Monarch on Globe Thistle

Original Monarch Butterfly on Globe Thistle



Textured Version




Black & White Version

Hand Colored Version

Well here is my second attempt at hand coloring.  Actually have tried many photographs, but this one and the Blueberries so far are my favorites.  With the Monarch Butterfly for textures I used:  Beowulf, Muscatel and Fly textures 30.   In Photoshop Elements I used the black and white conversion with the vivid tool to lighten up the photograph.  I had to lighten the shadows even more by about 10%.  I still of course need lots of practice, but I believe I am on the right track.  Both the Blueberries and the Monarch were hand colored in a 5x7 size.  I will enlarge them to 8x10 and 11x17 and sell them at those sizes too.  I have another Monarch I want to try and a Cosmos flower.  And I think that will be a good starting point for me to master the hand coloring techniques for hopefully the 4 photographs.  Until I can get some new photographs.  I mentioned in the last blog that I was going to hand color my Ivy Door.  I did and at first I didn't like it.  It wasn't as nice as the traditional hand colored one I did on fiber paper using colored pencils.  I know I am using a whole new technique, but I had to compare and of course I was very disappointed.  So I set it aside and now the more I look at it and once I enlarge it to at least an 8x10 (it too was a 5x7) maybe I can make it work out better.  Again I have to practice and not compare.  Because it won't be the same.  Before long I will get it.  As they say practice, practice, practice!  Practice makes almost Perfect.