Glenda's Blog

            After transforming the picture of ourselves last week, we learned to include ourselves several times in the picture.   I made two of these, one with pictures taken outside and on with pictures taken inside.   We learned to adjust the levels of lighting, with the command image, adjustment, levels (or curves). We learned to add “speech bubbles” and to insert text with various fonts from the free websites.   This allows the characters to share their words or thoughts with the reader.   Then we made a comic book page.   We started with a blank canvas and added several pictures.   Then we added text.   This could be in the form of a speech bubble, as above, or one we made ourselves using the circle or elliptical marquee and adding the arrow with the polygonal lasso.   We also added a banner that is straight or distorted or warped.   Again the type could vary, include a bevel ...

The assignment was to   take a picture of ourselves and create a character of the past and one of the future.   The emphasis was on the "Liquify" (under Filter) command and the use of various brushes that are available from the internet. For the past I chose to try to depict a photo as Sacajawea.   She is a person in the past that I admire.   She led Lewis and Clark and party half way across the United States.   She not only saw to their needs but took care of her infant son as well.   I included an authentic period dress; and I placed her in front of a large lake.   I created a filter for the lake background because it was too bright.   I changed the color of the face to make it less pale.  It was necessary to use "hair" brushes to create a different color of hair.   I used "liquify" to help create the braids. For the future I created a character of myself reincarnated as a cat.   Here "liquify" helped distort the face. ...

This class is one of the most challenging I have had here at Richland.  But I always enjoy a challenge and I am enjoying this class. It makes me realize how hard it is to learn completely new things – things not related to other things you already are comfortable with – but entirely new things.  It takes using those commands about 10 times before I can remember them. While working on the Rico Cluster I learned about additional fonts available on the internet.  How helpful; and they are so much fun. I also learned that my life is not so much a “cluster” but, more a set of diverse tangents. As we got into virtual space I immediately realized that you can no longer “believe everything you see”.  It is now possible to create a picture of almost anything.  What fun it is to combine various pictures, and design and brand new reality. I learned to save often and not necessarily on top of the last save.  Sometimes you may want to go back and pick up in the midd...