Tag Archives: Skip Allen & Painter 11

New at Digital Art Academy…Open Enrollment classes

Posted by Skip Allen on

Corel Master Painter Karen Bonaker has announced a change at the Digital Art Academy (DAA).  We now have a type of class that has open enrollment.  This means that you can enroll in the class at anytime, starting tomorrow and continuing through October 2012.  When you enroll, all class materials will be available for download immediately, which means you do not have to wait for a week to download week 2 materials, all will be available once your registration is confirmed.  You can work the course at your leisure.  The instructor will be available to answer questions posted in the question forums.  Please post your questions in the appropriate question forum; post week one questions in week one forum, etc.

Registration begins tomorrow, Jun 1st.

Session 3 of instructor lead courses starts August 4 and ends Aug 31st.  Registration for these courses will be open on Jun 30th.

Here is a list of current courses, but others are being developed.

Registration for the Introduction to Painter 12 series of Open Enrollment classes opens on June 1 and will remain open through October 15, 2012.

Introduction to Corel Painter 12: Part 1 Instructor: Elaina Moore-Kelly

Introduction to Corel Painter 12: Part 2 Instructor: Elaina Moore-Kelly

Introduction to Corel Painter 12: Part 3 Instructor: Elaina Moore-Kelly

Painter 12 – A New Beginning Instructor: Skip Allen

ArtRage Pro

ArtRage Pro-Brush Course-Watercolor and What’s New in ArtRage 3.5 Instructor: Karen Bonaker

ArtRage Mixed Media Instructor, Karen Bonaker

Corel Painter 11

Introduction to Corel Painter 11 Instructor: Skip Allen

Corel Painter: Beyond the Basics-Painter 11 Instructor: Skip Allen

Painter 11-Advanced Techniques Instructor: Skip Allen

Open Studio Street Scenes Instructor, Karen Bonaker

INSTRUCTOR LEAD COURSES-SESSION 3-STARTS AUGUST 4th thru AUGUST 31st. REGISTRATION OPENS JUNE 30th

Instructor Lead courses – Session 3 August 4th thru August 31st– Check back for new course offerings.

The Basics of Watercolor in Painter 12 Instructor: Skip Allen

The Basics of Brush Making, Painter 12 Instructor: Skip Allen

Learning to Paint Elements in the Watercolor Landscape with Corel Painter 12 Instructor: Joan Hamilton

Hope this is helpful and I hope to see you in a class in the future.

Cheers,

Skip

Paper Drips Library for Earlier Version Of Corel Painter

Posted by Skip Allen on

Hello Everyone,

Previously I provided my Corel Painter 12 Paper Library, Paper Drips, for Painter 12 users.  Then I found out it was only compatible for PC users.  David Gell provided a version that is compatible for Corel Painter 12 MAC users…see previous post today.  However, if you are using an earlier version of Corel Painter you are out of luck…until now. 

Our friend David Gell, when correcting the paper for MAC users, pulled out the JPEGs used to create the papers and provided them in a zip file.  That means that if you are using Painter IX – 11, you can open a paper JPEG, select all, and then use the capture paper command in your paper palette options menu to make the paper yourself.  I put the crossfade slider on zero rather than letting it default to 16.

Paper Drips JPEG Downloads

David, thank you again for your valuable help. 

Enjoy,

Skip

Corel Painter 12 Just Released…Wow…I love it

Posted by Skip Allen on

Hello Everyone,

I am so excited.  Corel just released the new version of Painter 12 and it is a solid update to Painter 11.  There are so many new features and enhancements that I believe everyone will love it.  I plan to have a few videos to showcase this new product.  I hope you enjoy them.

The first one is about Custom Palettes.  This isn’t a new feature, but it has been enhanced greatly.

If you enjoy the music by Michael Moore-Kelly, do check out his album, “Piano Without Makeup” at Amazon.com.

Have a Happy Day,

Skip

“That’s it.  That’s all you are going to say?”

“Oh Kevin, I didn’t think you were here,” I said with a sigh.

“Yes, I’m here.  I’m always here!  I just think if you are saying Painter 12 is so wonderful, you ought to tell the readers more about it.”

“I will; I will.  But I want to do it through videos and time is wasting.  I need to start the next video…so if you don’t mind, I’ll go do that.”

“Don’t let me stop you,” he snipped.  Kevin can be very snippy when he wants.  But enough…I must start the next video

Splashing water download

Posted by Skip Allen on

Hello Friends,

I am trying to do a bit more with this blogging and add another download of one of my watercolor brush sets for Corel Painter 11.  Actually, there are two downloads.  One is called PIX Splashing Water and the other is called P11 Splashing Water.  Why two downloads?  Well, when I make brushes in Painter 11, they are not backward compatible to earlier versions of Painter.  David Gell , an incredible brush master for Corel Painter, has a way of making the brushes backwardly compatible, and he generously makes them compatible for me.  However, this time, there were two brushes that were using the Hard Media brush engine, which is not backwardly compatible.  To alleviate the problem, David changed the two brushes in a way that it is impossible to tell the difference from the ones that I originally made and the ones that are backwardly compatible.

So what does this mean to you? When you click on the link below, if you are using Painter 11 select the P11 Splashing Water brushes for download.  If you are using Painter IX or X, then select the PIX Splashing Water Download.  If you have all three versions, then PIX Splashing Water will work for IX, X or 11.  Or shoot, if you like, just download both.

“Now you are confusing folks,” quipped Kevin.

“Oh hey, Kevin.  I was wondering if you were going to show up.”

“Present and here to help.”

“Oh good grief,” I sighed.  “Look it isn’t really hard.  If you are working in Painter 11 and would like the set as designed, then download P11 Splashing Water.  But, if you have all three versions, you can get by with just PIX Splashing Water and you will not really miss the original design because to be honest, I can’t tell the difference after David changed the variants.”

BTW, both zip files are compatible with StudioChris Brush Manager. Here is the link for the brush downloads:

Splashing Water

Now for the next surprise.  I am experimenting with videos added to the blog.  Here are a couple that are 10 minutes long and show a bit about how I envisioned the use of the brushes.  However, I find that folks use them in very different ways than I expect, which is great.  I love to see what folks do with the brushes.

Here is the second video and it is a little longer than 10 minutes.  I didn’t demo all the brushes, but if you have any problems or questions, please feel free to add a comment and I’ll try to help in any way I can.

Well that is it for this post.  I hope it is enjoyable and useful to you.

“I’m impressed.  You did good.”

“What? Kevin you are giving me a compliment,” I replied skeptically.

“Yes, you are learning about blogging and are picking up a few new tricks.  For an old dog, that is pretty impressive.”

I don’t think I’ll answer him.  I know there is a catch here, so it is best to just leave it alone.

I just noticed something.  The second video doesn’t seem to have the HD option in the upper right corner like the first video does.  Both were done in HD format and the video press upgrade is supposed to show the videos in HD.  I have deleted the video several times, reproduced it several times, but it always posts as if it isn’t HD.  Got to figure that one out.  Anybody having the same problem?

Enjoy!

After a year’s absence

Posted by Skip Allen on

Where has the time gone?  I meant to come back each week and have a chat with you, but I have been so busy.

“Busy! You procrastinated and you know it!” Kevin interrupted.

“OMGosh.  Are you back to heckle me?”

“You couldn’t write without me.”

“Kevin, I assure you I can write without you, but I have to admit, it isn’t as much fun when you are not around.  Now let me get back to the reader.”

I am so excited.  With a little help from a friend, I have figured out how to add my brushes to the blog.  That means, dear Reader, you can download the zip file and install them using StudioChris Brush Manager.  Or, you can unzip the file and load them manually.  Following is the zip file for Eastern Water.  They should be compatible from Painter IX to Painter 11.

Eastern Water

“Do you think everyone knows how to install brushes with or without the brush manager?”

“I don’t know, Kevin.  I suppose if anyone has trouble they will add a comment asking questions,” exasperatedly I replied.  I know I shouldn’t be exasperated, but I was just beginning to feel the flow of writing.

If the test for Eastern Water works, I think I will add a brushes page with all of my brushes listed.

Enjoy, Skip

Eastern Water Brushes; What’s the Big Deal

Posted by Skip Allen on

I love watching You Tube videos of sumi-e paintings.  There is something intriguing about the process.  When I found out that Open Studio at Digital Art Academy was going to focus on sumi-e, I was delighted.  I began to practice.

No matter how hard I practiced, the process felt muddled.  Did I just need more practice? Of course, but who has time for practice.  Good brush painters hone their skills for decades; I had a matter of weeks.  Surely (tongue in cheek) with the right brush I could be a Master in less than a few days.  I knew it was impossible, but what else is a hardhead good for, if not for banging it against an impossible goal.

Bang one.  What is necessary for a good sumi-e brush? “Kevin?” (Dear reader, I know you do not know Kevin, but if you will bear with me, I’ll make a page explaining all about my computer Kevin, but right now, let’s just chat about the brushes.)

“Many things,” he replied rather too simply.

“Well, duh.  You champion the obvious.  I’m asking for one essential behavior.” Sometimes Kevin can be so obtuse.

“The ability to load the brush tip with one value of a color and the base with a lighter or darker value. But you will never remedy that conundrum.”

“Exactly, a perfect function of the brush.  What? Never remedy? Don’t be rude or I’ll run the CCleaner you hate?

“What we need is the ability to sample multiple colors with one brush, and Painter has that exact function.  It is located in the Mixer Pad.

Sample Multiple=

  1. This is the dropper tool, which will sample a single pixel of color
  2. This is the sample multiple colors dropper.  It will sample a range of colors from a single pixel to 50 pixels.
  3. The slider determines the range of colors.  Currently it is set to sample 24 pixels; slide it all the way to the right and it will sample 50 pixels.”

“Aha…you jest.  Are you telling me that you can eyeball 50 pixels on the screen?  I think not,” he chuckled; well it was more like a giggle.

“No, of course not.  I do a little trial and error to get the right range, but most of the time, I leave it at 50 pixels and change when needed.  Check this out.

Sample Strokes

Sample Brushstrokes with 50 Pixel Range

“The slider is set for 50 pixels and I sampled color from just beyond the tips of each arrow.  You can see the resulting strokes.  Obviously, 50 pixels is not very big; plus, there is a bigger problem.  Not all brushes can use the sample multiple function.

“Artist’s Oils Category variants can use the function, but many, for example, in the Acrylic Category cannot.  The determining factor is the Brush Dab Type, which can be found in the General Palette.”

Kevin coughed, hacked, cleared his throat; he made a noise, “Sputter. Is this the first time you have mentioned this palette?  Will the readers understand what it is?”

“Some, yes; others, no.  But I get your point.  Explain the General Palette.

“Under Window > Brush Control you will find a palette group consisting of a number of palettes relating to brush controls.  The General Palette is first in the list.

Brush controls Group Palette

Brush Controls Group Palette with Emphasis on General Palette

“If one of the following four words is listed in the first drop down menu, then the brush can sample multiple colors from the Mixer Pad: camel, flat, and bristle spray.  The illustration identifies all dab types that can use this function.

“Bang one resolved.  And you said it couldn’t be done.  All I have to do is use Camel, Flat, and Bristle Spray Brush Dab Types.”

“You got lucky.  There are many more obstacles ahead,” he said with a certain amount of glee.  He delights in my struggles.  I wonder if all computers are like that, or if I got the only one.

I promised to give you the Eastern Brushes.  Download them here.

The Eastern Brushes conversation will continue.  In the meantime, you may want to download a free webinar that Karen Bonaker and I did about how to use the Eastern Brushes.  The webinar lasted for an hour and 20 minutes, so the zipped file is around 170 MB.  You can download it at Painter Talk, but you will need to register.  It is a free forum; lots of Painter enthusiasts are members.

April edition of Digital Paint Magazine is available. It is a free subscription.

A few paintings I did in the first week of Open Studio:

Dragon Fly

Dragon Fly and Japanese Magnolia

Orchid in a Tree

Orchid in a Tree

The next image is referred to as a Haiga, a combination of Haiku and ga.

My Haiku:

Parrot tulips bright

Bring spring inside the dwelling

Winter returns grey

A Haiga...Parrot Tulip

Enjoy and see you next post,

Skip

Culling and Naming Brushes; Brutal

Posted by Skip Allen on

I am so excited.  Open Studio starts next Saturday at Digital Art Academy.  We are going to study sumi-e painting, which is one of my favorite art forms.

To get ready, I started researching sumi-e by watching You Tube “how to” videos and trying it myself in Painter 11.  Guess what?  It “ain’t” so easy, at least not digitally.  To make life simpler, I decided to create some brushes that I thought would make the process easier.  Did I just write that?  Anybody got any whiteout?

Simple, easy, and brush creation do not belong in the same paragraph.  Brush creation can be frustrating, and it can be satisfying.  In Painter 11, there are a seemingly infinite number of controls, yet the one tweak that I need to make the perfect brush is just out of reach, so frustrating.  However in the search for the ideal brush for sumi-e, many flawless brushes for different styles develop, which can be very satisfying.

Many does not describe the actual reproduction phenomenon.  Brushes ripen in numbers equal to the spore of a mushroom.  In case you don’t know, that’s a whole bunch.  So, I need to cull and name.  Have you ever tried to name a brush.  Think about it.  It has a stick and some bristles.  What do you name something like that? If you think about it, digital brushes have neither stick nor bristles, but are pretend brushes.  The difference between digital and traditional will have to wait until another day, besides, the function of the brush is most important.

I like the name of the brush to reflect its function, but that isn’t always so easy.  In this current set, I made a brush I called curly leaf because it made a curly leaf.  But then I proceeded to make 11 variations of that brush, each called curly leaf followed by a number; curly leaf 1, 2, 3, etc.  I know, it is not very original, but in the heat of tweaking, naming is not a high priority.

Tweaking is over; naming and culling are hot.  In my last set, I had descriptive names like rouge, powder, lipstick, and I have a mind to continue descriptive names with this set.  If I do, there will be names like Iris Blade, Carnation Splash, and Thistle Prickles.  I wonder if I have the first signs of dementia.   

Okay, so I am naming and culling; luckily, I have experience.  I used to raise fancy goldfish.  Some babies got named and some got eaten by the Red Oscars.  Naming and culling can be brutal.  Mistakes will be made.

Here is a sample page of the brushes that have made the first cut, but are yet to be named and still in danger of being culled. 

Masterpiece in the works

Brushes from the first cull

Notice how similar they look at first glance.  So, how do I decide who makes the grade.  For me it is through application.  Normally, I don’t start creating a set of brushes without some idea of their function.  In this case, I’m interested in sumi-e.  I need brushes that can help me create the essence of a form, without giving too many details.

Want to see some brushes in action.  Check out this video.

In another post, I’ll talk about tweaking brushes, but today, all I can think about is culling, naming and getting ready for Open Studio.