Summer Roses..... handcoloured instamatic print
A few days ago the lovely and hugely talented Mel Brackstone posted an image which she had described as a hand coloured infrared.
It’s a beautiful silky delicate image and it really looks good. But is digital placement of colour on to a digital image really handcolouring? Are virtual paints and toners as good as the old fashioned ways of putting transulucent oil paint or ink down onto a toned fibre paper print? Anything displayed on a screen will look smooth and flat but the real test comes when you look at a handcoloured print in the flesh so to speak….. the surface is heavy and silky and solid and the paint on the velvet texture of real ‘paper’ paper is compelling in the way it demands that you touch it.
This image called Summer Roses was shot with a tiny Kodak instamatic camera using seriously out of date b/w 126 film. It was then printed at 20×24 inches onto warmtoned double weight fibre paper before being delicately toned with Marshalls very fine transulcent photo oil paints and then double matted and framed in a old bleached and distressed timber frame.
It looks scrumptious and no one could ever mistake it for anything digital…. it’s so full of depth and luscious with all the layers of oil paint. It took me weeks to finish it as each layer of paint needs to dry before the next layer goes on. In fact it’s probably not a photograph anymore although the parentage of this bastard child of painting and photography is clear to those who look at it …. in the flesh anyhow…...so anyway this is a real hand coloured photograph or perhaps I should say … this is a digital photograph of a handcoloured fibre print….... :)
Summer Roses..... handcoloured instamatic print belongs to the following groups:
***♂♥♥QUORN♥♥♀, Alternative Process Photography, DaDa Land, Illawarra and Kairos - Capturing the Decisive MomentAvailable for sale as Cards, Matted Prints, Laminated Prints, Mounted Prints, Canvas Prints, Framed Prints and Posters
AndyGii, about 1 month ago
Beautiful work Juilee
Dayonda, about 1 month ago
Good questions you raised, and good answer—the touch sense knows the difference.
I print on good water-color paper, when it could actually be a water color. Oil paintings, I seldom did, even as a student. I’ve left that for people who have patience instead of ADD/ADHD, as I do.
I really love the sky in this work of art. It looks like roses before dawn to me.
Juilee Pryor in reply to AndyGii’s comment, about 1 month ago
thanks AndyGii it’s a very pretty pretty thing in real life…. not like my usual dark and inscrutable stuff…...:)
AndyGii, about 1 month ago
A change is as good as a holiday
Juilee Pryor in reply to Dayonda’s comment, about 1 month ago
hi Dayonda and yes it is a interesting question…. I love the old ways of using paint and toners and stuff and I’m going to post some other examples …. but Mel’s picture really made me think and that’s good. I have even realized that work like this muted landscape
is actually digital handcolouring or the digital equivilent anyway…... interesting…....:)
steen, about 1 month ago
its all good
Juilee Pryor in reply to steen’s comment, about 1 month ago
thanks steen….. :)
Helen Bascom, about 1 month ago
Gorgeous work. I can see how much work and care you have put in to creating this beautiful work of art.
Juilee Pryor in reply to Helen Bascom’s comment, about 1 month ago
thanks Helen…. there is something very compelling about the hand made …. in what ever shape that comes…. but particularly with sort of hybrid peice…..it’s quite large too so it has a certain presence….. and I do like to paint…...I’m glad you like this …....:)
butchart, about 1 month ago
the effect for me here (granted i’m not seeing the actual piece) looks like the roses are underwater… floating in an ethereal graveyard almost…..... beautiful…...... and yeah….. i’m weird….........b
Juilee Pryor in reply to butchart’s comment, about 1 month ago
no you are sane my friend not weird at all…. glad you like them …. I’m going to post more of these handcoloured images….... they are fun…..old fashioned but hey whatever….....:)
Nikki Trexel, about 1 month ago
it’s beautiful, i love the ornateness of the flowers, emphasized by your coloring technique. wonderful work.
JoAnnHayden, about 1 month ago
Very creative. Beautiful composition
Mel Brackstone, about 1 month ago
I agree with Butch, they do look like they’re underwater, also agree with Dayonda, I have no patience to paint from scratch, but I could come over to the dark side if I could paint onto a photo, I think ;)
Good to make ME think as well, thanks Juilee!!