Using this tutorial, I played around with painting over a photograph. In this case, I like the results. The process takes alot of patience. Something I’m not always very good at. I could have easily spent a few more hours on this to get it really looking good.

I participate quite a bit on a knitting/networking site. One of the most fun aspects of the site is the ability to browse through projects that people have completed. All of the projects are databased and linked via keywords and user favorites so that one can spend hours exploring and finding new things that match their tastes (I like projects that are super-colorful and detailed).

So, one day I ran across this lady who makes little project bags that are a combination of actual knitting and fabric which has a realistic pattern printed on it that looks like knitting (I think she uses crochet as well). I investigated and it turns out that she scans her actual knitting and then has the scanned image made into her own custom fabric by a company called spoonflower. This is one of the coolest things ever.

On my list of things to do is figure out a way to use this service to create a really cool project. I’m thinking graphic images of my dogs printed on fabric that is used to make custom collars. META-doggie-style! I have a friend who sews amazing coats for her dogs and her husband is a very accomplished graphic artist. I’m pushing him to create some fabric with images of their dogs just to see what kinds of neat applications of the fabric she’ll come up with.

Some useful links I found when researching this:
How to create a repeating pattern from True Up.
An example of one illustrator’s work made into fabric (her artwork is pretty darn amazing).

This was a bunch of fun. Following a textures tutorial from the MCP Actions blog and using some free textures that I found on flickr, I had some fun with these photos of the girls. I kind of like the results. I think Ellie’s portrait (on the left) has a Rembrandt feel to it. Katy’s reminds me a bit of an old print that you might find covered in dust at a hunting lodge.

The tutorial on how to use and apply textures is here.
Check out the free textures available on flickr here, here and here. Nice stuff!