Customer Reviews

Beyond Digital Photography: Transforming Photos into Fine Art with Photoshop and Painter

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I was given this book by a good friend as a gift, and have looked through all of the material, and do not understand how anyone can make the mistake of thinking this was written for beginners. If I were a beginner this book would excite me to become good enough to work hard so I could DO this work. Recalling and rewriting the book? Wow. He must have gotten this one mixed up with something else is all I can think of.

This is a well-written book that says it was written for people who already have a working knowledge of Painter and/or Photoshop. (It even says so several times!) A great thing about it is it is written for both Photoshop and Painter users both. Someone with Photoshop will get a lot out of it, and someone with Painter will also. Some projects use Photoshop exclusively and others use Painter, but the authors seem to know what program to use when for the very best effects. Jolley works in ways that are innovative and there are quite a few tips I've never seen anywhere else while he pushes Photoshop further than any other art how-to book out there. Pendarvis is at her very best and shows how to do things with Painter that go beyond her Painter WOW series.

Chapter One sets a lot of groundwork, then chapter two goes straight into novice and intermediate methods. As the chapters progress (there are eight), the material gets more difficult. Each project is well developed and painstakingly moves readers through the workflow. The authors don't expect you to know everything, but they do expect some proficiency in the programs. If you have that the methods they write about are really helpful.

It is obvious the authors took into consideration that non-artists and artists alike would be able to get a lot out of the book, and there just is not another book like it on the market. And if that weren't enough, it is truly a gorgeous printing.

I have worked through every technique in this book and found it to be instructional and a big boost for creativity. The book is beautifully laid out with clear steps in each chapter for not only creating various genres of fine art pieces from my photos, but also the concepts behind composing a shot and preparing to paint. I was amazed at how much I could accomplish with just my digital camera and software.

Highly recommended to any photographers seeking to take their skills and photos to the next level!

Cher Threinen-Pendarvis has done it again! She's authored (actually co-authored this time with Donal Jolley) another incredibly helpful book for users of Photoshop and Painter. Within its pages is the answer to a compelling question - "How do we transform our photographs into fine art?"

Thankfully, if we already have a basic knowledge of Photoshop, Painter or both, the answer doesn't hinge on whether or not we can paint and draw. Instead, Cher and Donal show us how to create a variety of fine art looks using those applications alone. Looks including woodcut, watercolor, oils, acrylics and pastels. In styles ranging from the old masters to contemporary.

But, what if we do know how to paint and draw? Well, I fall into that category and have been a digital artist for over a decade. Yet I'm still gleaning plenty from the art projects in this book. They've introduced me to filters I've neglected and to the proper way to use those filters. And for my money, the Pop Art section alone is worth the price of the book because of the nifty effects I find there.

Finally, like all of Cher's books, this one has a logical design that makes emulating each art project super easy. And it's like being in a classroom, because I find that a lot of my questions have already been anticipated and answered. This is another book by Cher that is a welcomed addition to my creative library and one that I highly recommend.

As a professional digital artist, I know that there is always more than one way to skin a cat. Pendarvis and Jolley have done an excellent job of presenting challenging exercises and providing solutions. Their choices might not always pose the most challenging situations possible, but they do always provide the most elegant and efficient solutions.

Advanced beginners all the way to professional Photoshop and Painter users can benefit from some (but not all) that this book has to offer. And that is as it should be...a decent review and maybe a new slant for more advanced people, as well as some new and (in some cases) very impressive things to learn for everyone.

Anyone who can't find several new things to learn in this book should probably be writing their own. In fact, there's one Photoshop tip alone about masking groups and applying effects that's more than worth the price of the whole book because the results are so extraordinary.

I've just added this to my daily amazon authors page: "We have a great book for you. Please checkout "Beyond Digital Photography." It delves into Photoshop and Painter. We work with this stuff daily. We go back to Photoshop 2 and Painter 1. It's tough to show us new techniques. Cher Threinen-Pendarvis (a favorite of ours)+Donal Jolley have gone places we have not visited. It's not a quick page-through; you really need to delve into the text to absorb all of what's there." In "Stoppees' Guide to Photography and Light: What Digital Photographers, Illustrators, and Creative Professionals Must Know" we have chapters on Painter and Adobe Camera Raw. We're So impressed with Cher and Donal.

In the Introduction, the authors state, "This is not a quick trick book, but a book where the authors take the reader by the hand and demonstrate the creative process in a conversational manner." This is a fair description, with the added caveat: this book is NOT for beginners. The intended audience seems to be artists who are intermediate to advanced Photoshop and Painter users.

This beyond-the-basics focus allows the book to cover ground not explored in other books on either Photoshop or Painter. These two programs really complement each other, so it's wonderful to finally have an in-depth book showing how Painter and Photoshop can be used together. Here's a detailed summary of the book, to help you decide whether or not this book is for you.

Chapter 1 - Getting Started

The chapter provides an introduction to the interfaces of Painter and Photoshop, as well as the Wacom Intuos 4. This seems odd, since this is not a beginner's book. Beginning with this chapter and continuing throughout, however, there is some good information about Photoshop Camera Raw. As the book's title implies, each exercise begins with a digital photograph. Most chapters show how to use Photoshop Camera Raw prior to painting. As you'll see, it's very powerful, and you'll want to include it into your workflow, if you haven't already.
Chapter 2 - Painterly Techniques for Non-Painters

This chapter, the longest in the book, is all about how to achieve good "uncomputerish" results with filters and automation. It's also your first look at a workflow that moves back and forth between Photoshop and Painter. Each section begins with the artist's thoughts on the subject and style at hand, along with details of the initial photography. You'll learn sophisticated use of multiple filters, combining effects via layers, layer masks, and blend modes. Similarly, Painter's Auto-Painting and Woodcut tools use multiple layers to add extra finesse to the process. Sections in this chapter include:

* Creating Pop Art (Photoshop and Painter)
* Using Filters for an Impressionist Watercolor Look (Photoshop)
* Flexible Auto-Painting for an Impressionist Treatment (Photoshop and Painter)
* Simplifying a Photograph to Achieve a Hand-Rendered Result (Photoshop and Painter)
* Using Filters for a Realist-Style Oil Treatment (Photoshop)
* Creating a Bold, Graphic Woodcut Look (Photoshop and Painter)

Chapter 3 - Emphasizing the Subject

One way to help your subject stand out is by blurring or softening the background. You'll see how to do this in Photoshop using a mask to selectively blur parts of the image, and in Painter by using the Restoration palette to bring back details after blending. This is followed by sidebars:

* Nondestructive Dodging and Burning - how to use an Opacity layer darken and lighten portions of an image
* Enhancing the Subject Using Saturation - copy part of an image to a separate layer to selectively apply an adjustment layer
* Sepia-toning a Background - similar to the previous step, but this time using the colorize option of Hue/Saturation

Chapter 4 - Adding Texture to Photographs

Composition and design are discussed throughout the book. Here, though, it gets special attention as you follow the artist through her thought process for cropping and retouching a complex snapshot, making it simpler and compelling. Then you'll dive into Photoshop's powerful Art History brush. Different brushes are used in combination with layer masking to move beyond a mechanical, computerized look.
Next, in Painter you'll learn about Dry Media and texture, as Cher paints one of her signature pastels (the image on the book cover, in fact). The final part gives you an approach to a black and white charcoal look.

Chapter 5 - Emulating the Look of Watercolor

This chapter (my personal favorite) shows two completely different ways to create the unmistakable look of traditional watercolor on paper. In part one, Cher shows how to edit for composition in Photoshop. Then, she moves into Painter to use the Smart Blur and Hue and Saturation tools built into the Underpainting palette. She lowers the detail and raises the image to a higher key, making it more suitable to the watercolor style she is about to use. Cher then gives a very good explanation of how Painter's Digital Watercolors work. The end result is just stunning. The second part has Donal Jolley using Photoshop alone to create a convincing hard-edged watercolor portrait. His main tool here is the Pattern Stamp with, of all things, a modified Dry Media brush. He gets a neat salt-resist effect by clever use of a layer mask, and finishes up with applying an Overlay layer containing a scan of an actual watercolor.

Chapter 6 - Achieving Acrylic and Oil-Painted Looks

Cher begins the chapter with a great demonstration of Painter's Real Bristle Brushes. She paints a beautful late afternoon seascape with fluffy cumulus clouds sailing overhead. She then takes on oil painting using the Old Master chiaroscuro technique, using Painter's Artist's Oils. The third part is another favorite, this time by Donal Jolley. In Photoshop, he uses a separate layer each for large, medium, and detail strokes. The usual approach would be to use different size brushes all on a single layer. But by this point in the book you're beginning to see the special advantages-and the added control-to using multiple layers. What I especially liked was how the three layers start out as blank (transparent). Paint is "pulled up" from a base layer, much the way cloning works in Painter. This works by use of the "Sample All Layers" checkbox. Very cool stuff. Jolley also explains the importance of noise for this technique, and a sidebar shows various ways to (excuse the pun) make noise. In the fourth part, Cher paints a virtuoso oil painting using Artist Oils. The conversational tone makes it seem like you're at a workshop, listening as the artist explains what she's doing-and why.

Chapter 7 - Creating Abstract Art from Photographs

As the intro to this chapter says, this chapter is about painting "in a simple, yet powerful way." It's time to loosen up and stop worrying about staying within the lines. The first project is a close-up large scale floral in bright colors, done in Photoshop. You'll use layers to create loose lines and bold shapes of color. This might be a fun project to do as a warming-up exercise. The second project is another sky painting, but with a difference. This time, Cher is more interested in capturing "movement and emotion," using Real Bristle brushes and even a Watercolor brush to evoke sheets of rain.

Chapter 8 - Compositing and Collaging

In this chapter, you'll watch as these two master artists assemble compositions from multiple photographs. Donal Jolley takes the first part, showing how he pieces together a complex of layers and masks to create a "simulation of reality." Eight images are used for this project! In the second part, Cher's project emphasizes strong, simple composition, beginning with a sketch to plan her piece. This project uses scans of paper texture combined with photographs. The collage is painted with chalks and pastels in Painter.
Conclusion

If you work with Painter and Photoshop, and you feel comfortable working with layers and layer masks, then you're probably ready for this book. You'll learn a lot about workflow and process when using these two programs together. The projects in this book are substantial, challenging, and exciting. Even if you're very familiar with these programs, you're still bound to learn a lot (I know I did!). Highly recommended.

I am a geek. As such I love books. My reading habit is non-curable and I peruse books on many subjects, Art and Marketing are my favorite topics and in the world digital painting every book that is published (to my knowledge) I have been fortunate enough to read.
Beyond Digital Photography is another must have book for anyone serious about transforming their photography into painterly works of fine art. This book was written by Cher Threinen-Pendarvis and Donal Jolley and published by PeachPit Press. You most likely have heard of these two well respected artists and authors. Cher is the author of the popular Painter Wow! series and Donal has been featured in many publications including The Photoshop CS/CS2 Wow! Book, the Painter Wow! Book and other publications.
Beyond Digital Photography offers extensive step-by-step information on many topics. One of the coolest things is that time is spend with Corel Painter and Photoshop. Finally we have a book that highlights the use of Painter and Photoshop together! I believe one needs to have an intermediate level of skill with the programs in order to get the most out of this book.
Many different types of paintings and techniques are covered at length. There is a great area in Chapter Two that will show you how to obtain nice flowing painterly techniques for those that are artistically challenged. If you are looking for a few nice water color techniques shoot over to Chapter 5 where Cher gives and awesome explanation on how Painters Digital Watercolors work. Take a peek at the workflow she uses to prepare an image and make it more suitable for a high key watercolor emulation.
Finally my favorite Chapter is Six. Donal shares a unique approach to utilizing layers to achieve an oil painted look that you have to try as soon as you read it. There is also an awesome demonstration from Cher of Painters Real bristle Brushes.
All in all a smoking book. The next time you are about to spend 500 bucks on a workshop...cancel your trip, hole up in your studio or a hotel room for the weekend with your computer, Wacom tablet and this book. You will be glad you did.

If Cher Threinen is init....love to read it.
This book is an inspiring book for all who loves digital art!
It takes you on an adventure...it leads you to a lot off places you never could find on your own.
If you're willing to learn and you must have this one.

greetings from Holland

I would give this book 5 stars for the beginner who has no prebuilt photoshop actions as it details how to achieve brilliant results already mentioned in other reviews. However to get the same effect as the Pop Art effect I ran 5 actions, did a bit of tweaking and was done in a bit over 5 minutes, whereas the techniques in here will take significantly longer.

I recommend for anyone wanting to achieve the effects in this book, become versed in actions, buy or make ones that suit you and go from there!

This book is written primarily for amateur photographers who would like to apply artistic effects to their pictures. Authors Threinen-Pendarvis and Jolley use Corel Painter and Adobe Photoshop in their training methods, and rightly assume that you own and have a working knowledge of these programs, since they are both named on the book's front cover.

There are certainly some interesting and innovative painting techniques covered in this book, and Ms. Pendarvis clearly shows her mastery of the Painter environment. Although Painter was originally created for artists painting on a blank canvas, it is a wonderful program for those who wish to paint their photos, and the author shows various techniques for doing so. Of course, Painter is an extremely deep program, and no single book could ever come close to showing all of its possibilities, but this introductory volume provides a solid starting foundation to the Painter world.

However, this is clearly not a book for beginners, which seems odd, since that's who the book was supposed to be written for. If you've just learned the Painter environment, and have need of proper step-by-step instructions, with all picture files properly included, this is not the book for you. Not all instructional pictures are included, at least one is substituted for with another file altogether, and on at least one occasion, what was supposed to be a RAW file was included as a jpeg, so that the author's instructions for development in Photoshop Camera Raw cannot be followed.
Far worse, the author has a tendency to step over herself, in a manner of speaking. There are times when she gives confusing instructions, forgetting that beginners may not know what she's talking about, and she occasionally gives painting instructions that the beginner cannot hope to decipher.
What all of this means is that for those people who are fairly experienced with Painter, the book can be interesting, but bare beginners would be far better off first buying Jeremy Sutton's introductory video to Painter, and then purchasing Martin Addison's "Painter X (or Painter 11) for Photographers." The last thing that any beginner would need is to purchase "Beyond Digital Photography" without having at least a fair amount of painting experience under his belt. This is a beginner's book that is generally unsuitable for beginners. How the authors and proofreaders, who had four years to prepare this book, couldn't see the obvious has left me scratching my head. In truth, they need to pull this book from store shelves and give it a major overhaul. That would be prohibitively expensive, so any beginners who buy this book should do so with the understanding that there will be sections that will be beyond their capabilities.