my imprint / monthly makers: imprint

So here’s what I’ve created on the theme “imprint”. It works both as an actual imprint since it’s photography (the roses are actually scanography – I’ll show them on their own some other time) and I think they work with imprint thematically as well!

Anyway, I thought I’d do this photo manipulation post a bit different than I usually do, so get ready for a lot of pictures because I’ve decided to share the process with you! They almost always start out as something completely different so I thought it would be fun to see some pictures from what it looked like during the process! Ready? Let’s go!I started with this picture of myself from a while ago.
And then I added this picture of dried roses fromm this piece of book art on top of it.
I tried concealing some of the rose picture using a layer mask so it was mostly focused on my face.
And then I made the background picture black and white.
And here’s when I switched to the scanned roses. I just didnt feel the book ones.
And then I experimented with blend modes I think. I don’t actually remember exactly. I did something.
But I think I went for screen (as I almost always do) and then filled in the background + faded my face into black. Oh and also I expanded the picture a bit at the top.
Flipped the roses because they were obviously the wrong way around. What was I thinking!

And then I realised I wanted the roses this size, but that meant the picture didn’t cover the whole surface.

So I copied the edges of the rose picture and made it wider.

That’s better!

And then all of a sudden I had a slight detour where I made the background white instead.
Faded the face again. I quite like it like this actually!

Tried to figure out where I could put the roses then.

And since it didn’t work with the roses with a black background I added a picture with roses on a white background instead. For a few days I thought it was done like this. So I even made two more with the same idea. When I’ve worked through this process with one picture to figure out the “idea” I usually just make two more or something to make it a series of pictures.

But I realised the reason I had changed to the white background was to not be as dark and moody as I’ve been lately. I’ve felt quite vulnerable expressing those emotions, and I wasn’t quite sure people would like it. But that’s not a very good reason! I should always create what feels right to me. I can’t conceal, don’t feel in my art!! So the other day I went back to the dark ones and finished them.
I gave the background image some colour again and added a bit more black to the background.
And made two more, and that’s it!

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Monthly Makers is a challenge for anyone who wants to be more creative or create more. During 2016 we’ll have twelve monthly challenges for you to be inspired by. For January the theme is Imprint and Beatrice is the hostess. Comment on this post with a link to your creation to participate!

The people behind Monthly Makers are Alicia, Anna María, Annica, Beata, Beatrice, Elsa, Mikaela, Ruth, Sandra, Stina and Wilda and me. Get inspired, create and challenge yourself with us all year!

We also have some exciting news for anyone in the Stockholm area who wants to be more creative, create more or just like creating together with others: there’s going to be a Monthly Makers-course! Together with Folkuniversitetet! Find more information here.