Lesley Smitheringale Fine Art

This digital painter’s work is phenominal. Tom lives near Hamburg in Germany and he started off using traditional airbrush techniques onto board but has progressed to digital using mainly Photoshop and Painter.

From an interview with Tom at CGArena this is his advice to artists -

Would you like to give any 5 tips to the Photoshop users which like to create artwork like yours?

• Do not think about your own style or copy other styles, just paint and play around with photos, structures and layers as much as you can so the style will come automatically.
• Just be awake every time and imagine how to paint things that you actually see all the times
• Let you be inspired by nature
• Always compare with the best is a good way to know where you are
• The main tip: be creative and be inspired all the time and: just do it!

Here is a selection of Tom’s digital paintings and none of them are photos!

Black Rhino

Fruit Rain

“Okay: some of you asked me how I did this kind of work. Every single piece was separate illustrated on a separate layer”

Siberian Tiger

Brave Dog

Jumping Cat

Panther

Humpback Whale

Tom’s work on deviantArt (Illugraphy)

Tom’s Website/Blog

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Electric Art is an internationally acclaimed retouching studio based in Sydney’s creative heart Surry Hills.

Here are some stunning examples of what this Australian  company does.

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Wired.com asked their subscribers to explore the tiny, overlooked universes that surround us … and blow them up.  “Turn your toothbrush bristles into a nylon forest, tree bark into the Grand Canyon, or your juicy steak into some gristly, alien terrain. Make us into hypochondriac germaphobes through the level of detail you capture.”

Here are the ten outstanding macro photographs which were selected as winners by the readers.

Eye of a tokay gecko by Mr M - overall winner

The Fly by Glenn Young

Ice-Cold Nebula by Philippe Holtzuizen

Mantodea by Vladimer Shioshvili

Yellow Paper Wasp by Bryan Johnson

Dying Tea Light Candle by Jordan

Bubble Magic by Sophie

Waterhead by Maxim Dolgobrod

High Tech Jumper by Coder

My Eye by David Harpe

Wired.com macro photography site

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Australian photographer Rob Gray has produced some stunning shots in his portfolio and he is kindly offering many to be downloaded as desktop wallpapers. See the whole collection at Rob Gray Wallpapers and here are a few examples.

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For a long time now I have felt the need to create a social community based on my passion for the arts and photography with a focus on two things, Australia and wildlife. As a practising artist and photographer and also being Australian I felt that there was a real gap for Australian artists to launch themselves, network locally and gain exposure to Australian facilities such as Galleries, Exhibitions, Retail outlets, online shops, self-publishing options, local photo shoots or sketching and painting classes, framers, suppliers, etc you get the idea. Click on the picture below to go to the main page where you can join if you wish.

I would often see really good sites with similar aims but they are all in America and this is not advantageous in many ways for Australian artists. My vision for this Australian Wildlife Art Community “Oz Nature Niche” is for it to grow into something huge - a massive network of resources if you like but I can’t do it on my own.

I have set this up so that members may join freely and contribute freely in any way they can. I think that if we can gather a pool of artists’ expertise, resources, stimulus, galleries, portfolios etc and then advertise the sight by using the badges available which we can embed into our own websites and blogs we can’t help but open up a larger audience. I have nearly 30, 000 visitors who have checked out my website at http://www.lesley-smitheringale-fine-art.com so you can imagine that if the Nature Niche Badge is embedded on my site, it should generate a lot of interest and likewise when all members do the same. (You can see an example of a badge on my website.)

I see it as a community which we will visit often and help each other out and I can’t count the hundreds of hours I have spent scouring the Internet for information on all of the previous things I have mentioned. After now doing it the hard way and bookmarking a lot about sites and blogs, finding out ways to design a website, the best online shops, how to self-publish a book, where to purchase matte boards and so on, why not share this knowledge with a community? Remember also, that it won’t cost you a cent, totally free- just your time and willingness to share in order to promote the arts in Australia. Click on picture below to visit my page (this is an example of what your page could be like).

I only hope that you will share my vision and help this site grow as I think it has so many wonderful opportunities. If you join and you have your own, fresh ideas - things I haven’t condsidered then please let me know or start a new forum discussion in the relevant groups.

What you will get for FREE if you join “Oz Nature Niche”:-

• your own personal page which is customisable with themes
• rss feeds and the ability to embed your own rss feed from your website or blog
• create your own gallery or portfolio, artist bio and resume, links to your other sites
  
• your own blog with option to include pictures and create an rss feed of this blog
  
• join and create forums
• invite friends to your Group(s)
• join specialised Wildlife Groups within Oz Nature Niche such as Fine Artists, Photographers, Digital Artists, Manga Cartoon Illustration & Comics, Crafts Merchandise & Textiles
• critiques and constructive criticism of your work
• make friends and connect with fellow Australian artists
• ask for and give technical help and tips within your Group(s)
  
• add gadgets and widgets to your own personal page and Group page
• add videos including YouTube etc
• add music to your own page and group pages
  
• engage in Live Chat within all of the Groups in Oz Nature Niche
• lots of exposure, networking opportunities and marketing possibilites
  
• create a Badge to advertise Oz Nature Niche on your existing website and blog plus many more features still to come ….

Hope to meet you on the Nature Niche.

Kind Regards

Lesley

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I keep track of this competition every year and here are the winning photographs from the various categories plus a really good video at the awards night in the Smithsonian. Congratulations to all of the winners ….

Nature’s Best Photography Exhibit Opening

Grand Prize “Burchell’s Zebras” by Richard Du Toit

Creative Digital category “Iguana Eyes” by Michael D Kern
Endangered Species category “Mountain Gorilla Baby” by Rita Summers

Landscape Category “Fly Geyser, Fly Ranch” by Rodney Lough

Wildlife Category “Bull Bison” by Steve Hinch
Environmental Issues Category “Florida Manatee” by John Johnson


Oceans Category “Dwarf Minke Whale” by Jurgen Freund

Backyard Habitat Category “Orange-crowned Warbler” by Robert Goodell
Art in Nature Category “Mandarin Duck” by Russ Burden

Zoos and Aquariums Category “Kodiak Bear and Bee” by Terry Ross Cervi

Conservation Photographer of the Year “Polar Bear Mother and Cubs” by Howard Ruby
Camera Club Winner “White-tailed Ptarmigan” by Chris Loffredo

Youth Category “Sea Lion and Pup” by Eddie Schermerhorn
Animal Antics Category “Red Fox” by Steve Hinch

Birds Category “Snowy Egrets” by Fabioa Del Alcazar

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This is an informative post about free online, albeit “watered down” alternatives to PhotoShop and I have never heard of a few of these programmes which look great. I have used Picnik and FotoFlexer which are really excellent and fun to use. Sometimes we just need a quick, slick fix for photos without loading Photoshop, not to mention that they are free if we can’t afford Adobe. I have included photos of three but head over to the LifeClever site and read the full post here.

Picnik

Photoshop Express

flauntR

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I discovered this site today called Desktopography which is a non-profit project, launched in 2005 by a group of designers. They are striving to create a site where people can download nature and topological themed wallpapers with edits from selected designers.

What we see everyday can affect our mood and state of mind, enhance your desktop with a wallpaper creation from desktopography and feel the essence of nature and the outdoor existence on your computer. Bring tranquility to your desktop, feel the wilderness and give your background a breath of fresh air..

Here are a few of my favourites but there are lots more in a range of sizes including widescreen - highy recommended if you are a nature lover and enjoy quality art work.

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This artist is incredibly talented and her digital collages have a kind of spooky, fairytale quality which I love. She has a store on Etsy where you can purchase her work and a beautiful blog which is a visual delight.

“I like to make pictures, lots of them. These include digital collage, surreal photomontage, drawing, painting and illustration. My most favouritest themes include dreams, dolls, spectres, fairytales, mythology & nature.“

Arielle and Thumbelina

Storybook Adventure and Dulcimer

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I am currently preparing a quarterly magazine called “The Best of Wildlife Photography” via Issuu which is a free, self-publishing magazine online facility. I am looking for Wildlife Photographers who would like to be part of this publication as an opportunity to showcase your work. My vision for this full-colour publication is that you will each have a two-page spread to promote your work e.g a selection of your photos, website and e-mail address, bio, artist statement, commission availability, testimonials, etc whatever you like.

You need to send me all of this via e-mail or give me permission to copy and paste anything you would like to be included from your blog or website. If you prefer you can design your double page spread yourself in Microsoft Word in landscape format and then send the pages to me via e-mail. The magazine is prepared my myself as a PDF and then I upload it to issuu and it becomes a beautiful, flip page, multimedia presentation available to the world. I will randomly select an artist’s work to be on the front and back covers of the magazine.

Why I am doing this? As a wildlife photographer myself who is trying to promote my own work and get a name and reputation out there, I belive that this is a fantastic, slick and professional FREE opportunity for us all to use the internet in a positive way. This is purely voluntary on my part and I ask for nothing in return except that you embed the “The Best of Wildlife Photography” Issuu on your own blog or website and create a link to my site as well. Just think about it - if those of us who are in the magazine all embed it on our websites that’s a LOT of publicity.

If you are keen, and I sincerely hope that I have piqued your interest by now, then the deadline for the launch issue is 20th June which gives me time to select the photographers, prepare it and have it published on the site by 1st July 2008.

For the skeptics among us and I am one, myself, copyright should not be a problem as the Issuu publication cannot be downloaded by anyone and you may choose to insert a watermark on the images that I include in the magazine. You also don’t know me from Adam so check out my website if you want to know more about me and see the kind of photographs I take and the professionalism I adopt in every single artistic venture I take on. Take a look at some of the books on Issuu and I think that you will be as impressed as I am.

Rules, sigh, I know but I have to set standards for the magazine … so here they are:

1. I have total rights to select or reject your work as I see fit for inclusion into the magazine based on rule #2.
2. Your photographs must be of a high standard to be accepted into the magazine such as sharp focus, minimal noise, good composition of subject, not snapshots, subject is recognisable, natrual surroundings in the wild, no pets and your own work.
3. You must submit wildlife photography which is: animals, insects, rodents, marsupials, flowers, birds, zoo animals, amphibians, reptiles, sea creatures, wild flowers, leaves, pods, botanical - you get the idea.
4. You may submit photographs which have been digitally enhanced, manipulated, use of filters, photoshopped etc as long as they fit the theme of wildlife.
5. If you are unsuccessful in gaining entry into the magazine you may try again by sending me or directing me to new work but you may not re-submit the same work again.
6.You appreciate that this is voluntary and free and that you adopt patience if I don’t get back to you quickly enough.
7. You allow me to design your double-page spread as I see fit re. photos and text and that each photographer gets equal coverage of both OR you design your own two pages in Microsoft Word in landscape format. Do not send them to me as a PDF File and I have the right to tweak your pages as I see fit.
8. I am not responsible in any way for subsequent leads, contact, enquiries etc you may gain via “The Best of Wildlife Photography” magazine.
9. If you do not submit your work by the deadine for each quarterly edition then your work will not be considered or included but it will automatically be in the selection process for the next publication.

10. Your work will not be accepted for the magazine if you do not have a blog or website where you are willing to embed the publication and create a link to http://www.lesley-smitheringale-fine-art.com.

11. You must be over 18 years of age to submit photos and details for entry to the magazine.

Whew, now that all the mumble jumble is out of the way, I will show you a sneak preview of how the launch edition might look - the work at this stage is all mine as I do not have anyone’s permission yet to include work. This is purely a sample of how I envisage the magazine to look. I thought I might aim at 15 to 20 photographers being showcased each quarter.

Cover

Inside Page

Artist Double Spread

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