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Carlos Diaz

9 Years Ago

Could I Have Been Wrong?

I have been posting a personal project of mine regarding 3D embossing of photos. For some time now, I have been trying to develop a new technique that makes my work stand out from the others. Reactions to my few posts on this subject have been lukewarm at best. Like any other human being, I instinctively reject negative comments that distract me from my goals.

However bothered I am about some comments, I grudgingly take a step back and try to analyze them to see what - if anything - I can learn from them. I realize, that no one at FAA is really going to tell you all of the truth.

No one at FAA is going to tell you to seek another line of work. Instead, they will analyze your work and tell you what their individual impressions are regarding same. FAA Members will gingerly offer you is their unbiased opinion of how to better your work, and encourage you to demand more from yourself. One must learn from the subtle hints that are being freely extended to you. More light, more colors, less contrast, Etc.

Most comments regarding my project has been regarding BAD PHOTOS being dressed up to look better. I have been pondering the same since my first post.

After a few weeks and following this line of thinking, I decided to try switching from PHOTOGRAPHS and instead using LINE ART as my basic starting point. This is a totally new direction for me.. I figured that with cleaner lines, I would still be able to try embossing same and look at the results.

Perhaps boring to you, but at the very least I am wiling to modify my approach to my project. Perhaps it is a better fit for this type of rendering.

Yes, this is uncharted personal thinking for me !

3D Butterflies
http://fineartamerica.com/featured/3d-butterflies-carlos-diaz.html

3D Embossed Gallery:
http://fineartamerica.com/profiles/4-carlos-diaz.html?tab=artworkgalleries&artworkgalleryid=444257

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Mike Savad

9 Years Ago

they look fine to me. you should add more keywords and such. if you get comments putting your work down, let the staff know so they can slap that person. there are people here who think if they put the other people down, it's less competition for them. then erase the commetns.


i don't see the image above as a dressed up photo. you might want to anti-alias the lines though as a few looks jaggy up close.

the thing about doing your own thing is - you'll always have people telling you that it looks bad or they don't like it... and too bad on them. if you think your idea is good, you do it and see if it sticks, the artists here are not buyers. i did my own thing, many hated the results and now many like them. i did my own thing, and still do. that's what an artist is.

---Mike Savad

 

Mary Bedy

9 Years Ago

What Mike said.....

I'm not afraid of critiques, in fact, I took some stuff out of my portfolio after Mike (above) did a cursory critique of my gallery when I had a lot less stuff posted. However, there was a group of images I liked, and I still like to this day, that Mike kind of disparaged (by saying "who who want to buy....") so I left them up here. In other words, be open to criticism and help, but also be able to follow your own gut instincts.

Nice image, but the way.

 

Carlos Diaz

9 Years Ago

I have been building up my courage to say this, and this is about as good of a time to say it:

MIKE SAVAD:

I am a personal fan of your work. Scratch that. I stand in great awe of your work. There I said it.

Your particular comment regarding the 3D Butterflies is extremely exciting - for me personally. Again, because I consider your work as the gold standard, I pay very close attention to your reflections. I also pay attention to anyone who takes the time to post a comment. This is like getting free schooling. I could not ask for anything better for $30 bucks a year...

Only recently, I have changed my mind on what I previously thought of "Negative Comments". I now realize that i only considered them so because they did not agree with my personal thinking. I was wrong. Writing has a particular negative effect itself: There are no body gestures that accompany them. Thus, they are sometimes interpreted wrong. I think 99.9% of all writings in this Forum are well intended - just taken the wrong way.

Again, I appreciate everyone's comments, as I try my best to learn from each one of them ! . My project is on a new path thanks to all those who have taken the time to "steer' me in the right path.

---- Carlos Diaz

PS: THANK YOU Mary Bedy for your kind comments & reflections !

 

Mike Savad

9 Years Ago

thanks

the main idea with art is - you need to catch someone's attention and hold it there. there are many distracting things online and you need the catch. even if it doesn't sell it may bring people into the store. and that may lead to other sales. i have some that are looked at and never bought. i have others that just provoke but i hope for a sale.

Art Prints
this is eye catching right?



in general if someone says they don't like it etc - ask them to elaborate on those thoughts. if they can't, they are morons. plain and simple. if they can tell you they don't like it because it looks too much like this, or the colors clash etc, while it might hurt to know, you can fix that and it may be better down the line. like me - i have no tact what so ever, and things i might say to some people might hurt, but it should help them in the process. but there are many that will put you down just so they can feel better about themselves. its a bit sad.

if you can make a series like the one above, i'm certain it will sell. if it looks like a photo that looks like you used plastic wrap and emboss, to give it a chrome look -i'm not sure about those. but it's worth messing around with anyway. some effects works better on some subjects than others. like my method works really badly on flowers, i had to make a new method for that.


---Mike Savad

 

Jeffrey Kolker

9 Years Ago

I like your butterflies..they look really good. If that's the direction you're headed...I think it's great.

 

Carlos Diaz

9 Years Ago

Hello Jeff. This is the first time that I have obtained mostly positive reviews on this project. I will soon expand the project accordingly. I have other variations and ideas along this line that should also fit this concept. If artists think its good work, buyers may soon follow.... Thank you !

 

Lilliana Mendez

9 Years Ago

I understand your pain Carlos.

It does take a while to get to where you want to be. I know that the ultimate goal is to make sales, but the journey is just as important. I opened myself up for critique at least twice in the last two year. I did it because no matter how many nicey nicey comments I was getting my work wasn't selling. One of the harshest critiques was from Mike Savad who I am also in awe of. I just swallowed that bitter pill, and with great appreciation started to pay closer attention to in my case what didn't need to be in the photo. Slowly but surely I have refined my processes so that I am more attuned and confident in exactly how I want my work to look and feel. I kept a lot of my old work up and surprisingly what I didn't think was that good is what has sold. The ones that impress me the moment I am done working with them, tend to sit quietly in a corner. I find that the journey to how I wish to define myself as an artist and photographer is as personally fulfilling as making a sale. Keep your head up and keep at it. I find that it is helpful to go back to old photos or works you liked but weren't too sure about how to present at first and painstakingly work on those for a while. I have been very pleasantly surprised by the way they now look. The most important thing that Mike Savad taught me, was get rid of distractions in your pieces, work on what you want others to focus on.

 

Carlos Diaz

9 Years Ago

Hello Lilliana !

I think you summarized my train of thought much better than I did. By the way, I just visited your website and it is very impressive indeed. I think the rest will be a foregone conclusion. Great Work ! Congratulations on your journey.

 

Dan Turner

9 Years Ago

"For some time now, I have been trying to develop a new technique that makes my work stand out from the others."

Carlos, artists stand out by doing work that is uniquely theirs. Your 3d Butterflies are beautiful, but not because of the 3d effect. Your composition, colors and playful nature of the piece are what make it successful.

Applying a first-class 3d technique to a piece with a poor foundation (i.e. substandard composition and color combinations) will still yield third-rate results.


Dan Turner
Dan Turner's Seven Keys to Selling Art Online

 

Carlos Diaz

9 Years Ago

Thank you Dan for taking the time to consider this particular piece. To tell the truth, Butterflies & Flowers are hard to mess up. Hopefully the 3D effect just embellished it further. Now to all buyers: "LOOK INTO MY EYES".....Cha-chin.....

:)

 

Roy Erickson

9 Years Ago

Nice work Carlos - I think you are headed in the right direction - wonderful color and composition - and - I think the embossing really sets your style.

 

Carlos Diaz

9 Years Ago

Thank You Roy !

I am already looking at Real Estate in Malibu with all the positive feedback.... With my first million I think I will buy my own Gallery in New York.... I think I will visit the Ferrari factory in Maranello Italy in place my order for 2015.... Of course, my wife wants first to get paid for all the time she has spent cleaning and I have been playing around with this project... Bummer!... How quickly the dollar signs changes them.....

:)

 

This discussion is closed.