Years ago my youngest daughter was taking piano lessons. On the wall above the piano at her teacher’s home hung a poster that read “If you can talk, you can sing. If you can walk, you can dance”. I love that quote. Every week while waiting for her lesson to end, I read that quote. It became kind of my mantra for the upcoming week. Just a reminder to throw caution to the wind and try something new regardless of what others think. Well, following the “if you can talk, you can sing” theme, how about “if you can write, you can draw”. Humm…….. I am so envious of artists. Really, I am. I so wish I had an ounce of musical talent or could draw, paint or sculpt. It’s truly amazing how the brain works and how some people just have those innate skills to be able to pick up a pencil and create something fabulous. Whatever it is I just don’t have it.
I was cruising teacher blogs the other day and came across The Tongass Teacher’s tutorial on how to create your own digital clip art using your iPhone (really, a camera would be fine) and Photoshop. Looked easy enough. Here’s a link to her tutorial: Turn a doodle into a dazzle.
I have to admit I’m not totally proficient with Photoshop, but the tutorial was very helpful. I had some difficulty with the magnetic magic wand as my hand wasn’t too steady, but fortunately I have 2 teenagers who took Photoshop in high school and were able to show me another option. So, what’s the trick? Instead of using the magnetic wand, select the outside area, and then click the “inverse” under the “select” tab. If you choose this option, you’ll have to have a clear picture of your drawing. Okay, so what did I create? Here it is:
I’m pretty darn proud of that little butterfly. You’re not likely going to see him in any of my activities. Fortunately, I have a fabulous artist who creates all the clip art for me. Considering he took me over an hour to create, well…. I’m going to leave the real art to Kyle. It was just fun trying something new. Thanks to the Tongass teacher for her tutorial.
Joanna says
Great site with practical ideas! Thanks!