Topaz Labs has come out with an upgrade to ADJUST which is just amazing! It makes it easy to add creative effects to your paintings and images.  I have done a video about it and here are some of the images and the different settings I used. The video has all the details and it is a high resolution video so the details can be seen. Either download the  Topaz4 video (warning: large file) or watch the Topaz Video online! The amazing thing is that the release of Adjust 4 is a FREE upgrade to Adjust! Overall, the greatest deal is to purchase the entire BUNDLE and get all the fantastic Topaz filters which I use daily. The Topaz bundle is clearly the best deal and I’ll show you more about that in another post.

Save on the filters now!

When you check out be sure to put in the coupon code:  msholin

Here is a portrait as a finished original file:

Next I started playing with the filters in Photoshop. I did NOT change any blend modes or opacity even though I did work on a layer. So what you are seeing is the full effect unaltered in Topaz Adjust4. First Topaz4 filter is CLARITY next is CRISP.

Last is SPICIFY (one of my favorites!) to play with especially controlling the settings and use this on a layer and try out the blend modes.

This gives a good idea of what the Topaz Filters can do for images. When you watch the video, you will learn how FAST they are! Especially watch the close ups in the video of the little girls curly hair and the amazing results for details that Topaz4 filters give in controlling how much details are visibile.

Next sample is one of my paintings. When I finish a digital painting it’s never done until I play with it and see what other effects I can get. This is just an idea of the versatility the filters provide. From one painting I can get many paintings and all with different choices of what to emphasize.

Here is my original of Chinatown Rain and to the right using  Topaz4 COLOR BLAST next is PORTRAIT DRAMA and last SPICIFY

It’s easy to see why I love these so much. The interface is incredibly easy to use. I am all about EASY! Below is a screen shot to show more details on the interface.

The Topaz BUNDLE will give complete control over your images.  Take a closer look to see how all the filters can help your photography and paintings quickly and easily.

Save on the filters now!

Check out with the coupon code: msholin

Hard to believe that so much time has passed since I wrote my last post but those of you on my newsletter emailing know that no dust has been settling under me. Been hard at work getting back to my art and life and preparing for the crazy month ahead of exciting travel and workshops and events. I’m off to Raleigh for the North Carolina State Convention for a few days to see old friends and make new ones and lay the groundwork for my October event in Blowing Rock. But before that there are all the Asheville Art Workshops and Italy and VEGAS BABY for WPPI. Instead of my telling you all about this and all the cool FREE Corel Painter brushes that are online now, I’ll just send you to the newsletter so you can get all the links,discounts and news yourself.  Check out Digital Art Events and Freebies including Digital Painting Beginner Workshops in Asheville,NC.

Hope to see some of you at the upcoming events and looking forward to this exciting year!

Ever since I posted the Forever Asheville painting and how I used Topaz filters with it I have been getting a lot of email asking more specifics. So I did another one and this time kept the info on which filters and how I used them. And I did this painting from a drive by shot I took with my iPhone here in Asheville in the beautiful fall foliage.

Straight out of the iPhone 3G

After resizing it and cropping it I used Nik ColorEfex Pro Complete using the PRO CONTRAST filter which is awesome and lightning fast to fix color on any photos.

Nik Color Efex PROCONTRAST filter

Next I tweaked the color with NIK BICOLOR filter. I love this set of filters and usually scroll through all the colors until I see the “AHA!” moment where it hits me.

Nik BICOLOR filter to tweak color

Next I switched to the TOPAZ Filters to add some more details and tweak it further. This is the TOPAZ DETAILS filter set and I chose the CREATIVE DETAIL setting.

Topaz DETAIL filters using CREATIVE

Next I switched to the TOPAZ ADJUST filter set and chose SIMPLIFY. This filter set adjust Exposure, Details and Color.

TOPAZ ADJUST filter using SIMPLIFY

Now that I had the image prepped in Photoshop I opened it in COREL PAINTER 11 and painted it using mostly a brush I created from the standard Sargent Brush using adjustments to it to my taste to create the Mar SOFT SARG brush for myself. It’s a tricky brush to use but I get great results with it.

Painted in COREL PAINTER 11 with MAR SOFT SARG Brush

After I finished painting, just to be sure I was happy with it I opened again in Photoshop and opened the NIK FILTERS again. I ended up playing and checked the PRO CONTRAST setting again and I loved it. So the final painting was adjusted with that filter and here is the finished painting.

Final Painting final adjusment with Pro Contrast Nik filter

I really like the colors in this one and the details versus the soft background gave real separation to the entire painting. I love using the filters to change my original reference images to make something special out of them. Both of these filters are incredibly easy to use and the best part is you can SAVE MONEY on buying Nik and Topaz filters by using the codes I have for them. Go to TOPAZ FILTERS and when you check out put in the coupon code: msholin

Go to NIK FILTERS and put in same discount code when you check out:  msholin

These codes work for ALL the filters they both sell. To find more of my discount codes and more info on resources check out my blog page RESOURCES for ARTISTS and PHOTOGRAPHERS

Working on a new digital/acrylic painting and I thought it would be fun to share the steps and give some hints and tips. I started with a reference photo that I took this past summer as I was walking past someones car.  The idea that this truly represented Asheville, NC came to me immediately that it had the laid back feeling.

Original Capture

Now I needed to open it in Corel Painter 11 and I painted it with artist oils brushes looking to get as much of a brushstroke as possible into the painting. While I used the photo as photo reference it’s clear all the changes made to the painting as it is transforming into a painting.

After Painting in Corel Painter 11 with Artist Oil brushes

Next I felt it looked a little dull and needed some punching up. Opened the image in Photoshop and tested out a few TOPAZ FILTERS on it and ended up using something in TOPAZ ADJUST. This gave more detail and also punched up the colors. When I was finished with that I opened NIK SHARPENER 3.0 and did some sharpening on the painting to pop more of the brushstrokes so I know it will print well. If you want to check out these filters use the links to TOPAZ and when you check out put MSHOLIN into the coupon code and you will get a discount. Same with NIK filters. Coupon Code: MSHOLIN gets a discount on them.

Below is the final digital painting. Next step will be to add acrylic paint to the canvas. I will update this post and show the before and after paintings:  the digital file vs the acrylic painted canvas. Final version will be Pigment Inks with Acrylic Paint.

Topaz Filters and Nik Sharpener Applied

You can find more discount codes and my recommendations on resources HERE

Paint Colors from Golden Paints

The Marathon Press webinar from September 30th had some lists in it as part of the slideshow. These are from there. If you missed the webinar which also has 25 minutes of video of me painting and describing what I am doing, you CAN still buy it and download it! As a matter of fact, you can buy any of my Marathon Press webinars there!  BUY IT NOW

From the Webinar

The Marathon Press webinar from September 30th had some lists in it as part of the slideshow. These are from there. If you missed the webinar which also has 25 minutes of video of me painting and describing what I am doing, you CAN still buy it and download it! As a matter of fact, you can buy any of my Marathon Press webinars there!  BUY IT NOW

I did a webinar today with @marathonpress and it was so incredibly awesome I had to share it with you all! I did four videos showing me painting with acrylic paint on my digital painting printed on canvas. We had over 50 people watching and for the first time combined live webinar with slides and me chatting live with recorded video. It was incredibly AWESOME and the good news is even if you never signed up and missed this ground breaking event you can still get it! I showed digital files versus the painted final paintings. I had fun…I was stupid, I was just “ME” and you get to see it ALL!  You can register and buy the video HERE

On another note…if you missed the awesome marketing TELESUMMIT where I give away huge secrets to being a financially successful photographer or artist and how to use Facebook correctly ( you ARE doing it WRONG…just admit it already!)…then until Friday you can buy it HERE!

Don’t yell at me for promoting the BEST info at the best prices. REALLY I don’t have time to do this every day. I want everyone to be successful and HAPPY!

Every August for the past few years I have been asked to teach at the Niagara School of Imaging in St. Catherines, Ontario, Canada. This is the a fantastic, well run, fun school to be at! Everyone in my workshops there always has a great time learning Corel Painter and goes home with a fully hand embellished painted canvas print! NSI spares no expense to be sure all the students and instructors are happy. We all write a Pro Tip for the newsletters and mine was just published this week. Take a look at it: Marilyn Pro Tip about Portrait Painting

Here’s a little clip from it: “Portrait Painting:
The greatest challenge is not learning to use Corel Painter 11 software, it is in the artists struggle to paint portraits and create their own style of portrait painting. There are those that would like to be Picassos and paint the paintings as mere references to the physical person, but more often than not the photographers struggle is to balance themselves on that thin line between looking “too photographic” and attempting to have the portrait still be “painterly”.
READ MORE!
Come and join us there August 16-20. You will leave knowing how to paint with Corel Painter!

I had been going a little crazy with the Clones and Quick Clones shifting colors in Painter 11. I had tried everything in color management to fix the problem and match up the profiles. I’m just so “not a techy”. I paint and usually it prints just like my screen which I do color manage. So this was out of my league until it hit me……
Why Bother Color Managing AT ALL?
I solved the problem and it’s really EASY! Just watch this short (really short) movie on how to avoid this problem quickly!
COLOR MANAGE MOVIE

Been painting and painting and really enjoying myself again lost in the artwork. Here is a new painting done with some of my new brushes that are available for a FREE DOWNLOAD in the Digital Paint Shop. Just check out the FREEBIES area and find the Mar New Portrait brushes. How easy is that? Nothing better to play with than a set of Free Corel Painter Brushes is there?

JUST ADDED you can watch a video about the new brushes! VIDEO

These brushes all work in Painter X. Just be sure to load the CORRECT version for your system. MAC or PC. A BIG thank you to David Gell who I consider my Brush Genius and most helpful guru of brushes that helped to convert my new brushes to have them work in Painter X.
You can find more tutorials, free brushes and downloads at his website. THE BRUSH PORT Please visit his website and thank him for his help!