I had to take a long hiatus to do some work on the blogging side, and then my computer died and then I had to set up the new laptop. So long hiatus on the art stuff, and believe me I was sorry to do it. This is sort of a warm up, something familar and supposedly easy. This piece looks easy, but was hard as heck to do. I had to scrap the first piece, and this is the second draft. It really took a long time to get the details right.  It was the lighting and the shadows, and the rose. Don’t get me started on the rose.

Credit: 

magenta 4 by mjranum_stock

Long Stem Red Roseby TexelGirl-Stock

So I have been sick lately and that has taken a chunk out of my art and blogging time. I’m feeling much better now, and I’m decided to do a simple photo manipulation to get back into the swing of things after my unexpected hiatus.  I really love the end result. The hardest part was cutting the existing background in the windows and getting the lighting and shading just right. In the end, it turned out pretty well. 🙂

Credit: 

Window by Cat-in-the-Stock

Foggy Forest 12 by sacral-stock

Grey Princess – Stock Preview by MariaAmanda | Photographer: Jan Holte Teller

So I wasn’t really happy with my first cowboy themed book cover, and I wanted to do more work with male models and I so created this. I’m loads happier with this book cover than the other one. Everything in it is actually photo manipulated and I had a ton of fun making it.

Credit:

Shuttershock.com

Pexels.com

Wikipedia Creative Commons Images.

I wanted to do more book covers, and challenge myself. The  main part of the challenge was to do a book cover from only from creative common images. And everything is in fact from creative common images.  I also wanted to have a good cache of book covers to sell this summer. I also wanted to practice on making original covers.  Also, I really wanted to use the model, because it’s very rare to find affordable stock images with people of color.

Credit:

Pexels.com

Emerald & Diamond Tiara by Ed Uthman

So I’m sorry about the mini hiatus. Life has been crazy lately, and then my attention was taken up by the new blog I have called WTF The Mortal Instruments. It’s a relativity new a thing, and new blogs always take a lot of TLC to start up.   Then the add that all my motivation just dried up, and I had to push myself to complete this piece here. So anyway back to the piece itself, However, I’m back with a new technique, which is a faux digital painting style. I been meaning to ask how other artist achieved the effect, because I just love the end results. I found a video tutorial that taught me how to do it.

Credits: 

Window Tube by frozenstocks

Beds PACK 1 by BrokenFeline-Stock

Woods premade BG II by StarsColdNight

curtain Brushes 2by farmerstochter

Empty Room by hellonlegs

Dreaming Wide Awake II by Eirian-stock

This is another premade book cover that is available for free for non-commercial book covers. This was very simple and quick to do. This was just another practice exercise that came out very well in my opinion.

Terms of Usage

This book cover is free for noncommercial use. I only requre for you to credit me, and link back here to this site.

Credit:

Pexel.com

Download Here 

Just another simple piece. I think this is the last simple piece I will do for a while.  I love the atmosphere, but the lighting with the woman kimono.  I really like it all and all.

Credit: 

japan vacation IV by mimose-stock

japan vacation XV by mimose-stock

Himeji Castle by SephirothXer0-Stock

Kimono Hanami 13 by Sitara-LeotaStock

STORM AT SEA BG STOCK II by ArwenArts

I want to say first with a disclaimer that I love Halle Berry. She’s a wonderful biracial actress and I was proud that she continues to play the role of Storm. However, when I envision storm, I always envision someone with dark skin like mine. And when I was first introduce to Lupita Nyong’o, I was so happy that actress with the same skin tone as mine was being recognized as beautiful. You see in the black community, there is a great bias against people with darker skin. It too me a long while to figure out that just because I was darker than the rest of my family, that it didn’t make me less beautiful. So when speculation of who the young storm would be and Lupita’s name came up, I was overjoyed, because their would finally a superhero that looked like me on the silver screen.

I was a little a disappointed when they didn’t cast Lupita. So this is my tribute to Lupita and to my favorite African superhero, Storm. This piece was without a doubt a labor of love. I actually almost had a break down over getting her hair just right, because Lupita doesn’t look right with long hair. I am also not really sure I got the head size just right, but I had to finally shrug and make my best guest.

Credit: 

• Rain Texture by incolor16


• Painted hair PSD by VampireDarlla


• rain texture by spoofdecator


• Stormy Sky 3 by pelleron-stock

This was just a really simple practice run to keep my skills in shape. I honestly wanted to do more with this piece, but I was tired and exhausted and was working on like a 25% of my brain. It’s not the best work I’ve done, but it’s not bad.

Credit:

• Ruins 26 by Kuoma-stock


• Pexel.com


• Wikipedia Creative Commons Images

I actually tried to do some shadowhunters fanart and totally bombed it. So I decided to do some more original photo manipulations instead. I was inspired by the thought in other parts of the country Winter still has it in its grip. The hardest part of this piece was getting the lighting just right. I have actually started reading more about light and shadow and it really has made me think harder about doing it correctly in my own pieces. I have to say I really like how it turned out. This has to be the best piece I have made in a long while and I’m very proud of it.

Credit:

• Forest Path in Winter 9 by Martut


• Snow Texture by emilyemilybeth


• Wooden Path Forest Background by Enchantedgal-Stock


• open gate by stock1-2-3


• Anett Frozen Ice Queen by anettfrozen