If you want to design products or home décor with a southwestern motif, a wonderful way to do this is to create artistic works with a southwestern theme. The following steps will help you as you embark on your project.
Instructions
1. Begin by researching the southwestern region of the United States. Take a look at the cultural and historical influences. You might come away with an interest in Native American art and want to base some of your images on the artwork done by these cultures, be it sand drawings, pottery or basket making. You might even decide to use photographs of various types of items and create a montage image. Gather any reference pictures you intend to use in creating your images. Sketch out your designs on paper before moving on to the next step in the process.
2. Choose a graphics program to create your southwestern images. GIMP (freeware) or Photoshop are useful programs for create these types of works. Go to "File" and select "New." Select the size of document you want to create by entering the width and height requirements into the spaces provided in the dialog box. Choose the resolution setting and enter this number also. A resolution of at least 200 pixels is generally best for an image that you intend to print or 72 if it is going on the Web.
3. Use the "Layer" panel in the lower-right-hand corner of your screen to add individual elements (text, photos, graphics) to your design so that they can be worked on separately. When you add any element, it will be placed on a separate layer. Click on a layer with a particular element to add artistic changes, reposition the element and so on. For instance, you might have one black-and-white photo of a wolf, another of a Navajo basket and yet another of four feathers. By using layers, you can make changes to each of these, resizing them, adding effects and beyond without affecting other elements. Once you have finished creating your design, save the file as a high resolution JPEG.
4. Print your images or upload them to your Web page. If you intend to print your images for framing, consult a professional framer. There are also several printing services online that can print your southwestern images as giclee prints or can put your images on a variety of other surfaces or canvases.
If you want to print your images as posters, check with print shops in your area or with an office-supply store such as Staples that provides this service. Online companies like Cafepress and Zazzle also print images on posters, banners and a wide variety of other products.
Tags: your images, print your, creating your, images posters, intend print