How to Create Digital Paintings

I have gotten a lot of questions about my unique method of digital paintings, so I decided to let everyone in on a little secret (okay, it’s not exactly a secret per se…) in case anyone at home wants to try out a new artform. I start the process with photography by taking pictures of a subject. I love going to DC and taking pictures of the cherry blossoms, or using my daughter, Sophie, as a subject, or even going to the lake next to my house to take photos of the fish and lily pads. A lot of the time, I am inspired by nature and the natural chaos of mother nature.

I spend about 2-3 hours per shoot, then I go home and download my pictures onto my computer. Once downloaded, I begin the process of digital manipulation. I love to use photoshop to give my pieces of work a dreamy feel. I want people to feel mesmerized by my work, and that is reflected in my editing. I’ll add filters, blur the images, change the colors/tones, and then once I’m done, I’ll print it out. For digital paintings, I will print onto canvas and paint over the piece. Often, I’ll add gold leaf or silver leaf for an extra dimension of colors/textures/finishes. It’s a long process to create a single piece or art, but I feel as if it gives my paintings a unique look and feel to them.