Painterly Mobile Art No. 21

Curating this feature every two weeks is getting more difficult. I hope that you will visit the Painterly Mobile Art Flickr Group so that you can appreciate all of the work that has been submitted. If you like to edit mobile photos in a painterly way, please join us.

Sometimes I love too much © Lanie Heller

The shunned house © Federica Corbelli

Landscape © Maarten Oortwijn

We Are Here © Clint Cline

Uno, nessuno, centomila © Giancarlo Beltrame

Great Expectations © SLP

Miss Skywalker © Vanessa Vox

Untitled © Titanikas container 

Lakeside in January © Bartez83

the waste land / I will show you fear in a handful of dust © Dr. Pajchiwo

Old Blacksmith Shop © David Pasillas

Elements of Vachag © Armineh 

One Step Ahead © Chris Hawkins 

Believe in the Magic © Mandolina Moon

River Dawn © Solly Avenue

Untitled © Aylin Argun

Musician, Teguise, Lanzarote © Gerry Coe

Mary and Child © Arnold Hayes

En el limbo! Patty Larson

Untitled © Jane Fiala

Never give up © Davide Capponi

Rainy Night in Georgia © Nico Brons

The Grotesque:Hyde © Joel Adam

Painted Roses © Geri Centonze

Untitled © Wayne Greer

Surfers No. 21 © Petyr Campos

Untitled © iVan a J.B.

The Whole Story - Photo by Joel Adam

This week's image is by the very talented Joel Adam. This is Joel's second Whole Story feature. His first can be viewed here. 

For a chance to be featured just tag your Instagram mobile photos with the hashtag #the_whole_story.

The Photograph

I'm not sleepy © Joel Adam

The Whole Story by Joel Adam

This photo was taken with ProCamera using it's timer feature.  I took two shots with me in different positions and masked/layered through Image Blender.  I then used iColorama's Shatter brush #33 to paint across the head and neck.  Snapseed was used for the "grunge", and Mextures' grain layer "1970". Finally the image was made black and white using VSCO Cam's "X3" preset, along with some slight sharpening, and fading.   After completion it reminded me of someone who just crossed paths with The Headless Horseman, hence the title "I'm not sleepy".  Kind of a play on words with my Instagram username "asleepundercolumnsovlight".  

The Photographer

I'm originally from Illinois but now reside in Louisiana with my wife and son. By day I'm a logistics coordinator for the US Army, and a mobile arts enthusiast the rest of the time. I've always been in touch with the arts in one form or another, mostly culinary and music, but it wasn't until I purchased an iPhone that I really developed a passion for mobile artistry. My work has been featured on many curated mobile photography sites and I was fortunate enough to have it displayed in the 2012 LA Mobile Arts Festival. 

Find Joel: Flickr / iphoneart / AMPt / Backspaces / EyeEm / We Are JUXT

Apps Mentioned:

ProCamera

Image Blender

iColorama

Snapseed

Mextures

VSCO Cam

Anatomy of an Edit

Earlier this week @mobileartistry on Instagram featured one of my painterly images. I'm posting it here because it included a detailed walkthrough of the editing process.

© Geri Centonze

What I love most about creating artwork from images is that you can take almost anything mundane and make it into something more interesting. This image started off as a woman walking through a beauty salon dressed in black jeans and a shirt. It was a really boring photo. 

• First I brought the image into Sketch Club where I augmented her wardrobe and added to the volume of her hair. I also evened out her skin tone, enhanced her eyes and lips and painted over the background (version 1). 
• Next I ran the original image through Glaze (version 2). 
• I then blended versions 1 and 2 in Sketch Club (version 3). 
• On to AntiCrop where I added in more background to version 3 by expanding the image. This would allow an off center crop at the end (version 4). 
• Next I took version 4 into Waterlogue to produce a watercolor effect (version 5). 
• I then combined versions 4 and 5 in Sketch Club (version 6). 
• Next I took version 6 into DeforMe and nipped in her waistline a bit (version 7). 
• Version 7 was adjusted in Snapseed to increase saturation (version 8). 
• Version 8 was opened in Auto Sky FX HD where I added the misty cloud surrounding the figure and the crescent moon (version 9). 
• Finally back into Snapseed with version 9 for final crop, tune image and adjust detail (bump up Structure). 

It's interesting to me that I often don't have an end in mind and the piece evolves as I go. I'm not sure how I determine what comes next, it all just seems to flow with a mind of its own! 

Here's the Before and After

Apps Mentioned:

Sketch Club

Glaze

AntiCrop

Waterlogue

DeforMe

Snapseed

Auto Sky FX HD

Painted Camera Pre-Release Promo Codes & Contest

For the past few months I have had the pleasure of beta testing Painted Camera, created by The 11ers (the same brilliant minds who brought us Glaze and Photospector).

How would you like a promo code to get Painted Camera BEFORE its release on The App Store? But wait, there's more (see below).

I have ten promo codes to give away.  These promo codes will also entitle the recipients to enter an exclusive Painted Camera contest. Winners of this contest will have their images featured and credited on the Painted Camera App Store page AND will also receive a 16 x 12 giclée print of their artwork (shipped worldwide)! What an amazing opportunity - I'm so thankful to the 11ers for giving my readers this chance!

Below are a couple of images I shot this morning using the app.

Here's what you need to do to enter:

1. Leave a comment below - You MUST leave contact information so I can send you your code if you win. (If there is no contact information and your name is drawn another name will be chosen in your place)

2. Ten winners will be drawn at random on Thursday at 6 p.m. PST.  Extended to 6:30 p.m. PST. Details for entering the Painted Camera Contest will be sent along with the promo codes for the winners.
Good Luck!

**Update**The winners were chosen by random draw - Congrats to all and thanks to everyone who entered (emails have been sent to the winners).

SKMacGowan

joo-expo

Peter Bryenton

Cindy Patrick

Cristian 

Alain Vincent

Diane

Kelly

Andrea Koerner

Andrea Bigiarini

The Emotional Art of Alex Visage

It has been a while since I posted a featured full interview with a mobile photographer, but I'm sure you will agree when you see the work of Alex Visage that is was well worth the wait!

Geri:  What is your name and where do you live? 

Alex:  My name is Alex Visage (Alex Drozhin). I live in Moscow, Russia.

Geri:  How did you get started in mobile photography?

Alex:  I have been taking photos since 2008, when the first iPhone appeared in my life. In those days camera capabilities were modest and I had to process photos on my computer. Nowadays, thanks to modern technologies we have unlimited possibilities, so you can take pictures, immediately do post-processing on your gadget and then upload photos on the internet. It makes things easier and all depends on your imagination.

Tommy © Alex Visage

Tanya © Alex Visage

Geri:  What device do you use?

Alex:  I use iPhone 4S and iPhone 5S at the moment. Also I have the Olloclip 3-in-1, 4-in-1 and telephoto. It helps me to do new experiments in art of iPhoneography.

Geri:  Do you have a traditional photography or art background?

Alex:  Actually, I don’t have any art degree, although I have been drawing since childhood. Also I had private lessons in drawing when I was a student. My father was an artist and that is why I always have had the opportunity to learn something new in art. My father taught me how to take pictures when I was a child. My first camera was a Zenit and I printed black and white photographs myself. Although I have a professional camera Canon 5D with multiple lenses L-series, I prefer to take and process photos with my iPhone.

A Paris...© Alex Visage

Lady "No Name" III © Alex Visage

Geri:  How would you describe your style?

Alex:  I don’t know exactly what to call my style as I like to do my pictures in various styles. I would call it "emotional art" as it is more about my soul than technical issues. The main task for me is not to leave people indifferent when they see my photos. I get great pleasure not only when I make the photos but also when I can see the end result of my work.

The Girl and Balloon © Alex Visage

The Loneliness © Alex Visage

Geri:  Who or what inspires you?

Alex:  I am inspired by life itself, people I meet and what people create with their own hands and intellect. I am inspired by painting, architecture, design. I often go to Paris, my favorite city. I'm planning to do a project dedicated to Paris, which will reflect my emotions and attitudes towards this wonderful city. I have many friends among iPhoneographers. I am grateful to Paul Brown, whom I consider as my teacher and the best photographer.

Femme D'automne © Alex Visage

Lady "Dior" © Alex Visage

Lady "No Name" VI © Alex Visage

Geri:  What is your favorite subject to shoot?

Alex:  I love taking photos of people. There are a lot of fates, sentiments, characters and emotions. I also like taking photos of mannequins animating them in my photos to make a special visual effect. When I travel I shoot a lot of photos of different streets and cities. I have a series of abstract and fantasy works. You can see these works in my gallery on Flickr or Instagram.

Prague I © Alex Visage

Mini World © Alex Visage

Geri:  I like the series that includes The Lemon Dance - what inspired that?

Alex:  The Lemon Dance… I always wanted to work with composition and with objects in space. I was thinking what "thing" I could put in space and what I could do with it. The idea of ​​the lemon came and due to my stay in Prague, I remembered about puppets that come to life thanks to the threads. The idea of a dancing lemon appeared.

The Lemon Dance © Alex Visage

The Cat's Cradle © Alex Visage

Geri:  Do you have any favorite apps that you use regularly?  

Alex:  I have 300 applications in my iPhone. Some favorites are Snapseed, Photoshop Touch, Filterstorm, Repix, Mextures, PhotoForge, Image Blender, TouchRetouch, Distressed FX, iColorama S, Photogene, Facetune, Handy Photo, LensLight, Camera360, Laminar Pro, VSCO Cam, Squaready, Superimpose, Impression, Over.

The most important thing is to learn to use multiple apps simultaneously. I usually do a photo on the main camera and then work with different apps. I also like to use Hipstamatic. I work only with my iPhone and don’t use any computers. That is important for me.

The Fashion Show © Alex Visage

The White Rose © Alex Visage

When Love is Gone © Alex Visage

Geri:  Have you ever exhibited your work?  If not, any plans to do so?

Alex:  I have not had any exhibitions but I am thinking about this constantly. I have a great desire to show my works. I am collecting material for the exhibition at the moment, I have a lot of thematic works which I can share with others.

Find Alex: Facebook / Flickr / Flipboard / Instagram / iPhoneart

Painterly Mobile Artist Vanessa Vox

Vanessa's painterly style brings to mind the works of Rembrandt, El Greco or Anthony van Dyck with her use of dark and golden tones and heavy textures. It is a pleasure to feature her work here. Please visit the Painterly Mobile Art Flickr group to see more from Vanessa and all of the artists! 

Do you like to edit in a painterly style? Please join the group, we'd love to have you!

The Artist 

Vanessa Vox - I was born in 1964 in Paris and raised in the South of France. Art was always part of my life. Performing arts as well as Fine Arts, e.g. in the early eighties I was a member of a Renaissance performing group in Aix-en-Provence. However, since my childhood when I got my first plastic camera, I was always attracted by photography too. But it was only after the "digital revolution" changed the way of taking and processing photos that it became a more ambitious artistic aim for me. I am very happy with today's development of new applications. It is a fantastic new world for creatives. Since 2013, I am back in France again after working and studying in Germany and Switzerland.

The Work

Inside the Music © Vanessa Vox

Vanessa's Commentary

I took the pic with KitCam. I recall that is was a very special day, because all the 88 keys of the piano were placed on the living room table for a restoration. These fantastic mechanical pieces and the noble materials looked very beautiful and inspiring in the golden November light.

Editing is the major part of my work. The shot itself is like pushing a piano key. It invites me to a fascinating and unpredictable journey. I have to find my very own expression. In this case, I began with Photo Wizard for things like crop/sharpen/lighten/shadow. Then I continued with some of my favorite apps like the Jixi Pix apps, or Grunge, Laminar Pro, Glaze, Mextures, etc. It's always the most playful part of my work. Finally I used Blender for layering and mixing the different versions with my own collection of textures. This last step is very important to re-reveal hidden qualities.

Find Vanessa: Flickr / Facebook / Website / Twitter / Wordpress / Blogspot


Links to apps mentioned:

KitCam
PhotoWizard
Jixi Pix
Modern Grunge
Laminar Pro
Glaze
Mextures
Image Blender

The Whole Story - Photo by Crystal Spellman

Here's another photograph in The Whole Story series. I'm so glad I asked Crystal about this image because the story is even more interesting than I imagined. I have a feeling the subject of this photo will be talking about this shoot many years from now. You may know Crystal as the very talented and popular @faithmichael on Instagram.

For a chance to be featured just tag your Instagram mobile photos with the hashtag #the_whole_story.

The Photograph

The Whole Story by Crystal Spellman

Last spring I had the pleasure of spending an entire weekend in the woods with everyone I love most in the world. One by one I led each of them into a small clearing behind our campsites for a mini-portrait session. Each of us was in the midst of some sort of life transition so it is interesting for me to look at these pictures and see these things reflected somehow.

This image was shot with Hipstamatic using the Tinto 1884 lens, Claunch 72 Monochrome film and the Jolly Rainbow 2X flash. I tuned the image in Snapseed completely desaturating the image, and adjusting Ambiance down, Brightness down, and Contrast up, and white balance (Warmth) +1. Finally I cropped out the border (from Hipstamatic). I then made a few variations in Picfx with the film filters. After this I took the original into Image Blender and began layering the variations, and saving, and layering some more until it felt about right. Finally I brought the image back to Snapseed for a final tune and white balance adjustment.

The Photographer

I am a registered nurse with a fine arts background.  These are two very different parts to my brain and it is through mobile photography that I have been able to reconcile them.  To do either I must be totally present, and committed to the art of observation. In the last year, using my iPhone to make pictures has become one of the most cherished parts of my day. 

Find Crystal:  Instagram / Flickr / EyeEm / Backspaces 

Apps Mentioned:

Hipstamatic
Snapseed
Picfx
Image Blender