First Free Desktop Background - Fist

What is a mix of photography, awesome editing, and procrastination? The free image in this this post! This week I was inspired by something I heard at a seminar to create this image. I believe it was my pastor who said, "Never quit on a bad day". To view the full size and download the background you can use this link. This is my first free desktop background to ever create and I want to share it with all my readers. It is 1200 x 1600 and will probably fit most screens. If you just play around with the settings, you should be able to get it centered just right.

It took me about 80 tries to get the right photo of my fist. Yes, that is my own hand, which made it quite difficult to take the picture. What is more, I used my right hand for the picture. After struggling to get my left hand to take the picture correctly, I recommend finding a hand model for anyone interested in doing their own photography with hands.

Pictured left is the base for the background. Editing the photo took quite a lot of trial and error. I used Photoshop for the majority of the editing and Picasa for the final touch ups. The background seen in the picture is my sister's black blanket, which meant that background inherently had wrinkles and a cloth texture. Using the magic wand in Photoshop, I removed the background completely and refilled it with black. Next, I added a new layer and filled it with red. On the same layer, I changed the layer setting to difference. Then, I added a paper texture to the image. Lastly, I fixed the lighting and added in some grungy effects. The font was an easy choice but getting the size right was tricky, due to the number of words on each line. Overall, I'd say the whole thing took maybe around three to four hours.

Hope you guys like the background! Share it with your friends!

P.S. - Just wanted to let you all know that my blog has been viewed on 3 of the 7 continents! Thank you all so much for taking time from your day to read my blog!

Free Phone Background (Wide) - Elephants

Today, I had a request to make a phone background from a very special friend! She wanted an elephant phone background. Here it is! It is made for Android phones, which allow you to scroll through the backgrounds side to side. Usually, I make iPhone backgrounds because I know many of my friends have iPhones. I can make backgrounds for anyone who sends in a request so comment away with at least your phone type so I can make a version for your phone too!

The look I was originally going for was a bright and colorful background with multicolored elephants. They had colors splattered all their faces. But, then Victoria, my friend, tried out the background but I mixed up the dimensions! To fix this blunder, I mixed up the colors and the image to create a new look that would fit her phone. In the end, I like the collage look better than the other image. The logo even fit in perfectly! 

Like the photo? Share it with your friends!

Fall Editing - Photography

Fall is upon us! The cool weather, fresh tea, and a toasty fires are just a few of my favorite aspects of this season. I absolutely adore the warm colors of the falling leaves all around us. These colors make for perfect pictures filled with lovely reds, oranges, and other golden tones. In this post, I am going to share how I brought out the bright fall tones in this picture so you too can have gorgeous pictures this autumn.

This picture was actually taken with the sun brightly shining like a summer day. So, how did I get the reds, oranges, and pinks to really stand out? Editing! For this picture, I used Picassa but I imagine that most photo editors could do the same editing. First, I fixed the colors to make the picture seem a little brighter. Then, I tinted the picture slightly red. I used the brightest red setting and faded it to about 70% or so. Next, I added a little brownish yellow by increasing the color temperature. If you'd like, sometimes a light vignette finishes the picture and adds that extra touch, completing the autumn feel. In this picture, I chose not to add one because I liked how the focus framed the picture.

Don't be afraid to adjust the colors. Editing should be entertaining and filled with experiments. Just be careful not to over edit pictures. Only a few alterations are necessary to draw out the exquisite fall colors usually. Adding a few intensely colored fallen leaves, an enchanting sunset or other unique fall features make editing quite simple and rewarding. Well, like I said, fall is upon us! Before it disappears, take your fall pictures! Fall pictures make terrific family portraits, gifts to friends or just wonderful reminders of the merry times shared with people you love this season.

First Phone Background - Jesus Loves You

Today, I have felt really inspired to do art and graphic design. So, I decided to work on some projects I promised my readers.

Without further adieu, here is my first ever iPhone background! Feel free to download it and share it! All I ask is that you do not claim my artwork as your own.

Remember Jesus loves you!

P.S. - If your friends like the art, please send them here for more!