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Welcome to the Art
Guild's
Archives!
April 2 - Linda Morales - Processing your digital
photos using Windows
Linda,
with help from Rose Larkie, Bill Franklin and perhaps others, will
provide help for those haven't yet managed to get images of their art
works into a computer. Doing so makes it easy to share art with
friends or potential buyers anywhere in the world.
Attendees
will learn how to download and save files to their computers, and how to
organize those files. We will also show how to save/protect files on
digital media and how to erase them. Users will be instructed on how to
resize their digital files for web site use and emailing, how to "Crop"
out sections of their image files to concentrate on a particular
subject, and how to send your graphic image by email. If all goes well
and time permits, we will also cover Photo Editing that will include
rotating, resizing, and contrast, brightness and color changes. We hope
to deal also with renaming files and what the difference is between the
different graphic file types (JPEG, TIFF, BMP AND GIFF).
Questions and Answers will conclude the lesson.
Things to bring if you have them:
A digital
camera AND the cord that can connect it to a computer
A laptop
computer (A child to show you how to use it would be helpful, but not
necessary. The instructors are childlike enough to perform this
function.)
If you
don't have the above items, come anyway. We will have some that you can
practice with. Of course it's always better to use you very own
equipment, since there are always a few differences.
Come join the
computer age on
Sunday, March 5, at the Waco Charter
School, 615 N. 25th Street. Refreshments and conversation at 1:30 p.m.; program at 2.
First time visitors free.
April 2 - Using
Computers to Share Your Art With Others, New Bylaws
New Bylaws were adopted. To see them,
click on the Bylaws icon in the list at the left.
Fortunately, Linda Morales was prepared to show
us how to get a digital photo into a computer and manipulate it using
Windows. Unfortunately, she was called to Missouri to be with her ill
mother, and was not able to return in time for the meeting. Fortunately,
she was able to send her Power Point slide presentation. Unfortunately,
we had some difficulties with the school's computers. Fortunately, with
one of them and a couple of laptops, we were able to see much of what
Linda would have shown us. Unfortunately, not everyone was able to get
practice pushing keys themselves. Fortunately, several people brought
things for show and tell, and several brought refreshments.
Unfortunately, I ate too much. Fortunately, you won't have to read any
more of these because I've run out.
Bill Franklin, with help from Rose Larkie and Nancy Cagle, carried on
bravely, if somewhat ineptly. Since we did not get the information
printed to hand out, even those present probably didn't get the steps
straight. They are posted here for reference.
To load photos into your computer, first create a folder to put
them in. This is no different than creating any other folder, but if you
haven't done that, here are the steps:
1. Click "start" (lower left of screen)
2. Click "My Documents" or "My Pictures." (You can store photos
either place.)
3. Click "File," then "New," then "Folder."
4. A folder shape (icon) will appear on the screen with a box
below or beside it that says "New Folder" against a blue background.
Without clicking on anything, just type a name for this folder, "Art
Photos," for example, but you may call it anything at all. Things are
different, but not very different, on a Macintosh computer. If you have
one, you probably know how to create a new folder.
Now you need to have a source for the photos. If you are still
using a film camera, you can get your photos put on a CD (for a couple
of dollars extra) when you have them developed. Or someone may send you
a CD with photo files on it. Either way, you will put this into the CD
reader of your computer.
If you have a digital camera, you can either connect the
camera to your computer
with the cord that came with it, or you can remove the memory card from
your camera and insert it into a card reader that connects to your
computer. Usually, the connection will use a USB port on your computer.
A USB symbol, which looks rather like a three-pronged fork, will be on
the cord plug and by the computer slot it goes in. It has to be oriented
properly, so if it doesn't go in easily, turn it over and try again.
ready to insert
inserted
Cameras usually come with software on a CD which you can install
by putting the software CD in the CD reader of your computer and
following the instructions that will appear on the screen. You may also
like to purchase image software, such as Adobe Photoshop Elements and
Album. It is installed the same way. If you have installed such
software, then when you put a photo CD in the CD reader, put a memory
card in the card reader, or connect your camera to a USB port and turn
it on, the software will probably open automatically and provide
instructions for loading your photos into the computer. At some point
you will have to tell it what folder to put them in (the one you created
above).
If you haven't installed such software, then you can still load
the photos using Windows, following these steps:
1. Click on "start" (lower left of screen)
2. Click "My Documents" or "My Pictures."
3. In the second menu bar (not the one with "file," "edit," etc.,
but the one below it), click on "Folders." When you do, a vertical
rectangle will appear along the left edge. At the top will be "Desktop,"
and below that will be "My Documents," "My Computer" and "My Network
Places," each next to a small square with a "+" in it.
4. Click on the "+" in front of "My Documents." It will change to
a "-" and below will be a list of folders. (If you put your folder in
"My Pictures," you will now need to click on the "+" in front of it.)
Your folder should appear. Just leave it for now.
5. Click on the "+" in front of "My Computer." It will change to
a "-" and below will be a list of places you can access, such as "3 1/2
Floppy," and "Local Disk." One of these should be your camera or card
reader or the CD (or DVD) drive, whichever you are using for your
source.
6. Click on the symbol (icon) in front of your source. The
contents of your source will appear in the larger right-hand rectangle
on the screen. If your photos are in a sub-folder, then move the cursor
to the folder that appears and double click on it. Repeat as necessary
until your photos appear. If a number of items appear, but they aren't
small images of your photos, click on "View" in the top menu bar. Then
click on "Thumbnails." This should turn the items displayed into
thumbnail images of your photos.
7a. To move one photo to your photo folder, click on it. A
blue box will appear around it. Without moving the cursor, hold the left
mouse button down and move the cursor until it is over the folder icon
next to the name of your photo folder. Then release the mouse button.
This places your photo in your photo folder. (The photo is said to have
been "dragged" to the folder.)
7b. If you want to move several photos to your folder,
click on one, then hold the "Ctrl" key down as you click on others. When
you have selected all you want (the selected ones will have blue boxes
around them), release the "Ctrl" key. Then put the cursor over any of
the selected photos, hold the mouse button down, and "drag" the cursor
to your folder. When you release the mouse button, the selected photos
will be moved to your photo folder.
7c. If you want to move all of the photos in the source to
your photo folder, press the "Ctrl" and "a" keys. This selects all of
the photos. Note that they all have blue boxes around them. Then put the
cursor over any of the selected photos, hold the mouse button down, and
"drag" the cursor to your folder. When you release the mouse button, all
of the photos will be moved to your photo folder.
Once a photo is in your folder, you can adjust it, view it, print it,
or send it in an email. The details here depend upon the software
you are using. The software provided with a camera usually have a
limited number of options that you can usually figure out by trying
them. Placing the cursor over one of the icons in the menu bar will
cause a text message (a "Balloon") to appear, telling you what clicking
that icon will allow you to do. You can always try things to see what
happens. If it wasn't something that you wanted to do, click on "Edit"
in the top menu bar, then click "Undo." This will restore things to the
previous state.
If you are using more sophisticated software, such as Photoshop, there
are many more possible ways to adjust your photo, which takes a lot more
searching through the menus, or the instruction manual. With practice,
you will become faster and more skilled, especially in the doing those
tasks that you do often. The most common things to adjust are:
1. Orientation. If a photos is sideways on the screen, rotate it
90 degrees to make it right side up.
2. Cropping. If you can improve the composition or you want to
use only one item in the image, you can crop the photo by drawing a box
around the part you want to keep, and discarding the rest.
3. Resolution. The original will probably contain millions of
points of color (pixels). That's fine if you are keeping the image in
your computer or you need to send a high resolution copy to someone
else. But if you want to send a photo in an email or post it on a web
site, it's best to reduce the resolution. We recommend that that you
resize the image to have 680 pixels along the long dimension of your
photo. This is enough to look good when the image is on a computer
screen, but not so many that it takes an inordinate amount of time to
transmit. Also, it prevents someone from making a large print of your
art. At this resolution (about three-tenths of a megapixel), anything
larger than a 4x6 will look ragged.
4. Brightness and Contrast. If the photo looks brighter or dimmer
than the original, you can change the brightness. If it has a lackluster
appearance, you can increase the contrast.
5. Color. If there is a color cast, that is, things look too
reddish or bluish, or whatever, this can be adjusted. It is seldom
necessary, because most cameras have an automatic "white balance" to
compensate for odd lighting, such as the orangish cast of incandescent
lighting or the greenish cast of some fluorescent lights. You can also
create deliberate distortions of color, but you probably wouldn't do
this to your artworks, unless you just want to see what they would look
like if painted differently.
Many other adjustments are possible. To name a few, perspective
can be changed, selected areas of the photo can be adjusted without
changing the entire photo, colors can be replaced by their complements,
and the image can be textured or simplified (posterized) to change its
character. In fact, much art today is made by adjusting photos or by
creating images on the computer without there ever being an original on
paper or canvas. That may become even more common as time goes on, but
it probably won't ever replace conventional art. Developing your skill
with a brush, pen or pastel stick, is just too satisfying.
Thanks to Bettye Schwartz, Christine Niekamp, Ellen Foster, Nancy
Cagle, and the Franklins for bringing refreshments. We also thank those
who brought art for show and tell. Examples are shown below. Note that
these are all digital photos that have been loaded into a computer,
adjusted as mentioned above, and posted to the web site at moderate
resolution. Clicking on any of them will enlarge it to a screen-filling
size.
Show and Tell
  
Nancy Cagle
Larry Garza
Rock art by Christine Niekamp
April 30 - Showcase Waco!
We will have
tables at Showcase Waco!, which will be held at the Waco Convention
Center, McLennan Hall, 1-5 p.m. Setup will be 9 a.m. - noon.
Some members have volunteered to bring one or two art works to show what
our members do. These people should bring their works in before
noon if at all possible. They are: Bill & Judy Franklin, John &
Saundra Vasek, Nancy Cagle, Rose Larkie and Jean Larkie. If any of
these cannot come, please call Bill at 741-0960 to let him know.
If others would like to participate, call Bill. If there is room,
we'll add you.
April 30 - Showcase
Waco!
In
its first year, Showcase Waco had many exhibitors, but few visitors who were
not there to exhibit. Hopefully, in the future there will be better
publicity and a larger crowd. We did have a number of people visit our
booth and take our flyers. We even signed up one new member!
Thanks to those who came to help and who brought art works to display: Rose
Larkie, Nancy and Charles Cagle, and Bill and Judy Franklin.
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