Recto-Linear Man

More experiments with spatially modulated MSG processing.

Intelligent Paint Strokes 3

Cleaning up some details associated with some new paint synthesizer features.

Spatially Modulated Abstraction

Abstract procedural MSG backing with a vectorizer outline overlay effect. The abstract backing is a source processing effect, so even though the patterning appears to be random it actually has variability based on the source image. This spatial modulation approach to generating abstract backing effects is actually very powerful.

MSG Modtastik Patterning

More experiments with new MSG processors. Tiled vector procedural patterning with spatially modulated variations in the generated shapes.

MSG Procedural Shards

Working with some new MSG processors.

Intelligent Paint Strokes 2

More experiments with intelligent paint strokes using new paint synthesizer features.

Dr Evil 2

More fun with news imagery. Mixture of paint synthesizer with light vectorizer outline overlay to pull the abstracted facial features out.

Dr Evil

Working on new paint synth features, and patching a few holes in the vector painting capabilities of the paint synthesizer.

Hexagonal Photo Mosaic

Someone recently asked me if there was a way to generate hexagonal photo mosaic movie brush effects in Studio Artist. After thinking about it, i realized that it's actually pretty easy to do using a movie brush with a hexagonal mask as it's embedded alpha channel.

I used MSG to generate the hexagonal mask as well, so everything associated with the effect can be built within Studio Artist.

Abstract Procedural MSG 2

Abstract procedural image generated in Studio Artist 4 by working with directed evolution of MSG processors. Always trying to work on adding new MSG features when i get the time.

Intelligent Paint Strokes

More experiments with new paint synthesizer features for intelligent auto-painting.

Adaptive Shape Layout 4

Another experiment with new features developed for generating adaptive shape layout.

Cute Australian Animal

Peter Walton, who is a really wonderful Australian photographer, allowed me to use this source image of his (along with a few others he sent me). I put together some paint strategy tutorials with some of his original digital images, which have been slowly been getting posted to the Studio Artist daily effects blog.

I can't really get into the details of how this particular painting was put together since it uses new paint synthesizer features still in development. The next version of Studio Artist is going to have some really cool new features for quickly building up digital paintings that go beyond the already incredible range of things you can do with the existing program.

I have always been amazed at the wildlife you can see in my trips to Australia, there's this one tame fruit bat in particular in Queensland my wife and i really came to love. And there's nothing like seeing flocks of wild parrots flying around, plus all of the various kinds of kangaroo's.

Paint Synthesizer Modulation

Effective modulation of individual parameters in the paint synthesizer is often times the key to building an effective paint style. More experiments with some new paint synth features to intelligently modulate attributes of the paint based on local source image features. A long with some additional work with the vectorizer Outline technique for some black cartoon style outlining to finish off this particular sketch style.

Paint Stroke Zeitgeist 3

More experiments on building better visual intelligence into single pass paint synthesizer drawing presets for working with defining and intelligently automatically laying down paint strokes (as opposed to being forced to work with multiple presets in a PASeq to build up a paint strategy).

Paint Stroke Zeitgeist 2

I guess i could make a joke about being in Hawaii for too long when i start painting pictures of flowers as opposed to urban decay imagery. But this is really all about exploring new approaches to incorporating new types of visual intelligence into the Studio Artist paint synthesizer.

Paint Stroke Zeitgeist

It should be obvious from recent posts that i've been spending a lot of time recently working on making the paint synthesizer smarter. Seems like there are some interesting things starting to happen with all of this behind the scenes work.

Photo Mosaic Layout Musings

I love this kind of energetic intelligently abstract photo mosaic layout approach for my own approach to this kind of effect.

Of course, i seem to find myself at odds with many Studio Artist users, who much prefer this kind of regular organized grid layout approach and lust after it endlessly so they can emulate existing effects they see generated by certain famous StudioArtist users that they have popularized in their high profile commercial work.

But then i like Francis Bacon paintings, so what kind i say.

I guess there is a kind of internal harmony to sub-nested tiling layouts that is appealing to the eye. And it is effective for making a more recognizable representation of an image if you're going for that kind of thing. Maybe that's why people tend to gravitate towards wanting to go for this kind of tiling effect (as opposed to the more crazy abstraction looks i'm attracted to)?

Sometimes i wish people would be more open to more experimentation for generating photo mosaic effects as opposed to re-hashing regular grid layouts. Or to use the many editable parameters available to them to create their own unique visual styling as opposed to just focusing on copying certain artwork styles popularized by other Studio Artist users (like those photo mosaic layouts based on regular sub nested grid structures).

The people who get famous for a particular style do so by pursuing their own personal vision. Not by using a pre-built effect. At least not usually, there's probably a few people that grab a factory preset and then grind it into the ground as their own vision and are successful at it. More power to them it that works for them.

And then i guess there's the commercial pressure of being asked to recreate an effect after it becomes popular. So the art director hiring you for the job doesn't want something original, they want a knock off of the existing effect they saw somewhere else.

But to each their own. At least you have the choice in Studio Artist to create your own personal vision for whatever artwork styling you are pursuing if you wish to. Or to copy the flavor of the week if that's your personal choice. Or to live off of factory presets until the end of time, since we certainly provide you enough endless variety of them (with more on the way all the time) to do so if you wish to.

Indeed, that's the whole point of the endless variety of different editable parameter choices made available to you in all Studio Artist effects. Our whole design philosophy is, if there are 2 different ways of doing something and they both look different, we let you choose both of them, since only you can decide which one makes the most sense and is the most interesting for your personal artistic vision. Because the whole point about art is that it's supposed to be personal, not a generic commodity.

As opposed to 'design by committee' development philosophies that choose that one generic editable parameter least likely to offend anyone. Or the 'make it simple for idiots end of story' philosophy, which has it's point and value i'll admit (in terms of ease of use yes, but certainly not in the ability to create an endless variety of different and interesting and unique effect styles), championed by certain companies that shall remain nameless.

But thank god we live in a universe where we still have choices. At least for awhile.

Adaptive Shape Layout 3

Another adaptive shape layout experiment, this tim working with the vectorizer.

Adaptive Shape Photo Mosaic Idea

Adaptive photo mosaic idea, generated from new adaptive close packing options in the paint synthesizer. Using a movie brush for the mosaic imagery.

Symmetry Dream Imagery

Sometimes i feel like symmetry is just the easy way out. But it is powerful in a perceptual way, it literally makes a specific part of your brain light up, which is why it's so visually effective. I forgot about this particular image, but it jumped out at me when i was running through recent stuff to post. More MSG directed evolution experiments.

MSG Framing

More abstract procedural art adventures with MSG processors in Studio Artist 4. I've been trying to beef up the auto-framing features recently.

Adaptive Shape Layout 2

Another experiment with adaptive shape layout. I'm using the Studio Artist paint synthesizer to generate these images. Will be interesting to see how this develops.

Adaptive Shape Layout

Trying out some new experiments with adaptive shape layout. Some promising new results in the works.

Vector Smile

Experiment that is a combo of vectorizer close packing and truchet patterning.

New Vectorizer Shape Option

I used to think of the vectorizer Shape technique as having to be based on rigid non-overlapping complete shape packings. But i've been expanding my viewpoint recently with some new shape technique feature additions.

New Edge Detector Algorithm

Added a new approach to doing edge detection to Studio Artist. You would think that particular topic has been beaten to death, but it just goes to show there's always room for new developments.  Works way better than the more conventional techniques on an image like this.

Truchet Melt

Working on some new truchet patterning effects done with overlays. With a little additional warp melt after the fat.

Melting Vector Paint Look

Trying some experiments with hybrid vector-raster melt paint effects.

Hilbert Shading

I always wanted to do hatching patterns based on space filling curves. Still working through the details but it's getting there.

Modtastik MSG

Swap evolution experiment that started with some new MSG close packing features i recently added to Studio Artist.

Adaptive Close Packing

From some experiments with some new Vectorizer adaptive close packing features.

Man with Tie

Playing around with some new close packing features in the Vectorizer, although it might not be obvious due to the additonal vector region effects i'm working with.