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5 Ideas for Going Away to College Gifts from PhotoTownship.com

Annie Varanese — Fri, 26 Aug 2011 13:28:17 +0000

Are you looking for some fun and unique gifts for the college student in your life? Move in day for college dorms are already here and time is ticking. Care packages full of snacks and useful items are always welcome but wouldn’t you like to give something more personal? Our sister site, Phototownship, has hundreds of Artists selling unique art and craft based on your favorite photos. Here are our top five Going Away to College Gifts:

Personalized Photo Soap ($5.50 USD)

Photo Product and Gift by: soapsanitonalcreation

This personalized soap is great for the budding environmentalist, or as more personal addition to the traditional care package. Simply upload a photo and message, and it will be placed into an 5.5 ounce oval-top rectangle soap bar. All bars are eco-friendly and made from a 100% vegetable base.

Completely Customizable Digital Cartoon ($10.00 USD)

Photo Gift by: lollyxbeans

This is simply the funnest gift because it’s completely customizable and up to you. For just $10.00 (plus $5.00 for each additional subject), lollyxbeans will create a digital picture or portrait of whatever you’d like; whether it’s the recipient’s favorite character, family, best friend, or herself as a cartoon. We recommend having the digital cartoon printed on Tshirt for an extra $19.99 dollars.

Theme Card with Portrait ($30 USD)

Photo Gift by: thefabian

This gift does double duty. It is a superb greeting card, but also nice enough to be tacked to the dorm room wall as a special reminder of home all year round. You can even add text and collage details that reflect the student’s personality, likes, hobbies, goals, etc.. The final artwork comes in a digital file so you can print it yourself as a card or as any other format/size you want.

Digital Pet Portrait ($30 USD)

Photo Gift by: sketchi

The perfect gift for the animal lover. Sketchi will hand-draw your pet and capture their personality as well as their likeness. You just provide a clear picture of your pet, and you’re set to go. If you would like a more exaggerated, fun version of your pet, be sure to mention it in your order. Sketchi can draw any animal, no matter how obscure. We recommend having the pet portrait printed on canvas for an extra $35 dollars.

Customized Splashed Colors Portrait (Oil & Acrylic $800 USD)

Photo Product and Gift by: iamgabz

Okay, this one is pricey, but we had to include it because we think any college student would love an original oil and acrylic portrait stylized like this. The result is texture-rich and full of beautiful colors and contrast. The work is done in on a 20x20cms gallery wrapped canvas, with colors continuing on the sides of the frame so no staples show and no frame is needed. This is an incredible gift that will last a lifetime.

Cool Custom Photo Items on PhotoTownship.com

Dharini Mistry — Mon, 07 Mar 2011 04:52:43 +0000

PhotoTownship changes the way we see photos, there are so many innovative ways to preserve our memories.

You will discover Super Cool Custom Photo Items on PhotoTownship.com , offered by various artists.

PhotoTownship is an online marketplace that connects Artists to Buyers seeking unique ways to transform their photos and preserve their memories. We have selected few items from PhotoTownship.com to share with you.

We would love your feedback and comments.

Couple Custom Portrait-with Pencil & Photoshop

Customized Photo Art from the Shop: iamgabz

Customized Needle-Felted Sculpture Bust

Customized Photo Product from the Shop: scribblenest

Duct tape portrait

Customized Photo Product from the Shop: vicotria

Custom Digital Painting-Children

Customized Photo Art from the Shop: Floortjesart

Wooden Glass Photoframe

Non Customized Photo Item from the Shop: Tappu-ki-dukaan

Interview With Artist Katie Robinson – Magical Portraits She Creates With Help of Stencil and Paint Brush

Sahdev Thakur — Tue, 13 Apr 2010 18:30:40 +0000

This interview is totally awesome with New Zealand based artist Katie Robinson. She shares insight of her work and tells us some secrets.

If you love painting then you will love what Katie Robinson does with Stencil and Paint brush. She creates the most amazing portraits from photos.

Keep in mind though, once you have seen her work and read this you would just want to get one portrait customized for yourself, check it out!

Interview

- Please tell us more about your art and what did you do to take it further and turn it in to your profession?

This might sound silly but I have always thought of myself as an artist, in fact I was so busy being an artist in my head that I didn’t actually create anything till I was 27! My mother always said I should go to art school, but it wasn’t really my thing when I was growing up. Part of being an artist in my head was not being told what to do, haha. The way I got into it was very natural and there was no set ‘learning’ involved. I quite like how my style has evolved naturally with no pressure, so maybe not going to art school was a good idea =P

Once I decided to paint, which was about 3 years ago now, I just set out and did it. Incorporating digital images by way of stencils happened so slowly that I didn’t even notice that I had become a stencil artist.

I decided that I really should start painting, as it was something that I always felt I should do. So I found some old board and went to work. I loved the effect you get from using a blank piece of paper against a background and painting over it, after you take it off you are left with a perfect line. That perfection is something that I don’t usually achieve (or want actually) in my work so I liked to experiment with it and how it offset my normally quite dark and messy style. After not too long I realised I could apply this technique to various shapes and set out with a very simple rabbit image, then an actual person! The detail I could get was amazing and since then I have developed my skill to use with some really detailed images. There are a lot of different ways to cut a stencil that give you different effects, many, many hours of work with a blade later and I feel that I can achieve almost anything I want. It’s both a nice feeling and a frustrating feeling. The things that I could create if I had the time!!!!

- Your work is very unique and full of creativity. Where do you find inspiration to create such awesome pieces?

My inspiration comes from everything, every element of life gets me thinking and throws ideas into my head. Good, bad, confusing or straightforward and simple, anything and everything has something in it that I can use.

The photos that people want me to turn into portraits inspire me greatly also, I love that when I see the right photo my mind explodes with ideas and colours. The fact that they choose me to create something special from their favorite memories is very special to me.

- What, according to you are the pros and cons of being a designer?

The positive things far outweigh the negative things. The most prominent thing that I find to be a negative aspect of having a skill that I can use to express myself is that there is just too much that I want to capture. On a normal, basic day of my life I have many flashes of paintings and photos that I would like to investigate. In a particularly inpired time I can get quite frustrated that I can’t do everything that I see, ideas just keep coming and I am too busy trying to persuade my son Ash, who is 17 months old, not to eat rocks and throw his shoes into the toilet that often I don’t have the means to apply myself in that way. But really that just means that when I do have time I really, really get into it and don’t take a moment for granted!

The pros without a doubt are being able to donate my time and ideas to causes and charities etc. I love that I can use a skill that I have to raise money for people that really need it. I am always open to opportunites to use my art in a postive way.

- Please give us some tips for people that feel that they would like to get into art or design?

“Do It!” literally just do it and get started. Don’t take no for an answer and just perservere with your craft until things start happening. Approach it from a positive angle and positive things will come to you. If you can use your passion to create things you love, people will be naturally drawn to it. If you have a big idea and you are ready to convey it, there are people in the world that will share your idea and will love to see it! Also don’t let your tools of the trade bring you down. If you can’t afford canvases go and get some wood to paint on! That goes also for the other extreme, if you have a canvas in front of you don’t treat it as anything hallowed and special and be uber wary of what you put on it, just do it! You can always paint over it!

I talk to lots of people that would like to get into painting and they are just so shy of the paint and canvases, thinking that everything they attempt needs to be perfect. My favorite line is “The art police are not going to arrest you for painting a wonky tree” =P Art is whatever you create, it certainly doesn’t have any special guidelines it must live up to (some would argue that, but it’s what I think).

- What are your upcoming projects?

I have in my mind a few paintings that I am dying to complete. The general theme of them is to do with the area that we live, I am surrounded by the most spectacular sights and my mind won’t quit until I have captured some of them! There are a few old trees that I have my eye on and I have a thing for powerlines that I would really love to explore. I have done most of the design for them and now on to hours of cutting and then painting! I have been using a blue paint, that when used in a sky, turns a very light and happy scene into something quite gloomy and sureal, I plan on creating a body of work incorporating that blue.

For one particular gallery that has asked me to give them some work, I am going to start on a series of portraits of strangers. I haven’t developed the idea further than the plan to take my camera out into town and look out for some interesting characters. It has come from going out, seeing certain scenes and people and wishing I had my camera on me time and time again!

Another project I have happening is a commission from a Philosophy Professor in Washington DC. She wants a painting for her office that is inspired by a certain idea (which I won’t get into now =P) It’s a different kind of job for me and I am really enjoying being challenged.

I have wanted to make a painting for the Childrens Heart Ward in Starship Childrens Hospital where our son, Ash has had his surgeries. They have been fantastic to us and I would love to gift them a special painting one day soon. I have an idea and a photo and I would love to do it very soon!

- Which are your top 5 favorite websites?

www.depotartspace.co.nz – I have always loved this gallery, lovely people and fantastic philosophy behind it keeping it open to the creative community. I am currently sorting out a time to put some work up there. Funnily I used to always visit and never dreamed that I would be able to say that!

www.redbubble.com – This is such a cute site. It is a fantastic place for artist to submit their work for show and sale.

www.thebigidea.co.nz – Fantastic site full of opportunities involving all things creative in New Zealand!

www.antsang.co.nz – Ant is a very talented New Zealand artist that I really admire. He created my first and favorite comic ever, “Filth”.

www.stencilhistoryx.com – This is a beautiful site which some amazing work. I could look for hours!

- What are your magic tools, both hardware and software?

I could not live without Photoshop and Dreamweaver.

As for art supplies, I use DAS canvases and many, many (and any) types of paint and brushes.

A large scale printer makes my life a lot easier, I have developed a nice relationship with my local printer and visit him often! (I love seeing things in print that I have been working on)

A full can of spray paint and a sharp cutting blade brings me much happiness and I have to add coffee to this list or it wouldn’t feel complete!

- Where to find you on the web?

Website: www.katierobinson.co.nz

Facebook: Katie Robinson’s Custom Alternative Portraits

I have something exciting running at the moment, when we make it up to 500 members I will have a competition for a free portrait. We had great fun when the group got up to 200 and everyone posted their photos, very hard to choose but looking forward to doing it again!

10 Beautiful Photoshopped Girls – Great Photo Effects & Photo Ideas – Vol. 05

Sahdev Thakur — Thu, 01 Apr 2010 18:26:08 +0000

Check this Vol. 05 of “10 Beautiful Photoshopped Girls – Great Photo Effect & Photo Ideas”. In this post, I have once again collected 10 great photo effect & photo ideas from various artists for you.

It just amazes me the amount of creativity that is out there.

Hope you enjoy these photo effects as much as I do and find them inspirational! If you like these then you might want to join us on our Facebook Page.

Here goes the list, enjoy! Please feel free to leave your comments below or suggest some great photo effects.

Ice Princess

Photo Effect & Photo Idea by: Frank Oberle

Comic Book Reality

Photo Effect & Photo Idea by: Joe Harris

Tide

Photo Effect & Photo Idea by: Ladislav Hubert

Drosera

Photo Effect & Photo Idea by: Sabina Dimitriu

Type Face

Photo Effect & Photo Idea by: Irene Shih’s

Rihanna Simplicity

Photo Effect & Photo Idea by: Khyzyl Saleem

Non Cadenza

Photo Effect & Photo Idea by: Jared Nickerson

The Interlude

Photo Effect & Photo Idea by: Archan Nair

Eu Musica

Photo Effect & Photo Idea by: Tiago Cardoso

Vanity

Photo Effect & Photo Idea by: Juan Hodgson

5 DIY Photo Projects – Vol. 01

Sahdev Thakur — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 12:40:07 +0000

Do-It-Yourself projects are fun and we’ve decided to do an ongoing series on DIY Photo Projects frequently.

DIY can be great projects for home or personal gift for someone special.

Ok lets start doing, below are 5 DIY Photo Projects – Vol. 01, which will help you do more with your photos.

I look forward to your comments, also if you have come across some exciting photo projects please share.

Paper cut Photo Portraits (DIY-1)

Photo Coffee Sleeve (DIY-2)

Wire Photo Wall (DIY-3)

Tin Can Photo Frame (DIY-4)

Personal Photo Tile (DIY-5)

Interview With Artist Eric Thompson – Art He Calls Realistic Surrealism

Sahdev Thakur — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 07:52:54 +0000

Eric Thompson is a young artist from U.S., he brings amazing creativity in his art. We just loved what he does and wanted to share with all you.

In this Interview with artist Eric Thompson we talk a little about his art, design background and new project he is working on.

Interview

- Please tell us more about your art and when did you start this passion for design and graphics, and what did you do to take it further and turn it in to your profession?

I like to label my art as “realistic surrealism”; I take things that are abstract or imaginary and analyze them until they become reality. I am more a patient artist than a talented one, I can spend months getting something perfect so that it fits my hyper-detail category.

From a young age I was into detailed illustration. From elementary school into highschool, I would constantly have a sketch pad with me to doodle my ideas down. It wasn’t until recently that I made the leap into doing art as a professional endeavor.

I started framing some of my work and approaching local galleries and businesses, most of whom were happy to have my pieces on display. I’ve slowly started working some pop art themes with my fine art techniques which helps to broaden my horizons.

- Your work is very unique and full of creativity. Where do you find inspiration to create such awesome pieces?

A lot of my inspiration comes from wordplay and irony. Contrasting ideas or rhyming words cause synapses in my brain that make me want to visually manifest the wittiness. So I enjoy reading old books or magazine/internet articles and find interesting words that make me think.

Music is another big inspiration, the whole idea of harmony makes me see colors and patterns that I wouldn’t normally see if I was sitting in silence; I always love to have music playing while I work for ambiance.

Finally, math and science are big influences too. I try to incorporate some right-brained notions into my left-brained activities; patterns, negative space, the golden ratio, etc are all things I try to juggle while working on a piece of art.

- What, according to you are the pros and cons of being a designer?

The best thing about being a designer is the opportunity to flex your entire brain. It isn’t an occupation like being a lawyer or an accountant, you really get to use your whole mind when you work on something; emotions are just as important as skills.

The art community is second to none, so the social aspect of design is another great benefit.

The biggest con of being a designer is that, while you can work without inspiration, it’s hard to get motivated to work on something when you don’t have a spring in your step. Sometimes you can get more done in an hour if you are motivated than you would in the entire day if you aren’t motivated.

- What are your upcoming projects?

Right now I’m trying to finish up my US Banknote series. I did a $0 bill and I have 3 more I’m working on simultaneously. I’m also working on a few websites for 2 clients as well as a personal website. I’m a busy but happy person!

- Which are your top 5 favorite websites, and why?

www.ffffound.com - A very random collection of pictures, it’s easy to get lost browsing it for hours. Sometimes the pop art jogs the brain and inspires me to create something simple and cute.

www.abduzeedo.com – A site devoted to inspiring digital artists. Enough said.

www.2leep.com – This site is interesting, not specifically for artists, but for subject ideas.

www.weburbanist.com – Another random art-inspiration website.

www.instructables.com – This site is just cool. Let’s you think outside the box and inspires you to create using anything and everything around you.

- What are your magic tools, both hardware and software?

For digital art, I use photoshop & illustrator coupled with a whole bunch of plugins, brushes and font libraries. I also use a wacom bamboo pad for sketching a digital framework.

- Where to find you on the web?

I’m still working on my personal site, but for now, my flickr page , twitter or facebook are the easiest ways to get in touch with me. I’m always looking for new friends and somebody to share my work with!

10 Beautiful Photoshopped Girls – Great Photo Effects & Photo Ideas – Vol. 04

Sahdev Thakur — Thu, 24 Dec 2009 13:56:18 +0000

This is Vol. 04 of “10 Beautiful Photoshopped Girls – Great Photo Effect & Photo Ideas”, which is a showcase I decided to run frequently here on ThePhotoArtBlog.com featuring some fantastic, highly-creative photo effect done on girls.

Hope you enjoy those works as much as I did and find them inspirational! If you like these then you might want to join us on our Facebook Page.

Please feel free to leave your comments below or suggest some great photo effects.

Enjoy!

Vanity Beach!

Photo Effect & Photo Idea by: Ahmed Chaabane

Aloha Girl

Photo Effect & Photo Idea by: Charis Tsevis

Sky Girl

Photo Effect & Photo Idea by: Filtre Studio

Colours

Photo Effect & Photo Idea by: Andrepsart

Rose Girl

Photo Effect & Photo Idea by: Fabrizio Calicchia

Dimensional Photography

Photo Effect & Photo Idea by: Mike Campau

Graffiti

Photo Effect & Photo Idea by: Ricardo Galvao

Stop Dreaming

Photo Effect & Photo Idea by: Tony Ariawan

Self Reflect

Photo Effect & Photo Idea by: Peter Jaworowski

The Renaissance of Colors

Photo Effect & Photo Idea by: Alberto Seveso

10 Beautiful Photoshopped Girls – Great Photo Effects & Photo Ideas – Vol. 03

Sahdev Thakur — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 08:50:50 +0000

This is Vol. 03 of “10 Beautiful Photoshopped Girls – Great Photo Effect & Photo Ideas“, I should say this showcase has got really popular.

It is amazing how photoshop has enabled us to bring out our desires and visualisation, otherwise they would have just remained dreams. In Vol. 01 Imran commented “the original photos were beautiful and the photoshopped effects made them even more stunning”, I am sure we all agree to this.

I hope you enjoy this fresh 10 Beautiful Photoshopped Girls and get inspiration to think creative about your photos.

Your comments are much awaited.

She Has a Brain

Photo Effect & Photo Idea by: Ahmed Chaabane

Katherine Keigl Mosaic

Photo Effect & Photo Idea by: Tom Emmanuelides

Burning Water

Photo Effect & Photo Idea by: Quix Maiquez

Female

Photo Effect & Photo Idea by: Elinavg

Silver

Photo Effect & Photo Idea by: Start A Riot

Sugar Tits

Photo Effect & Photo Idea by: Dr. Chim

Pop Art Portrait

Photo Effect & Photo Idea by: ART-D

Red and Orange Girl Displex

Photo Effect & Photo Idea by: Deco Fernandes

Text Made Image

Photo Effect & Photo Idea by: Tutorial Park

Channel Mask Girl

Photo Effect & Photo Idea by: PSDVault

8 cartoony ideas will make you smile – Photo to Caricature

Dharini Mistry — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 06:11:45 +0000

Looking at the long face of my friend on webcam who got a pink slip last week persuaded me to send him something to make him smile.

Nothing better then a caricature, a cartoony version of his photo on his door steps to cheer him up.

Found lots and lots of things and thought of sharing with you all, right from caricatures from photos molded into clay figurines, stamps and posters to name few items.

Hope these 8 cartoony ideas will make you smile.

Spreading the love

Photo Caricature by - CaricatureKing

Madonna Birthday Wish

Photo Caricature by – Caricaturist

Real Estate Cartoon

Photo Caricature by – RealEstateCartoon

3D Caricature

Photo Caricature by – UnusuallyCreation

Holiday Card

Photo Caricature by – Fun Faces

Personalized Stamps Stickers

Photo Caricature by - Divine Favorz

Kristin

Photo Caricature by – TheLastBestWest

The Ridge

Photo Caricature by – Dorset Gargoyles

10 Beautiful Photoshopped Girls – Great Photo Effects & Photo Ideas – Vol. 02

Sahdev Thakur — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 11:59:51 +0000

Welcome to second volume of “10 Beautiful Photoshopped Girls – Great Photo Effect & Photo Ideas”, which is a showcase I decided to run frequently here on ThePhotoArtBlog.com featuring some fantastic, highly-creative photo effect done on girls.

Hope you enjoy these photo effects as much as I did and find them inspirational to think creative about photos.

Here goes the list, enjoy the great photoshop effects!

I look forward to your comments.