So, after my first attempt at making a texture, this time, I really spent more time thinking about what I wanted to do, and the look I wanted to achieve.  Then, I rewatched Kim’s video lessons that are part of the Art of Texture ecourse, and plotted my photos of the day based on what I thought I might create. 

First, I made another set of custom brushes for Photoshop.  Just in case you have no idea what I’m talking about, in Photoshop, as you know, you have a brush tool.  The brush tool is really basically a stamp.  It comes loaded with many shapes and sizes, but you can also buy, or find for free, custom brush sets that can be loaded into your palette.  So, your custom brush could be a butterfly, or a grungy edge, or text, or anything you want.  So, that’s what I mean when I say I made a custom brush set – a set of brush tips that can be loaded into your brush tool in Photoshop.  Anyway, here they are –

I made these from a photograph of my marble front step.  And then, using these brushes, my leaf brushes from the other day, as well as the photo of my front step and a photo of my linen shade, I made this:

And I used it here –

When I was pulling books of my shelf to set up this little still life, I fell in love with my 1888 copy of Robin Hood.  So, I scanned the cover, some of the text and illustrations inside, and created this brush collection and this texture:

 And then this texture:

And this image uses both of my creations today –

And now, I’m quite exhausted.

Maybe tomorrow I’ll conquer my vintage edition of Swann’s Way.  Or maybe I should actually read it first.

I don’t know if I really have any interest in making my own textures, but when Kim throws a party, ya gotta go, right?  So, I’m taking her Art of Texture class, and learning her secrets, and there are plenty, let me tell you. 

Anyway, first I attempted making my own Photoshop brush set.  I gathered some leaves from my doorstep, and scanned them into Photoshop.  Then, I made brushes –

Yep, here they are – and I’d share them with you, but I don’t know how to make a zip file, and I don’t know where to store them – and I really don’t think anyone would want them, they’re not so good.  So, maybe as I get better, I’ll figure out the technical aspect of sharing, and when I move to the new blog, I’ll have a sharing area.  But for now, it’s all just practice.

And it’s a good thing it’s practice, because again, it’s not so good.

As in down right, bad, as in ugly.

Here’s my first texture (and, part of the reason why it is so terrible is because I waited too long to start this project, and there is no light in my house.  So, I photographed (see I got my photo of the day in!) my brick wall, and it was all fugged up with camera shake):

See my leaf brush – at least I go that right.

And here’s the texture on a butterfly – because nothing looks horrendous on a butterfly:

Here’s the before:

I actually like what it did to the color, but you can’t really see any texture.  But, because the texture itself is out of focus, I didn’t get to involved with it, or invest too much time finding an image that would be perfect for it – I just tried it out. 

It’s all a process, like anything else, and I’ll probably get better.

Or I won’t.

I don’t know if I really have any interest in making my own textures, but when Kim throws a party, ya gotta go, right?  So, I’m taking her Art of Texture class, and learning her secrets, and there are plenty, let me tell you. 

Anyway, first I attempted making my own Photoshop brush set.  I gathered some leaves from my doorstep, and scanned them into Photoshop.  Then, I made brushes –

Yep, here they are – and I’d share them with you, but I don’t know how to make a zip file, and I don’t know where to store them – and I really don’t think anyone would want them, they’re not so good.  So, maybe as I get better, I’ll figure out the technical aspect of sharing, and when I move to the new blog, I’ll have a sharing area.  But for now, it’s all just practice.

And it’s a good thing it’s practice, because again, it’s not so good.

As in down right, bad, as in ugly.

Here’s my first texture (and, part of the reason why it is so terrible is because I waited too long to start this project, and there is no light in my house.  So, I photographed (see I got my photo of the day in!) my brick wall, and it was all fugged up with camera shake):

See my leaf brush – at least I go that right.

And here’s the texture on a butterfly – because nothing looks horrendous on a butterfly:

Here’s the before:

I actually like what it did to the color, but you can’t really see any texture.  But, because the texture itself is out of focus, I didn’t get to involved with it, or invest too much time finding an image that would be perfect for it – I just tried it out. 

It’s all a process, like anything else, and I’ll probably get better.

Or I won’t.

In preparation for the new site (coming soon!), I photographed, what else, tea with lemons.  I photographed my Lemon as well, but I’m going to use that in the new blog, so you’ll just have to wait for that one!

And, as an aside, I had fresh lemons in the house because I roasted a chicken for dinner.  Did you know that if you put lemon rinds in the chicken’s cavity, the bird stays sweet and moist?  Perfect bird every time.  Thanks Oprah!