"Fall" - Tag

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© All Rights Reserved

© All Rights Reserved

© All Rights Reserved

© All Rights Reserved

© All Rights Reserved

(Click on image to enlarge)

I created a Fall themed tag, after seeing and being inspired by Jennie Atkinson's tag for A Vintage Journey.

I created this using GIMP 2.8.14.

The vintage images are from an Internet search. (See the side of my blog for links.)

The font is Garamond Bold.

I have shown the steps I did, to create this, and describe them below:

Step 1: I was originally going to use a diamond pattern like the inspiration tag, but then I found the diamond shape that I ended up using instead. I used a GIMP script that I had written awhile ago to replicate the shape, then added a layer mask to erase it along a diagonal. I liked how the faded part looked, so I didn't fully erase it.

Step 2: I added ink spray using a GIMP brush, then applied a Gaussian Blur filter on that layer.

Step 3: I didn't think my tag looked close enough to the inspiration tag, so I added another layer and used a larger brush to create a larger inked area. I added a layer mask and erased some of the ink. I also reduced the layer opacity to get the desired shade of gray.

Step 4: I added text from an old book. I added a layer mask to erase it along a diagonal, and reduced the layer opacity to get a faded look similar to the inspiration tag.

Step 5: Looking at the tag after Step 4, I liked the golden tones that I saw in it, so I decided to spritz gold onto it. I added a "gold flecks" layer to do that. (The gold flecks were from an old book page that I had previously converted into a PNG file. I have used those gold flecks in several art pieces over time, and converted a few more of those pages while working on this tag.)

Step 6: I found an old book page with various leaves on it, and used the Oak leaves from it. I got the fern type leaf from another old book page. I decided to use a bright red Fall color flower, instead of a white flower, and found one on an old catalog page. (In all cases, I needed to convert the pages to PNG files first, which is a manual process.) I used a brush to paint the leaves in a golden Fall color. I needed to reduce the size of the flower to make it more proportional. I added a drop shadow to all of the elements, to give some depth to them. Then I added the word Fall with a layer of silver paint covered by a layer of gold paint to make the word stand out better.

This is a Tim Holtz style art piece. I admire his work, and appreciate that he and other artists show the steps they do to create their artwork. I have been struggling with my creative side lately, so finding pieces that inspire me is helpful.

I am entering my tag in the following:

NF Digital Art Meme