Blog

I added a "How-To" tutorial on adding Gimp-Painter to Ubuntu 11.04. Its a Open Source paint package that emulates Corel's Painter. Her is the link: http://www.stevenpowerssmp.com/2011/06/how-to-install-gimp-painter-in-ubuntu.html

I re-posted a tutorial that I posted on YouTube so I could add it to my site's archives. If you have seen it just ignore it, but if not, check it out and let me know what you think. It covers the use of freeware to convert various video types and then combine them into a single file.

Here is the link http://www.stevenpowerssmp.com/2011/04/how-to-convert-and-combine-video-clips.html

Steve

I just added a quick tutorial on a free psd thumbnail viewer that is far more than just that. I post it here http://www.stevenpowerssmp.com/2011/05/irfanview-free-alternative-to-adobe.html#more

Just completed my site (for now) and will be adding more content shortly. I have posted a WIP tutorial )"Alien In a Hostile Land") recently that covers my little alien and creature sketches that I posted this week. This will allow me to have a central location for tutorials, portfolio, contact info, blogs, etc, with all the images linked to high res images on FAA. I will cover topics ranging Sketching, Digital Painting, Matte Painting, 2D and 3D topics and workflows, Audio/Video editing, Wed Design, Programs and Application or anything else that is relevant to Digital Artists

So come check out the site at StevenPowersSMP.com or click HERE, and let me know what you think.

To follow my blog, please go to http://www.stevenpowerssmp.com to view and / or subscribe to my blog there. I will no longer be maintaining this blog. But I will continue to use FAA for all my prints on demand. They do a great job.

How To Record Your Voice and What You Hear using CamStudio 2.0

This is a very quick tutorial on hardware requirements and setting the options in CamStudio 2.0 to enable recording from a mic and/or from your computer (“ What U Hear”.)
Here is the Link http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R8n2VZ7M1Hw

If you are interested on future tutorials and related posts, please subscribe to my mailing list at http://steven-powers.artistwebsites.com/subscribewebsiteemaillist.html or follow my blog here

SOFTWARE USED:
CamStudio
http://camstudio.org/

8 or 16 Bit Color?

The question to use 8 or 16 color continuously comes up. I have tried to get a definitive answer to this question, but nothing concrete. I have been using it for some time now. Mostly due to the advice of a friend who happens to be a professional photographer. I have to say I don't really notice a difference in my paintings, but I kept at it since it might help with better print results. This question wouldn't be coming up again if it weren't for the fact that I am looking to move to a Linux environment. Unfortunately I use Photoshop and Adobe only supports Windows and Mac OS's. But the alternative is such as GIMP among others, only support 8 bit color. So do I really need 16 bit color?

Basically what I have realized that may or may not be so obvious to all, is that when viewing images on our computers, we are looking at 8 bit color (8 bits per channel). Considering that we also watch movies, TV, view photos, paintings etc on these systems, we are use to looking at 8 bit color. The other side of this is that the same media files are usually created from higher bit colors and then reduced, leaving me to believe that I should stay with 16 bit over 8 bit color. The disadvantage of 16 bit color is the added files size and memory usage. Yes file size isn't that big of a concern with the low cost of storage these days, but high memory usage will catch up to us all. I run a quad core system with 8gb of memory, and with files that are 16 bit, 300dpi, with multiple layers, that can run into 500mb size or more (which isn't that uncommon), they can take 2-5 minutes to load and save ...I have timed it. I am a believer of efficiency and only using what you need and eliminating waste ...basically keep it simple. So if you don't need it, don't use it.

So what is 16 bit color needed for? The short answer is that is should be used if one starts with a plate (photo or image to paint on) or touching up a photo that is already in 16 bit. One doesn't want to loose that color information that already exists. I'm a painter and since I don't normally use plates with 16 bit color (normally found with RAW image files) or I'm starting a painting from scratch, then there is no color information to be lost ...it doesn't exists.

My conclusion is that if it starts in 16 bit color, work in 16 bit color unless you know for sure that you will not need it. Other wise work in 8 bit color. Photographers will normally use 16 bit color since they are more likely to be working with RAW images and painters will use 8 bit color allowing for efficient memory and resource usage.

I hope this helps,
Steve

In this quick tutorial I walk you though an alternative method of combining video clips using Authoring Works 4 by Pegasys. The program has the added benefit allowing most types of video file formats to be converted and combined in a single step.

Here is the Link or you can copy and past to your browser
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b-EMgWxBAXg

I just posted a quick video tutorial on YouTube on converting and combining video clips. It is a very useful technique when you have a video that has been cut into multiple parts and you would rather have it in it's entirety. Here is the Link or you can copy and past to your browser
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j_QuuTsE6WQ