Theme: Tiger Swallowtail Watercolor

[Judy Howle]

Another DAP this time a watercolor preset.

[Dennis Bishop]

I like the photo with which you started, and the watercolor effect is very appealing. The butterfly, the leaves, and the seed pods make a nice triangle that I think contributes a lot. Maybe desaturate the two leaves in the upper right a bit so they don't compete so strongly with the butterfly for attention???

I've been putting a trial version of DAP through its paces but haven't, yet, made it to the watercolor preset. My idea is to see how it would work as an intermediate step in the layer sequence.

[Judy Howle]

Thanks Dennis. I think it would fit in well but not crazy about the white border. I have used it very little and don't know if there is any way to modify that, but if you find one, please PM me. Otherwise in some cases I could use a bigger crop and plan to crop it off.

[Dennis Bishop]

Thanks Dennis. I think it would fit in well but not crazy about the white border. I have used it very little and don't know if there is any way to modify that, but if you find one, please PM me. Otherwise in some cases I could use a bigger crop and plan to crop it off.

I'm answering your question, here (instead of a PM), in case anyone else is wondering about the same thing. View>Panels>Show Painter Pane brings up, in the left column, a number of check boxes and sliders that relate to the way the painting is done. To have the preset applied without the white border, make sure Natural Borders is unchecked before you start the painting on its way.

[Judy Howle]

I'm answering your question, here (instead of a PM), in case anyone else is wondering about the same thing. View>Panels>Show Painter Pane brings up, in the left column, a number of check boxes and sliders that relate to the way the painting is done. To have the preset applied without the white border, make sure Natural Borders is unchecked before you start the painting on its way.

Thank you, thank you Dennis! I may re-do it since I really didn't do anything else to it I'd have to repeat and also do something about those leaves. Oh, do you like the border? I don't mind a thinner, smoother one but don't like that one at all, it's too uneven.

[Dennis Bishop]

. . . Oh, do you like the border? I don't mind a thinner, smoother one but don't like that one at all, it's too uneven.

I wish it faded more gradually toward the sides of the frame and that the outline were smoother, but I do like it. If I did any painting, it would be watercolor with washes and borders similar to that.

[Steve Adkins]

Love your use of the watercolor effect here, Judy. The white border works for me and it is so cool that we can find answers here to help us with the techniques. Thank you Dennis.

[Kerry Perkins]

Very pretty image and a perfect greeting card! Good observation regarding the brighter leaves. I have mixed feelings about the border, sometimes I like the look and others not, but I think it works really well for this image. My eye enjoys the variety of geometrical shapes in the image, with the dominant ones being the butterfly and the fruit.

[Paul Lagasi]

a nice watercolor painting, would make a lovely card...well done

[Judy Howle]

Thanks Steve, Kerry and Paul. I finally got around to re-working it from scratch in DAP. First I darkened the leaves at the top before DAP so they are not as bright and painted over them a little after. I changed the only setting I saw on the edges and got less white on sides but not 100%. Then in Ps I did some painting around the edges. I like it better but will see what others think.

[Dennis Bishop]

A vote from me for the re-worked version. Both the toned-down leaves and the elimination of the border make it even better, I think.

[Judy Howle]

Thanks Dennis, I'm glad you also think it's better.

[Diane Miller]

This is gorgeous! My vote for the second version, too. So nice to see works in progress.

[Judy Howle]

Thanks Diane!

[Cheryl Slechta]

Definitely the second version. Well executed, Judy

[Anita Bower]

I especially like that the butterfly is feeding on a native plant, the name of which escapes me at the moment. I wonder what the original photo looked like. I like how you toned down the upper leaves in the second version, but, don't like what happened to the border at the top. I think I prefer the original white border.

[Nancy Bell]

Another vote for the second image. The white border in the OP was too bright white for me. A lovely and very natural palette of colors blended together with the water color effect.

[Judy Howle]

Thanks Cheryl, Anita and Nancy! Anita, I prefer the 2nd image but the top could be better in this version. I didn't care for the other sides in the first version though.