What-Iffing . . . sketches

Spending time wondering "what if" is time well spent. How else will you know what will work, what won't, what sorts of photos work best, and what techniques produce the best results.

Sure, you might create a LOT of really bad work, but so what?

If you don't experiment, you will be in the same artistic box, day after day.

Here are three of my latest experiments with turning photographs into sketches (sort of). I'm not 100% pleased with them, but there's something rather appealing (at least for me) about what I made.

I like how words and tiny details show up clearer in the sketch than they do in the original photograph. I like the outlines. And I like the transparent-ish colors.

The only way I know how I made these pictures would be to go back to my original photographs and take a look at all the layers -- which I leave intact. I have yet to develop a "recipe."

Yes, experimentation is time-consuming. No, this isn't for everyone. For me, however, it keeps my mind and my eyes active, and it keeps my art changing. I hope!

All text, photographs, and other media are ©Copyright Carol Leigh (or others when indicated) and are not in the public domain and may not be used on websites, blogs, or in other media without advance permission from Carol Leigh. Thank you for your understanding and kindness.

Simple versus fussy

Simple and severe versus light and fluffy. Two different bicycle photos and two different styles.

While walking around Old Town Albuquerque, I liked the starkness of a bicycle against a plain adobe wall. Although there's not much in the picture, there's a lot of movement via diagonal lines.

The base of the picture is a diagonal line leading our eye right to left and back, echoed by the slight diagonal line of the bike.

Then there's the top of the adobe wall that angles downward.

The parallel lines on the roof bit lead our eye one way and then another via diagonal lines.

And then there's the sign/signpost, the one vertical, solid element that holds everything together.

A deceptively simple composition that has a lot going on.

But not as much going on as the busy, colorful, floral-decorated bike in front of an antique shop in Port Gamble, Washington.

Here, too, are lots of diagonal lines, but because of the busy subject matter, we don't notice much movement in this shot. Our eyes become fixated with all the flowers on the bike, and we tend to just quickly glance around the frame and then come right back to the bike.

It's National Bicycle Month. A perfect month to find, ride, and photograph bikes.

All text, photographs, and other media are ©Copyright Carol Leigh (or others when indicated) and are not in the public domain and may not be used on websites, blogs, or in other media without advance permission from Carol Leigh. Thank you for your understanding and kindness.