2B D11 : Color Storyboard - Poppy Dream & Darling Buds of May

The lesson today was about creating a color swatch storyboard--with a new method, different from the one Kim showed us last year in Beyond Layers.  

 I'm trying out a new camera.  I've become enamored of the new Olympus OMD-EM5, so we're trying it out for the weekend.  I want to test it out before I make the investment.   This is taken with the kit lens set to macro.  You can even see a little lake fly at the top of the sun-lit poppy.  

Not bad, huh?

Layer by Layer Processing :

Layer 1 : Background Image   (This image is essentially straight out of the camera.)

Layer 2 :  Extend canvas with black background so colors POP!

Layer 3 : Copy Background image;  Screen blend mode 24% opacity.

Layer 4 : Dark Green Color Sample

Layer 5 : Medium Green Color Sample

Layer 6 : Light Green Color Sample

Layer 7 : Dark Orange Color Sample

Layer 8 : Orange Color Sample

Layer 9 : Golden Yellow Color Sample

Layer 10 : Text - Quote in Apple Chancery Font with Clive Barker Font for attribution; Normal 74%

Layer 11 : Text - Poppy Dream Title; Normal 74%

This is version number 1.  I honestly gave it the old-college-try, but the swatches looked flat and artificial next to the vibrant pink and white apple blossoms.  In the end, I decided to let the petals speak for themselves.    The quote is classic Shakespeare in a font to match, paired with Zapfino. 

This could also be another one for my "gutter flowers" series.  They were on the  sidewalk outside the front door last month.   Beautiful textured debris--oh so fleeting.  The poppies are considered weeds, too.