Expanded Underlay Toolbar for Grisaille: This toolbar was expanded to 12 underlays including 3, 5, 6, and 7 shades of gray used for grisaille under-painting techniques. You can create a grisaille study, print the results for reference, and simulate the "layering" of hue glazes.

16 Step Value Scale: This half tone value scale offers more flexibility and a greater degree of control for grisaille under-painting techniques and color mixing. It also provides a reliable, consistent way to make notes and keep organized as you work.


Color Technology Benefits...

Use Study Tools with the Gagnon Color Charts to...

• analyze & simplify lighting
• create grisaille studies from 3 to 16 gray levels
• study color relationships and effects
• discover color secrets
• overcome "tricks-of-the-eye"
• teach and learn basic color theory
• plan color composition and color schemes
• mix colors accurately with artist paints
• convert pixel colors to pigments
• create color effects in digital photos
• control color effects on the canvas
• make color notes
• share color notes, ideas and solutions

The Color Technology

The color technology built into Artworks Basic has two primary components - the virtual color study tools and the Gagnon 3D Color Model.

Once you know how to effectively use the tools and a few virtual methods, which doesn't take long, you can master the basics of color and advance faster, easier, and better than with other aids like print or video media.

Virtual methods empowers you to see the color effects that interest you, in a way that helps you, at the level you are at, in real time using your images. It's virtual media, not print nor video media.

Virtual Color Tools

The virtual color tools are a collection of special tools used to study and control the colors in your digital reference photos in real time. Use them to analyze and simplify the lighting, view the notan, create grisaille studies, study color effects, convert screen colors into pigment mixes, and so on.

After a few hours of using these tools, you cannot help but become intimately familiar with the three color elements - hue, value, and chroma. Once you get this, you will never look back.

Here are four of the seven controls that come in Artworks Basic:

To see how "color masking" works using the value scale , click on the demo button below:

Analyze & Study Values (lighting)

One of the controls is the "8 Values" toolbar. Use it to mask the value levels in your digital reference photo. The photo on the right (B) shows how value levels 1 and 2 are instantly masked from the photo. You can print and save the results or use these controls with others to create special effects.

Analyze Hue and Chroma too

In the next example, hues and chroma intensities are masked using the Hue and Chroma toolbars. With a click of the mouse, the hue and chroma levels are masked instantly, leaving the white underlay. Take a look.

In Photo A, the orange hues are masked with the hue toolbar. In Photo B, all the highest level chromas are masked out with three clicks on the Chroma toolbar. What's more, each of these tools can be used in combination to mask hues, values, and chromas and create interesting effects (see Example 3b below).

Notan - Simplify Lighting with the Underlay Toolbar

In this third example, we show another type of Color Study Tool called the "Underlay" toolbar. Below is an example using the "Underlay" toolbar to view the whole image with just five gray values. 

This tool equips you with a virtual method to assess the notan - the overall lights and darks in your reference photo. You can then print it and use it as a 'value' reference when you paint. This toolbar is great for creating grisaille studies.

Furthermore, you can calibrate the grays in your printout using the "Set Grisaille Printer Prefs..." feature to match the grays of the value scale that comes with the software.


Create Special Effects

In this last example, the "Underlay" toolbar is used in combination with the hue toolbar. You can use the other toolbars and try numerous combinations in seconds. You can simulate the "layering in" of hue glazes for grisaille painting techniques.




Gagnon Color System

The basic Gagnon Color System (Gonyeau) is a collection of more than 4,000 colors arranged into 32 hues, 16 values, and 17 chromas. The full Gagnon Color Model indexes more than 8 million colors, providing an intuitive, independent color space reference to screen and printed color charts (see below).

Artworks also has the "RealTime Color Info" window. It gives you instant feedback about color in real time. In addition to the Gagnon Colors (hues, values, and chromas), the color system tracks your mouse movements providing conversions to standard RGB, CMY, CIE L*a*b* D65, and a color index to pigments.

Gagnon Printed Color Charts

The Gagnon printed color charts are used to interpret the pigment colors from the screen colors using the Real Time Color Info window. 

What's important to note about the hues in the color wheel and chroma scale is that they are gray balanced for art. Each printed color chart is precisely measured, printed on acid-free paper with light-fast inks, and laminated for protection (see Products).

Three Gagnon Color Charts are included with Artworks Basic - a color wheel of 32 visual complements, a value scale of 16 half tone grays, and a chroma scale of 16 chromas and neutral.

Use this color wheel to interpret screen colors, share color solutions, plan harmonious and complementary color compositions, and mix hundreds of subtle colors with artist paints accurately and with confidence. Use the value scale to measure and control lighting in your compositions and establish the values in grisaille underpaintings.

Interpret Screen Colors

Artworks Basic converts pixels (screen colors) to Gagnon Colors in "real time". The Gagnon Colors are hues, values, and chromas that represent the various colors in pigment media like paints, pastels, and pencils. For example, the tube color Phthalocyanine Blue (PB15) is called Blue 17 on the Gagnon Color Wheel.

Plan Color Composition

Artworks Basic includes an electronic Color Tutorial that helps you master the basic elements of color and explains how to use the Gagnon Color System as a reference.

Since the Gagnon Color Wheel is a set of precisely measured optical color mixes (using CIE Lab D65 for luminance) and positioned as optical complements (using Gagnon's optical gray method). These tools and resources provide a excellent reference for planning color compositions.

Mix Color Accurately

The Color Tutorial also includes a chapter on mixing color using the printed color charts and a simple 3-Step Method. Within 1 hour, you can learn how use these charts to mix hundreds of subtle colors accurately and confidently over and over again.

The Gagnon Color Charts add considerable value to this software product. They are accurate, reliable, and durable. We believe that these resources will pay for themselves time and again. Use them to save time, reduce waste and material costs, while you build the confidence to mix and create the color effects you desire on the canvas.

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[ PHOTO EDITING | FILE PROCESSING & PRINTING ]

Canvas Window Benefits

Use the Canvas Window to interactively frame and crop your photos to canvas size and shape. You can...

• resize live on-screen while keeping exact proportions
• set size and shape of your canvas
• set rectangle or oval shape
• move interactively on screen in large jumps or a pixel at a time
• zoom in and out
• crop with a single button click
• turn ON or OFF instantly
• save your settings with the picture

Interactive Canvas Window

Discover effective compositions within the bounds of your digital reference photos quickly and easily.

The interactive Canvas Window is a "moveable" and "resizeable" window that is superimposed over your digital reference photo. You can select a Rectangle (square) or Oval (circle) shape and turn this window ON and OFF with a click of the mouse.

How it works

The window floats like a transparent overlay over your reference photo.  You can set the size in inches, move it all around the screen, resize it larger or smaller instantly on-screen while keeping the exact proportions.  Also you can nudge it one pixel at a time, turn it ON or OFF, zoom in, zoom out, and so on.  When done you can save it with all the settings in a file, print it, crop it, or save the cropped image in the standard image formats (see list in Standard File Processing).  

This feature along with the Grid Overlay (see below) is a real time saver and very effective for composing the non-color elements. You can try numerous compositions at various canvas sizes and shapes in minutes.

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Grid Overlay Benefits

The Quarter Grid, popular among watercolor artists, is new in this release.

This grid is a combination Drawing and Composition Grid.



A Drawing Grid is used to transfer drawings onto canvas or wall support.

A Composition Grid is used to compose the non-color elements.

You can...

• Move and resize with the Canvas Window
• Turn ON or OFF instantly and separately from Canvas Window
• Select one of two variations of composition grids with true "golden section " proportions
• Set square size of the drawing grid from 1" and up in relation to Canvas Window
• Print grid with photo
• Save grid settings with photo

Grid Overlays

The Grid Overlays are connected to the Canvas Window and used for drawing and composition. Both types of grids are set quickly and easily, controlled separately, instantly turned ON and OFF, and printed with your reference photo.

Drawing Grid

Great for portraits, figures, objects, and scenes for wall murals. Use this age old technique to transfer the scale and proportions of your drawing onto a canvas or the wall for a mural. This is a real time saver.


The square size of the drawing grid can be set in relation to the Canvas Window from 1" and up.  The grid lines appear in the frame of the Canvas Window when ON, and they will keep the exact proportions when resizing with the Canvas Window.

Composition Grid

This grid is based on true "golden section" proportions for height and width based on the size/shape of the Canvas Window. In minutes, you can explore many possibilities and discover those "hot spots" within the composition that suddenly jump out at you. 

The golden section grid (also known as the golden mean) is an effective composition aid that goes back to the Ancient Greeks. This overall works the same way as the Drawing Grid in terms of resizing it with the Canvas Window in real time, turning it ON or OFF, and printing it with your reference photo. 



Quarter Grid

The quarter grid is popular among watercolor artists.

This grid only has three horizontal and three vertical lines so it provides a quick way to draw a grid that is useful for transfering a drawing onto the canvas and for composition. The center of the four inner squares are golden section points of interest.

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[ PHOTO EDITING | FILE PROCESSING & PRINTING ]

Effect Filter Benefits

Median Blur: A special filter to blur an image with a "posterizing" effect.

When using this filter in combination with the "Dry Brush" and "Impressionistic" filters, you can create some interesting painterly effects.


Other Painting Effects Filters

Whether your are an impressionist or a realist, you can use these filters to develop style. The following filters are included in Artworks Basic...

• Oil Painting
• Impressionistic to capture lighting and minimize reality
• Dry Brush for watercolor effects
• Rough Sketch for drawing and composing non-color elements
• Noise for pointillistic effects
• Standard Blur filter to soften hard edges
• Gamma Correct to change overall lighting
• Posterize for paint-by-number effects
• Mosaic for tile effects

Painting Effects Filters

The painting effects filters are great for helping you develop your personal artistic style. Apply these filters to your reference photo in a style that interests you.

Three of the most popular effects are the Rough Sketch, Impressionist, and Dry Brush filters. Here are some examples:

Rough Sketch

At an elementary level, Rough Sketch is used as a drawing aid. Great for those who struggle with drawing because it simplifies the objects in the photo showing the main lines and forms.

At an advanced level, it used to remove the color elements making it easier to study textures, shapes, lines, and masses. This helps to work out the non-color elements of your composition. 



To see just the non color elements like line, shape, texture, or mass in your reference photo, select the "Rough Sketch" menu... done!

Furthermore, you can darken the lines with contrast filters (see photo editing) and remove some of the textural effects by using the 16 step "values" toolbar (one of the Color Study Tools). This is a real handy, practical filter.

Dry Brush

You can apply the "dry brush" filter to create a watercolor effect in your reference photo. Take a look...

Impressionist

Another popular effect is impressionistic filter. You can use in combination with changes in Chroma and Hue to create the effect that suits your style.



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Photo Editing Benefits

The following new photo editing features were added since version 1.7...

• Unsharp Mask
• Monotone Colorize Gray
• Monotone Grayscale

Other photo editing features...

• Resize your photos to a smaller, more manageable size
• Rotate photos that may be slightly tilted
• Flip photos upside down or mirror image
• Sharpen or soften edges
• Shift hues warmer or cooler
• Lighten or darken values
• Enrichen or neutralize colors
• Control color contrast

Basic Photo Editing

Artworks Basic also includes a host of standard image modification features used to resize, rotate, flip, change color contrast, sharpen, soften plus professional level filters like Unsharp Mask and Colorize Gray for that "antiquated" look (see screen shots below).

Also, here are some examples of the standard editing features:







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File List & Print Benefits

Grisaille Print Control: Artworks Basic now provides a custom way for you to control the grisaille grays on your printer.


Summary of Standard File Processing and Printing Features...

Open and Save the following standard image files:

• Open JPG, BMP, PCD, PNG, PCX, GIF
• Save JPG, BMP, PNG, PCX, GIF

The print features include...

• Print Preview to control scale and placement of image on the printed page
• Print Projector Size ready made for overhead projectors
• Print to maximum paper size on your printer
• Grisaille Print Control

Standard File Processing & Printing

Artworks Basic can open and save popular image file formats: JPG, BMP, PNG, PCX.

Save Artworks Files

In addition, you can Save a picture in the Artworks native format.  The benefit here is that you can store information about the picture, like the title, copyright notice, size, canvas ratio, the 'Canvas Window' size and its position associated with the picture.  This is a handy feature to work out different compositions from the same reference photo.

Add Text Information

One of the features that Artworks provides is a pre-designed template called Header/Footer for editing and storing text information about your source photo. You can print all or none of this information. Each information item is separately controlled for display and printing.

They include the following information items... Title, Canvas Size, Canvas Ratio, Copyright Notice, & Grid Size.

Also, there is a "quick preview" button for instantly displaying the header/footer information and the cropped area of the image on screen. Take a look.

Printing

For printing, there is normal printing on an 8.5" x 11" standard letter paper (larger if you have the printer to do so).  A "Print Preview" window helps you size and place the image on the page.

There is also a special print display called a Projector Size for making a print size suitable to use in an art projector or overhead projector.  The Projector size will print the image with or without the "text information" items that you may store with the picture.

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[ ARTISTIC EFFECTS | PHOTO EDITING | FILE PROCESSING & PRINTING ]

INQUIRIES

If you have any other questions with regard to Artworks Basic, send your email inquiries to info at artellmedia.com.