PHOTOSHOP

Photoshop is one of the greatest tools out there.
Check out a few of the projects I was able to complete using this awesome Adobe program!

OUT OF BOUNDS

    For this Photoshop project, it was my goal to show the simplicity and purity of nature. I focused on one aspect that is significant among all living things: feeding. A beautiful hummingbird in mid flight can be seen sipping the nectar from a bright and healthy orange flower in order to nourish itself.
    I used only a few tools in Adobe Photoshop - mostly creating masks by using the quick selection tool, the brush tool, and the mask tool. I also used the free transform and distort tools, and I created drop shadows to give the hummingbird and flower dimension/perspective.
    Nature is so complex, but focusing on the simplicity of one aspect of it allows us to truly see the detailed art and elegance in life.

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    For another take on the photo manipulation project using Photoshop, I created an "out of bounds" image portraying a young girl popping out of a picture frame blowing bubbles. These bubbles transform into beautiful butterlies and fly off into the sky.
    The Photoshop tools used in creating this image include the transform and distort tools, the mask tool, the brush tool, and the quick selection tool.

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    My third "out of bounds" Photoshop design depicts an image of a road that leads out of the frame towards the viewer. It aims to lead the audience's eyes towards the end of the road - inside the framed image.
    The goal is to grab attention and draw the eyes in.
    The same Photoshop tools are used in creating this image as my previous "out of bounds" projects. These include: the transform and distort tools, the mask tool, the brush tool, and the quick selection tool.

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BOOK COVER

    For a design project, I was asked to create a book cover that reflected the title "Startling Evidence". This image above is the end result.
    When given this assignment, I immediately started brainstorming and thought of the words “mystery,” “crime,” and “law.” I chose to use a simple image of a person holding a magnifying glass for the front cover, and I focused on using a great font scheme. I matched a romantic, cursive font with a more intense and modern font. I used a drop shadow on the font to create depth and intensity.
    The goal of this book cover is to attract an audience looking for an intriguing mystery novel that they can lose themselves in. It is interesting that we use the saying "don't judge a book by it's cover" in our cuture, when in fact we all do judge a book by it's cover! It is a natural instinct, and a book cover can help give the viewer an idea about it's contents.

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PHOTO RESTORATION

    For a Photoshop assignment, I was asked to digitally restore and color-in an old black and white film photograph. I chose to restore an image of my own mother and her sister siting on a counch in their home in Brussels, Belgium. My mother recalls that this photo was taken right after their first communion.
    This was such a fun project to work on because I got help and input from my mother on picking colors that were closest to the original objects in the photo. It was a trip down memory lane for her, and it was incredibly exciting seeing this photo in a colorized version.
    Before beginning the colorization process, I patched up the image to get rid of any old spots or scratches. I mostly used the clone stamp tool and the healing brush tool, besides the obvious mask and paintbrush tools.