#caturday - Happy almost Easter Caturday!

Happy #Caturday everyone!
We hope you all have a wonderful Easter weekend! Or just a great weekend if you are not into Easter Pixel is just chillin this weekend.

I love how he came out in this photo but I wish it had turned out just a little less blurry. Oh well. =P

#caturday #saturday #pixelthecat #gestureoflovephotos #catpics #petphotography

lemongrab ink sketch

Lemongrab is awesome. I did this sketch to go with an Etsy order I sent today.
I always like to include a little sketch. =D

#lemongrab #adventuretime #fanart #lemongrabfanart #lemons #inksketch #unacceptable

Free printable cat and butterflies coloring page!

I did this coloring page of a king cat and butterflies and disembodied mice heads.
it's  8.5x11 300dpi. If you color it please tag me, I would love to see how it comes out!
Love and Donuts!

#freeprintables #freecoloringpage #printables #catcoloring #butterflycoloring #adultcoloringpage #kidscoloringpage #gestureoflovecrafts #catillustration #colouringsheet

#TravelTuesday - Goldwell open air muesum - Rhyolite Nevada

#traveltuesday #traveltuesday! Happy Tuesday everyone, you made it past Monday, woo!
Today's travel tuesday photo is from a trip to Rhyolite Nevada to the Goldewell open air museum!

This was an amazing sight to see. Very cool artwork installations around that are super amazing. Apparently there were some Belgian artists that created artwork out in the desert. There are some awesome sculptures, life size plaster casts depicting the last supper that look like ghosts (you can see it from afar in this photo), there is a mosaic couch, which I would have loved to try sitting on but since it's made of glass/ceramic and other things that get very hot in the sun...it;s probably not a good idea to touch the thing.

The photo this week is Lady Desert: The Venus of Nevada 1992 by Dr. Hugo Heyrman
she is made of cinderblocks and looks like she is 3D but made of cinderblock pixels. Pixels in 3D!!
I think she was my favorite out of the all the installations. =)

To get more info about the Goldwell Museum check out the link below to there site, go check it out!
http://goldwellmuseum.org/about-goldwell/visiting

#goldwellopenairmuseum #openairmuseum #goldwellmuesum #gestureoflovephotos #roadtrip #desertpics #ladydesert #3dpixels #traveltuesday #desertphotography #desertart #roadtrippin

New Item up on Etsy! - underwater adult (and kids) coloring page printable

I have been wanting to do this sort of thing for a while so here it goes!
New at GestureOfLove Crafts on Etsy, da da daaaa!

Printable Underwater ocean coloring page!
comes complete with starfish, a seahorse, a mermaid and of course your friendly neighborhood octopus!

Underwater coloring page on Etsy
Printable digital download
8.5x11 - 300dpi

I hope it's as fun for you to color as it was for me to draw! =D
love and donuts!

 #underwatercoloringpage #oceanlifecoloringpage #sealifecoloringpage #octopuscoloringpage #mermaidcoloringpage #colorpage #colourpage # coloringsheet #kidscoloringpage #gestureoflovecrafts #etsyshop #funcoloringpage #printablecoloringpage

My understanding of pixel dimensions vs DPI vs image size

Hi Everyone!
I saw a thread on the Etsy forum about printing/dpi/image size and was inspired to share my knowledge! I know all that jazz can be super confusing so here is my attempt to simplify and explain in layman's terms.

-- DPI vs Image Size --

dpi (dots per inch) -  Think of it like, the more dpi you have, the more color information and data your computer has about your image. So more dpi = more data = more quality

I think what is confusing is that when you change the dpi you are also adjusting the pixel dimensions, which is not necessarily the image size per say. To make things simpler think of pixel dimensions as the quality of the image NOT the size of the images. Personally, I ignore pixel dimensions unless I have absolutely have to follow specific pixel dimensions for web images.

Image size - You dictate the size when you create the file (inches, pixels, feet..etc.)
Just because you have an image that is 5x7 does NOT mean it will print well.
If you have a 5x7 image with 300 dpi, it will probably print great at 5x7!
If you have a 5x7 image with 72 dpi, that is ok for web but will probably print blurry/pixel-ated. 
(72 dpi is ok for web, NOT for print)

Take a look at the image below.
Same image, same size, different dpi, different pixel dimensions. Take a closer look at the edges and you can see the left one is pixel-ated and the right is much clearer.

 -- What does it all mean?! --

If you take a 5x7 image at say, a respectable 150 dpi, it will probably look nice at 5x7, but if you try to stretch it to a 8.5x11 page it will get pixel-ated. It just doesn't have enough data to stretch itself out to a larger size and still look good.

It's like you have a ball of play dough (dpi) and it makes a nice 5x7 square with a 1inch thickness (image size). If you try to stretch your play dough to be 8.5x11 it will get thinner and maybe even have holes in the middle since there is not enough dough (dpi) to stretch that far. You will have a larger piece (image) but it will be stretched out and thin (you lose quality)

You can change your dpi/sizes/dimensions after you work on an image but if your working with a rasterized image (raster is pixels) then just changing the numbers will not make the quality better. If you change the numbers then you would just be stretching your play dough making it thinner, to compensate for the change in size. It's best to set up your image size and dpi BEFORE you start working on your images.

When in doubt make it a higher dpi and you can always take it down later, but keep in mind...
- More dpi means a larger file size.
    Too big and it could slow down your computer
- You don't want to send your customer a huge-mungus file that will take them ages to download!
       so work high, but before you send it to anyone make your dpi a manageable size while still retaining quality.
 
In general here are a few rules I follow....
- Work in 300 dpi or higher 
    Especially if you think you might print it later

- Scan images in 300 dpi or higher 
  The smaller the image the higher dpi I will scan it in just in case I want to try to print larger later

- 72 dpi is cool for WEB ONLY
   But I always work at a higher dpi and take the dpi down when I save the jpeg to post online

-  Scan images as TIFF 
   I have heard they are better for compression reason. Compression means you lose image data so that you can have a smaller file size and save space. JPEG is compressed so no matter what you do when you save as a JPEG you will lose some quality (though it may not be noticeable unless you try to enlarge your image)

- I make a PDF if I'm going to a printer.
   It preserves the layout, so if you need to be super specific with your layout or size on a page you can do it with PDF, but make sure the printer DOES NOT CHECK THE FIT TO PAGE BOX, that will screw up your layout and size, I speak from experienc *tears*
 Also opening a pdf in acrobat will give you different print options, but really JPG is probably more widely used. I feel like PDF is obsolete unless your making a business document or pamphlet.

and finally ....

- ALWAYS TEST PRINT 
- ALWAYS HAVE SOMEONE ELSE LOOK AT YOUR TEST PRINT
   because you have been looking at your image for so long, even if there is an obvious mistake, trust me, you wont' see it. It's always always helpful to have a second set of eyes on your work before you send it out to a customer. 

I hope this is helpful!
Also, if you notice any info that is inaccurate, please let me know. I am by no means a pro at this so any info sharing and corrections would be super welcome! =D

Thanks!

#caturday - Pixel cat's new collar!

Happy #Caturday everyone! I hope your weekend is relaxing and fun!

Pixel was showing off his new collar today in it's bright green and checkered glory! He is like an awesome race car cat now! AND....it glows in the dark! = D

#caturday #saturday #pixelthecat #catpictures #ilovemycat #newcollar #petphotos #gestureoflovephotos #catpics

Kitty coloring book page

I really find making black and white ink drawings very fun and therapeutic. Another coloring book page in progress but, I should probably finish the first one I did before doing anymore than this :p

#inkdrawing #adultcoloringbook #coloringpage #blackandwhite #catdrawing #lineart

Happy St Patrick's day!

Late night sketch for St. Pattie's day.
Experimenting with black paper and color pencils, kinda came out cute :)

#Stpatricksday #leprechaun #green #beer #doodle

#TravelTuesday - sand dunes at Death Valley

I go to Death Valley one or twice a year and it seems that there is always somthing new and interesting to see. It is so beautiful and quiet out there. You can really find your inner peace even in the heat of the desert.

 

#deathvalleynationalpark #deathvalley #sanddunes #desertphotography #walkinginthedistance #landscapephotography #gestureoflovephotos  #traveltuesday #sanddunes

wedding editing for class! premiere!

I have been working day and night on editing my class assignment and I am in a definitely in a love hate mode with this footage. I have to say I am my worst enemy when it comes to overthinking things, which is probably why this is my 4ths cut of this, so I poured myself a little kalua (yum!) and am relaxed enough to get to work. ; D

#editing #kalua #premierepro #weddingvideo #gettowork

#TravelTuesday - Zabriskie Point - Deathy Valley, CA

Happy #traveltuesday everyone!

Today's #TravelTuesday is a photo from Zabriskie Point in Death Valley, CA.
Zabriskie Point is really really beautiful to see and super easy to get to.
This photo does not do it justice.

Whenever I have told people I was going to Death Valley, the most common reaction is...why?
I say, don't brush off the desert so easily. It is a hidden gem for sure! Some of the most beautiful and serene landscapes I have seen have been in the middle of the desert. Just make sure to take plenty of water...and I don't recommend going in the summer, just...trust me on that. =P

To learn more about Zabriskie Point check out check out this informative article.
http://www.hikespeak.com/attractions/zabriskie-point-in-death-valley/

#traveltuesday #deathvalley #zabriskiepoint #landscapephotography #amateurphotography #roadtrip #roadtripcalifornia #gestureoflovephotos #desertphotography

Happy #Caturday

Happy #caturday everyone!
I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend! It's been kinda cold over here today so Pixel is just chillin in the blankets.
#catpictures #petphotography #chillin

Octopus coloring page - going to cleanup

I have been letting this guy sit around for a while but it's time to get back to it and clean it up!
I was hoping to not have to take this into illustrator but I don't particularly like the lines as they are. But at least it gives me a chance to fix things and make it look all pretty and ready to be colored!

Does this seem like an enticing page to color?

 

#inkdrawing #octopusdrawing #mermaid #ink #adultcoloring #coloringpage 

#TravelTuesday - Mojave National Preserve lava tubes...and a rabbit

Happy #TravelTuesday!

When I go on roadtrips I take a few thousand pictures...(really I do) and I don't generally find time to sort thru them but, it looks like travel Tuesdays will give me this much needed opportunity to finally do this. Today's photo is from inside a lava tube in the Mojave National Preserve!

Around the preserve there are these neat looking mounds that erupted and spewed lava thousands of years ago and when they cooled, Tada! They formed these lava tubes. (very simplistic explanation I know, so if you want to learn more check out this link to the Mojave national preserve website -- > Mojave Cinder Cones )

When you get there you have to go down a really steep ladder to get down into the lava tubes (which is kinda scary) and inside it's pretty dark and cold. Oh, and you have to be super careful not to hit your head when you go in because the rocks are super duper sharp!  
But once you are there it is really amazing, and the light beam that comes down from another opening above is so majestic. Did I mention there is a rabbit skeleton too! Well, I'm sure he's not there anymore after the big rain storm they had, but he was there the last two times I went.

 To get to the lava tubes is quite an ordeal. the road is rough with big rocks and soft sandy terrain so if you ever go be super careful! But it's totally worth it =D

For more info check this link out! They give a really good explanation about how to get to the lava tubes  --> Californian through my lens - lava tubes

 

Also....Picture of the rabbit!

#mojavenationalpreserver #deadrabbit #roadtrip #roadtriphotos #lavatube

Kudos to you friendship bracelet makers!

I had made some happy ice cream cone earrings for my mom to give to the little kids in our family for Christmas and I really ended up liking how they came out, sweat and happy! Now I am working on making some happy ice cream cone bracelets!

A while back I was given a whole bunch of bracelet string and wanted to try to figure out how to use it to make cool braided bracelets. So I decided to do research to find out how to make those cool friendship bracelets with all the neat patterns. I found some really amazing sites out there with so much information, it was great. One I found to be really helpful was http://friendship-bracelets.net. 
This site has patterns, videos, tutorials, just about anything you would need to start making friendship bracelets.

Needless to say, I ended up frustrated and in tears at my failed bracelets attempts, so I'm going to stick with an old fashioned braid for my bracelets. I have the utmost respect and admiration for those who make friendship bracelets. Kudos to you friendship bracelet makers! You are champion craftsman to me. Huzzah!

#icecreamcone #kawaiiicecreamcone #icecreambracelet #friendshipbracelet #polymerclay #gestureoflovecrafts

2/26 morning fish ink drawing

I have really been into drawing with pen and ink lately. Lines are really therapeutic to draw :)

#fishdrawing #dailysketch #inkdrawing #lines

Under water themed coloring page

I realize recently that adult coloring book pages are pretty popular these days. I'm not sure that I would really care to color a page but the idea of making a coloring page seems fun and therapeutic to me. Much like what I imagine people coloring pages are looking for. It would be fun and I really love lines. Just lines. They are great and simple and can be thick, thin, curved, straight, whatever you want! So I think I'm going to start making coloring book pages. My first attempt, underwater themed!

#adultcoloring #coloringbookpage #underwatercoloringpage
#inksketch

Paint water ...not paint water

I just had to share this. I can not tell you how many times I have lost a good cup o' tea to an accidentally placed paint brush. I have learned from the sacrifice of the teas past and now, I put my tea cup on the left side and my paint water cup on the right....though sometimes, I still accidentally drop a paint brush in the wrong cup. *sigh* there is no answer, there is no answer.

#artiststruggle #paintwater #happyaccident

Cowboy bebop fanart progresa

Making some progress on the ed and ein painting. Struggling with the colors a bit but I always try to remind myself to just do what feels right and I can always paint over it. No fear!

#cowboybebopfanart #painting #corgy

Lost Lake Roadtrip - #Traveltuesday

I saw someone #traveltuesday and got really excited so I'm gonna start joining in on this! =D

I absolutely love roadtrips, and I imagine I will one day love traveling to other countries, but alas I have never really traveled outside the US. I have never been on a plane either. Some may find that ludicrous but I never had a reason to, or money to for that matter.

But just because you can't travel to far off lands does not mean you can not see the world around you!
Going on a road trip to a different state can be like a completely different country. Heck, even going to another town you might find things that you never would have dreamed existed in your own backyard! So now, here is my contribution to #TravelTuesday!

This is a photo I took at Lost Lake, CA.
Very beautiful and serene place that is sort of hidden off to the side of the freeway (hence the lost lake name I would imagine) If I was a fisherman I would imagine this would be the best unknown place to find peace. =)

Cowboy bebop ed and ein paint start!

I'm finally starting to paint the ed and ein drawing I did last week. (I think it was last week) I'm not sure what I'm gonna put in the background yet though. Maybe something like blue sky and dessert, similar to the episode mushroom samba bit I'm.afraid if I do that the dessert brown/tan color might be to similar to ed and ein  colors as they are...but we shall see ;p
#cowboybebop #cowboybebopein #cowboybeboped #seeyouspacecowboy #painting #gestureoflovecrafts

Ink doodle - space princess

I'm trying to get in the habit of drawing everyday. Sometimes I find that I think too hard about what I am trying to draw and end up not finishing what I was working on or getting discouraged about it not being good enough :(

So I'm going to try to doodle everyday, with no pressure. Just going to try not to think to hard and let the ink flow onto the page!
#morningdoodle #inksketch

strawberry ice cream cone earrings now on etsy!

New item up on Etsy! Kawaii cute and yummy strawberry ice cream cone earrings! I have really had fun painting the cute little ice creams so I think I may do more flavors…or multicolored flavors?
#icecreamearrings #strawberryicecream #foodjewelry #kawaiidessert #gestureoflovecrafts #etsy 

kyloren making progress with frequent music changes.

#kyloren #starwars #fanart #doodles

feeling so kylo stuck...

music totally got me in the mood to draw but now I'm stuck....whyyyyyy?!
#artistblock #sketching #kyloren

Cowboy bebop

Been sick for almoat two weeks and have been watching a lot of cowboy bebop since I couldn't really do much else. Best anime ever!
#cowboybebop #90anime #eddandein

Star Wars valentine - Finn and poe

I noticed that a lot of people seem to think finn and poe would make a cute couple and I thought it would be cool to make a card of these two!
They have the most upbeat and funny personalities.

Get more star wars inspired valentines at https://www.etsy.com/shop/GestureofLove
Thanks for looking at ma arts!

 #gestureoflovecrafts #starwarsvalentine #finnandpoe #valentinesday #etsyshop

Valentines day cards

The day of love will be here before you know it! Make sure you get all your love gifts soon so they get there before Valentines day!

Get 15% off your purchase at GestureOfLove.Etsy.com using coupon code LOVELOVE before it expires! (good thru 2/8)

#gestureoflovecrafts #starwarsvalentine #valentinesday #reylo #finnandrey #stormtroopervalentine #hansolovalentine #Princessleiavalentine #finnandpoe #bb8droid #kyloren

Kylo Ren and BB8 Droid - You are the droid I'm looking for valentine!

Finally done! New Kylo and BB8 Star Wars inspired valentines day card up on Etsy!
BB8 is super cute in the movie, he reminds me of a cat. =)

Click now to see other cool valentiny things at my Etsy shop
GestureOfLove.Etsy.Com

#starwarsvalentine #bb8droid #kyloren #kylorenandbb8 #gestureoflovecrafts #etsyshop #starwarsfanart

More BB8 illustrator progress

Still working on BB8, and going strong. He just needs a few tweeks today =D
#bb8droid #starwarsvalentine #starwarsfanart #illustrator #gestureoflovecrafts

BB-8 sketch going digital

Working on getting my BB8 sketch digitized.

 

#gestureoflovecrafts #bb8droid #starwarsvalentine #bb8sketch

Etsy Valentine's day sale - 15% off at GestureOfLove Crafts

*** Make sure you get all your goodies by Valentine's day - Use code LOVELOVE and get 15% off your purchase thru Monday 2/8 ! ***

Click the link to see more --> GestureOfLove.Etsy.com

Finn from sketch to valentines day card!

Just put up some new #starwars inspired valentine variations up on #etsy!
I had a bit of a hard time with finn and poe but I was able to pull it together, woo!

In my previous post, with the original sketch of them, I did not anticipate just how different there body/head sizes were compared to the artwork for Rey and Kylo. Man I was so wrong. But with a few adjustments in photoshop I was able to mock them up and futz with the head and body sizes so all the characters have similar proportions. This is a lesson well learned. =P
Process Images below, from original sketch to size adjustments mockup.

Check out the new cards at my Etsy store at -->GestureOfLove.Etsy.com/

 

#starwarsvalentine #finnandpoe #finnandrey #etsystore #gestureoflovecrafts #starwars #theforceawakens

Nice girls like scruffy looking nerf herders - Solo version!

Solo version of the "nice girls like scruffy looking nerf herders" valentine, now up on Etsy.
Valentine's day is coming up quick, don't forget to get goodies for your honeys =)

Click the link to check out his and other Star Wars Valentines! --> GestureOfLove.Etsy.com

#starwarsvalentine #hansolo #scruffylookingnerfherder #gestueroflovecrafts

Star wars chibi Finn x poe work in progress

Just working and wanted to share some progress

#starwarstheforceawakens #starwarspoe 

#starwarsfanart #chibistarwars #starwarsfinn