Synopsis
17th century painters were fascinated by light and dark. For Rembrandt and Vermeer, the use of light was more than just a part of their work - it was the way they brought paintings to life. Time has brought new technology and the tools now available to graphic artists are able to achieve an astounding range of effects. The team of designers faced with the challenge of creating work around the theme of light and dark will be exploring one of the fundamental ingredients common to designers and artists of every period. Masks, spotlights, ray tracing and lens flares are just some of the tools offered by Photoshop which are specifically designed to create lighting effects. The challenge for the authors is to capture the power and subtlety of the extremes of light and dark. This book, one of a set of four which explores the creation of original Photoshop artwork, is structured in four parts per author: art theory; technical tutorial; pictures and illustrations from sketchbook to finished project; peer review (where the other 3 artists working on the same theme review the work).
From the Publisher
The 4
The four authors of this book seem to have little in common. Read through the theory sections, look at the artworks: they are poles apart. But there are certain lines of longitude that connect them:
- a visual style that is distinctive, innovative and influential
- a hunger for the experimental and a tendency to take risks
- a wealth of experience and a firm control of the tools they use
We were excited by their work, we wanted to see how they would approach the same theme, we knew they would have a lot to say and even more to show.
The 4x4
Most books are fossils. Designers look back on their body of work, they discuss pieces they once created in response to motivations they once had. We sit on the outside and gaze in at the pinned exhibits.
This book is not a spectator and it is not a museum piece. The 4x4 Project is a catalyst and the authors words, the readers thoughts, the artworks and the theories are all ongoing reactions in the creative process.
This book is a laboratory where you can learn from and participate in experimentation.
The accompanying CD provides you with relevant source files for the tutorials, the final, exclusive artworks in unflattened PSD format and all remixes and digital hybrids spawned by the Project....the next step is yours.
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