Chiaroscuro, low-key painting (study)

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Chiaroscuro - (Italian) light - dark.
An art term used to describe the contrast between light and dark.

I was looking through artwork from several great classic masters like Caravaggio, Velazquez, Vermeer, Rembrandt, etc.  I love how they use simple lighting setups to create volume, contrast, composition.  For CEF lesson illustrations, I sometimes use black outlines to create separation for children to clearly see the Bible characters from a distance ... but I prefer to use adjacent light/dark shapes (and colour) to create the separation.  [interesting how often my characters just happened to be framed by a window or doorway. :-) ]

I was taking more reference photos this past week for a CEF promotional (Kids Packet).  A single diffused light source was used for the photos.  I was drawn to this particular photo with how the face was framed by the dark hair and winter coat.
This evening I made a digital oil painting study (practice), creating a low-key painting and incorporating strong contrast in areas, placing light/dark values against each other to create separation, shape/form, all to lead the eye.  It was a good learning exercise for me.

Hope you enjoy the painting.

Photo resources

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There is a constant need for photos in our work.  Having access to the right (quality) photos to effectively communicate the message is one of the biggest challenges we face in designing materials.

We have several options for getting photos.  There are online stock libraries which work in some instances but do not represent specific CEF ministries.  For CEF ministries in action we regularly request photos from our workers across Europe ... and then wait.  There are other times when photos are needed for a project requiring a certain lighting, setup, positioning, image quality, etc..

Here are some photos I took this past week of our European Director's grandchildren visiting from France.  They were great models.  While setting up the lights in their apartment I was reminded of what one photographer said, "Good portraits are 10% photography and 90% moving furniture!".
These photos will be part of a short 3-5 min. video I'm preparing that will be shown in churches across Europe and made available in many languages.  I was able to control the lighting and get the consistent results needed between all the photos in the project.  Photos like this can be used again for future literature projects.

Technical notes: I imported the photos into Adobe Bridge, edit them in Camera RAW, then opened in Photoshop to mask the subject from the background (creates a transparent background around subject).  This allows me to place the subject as a floating object against any background.

Children's Ministry Leadership Course

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The 3-month Children's Ministry Leadership Course recently started up at Kilchzimmer.
The Autumn course has 18 students taking the classes in German and 12 students taking the classes in English.
It can be a challenge waiting for a good photo day.  This afternoon, I quickly snapped photos of each class ... in between the big gusts of wind, blowing leaves and hair.  You'll notice I asked someone to hold down the flash and umbrella stand from flying away.  The rain came as soon as we finished.  That's Swiss weather!


Photographer tech notes: I used the flash (manual setting) to help warm up the shadows on the faces and fill in around the eyes. The flash helped to counter the cool overcast day and surrounding green reflecting onto their faces.  Because I used a single umbrella for a group shot, I had the umbrella center pointing toward the far end of the group, feathering the light across those nearest the umbrella and giving an even coverage of light across the entire group.

Meet the Author – lesson series (cover)

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The cover is ready!

After a few years of start/stops due to other project priorities and deputation in the US, I've finally completed the illustrations for the Meet the Author Bible flashcard series.  With the completion of the visuals, the project is now ready for printing later this month at a print shop in Poland and will be distributed to CEF national offices.  Several countries have completed or are working on the translation of the text.  The lesson text is printed separate and there is no text integrated in any visuals to make them usable in multiple languages.   

Please continue to pray for the printing, ongoing translation, distribution of the lessons, and that the lesson series will be used to reach many boys and girls with the Gospel.

Meet the Author is a 5-part Bible lesson series on the Person and work of the Holy Spirit.  Illustrations will be printed in a 24x34cm ring-bound flashcard book with accompanying lesson text.  

As with most of our visualized lessons, we have plans to offer it in the future in PowerPoint format.  

Illustrations created in Adobe Photoshop CS4 and Corel Painter X.  The cover was created in Adobe InDesign.

Meet the Author – lesson series (5-4)

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Excerpt from accompanying lesson text:

... As you read a little of God's Word each day, you can pray to God and ask that the Holy Spirit, the Author of the Bible, will help you understand and obey what He has written for you.

Meet the Author is a 5-part Bible lesson series on the Person and work of the Holy Spirit. visuals are 24x34cm and come with accompanying lesson text. Illustrations created using Adobe Photoshop CS4 and Corel Painter X.

Meet the Author – lesson series (5-1)

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This was one of the more challenging lesson texts to visualize from the series.

Romans 8:26 "... The Spirit also helps us in our weaknesses.  For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered."

How does one illustrate for children the Holy Spirit helping the believer and interceding with groans?!

I was trying to illustrate this by showing a child who might be going through a difficult situation (fear, tired, lonely, sickness, etc.) and coming to the Lord in prayer.  Many children know how if feels to feel pain and anguish inside.  I added the directional light breaking the evening light (on right side) to help show how the child is not alone and the Holy Spirit is sharing in our feelings with us and helping us.  

When viewing these illustrations, remember that the pictures are not meant to "stand on their own" but there will be a teacher explaining/teaching from an accompanying text with the illustration helping to hold the child's attention, help bring the lesson to life, reinforce the truths being taught, and complement the written text with additional visual teaching.

For the reference photo, I used a child whose parents are presently students at the 3-month training course in Kilchzimmer.  He was a real trooper and patient as I took a series of photos, placing each of his fingers individually into position.  This was very important since the hands & fingers had to communicate the intense emotions without the help of the eyes or face.

Excerpt from accompanying Bible lesson text:

"Our prayers are often very imperfect, but the Holy Spirit prays to God for us so that we will be strong to do what is right and to keep on doing it.  When you pray quietly to God at home, isn't it wonderful to know that the Holy Spirit is praying for you and with you!"

Meet the Author is a 5-part Bible lesson series on the Person and work of the Holy Spirit.  Final print size is 24x34cm ring-bound flashcard book with accompanying text.  Illustration was created in Adobe Photoshop CS4 and Corel Painter X.  ... Initial sketch ideas were created using traditional pencil, pen and paper. :-)

Meet the Author – lesson series (5-3)

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This is an application picture following the story of the disciples witnessing to the crowd after Pentecost, where the Holy Spirit gave them power to tell others about the Lord Jesus (Acts).  

Here, 9 yr. old Heather has an opportunity to share with her friend Mary when Mary noticed a change in her life and asked Heather what happened.

Meet the Author is a 5-part Bible lesson series on the Person and work of the Holy Spirit.  Illustration print size is 24x34cm – 34 total illustrations in a ring-bound book with accompanying lesson text.  Illustration is created using Adobe Photoshop CS4 and Corel Painter X.

Meet the Author – lesson series (4-6)

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This may seem like an odd picture to be part of the Meet the Author series.  You may recognize this scene from a familiar story.

In this part of the lesson, an application is made by referencing a scene from "Pilgrim's Progress" - a well known classic story about a man called Christian.  I decided to have the characters wearing present day clothing but place them in a more traditional/rustic cottage scene.  

In this scene the angry-looking man who pours water on the fire reminds us of the devil, who is always trying to discourage us, to make us love the Lord Jesus less and to trust Him less.  

The man pouring oil from the other side of the wall to keep the fire going represents the Holy Spirit who keeps the fire burning in the life of the Christian - encouraging us and helping us to love and serve God.

Meet the Author is a 5-part Bible lesson series on the Person and work of the Holy Spirit.  The illustration was created in Adobe Photoshop CS4 and Corel Painter X.  It will be printed as a ring-bound flashcard, 24x34cm with accompanying lesson text.

Meet the Author – lesson series (3-3)

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Excerpt from accompanying lesson text:

The people in Jerusalem were certainly listening to God's voice. That is why they called out, "What must we do?"

Peter told them to turn from their sins and trust in the Lord Jesus so that their sins could be wiped out (Acts 2:38).

That day many, many people turned to God from their sins and trusted in Jesus as their Saviour - over 3,000 of them! What joy there must have been that day in Jerusalem! There was certainly great joy in Heaven! (Luke 15:10) ...

If you have trusted in Jesus as your Saviour, you too can have this joy in your heart. ....

Meet the Author is a 5-part Bible lesson series for children on the Person and work of the Holy Spirit.  Illustration was created using Adobe Photoshop CS4 and Corel Painter X.  Ring-bound flashcard book is 24x34cm.  Comes with accompanying text.

Meet the Author – lesson series (3-2)

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Excerpt from accompanying lesson text:

Who made these men and women and children realise that they had sinned against God? Who made them feel so sorry about all the wrong things that they had done? Was it Peter? Or the other apostles?  ....

Peter had certainly preached God''s Word to the people, but the Person who made them realise that they had done wrong was the Holy Spirit.  While Peter and the others were preaching, the Holy Spirit was working silently in the hearts of the people to show them their sin and to give them eternal life. ...(John 16:8). ...

Meet the Author is a 5-part Bible lesson series on the Person and Work of the Holy Spirit. Illustration created in Adobe Photoshop CS4 and Corel Painter X.

Meet the Author – lesson series (5-5)

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Excerpt from accompanying text:

Sam was reading his Bible one morning.  Before he began, he asked God to help him understand what he was about to read.  He read from Eph. 4:32 "And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you."

....   

At lunchtime when he was playing football Tom, one of his friends, kicked him quite hard.  Sam was just about to punch him back, when the words "forgiving one another, ... as God ... forgave you" came into his mind.  He just played on and did not pay Tom back.

Meet the Author is a 5-part Bible lesson series on the Person and Work of the Holy Spirit.  Illustration created in Adobe Photoshop CS4 and Corel Painter X.  Final ringbound flashcard is 24x34cm.

Meet the Author – lesson series (5-6)

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Excerpt from lesson text:

At home that evening, he was finishing a jigsaw puzzle, when Anne (his younger sister) suddenly knocked lots of the pieces onto the floor.  Sam was about to shout angrily at her when he remembered the words from the Bible - "Forgiving one another, ... as God ... forgave you."  Sam was able to pick up the pieces quietly, without making a big fuss.  ....

Meet the Author is a 5-part Bible lesson series for children on the Person and work of the Holy Spirit.  Illustration created using Adobe Photoshop CS4 and Corel Painter X.  Flashcard lesson is 24x34cm with accompanying text.

Meet the Author – lesson series (4-7)

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This is the last picture of lesson four which concludes with questions to review what was taught about the Holy Spirit.  

There are application questions for the saved and unsaved child.

"Meet the Author" is a 5-part visualized Bible lesson series on the Person and work of the Holy Spirit.  Print size: 24x34cm.  Ring-bound flashcard book with accompanying text. Illustrations created using Adobe Photoshop CS4 and Corel Painter X.

Meet the Author – lesson series (4-1)

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Illustration for Meet the Author, a 5-part Bible lesson series on the Person and work of the Holy Spirit.

Print size: 24x34cm, ring-bound CEF flashcard book with accompanying lesson text.  Illustration created with Adobe Photoshop CS4 and Corel Painter X.

Meet the Author – lesson series (4-4)

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Another illustration finished today for Meet the Author, a 5-part Bible lesson series on the Person and work of the Holy Spirit.

Here are a few excerpts from the accompanying text:

"Have you ever seen a potter working?  He is a person who uses clay to make cups or vases or pots.

.... 

This is a picture of what the Holy Spirit is doing in your life.  He is the great Potter who is shaping you little by little.  The pattern that He has in His mind is the Lord Jesus Himself. 

....

The Holy Spirit who lives in me, is changing me little by little,  I am far from perfect but I know that the Holy Spirit will keep on helping me to become more and more like the Lord Jesus.

....

One day, when we get to Heaven, we will indeed be perfectly like the Lord Jesus Himself. Isn't that wonderful?"

Print size: 24x34cm, ring-bound flashcard book with accompanying lesson text.  Illustration created with Adobe Photoshop CS4 and Corel Painter X.

Copyright ©2009, CEF Europe.  All rights reserved.  These images may not be reproduced, displayed, modified or distributed without the express prior written permission of the copyright holder.  Thank you.

Meet the Author – lesson series (4-5)

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Application picture for Meet the Author Bible lesson series.

Here are some short excerpts from the accompanying lesson text:

"Another reason [the Holy Spirit comes to live in you] is to help you to be sure that you really are God's child (Rom. 8:15-16).  ...

The devil will often attack you and try to make you doubt that you are saved.  He wants you to keep wondering, "Am I really a child of God, Are my sins really all forgiven...."

....

Part of the work of the Holy Spirit is to help you answer the devil when he attacks.

...

Firstly, He brings back to mind verses like Romans 10:13 ....   

He helps you to be sure from these promises that you are truly God's child.

...

The second way that the Holy Spirit helps you to be sure that you are saved and are God's child is by helping you to see the little changes that He is making in your life, even when you are alone and no-one is watching to see if you do what is right or not. ...."

5-part Bible lesson series for children on the Person and work of the Holy Spirit.

Print size: 24x34cm, ring-bound flashcard book with accompanying text available in several languages.  Illustration created with Adobe Photoshop CS4 and Corel Painter X.

Copyright ©2009, CEF Europe.  Do not use pictures without permission. Thank you.

Meet the Author – lesson series (4-3)

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Application picture for Meet the Author Bible lesson series.

Here are a few excerpts from the accompanying lesson text:

"Another reason why the Holy Spirit has come to live in each believer is to change him or her.

His name tells you what kind of a Person He is.  He is holy.  That means that He is perfect and pure and clean.  He cannot do anything wrong.  He loves everything that is good and lovely.  He also hates everything that is dirty and wrong and sinful.

.....

When the Holy Spirit came to live in you the moment you trusted in Christ as your Saviour, He started the work of making you more like the Lord Jesus.  He will go on with that wonderful work, little by little, during your whole life (2 Cor. 3:18).

..."

5-part Bible lesson series on the Person and work of the Holy Spirit. Print size: 24x34cm ringbound flashcard with accompanying text.  Illustration created with Adobe Photoshop CS4 and Corel Painter X.

Copyright ©2009, CEF Europe.  Do not use pictures without permission. Thank you.

Meet the Author – lesson series (4-2)

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Application picture from lesson 4 – The Holy Spirit, the believer's Companion.

Excerpt from lesson text:

"... If you are God's child, the Holy Spirit is always with you – when you are playing at school, when you are alone at home, when you feel afraid, or when you are sick.

He will never leave you.  You can always count on this good Friend (who is the all-powerful God) being with you.  In fact he is living in you. ..."

Meet the Author is 5 part Bible lesson series on the Person and work of the Holy Spirit. There are 7 illustrations per lesson.  Ring bound flashcard book with accompanying lesson text. Print size: 24x34cm.  Illustrated with Adobe Photoshop CS4 and Corel Painter X.

Copyright ©2009, CEF Europe.  Do not use pictures without permission. Thank you.

illustration stages (father/son)

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The stages to completing the father/son illustration:

The first stage (not shown above) is the most important stage of prayerfully reading the lesson text several times, making written and visual notes, historical and theological research, consider cultural differences between countries, drawing multiple (10-20) different thumbnail sketch ideas before deciding on a final idea.  These mini sketches may look like primitive chicken scratch to some folks but they are vital to the process!  This is the more time consuming stage with 95% of the decisions being made here before proceeding.

#1-3 Many reference photos are taken from various angles and locations then I select the ones to use for the illustration.  This may even involve using body parts from different photos and merging them into one person.

#4 Time to merge, mask and edit the images in Adobe Photoshop.  This may also involve redrawing, perspective correction, etc.  For a Bible scene, there would be an additional stage of totally redrawing a scene from the reference photos.  Modern day application illustrations like this are much easier than a Bible scene.

#5 This stage involves creating multiple layers in Photoshop.  The image may have 20-30 layers on top of each other where I use different digital brushes to add controlled dodging/burning, local colour adjustment layers, level adjustments, masking, etc..  Redrawing areas may be required and colour decisions are finalized at this stage.  This is all done with individual brush strokes using a Wacom® pen on screen. No "one click" trick Photoshop art filters are used.

#6 The Photoshop file is imported into Corel Painter X to create the final painting/illustration.  This is similar to traditional painting, using individual paint brush strokes and not applying any "instant" art filters. Corel Painter is excellent at creating natural media brush strokes and blending ... minus the setup or clean up.  The painting is brought back into Photoshop for final touch ups.

Photoshop and Corel Painter have greatly reduced my production time.  The final production stages #4-6 (after the initial research, sketch stage) may take between 1-3 days.  Some Bible scenes will take longer.  The final stages #4-6 of the above illustration took around 10 hrs. to complete.

Meet the Author – lesson series (3-7)

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excerpt from accompanying lesson text:

Maybe somebody has said to you that you look like your daddy.  The Holy Spirit not only brings you into God's family when you trust in Jesus, but He also begins to make you more and more like your Heavenly Father (1 Peter 1:14-15).  You do not become like Him in your looks, but in the way you behave.

Meet the Author is a 5-part Bible lesson series on the Person and work of the Holy Spirit.  Flashcard print size is 24x34cm.  Illustrated using Adobe Photoshop CS4 and Corel Painter X.

Lost (and found) in the woods explained

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This illustration is a review of the illustration about the boy lost in the woods and found by the forest ranger.

Questions include: 

Who does George represent? Why did George get lost? Who does the ranger represent? 

What is the Book that the Holy Spirit uses to show us the right way?  From what dangerous path does He want to guide us? Into what safe path does He want to guide us? etc..  

Bridge...   The Holy Spirit is the One who helps the sinner to turn to God.  

Meet the Author is a 5-part Bible lesson series on the Person and work of the Holy Spirit.  Flashcard print size is 24 x 34cm.  35 illustrations with accompanying text.  Illustrated using Adobe Photoshop CS4 and Corel PainterX.

Lost in the woods – Meet the Author series

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Short story illustration in lesson text: 

George took a walk in the woods and as it got dark he lost his way.  A forest ranger found him before he encountered a dangerous cliff.  He showed George how he was lost and warned him of his danger, turned him around and with the map helped him to get on the right path to the safety of home.

Illustration for Meet the Author 5-part Bible lesson series on the Holy Spirit. 24x34cm flashcard with lesson text.  There are 7 illustrations for each lesson. Illustrated using Adobe Photoshop CS4 and Corel PainterX

Meet the Author – lesson series

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Peter preaching.

Meet the Author; 5-part lesson series; 24x34cm flashcard with accompanying lesson text. Created with Adobe Photoshop CS4 and Corel Painter X.

"Meet the Author" series

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Here is an excerpt from the accompanying lesson text.

Some people think that the Holy Spirit is something like the force of gravity or electricity.  That is not so.  He is a Person.  A person is someone who can think, who can understand and know, who can love.  The Holy Spirit too can think, He can understand and know.  In fact He knows everything there is to know!  He can love – He loves everything that is good and right.  He hates all that is wrong. ....

Meet the Author –  5 Bible lessons for children on the Person and work of the Holy Spirit.  Final printed size: 24x34cm.

When including the Bible in an illustration

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Finished another illustration this evening...

If I'm including a Bible in an illustration, I remove any text from the cover as the lesson will be taught in many different languages.  I also avoid having the Bible cover black as this can be confused or associated with religious prayer books, etc. in some cultures/religions.

This picture is at the end of lesson #2. There are 5 lessons with 7 pictures in each lesson.    The Gospel is clearly presented in every lesson. 

Meet the Author – Bible lesson series. printed size: 24x34cm.  Illustrated using Adobe Photoshop CS4 and Corel Painter X.

Building Bridges from the familiar to the unfamiliar

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This illustration is an example from the "Meet the Author" Bible lesson series where a suggestion is given for a visual aid.  The teacher could remove an actual letter from an envelope and begin reading.  For those who may not have a letter/envelope on hand, we've included an illustration.  The letter is building a bridge from something they are familiar with to better understand a Biblical truth they are unfamiliar with.

Here is an excerpt from the text that accompanies this illustration:

"If you get a letter or e-mail from your grandmother or some other person, what kind of things would you find in it?  Isn't there usually some news about the person who wrote to you and then probably something about you: your Grandma says that she is glad that you are doing well at school; maybe she is pleased that you have good friends.  That is exactly what the Bible is like.  There is news in it about God the writer.  The Bible tells us that God is good and loving.  He is totally perfect.  He never does anything wrong."

Flashcard series: printed size 24x34cm.  Illustrated using Adobe Photoshop CS4 and Corel PainterX.

RGB to CMYK

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The title of this blog entry might not make sense to some of you.  Stay with me as I explain ... 

A computer screen or a TV uses red, green, and blue light (RGB) to create all the colours you see on your screen and even then, the colours will appear slightly different on your screen from another computer screen.  If you mix 100% of all the colours together you get white.  

The printed page (offset printing) creates colour differently.  All the colours you see on a printed page are made from cyan, magenta, yellow and black (CMYK).  The range of colours possible with CMYK is much smaller than with RGB as you can see in the image above!  If you mix 100% of all the colours (pigments) together you get black.

Now you get a small glimpse of the challenge we face in bridging these two worlds – creating graphics in an RGB world, on a computer, and knowing how they will appear in the CMYK world – in print for the children.  The above illustration, completed a few minutes ago, is a perfect example.  The image at the top is very bright and saturated.  Most of the colours fall far outside the range possible with CMYK printing (image below).  The bottom image is a soft proof I did within Photoshop on-screen to see how muddy my colours might become when printed and then I decide if a more suitable colour should be used.  Even when I used to work with traditional materials (paint, colour pencils) I still had to store away half my colour pencils and avoid some paint colours because I knew those colours would not survive the printing process.

The illustration above is for the "Meet the Author" lesson series.  Final print size is 24x34cm.  If we produce the series as a PowerPoint® presentation on CD, I will adjust the purple and green again.

Using symbols to teach truths

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For a Bible lesson series, simple symbols can be effective in illustrating a truth for children.

Here are two illustrations for Meet the Author, a lesson series teaching about the person and work of the Holy Spirit.

Illustrations created in Adobe Photoshop CS3.

Final print size: 24x34cm

Application picture-Meet the Author series

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Several excerpts from the Bible lesson series, Meet the Author:  

".... The wind fills the sails and carries the boats across the waves.  

That is another picture of how the Holy Spirit helped the writers of the books of the Bible.  .... "Men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit" (2 Peter 1:21b). .... The information in other books may grow out of date.  But God's Word is for ever.  It is always true; always right; always up-to-date.  It will never pass away."

I'm trying to keep a consistent style between each illustration while still learning and refining my use of Corel Painter X in the workflow.  It's difficult to see the brush stroke details in this reduced image, but I used a wet camel hair oil brush and was amazed at the Corel Painter's ability to blend and flow colours resembling real oil paint on a brush!

Final print size: 24x34cm

Isaiah writing

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I completed another illustration for the Meet the Author Bible lesson series this evening.  I might tweak some colours later on before it's printed this summer.  The colours (especially the violets and oranges) will become more muted than they appear here, when converted to CMYK for printing.

Flashcard size is 24x34cm.  Lesson was illustrated in Adobe Photoshop and Corel PainterX.

Isaiah preaching

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I just completed this picture for the 5-part Bible lesson series on the Holy Spirit – "Meet the Author".  Printed image will be 24x34cm.  

The illustration was created using Adobe Photoshop CS3 with additional editing in Corel PainterX.