snowy harwich house

beach house, "how I did it"

Processes I use to digitally output an analog drawing or painting are many and varied. They range from a little color correction plus a subtle filter leading to an outcome that for all practical purposes is identical with the original to an intensive, multi-layered process that ends with a final image quite different from the original. This recent "beach house" is fairly characteristic, and as usual, I planned the project for screen display and for digital printing. About three years ago I made a version of the drawing that's similar in many ways yet quite different in others.

Most often my fills are subtle, 2-colour linear gradients; in this beach house all the fills are solid, except for the sun and windows. A few years back I tended to use gradients that were contrasty in colour and value and led to a more dramatic, artistic effect; I may return to that practice soon.

01. first, a scan in 24-bit colour; because the original was about 12" x 8" I scanned this one at 450 dpi:



02. for the window reflections, this time I used a beach photo I took at Columbia Point, Boston, and edited with Photoshop filters:



03. canvas:



04. outlines:



05. colour blocks:



06. plus grass:



07. with sun:



08. windows:



09. almost ready:



10. with copyright / signature in Helvetica Neue ultralight:



The finished "beach house" totals 11 layers, including the signature / copyright. I saved out only 8 selections, which probably is an average number. Just as a couple years ago, I did versions with two different sky colours, but decided to make thistle sky the default.

world drawing day rhino

For World Drawing Day 2012, here's my drawing of a devastatingly endangered rhino:

earth day 2012

draw a bird day 2012

Sunday, 08 April was the annual Draw a Bird Day; here's the Blackbird I drew for the occasion:

guitar recital

summer sandals

summer solstice, 2010

Joshua 10:¹²On the day when the Lord gave the Amorites over to the Israelites, Joshua spoke to the Lord; and he said in the sight of Israel, "Sun, stand still at Gibeon, and Moon, in the valley of Aijalon." ¹³And the sun stood still, and the moon stopped, until the nation took vengeance on their enemies. Is this not written in the Book of Jashar? The sun stopped in mid-heaven, and did not hurry to set for about a whole day. ¹⁴There has been no day like it before or since, when the Lord heeded a human voice; for the Lord fought for Israel.

city delights / sun country

cinco de mayo tacos

iKittehs

earth day 2010: 40 years!

sun country house

Here's my enhanced version of the East Harwich house—I'm calling this one Sun Country House!



and the original:

city blues and brights :: city lights

That we can be "City Lights!!!"

City Blues & Brights—City Lights

It's a morning glow – the kitchen at dawn.
City blues. The kitchen at dawn.
Come on, get up, wake up!
            It's a brand new morning!

Look out the window, look at the sky...
Watch the stars fade
            the night stars
             lights of night fade
          take some stars into your heart
Quick! Look up in the sky – look quickly.
          quietly, softly, look
            while still there's time
Circle some stars circle some stars
          to bring them into your heart

You're up, you're awake. You’re ready
You're ready, you're alive
          It's a brand new morning!
          It's a beautiful morning!
Hold onto the morning, day is breaking
        night is over
This is the sunshine place
It's a city bright

Take that heartful of stars you've
          borrowed from the sky
there's a basket over there
          set some of those stars
            into that basket
You'll need them in the darkness of your night.

Day's breaking
Day's broken all over the city
City blues     the city at dawn

Sit and savor the sunrise
            savor the day
bask in and savor the kitchen at daybreak
Watch that basket of stars
          guard that basketful of stars
Are the stars still in your heart?
          Delight in them    Hold them dear
          And share them
            Share them...

City blues, urban blues that is.
Sun's up     Morning's here

Morning's ready! There's a city out there
A big city out there A Great City
          get on out there and scratch for
            life
          hold on, hold on
      hold on.     Don’t let go.
Keep those stars in your heart
          and give all of them away.
There’s lots more where those came from.
This city will be a sunshine place.

Day's done, it's end o'day
Watch those stars in your heart,
            in that basket
Morning's over, so's afternoon
          it's evening now
            night's closing in...

It's sundown. Night's right at hand
Watch those stars in that basket,
            on that table
Watch them closely
          night's...almost...here

What promise will you offer the night?
What answer will you give to the night?
Night has dawned upon all of us
Night's here now
Now is the season of night
          sleep

You made a covenant with the day
The stars you show are its sign
Will your covenant enfold the night
            as well?

It's night now, darkness time
Stars in the basket on the table
Stars in your heart
          In your heart       Sleep quietly
            ...now...
Morning's on the way


© leahchang