Getting Used to the New iMac

The hardest part of acclimating myself to my new iMac is getting used to the wireless mouse as my paintbrush tool. It is much more sensitive than the my old wired mouse. But, I have completed a new digital painting of The Organ from the Virgin River Trail in Zion National Park using the new tool.

I thought that I would try to visually illustrate how my digital painting techniques differ from my digital photograph. On the left side of the screen is my original jpeg photograph. It is definitely nothing to write home about as it is underexposed, problems with contrast between the rocks and sky, etc.  Indeed, in most instances, I would consider this particular photograph a failure.

However, after applying a number of techniques in camera raw filter, in choosing colors and saturation filters that grow from my memory of seeing this site,  using a dry brush filter and digitally painting to eliminate chromatic aberrations of the camera lens as well as utilizing the burn tool to create a better sense of visual depth, the image on the right is the digital painting that I have completed. 

The Organ, Original Photograph, Zion National Park

The Organ, Early Afternoon, From the Virgin River Trail, Zion National Park, Digital Painting