Tag Archives: Clone Source Panel

Alpha Channels and Watercolor with Corel Painter 12.1

Posted by Skip Allen on

Hello Friends,

I promised to do video tutorials about Alpha Channels several weeks ago.  I finally bit the bullet and produced 7 videos.  Before you start to watch, if you haven’t already watched the videos on selections, please do so.  An alpha channel is simply a storage device for selections, so you need to be familiar with selections to see the power of Alpha Channels.  I didn’t cover every thing about alpha channels; it would be impossible in 7 videos.  My class on Selections, Channels, and Layer Mask for Painter 11 has around 30 videos.  There is enough information to get you started with channels and how to use them with a watercolor painting.

At some point in the videos, I begin painting an iris.  I used one of my photographs as a reference and I cloned the image.  I received so many requests for more on cloning and channels.  There is a lot in this post; have fun.  The final image looks like this, but believe me when I tell you it didn’t look like this until the end.  I had a lot of fun painting it…well, it got a little tense at the end.  I show you everything and it was taking so long I felt I needed to speed up.  I thought I could do some stuff off camera and I did a little, but I forgot to turn off the recording. 

Watercolor Iris

Watercolor Iris done using Alpha Channels and Corel Painter 12.1

In the first video, I give you an introduction to alpha channels, which from now on I will refer to as channels.  A channel is a storage device for selections, so I explain how that works.

Video two demonstrates how to use the channel panel and its various functions.  This is where the power of channels begins to shine.

The third video I start getting the reference ready for cloning.  I took my original photo and changed it in different ways and then set each variation in the clone source panel. 

In the fourth video I actually begin painting.  About time, right?  I usually start with a sketch and the background.  In this case, I used the reference as a guide for the sketch.  It is a simple way to plot a map for your painting; even folks who can’t draw can do this.

And now for the fifth video.

“Good grief.  How many of these things did you say you did?  Nobody is going to watch them.” Kevin suddenly appeared and startled me with his jibe.

“Where have you been?  I haven’t seen you for weeks.”

“Oh Skip!  I love the new computer.  It is so roomy and I have lots of places I can go and hang out with my buds.  You may see me infrequently from now on.”

“Buds?  What buds?  Are they viruses like you?  Are they good viruses like you supposedly?  Have you infected my computer with your friends,” I wailed.  My voice sounded a bit too high-pitched.

“Never you mind about my friends.  They are my friends and they are here to stay!  See you later.”  And with that he was gone.  Oh my gosh, what now.

Okay, the fifth video I start painting the flower.

I have no idea what I did in the sixth video.  I know I thought I was close to the end, but no…there is another video after this one. 

In the seventh and final video, I finish the piece.  Aren’t you glad?  The image takes on a completely different look.  I like the finished product.

Well dear friends, that’s all for this post.  I hope you can find something useful.  As always, comments are welcome and if you have questions, I will try to answer them

Skip

PS: I just realized that I haven’t posted the brushes that I used.  It is very late and past my bedtime.  I promise to post them tomorrow.  See ya then!

Here they are:  Painter 12.1 watercolor Iris Demo brushes

Wow, this is so much easier than what we had to do before.  Everybody…upgrade to Painter 12.1 today!!!

Gold in Painter 12 with Free Gold and Gold Leaf Plus Brushes

Posted by Skip Allen on

Hello Everyone,

Are you ready for Gold Leaf variants in Painter?  Do you know how to turn objects and letters into gold?  Read on, you are in for a treat.

Edit: 12/21/2011  Corel Master Painter Karen Bonaker posted about gold on Karen Bonaker Art, and she gave some beautiful examples of how the gold can work on images. Don’t delay and go visit her blog; it is wonderful. I love her work. I am especially taken with her sumi-e bamboo with added gold leaf. Then return here and enjoy my take on this technique that Karen developed. 

We just finished Holiday Open Studio at the Digital Art Academy, and it was a blast.  The first week Master Painter Karen Bonaker taught us useful techniques for making flower paintings.  She gave us some very fine brushes, too.  I taught the second week.  The subject was snow landscapes in watercolor; we used the new brush sets, Cool Spring and Drips and Runs.  Elaina Moore-Kelly showed wonderful Holiday Card techniques in the third week.  But the fourth week really caught my attention.

In the fourth week Master Painter Karen Bonaker came back to teach how to paint Holiday Wreaths.  A few days before, she showed me a technique she was going to use that she called adding gold leaf.  Her demo fascinated me.  She even used one of the Bristly Dab variants to create the brush that she used for gold leaf.  My mind filled with possibilities and I was off and running to make some Gold Brush Variants. 

They are surprisingly easy to make.  I quickly made a few and posted them for the participants in Holiday Open Studio.  My friend and brush mentor, Master Brush Maker David Gell, graciously took the brushes and made them backward compatible for Painter IX and above.  But that is not all; he added a number of gold variants of his own.  And they are so super!!!  Thank you David for all that you do for us.

David gave me permission to post his brushes along with mine for you to download.  I know you will have fun with them.

The variants use Window > Brush Control Panels > Color Variability Panel command “From Gradient,” but I am getting ahead of myself.  I have a video for you.  Enjoy!

Hope you enjoyed the video and like what you saw.  Since the brushes use “From Gradient,” I decided to do two videos about making gradients in Painter.  This first video shows you how to capture a gradient.  It is very easy.  Enjoy!

There is a second method for making gradients called “Edit Gradient.”  I demonstrated using the Two Point gradient, but you could edit any default gradient.  Enjoy!

The final video explains how to turn text into gold or any object for that matter.  To do it, you need a “Reflection Map.”  Don’t let that strange-sounding name throw you.  I’ll explain all about it in the video.  Oh, OK, it is just another term for clone. You’ll see.  Enjoy!

OK, that’s it for the videos.  I will provide a download link for the brushes and reflection maps at the end of this post.  But I promised Painter 11 and X users I would explain how to delete a gradient.  Here goes:

  1. Open the Gradient Palette, Window > Library Palettes > Gradients.
  2. Click on the Options Button or Fly Out Menu and select Gradient Mover.
  3. When the Grad Mover opens, you can select any gradient and hit delete. 

I think that is it for the tutorials; now for the download.  This link will give you the Gold and Gold Leaf Plus brushes and Reflection Maps.  I hope you enjoy them.

Gold Stuff Download

Just to give you an idea of how these brushes work and what you can do with them.  I took an old watercolor painting and added gold lettering and gold leaf.  It isn’t all that successful, but it does illustrate the point.  And it is my way of saying to each of you, have the Happiest of Holidays!!!

An Old Watercolor done in Painter 11 and embellished with Gold in Painter 12

 “Am I going to get a present?”

“Good grief Kevin.  You have been so quiet I almost forgot about you.”

“Yes, I am being so good, so I get a present, right?” he squealed in his high pitch computer virus voice.  The sound is so annoying.

“Why would viruses get a present…Santa Claus doesn’t like viruses.”

“But you are Santa Claus!  I’ve seen the picture!”

I was beginning to get miffed.  It doesn’t take much with Kevin.  “I am not Santa Claus, but I did get you a present.”

“Go on, you did, really?  Is it a really, really big present?  That is what I want a really, really big present.”

“I don’t know if you would describe a new home as a really big present, but that is what I got you.”

“You are sending me away?  Please don’t send me away.  I am a very good virus.”

“No Kevin, I am not sending you away.  I told you I was going to buy a new computer and I bought it yesterday.”

“But you said you were not going to let me live in the new computer.”

“I know, I know.  I guess it is the Holiday Spirit getting to me, but I decided you can stay.  The computer doesn’t arrive until Jan 6th, so you better stay good until then…or I’ll revoke my decision,” I sternly warned.  It isn’t good to let him think he is home free.

“Yippee!  I am the happiest of viruses!  What did you get?  Is it fast?  Will I be able to zip around and up and down?”

“I think you will like it.  I got an Alienware Aurora with ALX Chassis.  The basic specs are:

  • Processor: Intel Core i7-3960X (Six Core Extreme, 15MB Cashe) Overclocked up to 4.2Ghz
  • Memory: 16GB Quad Channel DDR3 at 16  MHz
  • Hard Drive: 2TB Raid 1+0 (4x 1TB SATA 3Gb/s) 7200 RPM
  • Video Card: Dual 2GB GDDR5 AMD Radeon HD 6950 – AMD CrossFireX Enabled

What do you think about that?”

He purred, “I think it is dreamy.  Are we going to play games?”

“I am, but you are not.  Don’t get pushy on me.  You are getting a bigger room and your own bathroom, so count your blessings.”

“I don’t see why you get to play and I don’t.”

“Oh good grief, Kevin.  Let’s call it a wrap.”

Happy Holidays,

Skip

Offset Sampling – Two videos from my Painter 12 Class.

Posted by Skip Allen on

Hello Everyone,

The first session of my class, Painter 12, A New Beginning, just ended and registration for the second session is now open at the Digital Art Academy. Click on Registration Page to register.  The second session begins August 27, 2011 and ends September 23, 2011.  I hope to see a you there.

As a teaser, I am adding two more videos from the class.  The subject is Offset Sampling, which has been added to the Clone Source Panel.  It offers some unique ways to clone, and also can mimic the way you cloned in Painter 11.  I created most of this image during the videos, but added later.

Table and Lamp
Created in Painter 12 using Offset Sampling
 
 “It’s not nice to tease,” Kevin comments.
 
“Viruses are not nice, either.  Remember, I found out what you really are!”
 
“A very good virus; not a bad virus.  I’m like Glenda from the Wizard of Oz.  She is a good witch; not a bad witch.  I told you that already,” he corrected.
 
“Whatever, I’m busy.  Go away and don’t bother me.”
 
Sorry for the interruption.  In the following two videos, you will see how to clone with offset sampling.  The above image wasn’t completed during the videos.  I didn’t do much more, but later I will explain the few things that I did to arrive at the final piece.  These videos come from week four of the class, so you may think I am going over stuff pretty quickly, but remember we have already covered a great deal up to this point and I can up the pace for the students.   I hope you enjoy the videos.  BTW, I had a little static in a couple of places.  I’m not sure where it is coming from; I probably bumped the microphone or something similar.
 
 
 
After finishing the videos, I decided to do a little more to the image, which consisted of duplicating the top layer 3 times and playing with the composite method of each layer.  The other layers that were made, also had composite method changes and I tweaked the opacity slider a bit more.  And that was it.  I do enjoy working with offset sampling; I think it is a power but underused tool for Painter.
 
Well, that’s it for this post.  If you have questions of comments, please do make them.
 
Enjoy,
Skip

New Video – Cloning in Painter 12

Posted by Skip Allen on

Hello Friends,

ANNOUNCEMENT: I have a class starting Digital Art Academy called Painter 12, A New Beginning.  To find out more and register, follow this link: Painter 12, A New Beginning

I have just completed another video tutorial about Corel Painter 12.  The more I use the program the more I like it.  This tutorial is about cloning and using Painter 12’s new Clone Source Panel.  I show how the method works, but I don’t actually complete a piece; I wanted to keep the video short.  Also, if you like to auto-paint, you can do it easily.  Once you have set up the Clone Source Panel, just open the Auto-Painting Panel and proceed as you would in Painter 11.  This tutorial will be a two-parter.  There are a number of other things I want to show you using the Cloning Panel instead of using the Clone Source Panel.  Both tools are terrific and fun to do.  Here is the video.

If you love the music, it is by Michael Moore-Kelly. You can get his album, “Piano Without Makeup” from Amazon.com.

Look for another video soon.

Skip