I implement have a lot to do with intention.   Will the piece be used for print competition? If so, each organization has its own very distinct rules, and must be adhered to.   But if the intent is for pure personal enjoyment, I love plucking possibilities out of my tool bag.   I'll share with you how I created the cheetah image.   

First, of course, the painting starts with the main subject/model. I keep an extensive catalog of animals that I have photographed over the years.   Sometimes when the muse strikes to create a nature print, I pull one out that speaks to me.   In this case, I decided on this magnificent feline, shot at the San Diego Safari Park.  Then, much like creating a story, I consider the background. Many cases, I paint them from scratch. Others, I layer multiple textures and images in different blend modes until I have a slate to create.  (There are many people who sell incredible textures, and I have featured them in previous blogs.)   But in this case, I was encouraged by a fellow photographer friend to "check out" the painterly backgrounds offered at DailyTexture.com. I used an image called "Quiet Marsh."  I decided to give one of her backgrounds a go of it.   (There are so many magnificent artists who generously share their talents as well.  This is not a print competition piece, I was willing to "cheat a little", hence my title. 

But......

I still tend to refine the background so it reflects my own personal taste and intended story. I added more clouds and painted in elements of the African outback. (I specifically used and image from Adobe Stock, though you can also research free stock photographs from places such as "Unsplash".) I used that photographic element, and altered the blend mode in Photoshop to "soft light".   Then the trees and more brush were hand painted to have a more organic feel in the image.  The brushes I use have been gathered through years of training.  In this example, many of the brushes I used I received during my training  with Elevate Your Art.  (I highly recommend this monthly membership educational platform for those willing to put the time in to working through lengthy but thorough assignments.) I also love the education provided by Sandra Shaw Pierce and Richard Sturdevant.   No matter where you decide to pursue your knowledge, there is NO (major emphasis on this)  substitute of the time it takes to master your craft. Shortcuts and lack of practice will reflect in your work, but the reverse is definitely true as well! 

After combining all the elements together, I then added the appropriate adjustment layers to visually blend the image together, both in color tone, shadows and highlights before further painting the cheetah,  grounding him with strokes of grass and shadows at the base.  

Was it a relatively easy composite. In all, I'd say yes, thanks to the lovely background I had to start with.   However, the blending and painting still require extensive practice, but can easily be achieved with time, intention and dedication. Sorry, as powerful as Photoshop is, there is no magic button that can create these complex images.  Photoshop is not a verb, it's a process.    It's a relationship I enjoy with the program, my wacom tablet, my art pen, my images, my time.   It's what I do to create art.

So until I can go to Africa and shoot all these things myself, I just had to "cheetah little." 

(I receive no compensation from the endorsements in this post. I'm simply sharing where you can easily locate the resources I have discussed. )