Creating my own brush

Using Photoshop I am able to create my own brush. A brush is a design/shape that when used with the paint tool creates a continuous image. Ideally, simple shapes and textures work best as brushes below I will show an example, and the processes I have taken.P

Firstly I decreased the saturation, making a black and white image. You can then edit curves/levels and adjust the image until you are happy with it. Now select the image > edit > define brush preset > allocate a name > ok.  Opening a new document, the brush can now be found along side the preloaded brushes on photoshop, and can be used via the paint tool.

Below you shows you can use it, in the same way as any other brushes. You can also change the colours and tones of the brush, via the colour palette, the size, and the opacity.

Creating an outline

Through the use of Adobe Illustrator you can digitally create an outline, the use of 'live trace' allows you to take control of the amount or lack of detail shown within the image. It primarily removes the fill and unnessecary elements of the image, and highlights the darker and more defining lines.

Below is the above image, when using live trace with a threshold of 63. You can see the difference between that image, and the image below which has been used with a threshold of 178. Much more of the detail has been lost, making the image almost unrecognisable.

The live trace tool converts the image from being a Bitmap to a Vector image, this means it no longer relys on pixels as a setup, it is now made up  from mathematical formulas allowing for the image to be resized and editing without compromising the quality of the image.

Illustrations In Publication

The above illustration was taken from 24/7 magazine, it has been used on the contents page.. and although it has no links with the magazine itself or its content.

Vault 49

Vault 49 gives a modern fashion twist upon graphic design and illustration. The digital take has created sucessful adverts for companies such as Blackberry and Honda. The work is  casual and youthful but has even had comissions by The New York Times. There images are made up of photography, taken by their award winning photographers, computer textures and hand-drawn elements. There is alot of layering and exact positioning working towards eye catching, bold results.

In order to create a similar image to Vault 49, I am going to start by shooting an image, perhaps of a product or model. I will then hand-draw and scan in parts from magazines, and publications in order to create my own brushes in Photoshop.

I have shot a few images of objects around me, including keyboards and my phone to turn into brushes on photoshop. This image will consist of layering different textures and shapes behind the main subject.

This is my first two layers, a high contrast keyboard and paint sploges I got from an online brush site.

I then continued to add layers of different textures and colours, many I made myself or textures taken from webistes. I also used the draw tool in Photoshop to create straight sharp lines.

I have tried to keep it spontaneous and colourful much like Vault 49's adverts and work, they are strong bold and eye catching.

I am now going to photograph a product, perhaps my iPhone to add on to the top layer, in order to fit a similar brief Vault 49 would have.

Lucina Rogers

Lucinda Rogers is known for documenting her surroundings through the medium of drawing, she interprets the location capturing in detail the architecture of buildings, and the intimacy of the people within. Her work complies of a mixture of pen, ink and water colour, creating varied textures and movement. Her  illustrations, drawn on location, have led her to be commissioned by clients such as The Telegraph, The Guardian  and The Victoria & Albert Museum.

Depth and strength within in the image has been show with bolder lines, mostly black water colour, detail has been created through different thickness's of the materials, such as the fine line of the pen, and the fluid of the watercolour.

Below is my interpretation of Rogers work, I firstly traced an image, then scanned it into Photoshop and then begun to edit away, using digital paint and downloadable watercolour brushes to create a similar effect that she had given.