Tip of the Week - I is for Inspiration
I is for INSPIRATION!
OK, so I realize that I have gotten away from Photoshop tips, BUT I feel that the topics I am choosing are invaluable to know. There are a lot of life observations that I have made that have brought me to this conclusion and I am also thinking that being a part of community education has influenced this as well, because I have worked with at times a couple hundred people a week, at various skill levels when computers are involved. And most don’t seem to understand that the computer is just a tool, and that if you have the motivation and INSPIRATION, you can accomplish darn ne’er everything you set your mind to.
NOW, having said all of that, my goal with this tip is to help open your mind to other INSPIRATIONS, than your typical personal ones. I want to let you know that INSPIRATION can come from ANYTHING. This includes smells, colors, textures, lyrics, and so much more. All you need is an open mind.
For a few examples, I was walking on the sidewalk at work the other day and noticed that there were smeary silhouettes of the leaves where they had been sitting on the pavement, it is really quite fascinating and beautiful, making me wish that I had my camera with me. AND THEN, this part is where the open mind comes in, my mind started wandering and I was asking myself “what would I do with this pattern of fallen leaf silhouettes?” So you ask, yeah what would you do? I then let my mind conjure up all kinds of really neat things to do. I could zoom in on one of these neat little leaf prints, copy it to a new file, convert it to black and white, AND THEN save it as a custom brush shape. Or, I could saturate the colors to be waaaaaay brighter than I would EVER actually use, lower the layer opacity to a nice muted background image and use it for a neat patterned paper. OR, ooh-ooh-ooh (yes my brain makes monkey noises when it gets excited), I could pull the different silhouettes of leaves out onto their own layers (careful selections with a small amount of feathering to the edges) and rearrange them into a beautiful frame….
OR, you guessed it, my brain goes on a creative spree, and yours can too, you just have to be open to listening to that little voice making the suggestions up there. ASK your little voice questions, and your brain will reciprocate with some really great suggestions when given the opportunity, just don’t talk to your brain out loud in public (people will send the little men in white coats after you).
Take time to stop and smell the roses, notice the patterns in the pavement, the grain of the wood table you sit at, and visualize the colors and patterns you think of when you listen to your favorite songs. And then ask yourself what it reminds you of, or better yet who it reminds you of. Then, ask yourself how you can use these colors, images, textures and patterns, to tell your story. You can set up a layout and not put any pictures in it until you have one that “fits”.
I could go on and on and on, but I will stop here and leave you with a link of websites that I visit when I am in need of some creative inspirations.
Websites:
www.digitalscrapbooking.com
www.designerdigitals.com
www.scrapgirls.com
www.scrapforums.com
www.digitalartquirks.com
www.atomiccupcake.com
www.mydigitalmuse.com
www.digiscrapdivas.com
www.ndisb.com
www.scrapoutsidethebox.com
www.bhgscrapbooksetc.com
www.backgroundcity.com
www.createdigitalart.com
www.tinkeringink.com
www.scrap-a-faire.com
www.scrapbooklifestyle.com
www.Scrappinatdustys.com
www.cottagearts.net
www.secretsofthedesigners.com
www.fancypantsdesigns.com
www.photoshopelementsuser.com
Fonts :
www.fontdiner.com
www.fonts.com
www.misprintedtype.com
www.typadelic.com
www.scrapvilliage.com
www.twopeasinabucket.com
www.fontgod.com
A FEW MORE SITES:
www.artistsofphotoshop.com ~ a great site with photos, art and manipulations.
www.conceptart.org ~ an awesome artists community, browse the sketchbooks, and finished galleries.
www.deviantart.com ~ a vast number of artist and photographers at MANY different skill levels
www.layersmagazine.com/tv ~they have a podcast with some great tips
www.photoshopuser.com ~ this one requires membership, but has TONS of tutorials (video and text), AND they send you a monthly magazine with TONS of valuable information.
