Abstract Painting “Eye Can See”
Posted: August 20, 2012 Filed under: Sketchbook | Tags: abstract, art, design, digital, drawing, eye, graphic, painting, photoshop 2 CommentsIn this painting I was playing with the relationships of different human features, abstracted to convey their similarities.
“Eye Can See” – Abstract digital painting by Nicole Barker
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Abstract Painting “Together”
Posted: August 9, 2012 Filed under: Inspiration, Movies and TV shows, Sketchbook | Tags: abstract, art, digital, illustration, painting, photoshop, together, west side story 4 Comments
“Together” – Abstract digital painting by Nicole Barker
“Together” is an abstract painting I finished a few years ago based on the plot arch of West Side Story (the movie version). I found the story very inspiring. As soon I finished watching it for the first time, and the credits rolled, I began this painting. The left side represents the male main character Tony, and the right side represents the main female character Maria. The stark contrast in color between green and purple represents the opposing family cultures of American and Puerto Rican. The story arch starts from the left going up which mainly focuses on Tony, then later in the story you are introduced to Maria. They are together for a time, represented where the two halves are blended in the plateau painting. (Spoiler if you haven’t seen West Side Story) Ultimately, the story reaches its climax and ends with Maria by herself. Broken and sad, but thankful to have loved, represented by the dress dropping back down and slowly fading away. Obviously this story is based on Romeo and Juliet, but I really liked the new direction the writers took with the plot arch in West Side Story, and found the art style, dance choreography, writing, acting, and overall theme very inspiring.
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Living On Antaries – cityscape photoshop painting of an alien world
Posted: July 29, 2012 Filed under: Sketchbook | Tags: alien, art, artwork, cityscape, drawing, illustration, landscape, night, painting, photoshop, Sci Fi, Science Fiction 2 Comments
“Living On Antaries” Photoshop Painting by Nicole Barker
“Living On Antaries” is a massive panoramic view sitting on the top of the tallest tower of an alien world I conceptualized and named Antaries. The digital painting mixes a gritty over-populated city feel with organic sculptural elements and light patterns which add movement to the piece. This is one of my older Photoshop paintings which I completed years ago, but then brought back to alter it considerably after receiving some constructive feedback. Mainly, I took out a human character in the foreground which felt out of place, and really filled out the background substantially to show complexity throughout and add depth.
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Updated Self-Portrait Painting
Posted: July 2, 2012 Filed under: Sketchbook | Tags: art, artwork, face, hair, painting, photoshop, portrait, self 8 Comments
self portrait painting (updated) by Nicole Barker
I recently updated my self-portrait painting based on feedback I had gotten from multiple art websites (behance, deviantart, and Creattica) as well critiques I received from trusted friends. The most notable changes are the shadowing around the nose and the shadowing/texturing on the neck. Below is an example of the before and after.
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Melting Peacock Feather – Concept Painting
Posted: June 25, 2012 Filed under: Sketchbook | Tags: abstract, art, artwork, drawing, feather, illustration, melt, painting, peacock, photoshop, sketch 7 CommentsBased on the success of my previous peacock painting, I decided to create a variation of that with the focus on one peacock feather. The piece is not an effect or photo-manipulation, but a painting derivative from my previous work. I’m toying with the idea of making a series of paintings related to the peacock, but this is what I have so far. All feedback is encouraged.
Melting Peacock Feather by Nicole Barker
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10 Steps To Avoid Getting Killed On Doctor Who
Posted: June 12, 2012 Filed under: Movies and TV shows, Sketchbook | Tags: art, artwork, companion, doctor who, fan, painting, photoshop, show, tardis, TV 3 CommentsResiding in the “Doctor Who” universe is dangerous. Here are ten steps to help you avoid your untimely death.
“Death – The Doctor’s Truest Companion” – Tardis concept painting by Nicole Barker
1. When you see The Doctor, run the opposite direction (this will ultimately keep you as safe as possible).
2. Don’t get lost in an alternate universe.
3. Don’t blink around angel statues.
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The Beauty That Sleeps – Peacock Painting
Posted: May 27, 2012 Filed under: Sketchbook | Tags: art, Artist, artwork, bird, feather, illustration, painting, peacock, photoshop, sleep 27 Comments
“The Beauty That Sleeps” – Vertical Design of Peacock Painting by Nicole Barker
Finally finished. I’ve been working on and off on my peacock painting for almost a year, but decided in the last week to push to complete it. I started this work as more of a challenge than anything else. I wanted to challenge what I could technically do in Photoshop. This is easily the most detailed piece I’ve ever worked on. I found the that the feathery tail took me the longest to finish, but the neck and head was the most difficult to conceptualize. The angle and perspective made it quite challenging. With every piece I learn a lot about my subject matter. Peacocks are breathtakingly beautiful, and I wanted to know much more about them. I didn’t necessarily aim for the image to be photo realistic, but I found myself getting immersed in the minute details. I wanted to draw every strand of every feather, and believe me there were a lot of feathers in the piece, probably in the tens of thousands. I was starting to see feathers in my sleep!
Inspirational Artist Feature – Kurt Huggins and Zelda Devon
Posted: April 1, 2012 Filed under: Inspiration | Tags: art, artwork, drawing, Fantasy, painting, pencil, photoshop, sketch 17 CommentsThis amazing duo from Brooklyn, New York has done truly exceptional work together. The story-driven nature of each piece leaves you with the sense that you are entering an entire world created to leave you asking questions and wanting to know more of what has befallen these characters. The figures are full of emotion, and the atmosphere and color choice make the artwork dramatically resonant.
borrowed dreams by Kurt Huggins and Zelda Devon
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My Favorite Fruit – Strawberry Painting
Posted: March 25, 2012 Filed under: Personal, Sketchbook | Tags: art, artwork, drawing, ipad, painting, photoshop, poem, root, strawberry, tree 31 Comments
Strawberry - photoshop painting by Nicole Barker
My favorite fruit, the strawberry.
Enjoying a simply wonderful treat… morning, noon or night
strawberry jam, strawberry tart, strawberry shortcake, strawberry sorbet
or just by itself.
I don’t have one bad memory of eating a strawberry.
Take a bite, and smile.
Nicole M. Cleary 