Oct 30, 2009

I'm not a digital artist . . .

First, thank you for the support below. I should've told you not to gush over me, but I have to say, what helps more than anything is to know I am not alone in my moments of doubt, that you all feel that way from time to time. I know that deep down, even told other people that when they were doubting themselves, but sometimes I lose perspective and just need to be reassured that everyone feels that way sometimes. Like I said, I don't think my "art world" friends ever make me doubt things, it's the others in my life that make me look at things from a broader perspective and then I question everything. On another note . . .

Lately, I've been getting some flickr and blog comments that lead me to believe people think I am a digital artist, and even a couple of blogs have linked me as a digital artist and I'm not. I mostly work the old-fashioned way - scissors and glue. I WISH I knew how to do more digitally but about all I have figured out is layering textures for backgrounds, then I just print them out and glue everything to them anyway. So, I thought I'd show you the backs of a couple of my older figures so you can see that they are constructed from cut pieces and glued together.



I Just Wanna Fly, below, has 6 pieces glued here but by the time she was finished with hat and cuffs and trims there were 11 pieces in just the main figure. All cut and glued and hand colored.



Hope, below, has 9 pieces glued together not counting the 3 on her hat.



And, lastly, one of my newest characters without wings. This crazy person (for Nancy's Collage Dreams on Paper class) has 13 pieces glued together with the wings. (This one is harder to see the cut edges because I should've scanned on another color to avoid the bright contrast but you get the idea)



Hey, but I did learn a little trick by accident this morning that might be fun to play with. If you scan the back of a figure into your computer so that it is white on a black background, take it into Gimp (gimp is a photo editing program that is much like photoshop but free and not as sophisticated - good for easy edits), "color to alpha" which means it takes everything white and makes it transparent, save it as a png image, you can put the shape over another picture and make an interesting silhouette. Hmmmm, may have to play with that a bit more. Would be a great do-it-yourself template for wings or crowns or all sorts of new things to play with.

Photobucket

17 comments:

Hayley Egan said...

hey that looks awesome!

Terri Kahrs said...

V-e-rrrrrrry cool effect!!! Can't wait to see what you do with this! Glad you're "feeling" better! Love & Hugs, Terri xoxo

VBR said...

I think that your little wingless wonderful should be named Miss Fishalicious!

Laura Haviland said...

I wanted to say Marsha, I am so behind in visiting my favorite blogs, which would be you !
I have an ill family member and can't get rid of this nasty head cold. One thing I love about you, your honesty. You are a person tells it how it is, I respect that greatly in you. Your new art work are just funky groovy and I love them. Brilliant fits, Hugs Laura. xoxx

Linda M. Cain said...

I LOVE them all!!!! But I am always drawn to the characters with the striped socks. They are definitely my favs!

Your Friend in ART...digital or not.

Linda

Gretz said...

When I first found your blog, Ithought you were a digital artist too, until one day I was reading your posts and there was something in it that alerted me that you were a paste and scissors girl. Your work is just amazing!

Our Hands For Hope said...

Marsha...you truely do Run with scissors!
I just love your work...always bright and whimsical. I liked the black background but I must admit...it's easier to read now and the art still showes up really well.

Jill said...

Thanks for the insight Marsha - stick to the scissors, paint and glue, somehow it involves more - although I know creating digital art is not at all easy and inolves artistic talent - somehow there is more soul in a hand crafted piece of work.
Jill

indybev said...

Ah, Marsha, methinks you have a tempest in a teapot going here. First of all the capitalized “I AM NOT A DIGITAL ARTIST” shivered me timbers,---as if to say that’s the worst thing anyone can call you! As a long-time admirer of your work, I’m going to jump into the foray here. It seems to me you are a very talented MIXED MEDIA ARTIST, using liberal digital components to your art. You gather your components from various sources, alter and resize many of them digitally, in many instances create a lovely digital background, then assemble them with scissors and glue, finishing them off with your own magic hand coloring. Your end result is distinctively Marsha…bright, creative and skillfully done. Stop second-guessing yourself, darlin’, and follow your muse!

Unknown said...

So excited to see how you put all of this together. Your pieces inspire me.

I love working in collage but also get carried away in my digital creations.

Is it rude to hope you don't take up digital art. Your pieces are so inspiring it would be awful to think they would ever be put to the side and digital would take their palce:)

Xxx
Becky

julia said...

How cool to see the magic at work! :)

Kathy said...

I'm so glad you showed us the back side. I just love your work, as you know. AND a big thank you for the giftys I won from your blog giveaway!! What a fabulous Halloween surprise. - Kathy

gaby braun said...

Dear Marsha!
I have read your posting about your work. It's totally great and not amateur work. Please don't think so, your work looks very professional, well done and you know what you want from your art. An artist is never happy with his work and will always more. But your work is abble to participate in a show, of course.
Your aproach have more fun, more joking. The colors you use are great and the way you work is stunning.
Please, don't change what you are doing, you are an inspiration and you show us the joy of life.

yoborobo said...

Marsha - so cool to see your creations from the flip side! :) As for insecurities and such, I happen to hold an advanced degree in them, and so if you ever need any new techniques on gnashing teeth, or chewing fingernails over a piece of artwork, give me a call! A happy week to you, my friend - xoxoxo Pam

Jen Crossley said...

Your work is amazing Marsha,you are a true artist
jen

Anonymous said...

Well, oops! I shouldn't have called you a digital artist - I meant it as a compliment, truly - your work is seamless!

:-)

AND I do think your backgrounds are pretty dang awesome - I am in AWE of your work, however you create it!

I work in GIMP - don't let it being FREE (love that!)fool you, there are different ways of doing stuff from the way photoshop does it, but it can be really powerful. I'm still learning what it can do, and I'm finding that I can actually do most of anything anyone can do in PS (and way more than PS Elements.)

The "layers>transparency>add alpha" selections can work exactly the same way as a clipping mask does in PS - that is, you can take ANY image and paste ANY image into the shape you want - so I can make text printed wings, for example. Took me a while to figure it out, but I'd be happy to share if you want - send me an email! (caityATcaitymakesDOTcom)
Cheers!

Mary Helen-Art Saves Lives said...

You are an amazing artist and I do wish I could do more digitally also but whatever process we all need to make our marks visible. Thank you for your gracious generous spirit. Imagine and Live in Peace, Mary Helen Fernandez Stewart