8. Painting Character Studies on the Digital Canvas
Sid chooses photographic portraits from his own collection to demonstrate how he uses the digital canvas to emphasize the subjects’ personalities. He leads viewers through the process of transforming photographs into paintings that emphasize the subjects’ dominant character traits.

9. Rescuing Old Photographs in the Digital Darkroom
Sid shows how to reclaim damaged or ineffective old photos by removing spots and stains, repairing torn images, and correcting faded color. He demonstrates how to create “the picture that never was taken” by combining single portraits of each of his parents, who never had their picture taken together.

10. Creating a Scene in the Digital Darkroom
Sid teaches viewers how to turn a “pretty good” photographic scene into a dramatic image by making changes in the digital darkroom. For example, he copies a fishing boat from one picture and pastes it into a scene of a lighthouse. Suddenly the scene tells a story.

11. Turning a Photographic Scene into a Painting
Sid invites the viewers to look through their photographs and find a scene suitable for turning into a painting. Then he demonstrates how to use the digital canvas to transform photos into paintings featuring a number of artistic styles—from block print to watercolor.

12. Improving Photographs in the Digital Darkroom
Sid walks his audience through the process of turning a problem photograph into “the picture you meant to take” using a shot he took of the Greek Parthenon. The picture had been spoiled by the presence of a huge construction crane, which Sid deftly “erases” from the scene.

13. Making a Vacation Montage
Sid encourages viewers to select from vacation photographs images that are symbolic of the vacation place and then juxtapose them to create an artistic montage suitable for framing.

1. Orientation to the Digital Canvas
Sid introduces the paints, brushes and other tools available. He shows the vast array of paper textures available in addition to the canvas. In this program he converts one of his own photographs to a watercolor painting and paints a still life in oil “from scratch” directly onto the screen.

2. Introduction to the Digital Darkroom
Sid discusses the advantages of using the computer as a darkroom (no messy chemicals; no one opens the door and ruins your work.) Then he scans in some photographs and shows how to crop the picture, change levels, add contrast, remove unwanted details, and correct color.

3. The Digital Darkroom--Using Digital Cameras
Sid discusses the pros and cons of using a digital camera and demonstrates how to correct a photograph taken by a digital camera under poor lighting conditions. By using the digital darkroom in combination with the digital canvas, he converts the inferior photograph into a beautiful portrait.

4. Computer Animation
Sid explains the basics of animating cartoons on the computer. He creates on camera a simple cartoon figure and takes the viewer through the steps of animating the figure. He shows other cartoons he has drawn and animated using computer software.

5. Creating Great Photographic Portraits in the Digital Darkroom
Sid shows how to combine two photographs into a dramatic photographic portrait. He “fuses” one photo of the person in an ordinary setting with another dramatic shot of the person’s workplace. The resulting photographic portrait captures the essence of the subject.

6. Turning a Photograph into a Painted Portrait
Sid takes viewers step by step through the process of selecting a favorite photograph of a special person, scanning that photo into the computer, and then using the tools of the digital canvas—the graphics tablet, the paint brush(es), the paint medium (oils, pastel, watercolor) of choice—to transform the photo into a striking “painted” portrait.

7. Advanced Techniques--Creating an Illustration in the Digital Studio
Sid uses self-made photos of himself in various poses and attitudes to create a scene of a group of men playing cards. After copying and pasting his image several times into the scene, he “drops out” the color, and using the digital canvas, “paints” a variety of characters—young and old—using his own black-and-white image outline as a guide.

Series Overview

The series, created and hosted by artist/photographer Sid Webb, is designed to entertain viewers while showing them how to use their home computers to create art and manipulate photographs.

It is targeted toward general audiences who have average computer know-how.

The series of 13 half hours does not attempt to delve into the intricacies of computer programming. It does not recommend use of any particular software, but viewers will select from a variety of programs on the market today.

Sid refers to his use of the computer to create art as “using the digital canvas.” By touching a stylus to a graphics tablet that lies in front of the computer, he is able to draw or paint images directly “on” the screen.

Using the computer as a “digital darkroom” he scans his photographs into the computer and manipulates them—much as a photographer does in the darkroom—to achieve just the picture he’s looking for.