At the Austin Museum of Art, I teach a class in converting photos to paintings using Corel Painter. So once in a while I use this process to stay in shape. Unless I’m doing a refresher, I work from reference but sketch and then paint based on observation and artistic decisions. This program allows you to use cloner brushes to pick up color from a photo. It isn’t an automatic process, as a computer doesn’t know how to follow contours or make decisions on what to emphasize and what to minimize, and where to step in and add elements that aren’t in the photo. Still, it’s a non-threatening introduction to computer art, and if you’re in Austin, I’d love to see you in a class (I also offer tutoring).

Categorized as: Drawing