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ZEISS DTI thermal imaging cameras. For more discoveries at night, and during the day.

Seemingly the bird of the moment.. (1 Viewer)

ed keeble said:
Have you had a go with a pressure sensitive digi-pen and tablet? Once you've been there, life with photoshop is never quite the same..
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I've never even heard of a 'pressure sensitive digi-pen and tablet' Ed...:eek!:!!

ps...i am intrigued tho....can you show 'us' anything...[examples etc]...that you may have done using this particular demonic device...? What can 'it' do exactly..?

pps...apologies Ads....if all this 'photoshoppy-nonsense' is not to your liking on this thread....[perhaps the 'conversation' is better suited elsewhere]...?
 
Some excellent work going on here Ads, old and new.

I couldn't agree more about PShop being an incredibly useful tool BTW, everyone should try it!

Mike
 
No guys, chat all you want - it's the only way to learn new things innit?? Think I'm gonna pick up a PS and have play with it.....cheers!
 
username said:
ps....can you do 'layers' in photoshop Colleen..? I am a complete novice but i enjoy learning the various techniques...

pps...maybe folks hereabouts would like to start a photoshop-type thread just to see what can be done with certain pieces..? [Could always bung artwork for 'tinkering' on my 'images' thread if anyone was interested]...could be good fun....;)
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Well I think starting a thread is great then Ads can have his thread back.;)
I've never taken a class in PS which would be a great help. I just have accidently discovered things or saw another do it. So it's frustrating sometimes when I don't know how to get certain things done. Over several years I've learned some things but if we all put our knowledge together maybe it would help and we could invite some experts to answer questions from other forums too.
I have a tablet, mentioned before, but I don't personally like drawing with it.

I'll answer the layers question on the new thread
 
I've jpined the conversation too late and after too much beer, so I'll just say that the large exposed bit of wood is a strength of the piece - whatever you do to it, I think it needs to remain a large part of the pic.
 
Never too late for you to join the conversation Nick, although the beer shows: jpined? ;) ha ha!! I've told myself I'm not going to touch it until the plates are done so I can have a bit more time for everyone's much-appreciated comments to sink in...watch this space!!
 
Ads,

I've just trawled through the whole thread for the first time, stunning images! Nice to see so many pittas and broadbills! ;)

you haven't done any jacana plates by any chance that you wouldn't mind posting up? |=)|
 
Tero said:
What is the title...looks like European birds?
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I wish European birds were like that!! It's called 'a Fieldguide to the Birds of Melanesia', Tero....so includes New Caledonia, New Britain, New Ireland, Solomons, Vanuatu...all those dreamy Pacific islands we'd all love to be able to go to!!
 
Tero said:
So you do not get to go to each island and sketch them live?
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Ha, I wish Tero!!!! I wouldn;t moan about the pay if they'd've sent me there for a few months!! Nope, I use whatever experience I have of members from the same families, skins, any photos available (which are pretty scarce for the passerine section I've done - in fact painted 3 birds new to science!) and the field notes of the author who has seen most of the birds....not easy!!
 
Tero said:
So you do not get to go to each island and sketch them live?
Click to expand...

birdboybowley said:
Ha, I wish Tero!!!! I wouldn;t moan about the pay if they'd've sent me there for a few months!! Nope, I use whatever experience I have of members from the same families, skins, any photos available (which are pretty scarce for the passerine section I've done - in fact painted 3 birds new to science!) and the field notes of the author who has seen most of the birds....not easy!!
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Too bad! I always imagined that they sent you traipsing through jungles and whatnot. (Though I did wonder how one would really see all the targets ;) ). Well I know more of the challenges that you face now!

Since we're asking, are skins for these Asian birds available in England? Does the author (who saw the birds) ever give comments on the paintings? (not sure if that would be good or not)
 
Hey Gretchen, yeah it is too bad! And yes, as soon as a plate is finished then a copy is emailed to the author who then picks it to pieces and often forwards it onto other people 'in-field' as it were so I have learned to not take it personally but in the end they know more about them than I. It's always nice when I don't have to change anything especially with a bird I've not seen. As to the skins, yes, here in England we have Tring Museum which has the world's largest collection I believe (although access is harder after the robbery last year of Birds of Paradise, trogon and other colourful skins for the fishing/fashion trade.....) Any skins we haven't got then the AMNH in New York usually comes through and emails photos. I find the museum work morbid and fascinating at the same time, especially pulling out a tray of say, Gurney's Pittas, which has 30-or-so skins on it (all from late 19th/very early 20th cenuries) and you think why so many?? The worst thing is that active collecting still goes on today even with DNA and all that because apparently there are things a dead bird can tell you that a live one can't....go figure!
McMadd - You should be ok mate, deadline's drawing ever closer!
 
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The penultimate plate.....and the last of the passerines! (this was in fact the very first plate I painted way back when (!) but the original was sooooo bad I had to redo it and I ritually burned it this morning!) Now making a start on the corrections and alterations to the previous plates before starting the very last one....|:p|

melanesia plate 70 (Large).JPG
 
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Quite superb looking plate Ads!!....[would like to have seen the original....did you photograph the ritual burning of it by any chance]?...i'm guessing 'no'...;)

ps...the next 'plate' i'm gonna do will have a pizza on it in about half an hour....:eat:
 
Funny you should say that User - as I stood there watching it burn (yeay!) I watched as the fire went out, it left haphazard bright orange burn-marks squiggled all over it, flaring brighter as I breathed on them. And I thought, damn, shoulda got my camera out as it was pretty cool...you must be rubbing off on me mate!
Enjoy the pizza!
 
birdboybowley said:
Funny you should say that User - as I stood there watching it burn (yeay!) I watched as the fire went out, it left haphazard bright orange burn-marks squiggled all over it, flaring brighter as I breathed on them. And I thought, damn, shoulda got my camera out as it was pretty cool...you must be rubbing off on me mate!
Enjoy the pizza!
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Chuckle...!!

Yunno...i've never been sure if i'm a good...or bad influence on people....:smoke:

ps....always have your camera/phone ready for 'those little moments'...the dying embers of a work of art would have been a good one i reckon....;)

pps...update on me pizza...tis pepperoni...and is now firmly shoved in the heating device known as an oven....let's hope i don't burn it...[am getting distracted at mo by a prog on Yellowstone that's on the box]....have seen it before but there's some great stuff....!

ppps...since writing this the distinct smell of hot pizza has reached me nose....
 
Yawwwnnnnnn....been up since 9 yday morning....so thought I'd post something to keep me awake. Doing corrections and amendments on the plates which ain't fun looking at stuff I did 7yrs ago as I really wanna redo it all...!!! Grrrrrrr
Looking at the WIPs on the forum I'm often surprised at how different people tackle paintings different ways. These are the 3 very basic steps of how I work up an illustration using glazes:

step 1 (Large).jpgstep 2 (Large).jpgstep 3 (Large).jpg

And just to prove I can do other things than birds, here's my 'bird's' horsey (well, she's pretty wild if I stand near her, damned beast!)

princessa (Large).jpg
 
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