The Process
All of my images begin life as one or more photographs that I have taken. I now
shoot mostly digitally, but the majority of the images on this site were
captured on film. After the image is captured, I make a digital “painting” of
the photograph using a Wacom tablet and pen.
The Wacom tablet and pen is somewhat like a mouse except that it is pressure
sensitive. Much like pencil and paper, if I use the pen and tablet and press
really hard, it makes a thick, dark mark on the computer screen. Conversely, if
I press lightly, it makes a thin, light line.
Corel Painter is the software that lets me use the pen and tablet to make this
digital painting. The tools in Painter simulate assorted paintbrushes, chalks,
watercolors, et cetera. While working in Painter, I can choose the type of brush
and the color to paint; much like an artist using traditional media. The
difference is I can paint, draw, erase and redo as many times as I like and
never make a mess or have to cleanup.
Once the digital painting is finished, I often add tiny bits of the original
photograph back into the image I created. Early on, my work was mostly
photographic with only small painted or drawn elements. In my more recent work,
there are frequently few or no photographic elements.
Finally, I do my printing on an Epson Stylus® Pro 9800 with Epson UltraChrome
K3™ inks. I print exclusively on Epson fine art paper and canvas. I have created
custom color profiles for each of the papers to ensure that the colors I see on
my monitor are the same as the colors actually printed on the page. After
printing, the prints on paper are coated with PremierART™ Print Shield. The
prints on canvas are coated with PremierART™ ECO Print Shield. This combination
of ink, paper, and coating is the industry standard for durability and
longevity.
For those of you who are interested, I use the following cameras and computer
equipment:
Feel free to contact me (randy@msdad.com)
if you have any questions or comments
Randy Gay