Photo Post-Processing in Photoshop, featuring Avi

Monday, October 12, 2009

You don't have to be a good photographer to end up with a great photo. Well, it certainly helps, but if you don't know what all the little dials on your camera do, there is hope for you yet!

I worked with what I did know - composition and basic lighting knowledge - to snap this picture with my Not-a-DSLR Kodak camera. Popping it into Photoshop, I cropped it to create a more interesting composition, then lightened the bright side of her face, and darkened the other, using the dodge/burn tools. I made sure to keep the eye on the darker side a little lighter. I sharpened some areas, where I wanted the focus to be, and blurred other areas, such as her feet and the background (more). To punch up the color, I upped the contrast and saturation slightly. The last bit was to create the faux "lomo" effect around the edge, using the burn tool.

Introducing the Great Basin Costume Society

Sunday, October 11, 2009

Anyone from Reno/Tahoe/Northern Nevada, go have a looksey at the new blog for The Great Basin Costume Society!

Black Avies

Wednesday, September 30, 2009

AHAN.org has posted two dogs for adoptions recently. They both look like black versions of Avi! It pains me that I cannot adopt another dog from Taiwan, especially one that is similar in beauty to The Best Dog In The World. So I'm passing the info on to you.

Taiwan dogs like Avi are quite remarkable - they are medium-sized (about 30 lbs) with long, willowy figures, and beautiful faces. They are extremely intelligent, loyal, and loving. Avi has a very soft coat, which somehow has the ability to stay clean. She does not smell at all, not even her breath, and she is not destructive to the house, just her toys.

Of course, I can't guarantee that all Taiwan dogs are like this, but I can guarantee that all of these dogs are loving and loyal and looking for a better life. If you are thinking about adopting a dog, please consider these two, "Inky" and "Nana."

Visit AHAN.org
Click Here for INKY
Click Here for NANA.

Avi in Fierce Competition... SHE NEEDS YOUR VOTES!

Monday, September 14, 2009

Hey guys, Avi has gone head-to-head with several other cute pets in "The Cutest Crafting Pet Contest," over at The Dreamstress Blog.

She needs your votes!!! Go take a jaunt over to The Dreamstress and leave your vote in the comments section!

CONTEST! What Should Avi Be For Halloween?

Friday, September 11, 2009

Let's have a contest!

What should Avi be for Halloween!?

To Enter:
Create an image (draw it, color it, compile it in some way) of a costume for Avi. Keep in mind her size and body type, and that she is a very active pup. For pictures of Avi, join the Avi Fan Club on Facebook.
Upload your costume idea to an image host like Photobucket, Flickr, or even your own blog, and then leave a link to your image in the comments section of this post.

Prize:
There will only be one winner, and the winner will receive an Avi t-shirt or product of their choice from Avi's shop, and will see his or her costume concept created and modelled by the famous "blog dog" herself!

Contest END OCTOBER 1st, 2009: HURRY!!

Finally! What It Is I Do At Work...

Monday, September 07, 2009

It's been such a long time, but finally I can show you what it is I do for work, at Westland Giftware.

Every day is a new project, anything from painting the sides of wolves, to creating new snowglobes for the Wizard of Oz line. It's always really cool to see your work carved in 3-dimensions and made into a beautiful figurine, box, candle holder, etc.

I have so much to show you, but I'm going to stretch it out for awhile, since it will be a long while yet until I can show you more. So here are two items I designed for the June 2009 release.
Line Name: "TUSK"
Product Name: "Flowers" (original, right!?)
This elephant "costume" was inspired by some amazing African headdresses and face painting I found while researching. TUSK is what we call a "parade" line, which means there are a couple basic forms (African and Indian elephants in this case) that are "dressed" and decorated in various ways. For the elephants, they all link trunk-to-tail, and there are miniature sized one as well.
Line Name: "Call of the Wolf"
Product Name: "Dreamcatcher"
This is another "parade" line, with designs all across the board from Southwestern, to Native American, to more general wolf-related designs.

Gold Rush Days

Sunday, September 06, 2009

Couldn't resist posting it. No, not a drawing, but certainly the inspiration for a future one :-)
Taken at Gold Rush Days, Old Downtown Sacramento, September 2009