Description

Scanning “plein air” style…Scan ‘n’ tan? Scanning al fresco? “Scan Your Garden” in situ. Who wants to be stuck inside at your digital easel on a beautiful summer day? Bring your scanning studio outside into your garden- yes, outside where the sun’s back lighting will allow you to create delicate, pastel hued translucent watercolors. Unlike studio scanning where the background is typically black and the specimens opaque, the sky will determine the color of your background from white to robins egg to prussian blue- the background changes according to the time of day, while the position and intensity of the sun will affect the specimen’s translucency.

You simply won’t believe your eyes! To set up an outdoor studio you’ll need a laptop or portable computer (a desktop PC with a mini tower, a compact Mac or a tablet PC), an Epson photoscanner set up on a picnic table or folding banquet table. A long lawnmower extension cord will bring power to your studio. An unobstructed view of the sky is essential, but interesting effects can be made by overhanging tree branches!

Bring plenty of patience and sunscreen. This technique is so cool and so creative that you may never want to use your scanner inside again!

Skill Level

Intermediate

Prerequisites

• Students should have experience with studio scanning or have completed the Scan Your Garden: Introduction course before enrolling in this course.

Hardware Requirements

• A Flatbed Scanner

Course Gallery

[View with PicLens]

 

Before Class

Prerequisite: student must have experience with studio scanning or have taken the “Scan Your Garden” class

Week One

Setting up a plein air studio

• Capturing a “blue-sky” composition
• Quirky captures that you may or may not like

Week Two

Translucent specimen effect

• Capturing delicate watercolor-like images

Week Three

Background colors

• Time of day and weather conditions and how they will determine your background color
• How to get just about any color light or bright background

Week Four

Krazy color

• More color modifications that have a “psychedelic” or pop art look

Possibly Related Courses

Automatically generated.

• Scan Your Garden: Introduction
• Introduction To Color Theory
• Creative Photo Effects 1

Other Courses by Patri

• Scan Your Garden: Introduction

Description

Your ordinary flatbed scanner is a camera with a macro lens! It will allow you to make sensual “Georgia O’Keeffeesque” visions of living specimens at a resolution so high that the 1:1 life size image can be enlarged to fill an oversize canvas. Use your full color or monochrome digitized scan as a “photo realistic” composition or as the source image for an enhanced interpretation or as a study for impressionistic painting or a scientific botanical illustration.

This workshop focuses on capturing the most challenging three-dimensional subject matter- living botanical specimens. Scan them individually or as a “bouquet” in natural poses. While scanning a daisy is a no-brainer, try a German Iris, a Casablanca lily or a complex arrangement of multiple stems!

All of the technical “fundamentals” of buying and installing a scanner and setting up a scanning studio are covered immediately so that participants can begin creating eye-popping images right off the bat. We’ll “tour” some of the cyber galleries of the top floral scanographers that demonstrate the diversity of the medium that will inspire, challenge and awe you. (And, trust me, there are still plenty of new interpretations and live subject matter left to explore!)

The processing of scanned images involves: the posing and arrangement of flowers; the various background options; fine retouching; file saving/image management; color and value modifications. More advanced skills include selecting and layering individual specimens, adding decorative calligraphy and type. Tips for printing your proofs or final composition on plain or coated artist paper (watercolor paper, mulberry paper), fabric and canvas or using a service bureau.

All aspects of scanography can be accomplished with the image editor of your choice- Photoshop, PaintShopPro, etc. The scanning driver can be used as a “stand alone” program or Imported from Painter, PS, PSP or any other image editor. (I will be demonstrating on a PC with Photoshop CS with interpretations for Mac users, PSP and Painter artists when necessary.

After you experience this class you may want to continue exploring “Scanning en Plein Air” if you have a “portable” compact desktop computer or laptop. In this class we will set up our studio (with the help of a long extension cord!) in our garden, deck or patio to scan your garden in site or collect fresh flowers from the location. If you would like to explore more creative ideas, for example, scanning objects d’art, insects, self portraiture, “over-size” objects, and assembling a composition of “curiosities” tune into “My Scanner is a Camera”. Artists who need to scan their own artwork for printing or web display or use a large-format scanner to reproduce over-size artwork should consider “Scanning Two Dimensional and Three-Dimensional Fiber Artwork for Reproduction”.

1) potential students that are “thinking” they might want to enroll, but aren’t convinced it will benefit them because they have always had problems using scanners OR they don’t quite grasp the “multi-purpose” uses for artistic scanning.

2) participants that have enrolled and need to “test” the scanner or the scanner driver so that they are set up for the instructions.

3) participants that are having trouble installing the scanner.

4) participants who need to buy a scanner but feel the need to comparison shop.

Skill Level

Beginner

Software Requirements

• Adobe® Photoshop, CS3, CS4
• Paintshop

Hardware Requirements

• Recommendation Epson scanner
• Printer

Course Gallery

Before Class

Before class text.

Week One

Basic Studio Scanning

• Organizing your object scanning studio
• Installing your software and scanner
• Setting up your printer
• Testing your set-up
• Capturing a few garden specimens on a black background
• Fundamental Value/Color adjustments in scanner
• Basic retouching or dust gremlins with PS tools

Week Two

Capturing a realistic flower arrangement

• Methods to capture that often elusive velvety black background
• More retouching methods
• Precision value adjustments in scanner and in Photoshop
• Color Modifications, Color saturation recipe
• Alternative color backgrounds
• Proof printing your composition

Week Three

Creative techniques

• Black and White captures
• Color tints and sepia images
• Krazy Kolor
• Creating a professional image for printing
• Hi pass sharpening method
• More advanced retouching
• Advice on Giclee print making and other printing methods
• RGB vs CMYK

Week Four

Advanced creativity

• A tour of “X=treme” scanning methods
• Over-size scanning and stitching multiple scans together in Photoshop
• Taking a scanner outdoors and into the garden

Possibly Related Courses

Automatically generated.

• Scan Your Garden en Plein Air

Other Courses by Patri

• Scan Your Garden en Plein Air