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Wednesday, May 22, 2013

DIY pop art

Since pop art often doesn't look that artful, seems to me it's the perfect beginner's do-it-yourself art project.  For an idea of what pop art looks like, check out this Smashing article by Vitaly Friedman, "Pop Art Is Alive: Classics and Modern Artworks."

The sample used below is digital, and done in Corel PHOTO-PAINT (Corel's caps).  You can do the same kind of work in Gimp, a free alternative.  Key to producing work with image-handling apps is learning to use masks and layers.  And, unless you photographed or drew the elements you use in a work yourself, it's best to select only public domain images. 

My sample of pop art could also be called a collage because it's a composite of several images.  Disclaimer: I don't claim that this is good art, just an example of a genre.  The theme is coffee and there is a suggestion that we would rather judge than appreciate what comes to us through the hard work of others.

My first element is the background -- a photo I took of an old coffee filter.


To this I added an image purchased at Dreamstime that is royalty free.  If I were going to offer my work for sale, I would have to buy an extended license.  It was necessary to use masks to prepare the image for use in the larger work.  I also changed the color tone, but passed on using special effects.


Now the work looks like this --


At Wikimedia Commons I found images of a laborer's hands, coffee beans, and a Russian ad for coffee that are in the public domain.  After editing the images using masks, adjusting colors, and making a variety of color and size versions of the coffee beans, this is my final product:


On second thought, it appears something more is needed.  Here's the final final:


As I said earlier, I don't claim that this is good art.  But it will do for today.

-- Marge

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