Review: Advanced Compositing in Adobe Photoshop CC

Posted on 3rd October 2020 by perfectly4med

With things being so quiet in the Studio at the moment due to COVID restrictions, I thought I would find something to hone my skills or add to my repertoire. Browsing Amazon recommendations (as you do) I came across a book ‘Adobe Master Class: Advanced Compositing in Adobe Photoshop CC’ by Bret Malley. The blurb sounded good, the reviews were excellent and it made it to my wishlist. And there it languished for a few days before I decided it was training and therefore a business expense. Purchased and arrived the next day (oh the joys of Prime). Here’s one of my completed pieces based on a tutorial from the book, alongside the source images:

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Arts in Worship: Sursum Corda

Posted on 12th June 2016 by perfectly4med

Today, I went on retreat to Launde Abbey – a space to reflect, be out of contact with the outside world and to re-establish communication with God. The theme for the days reflection centred around Martha preparing the meal for Jesus, and the story of Brother Lawrence finding ways to worship God as he washed dishes for his entire monastic life. I took my iPad, so I could respond in creative worship, and as I reflected on things happening in my life at the moment, I drew on this quote from Brother Lawrence:

Lift your heart to Him during your meals and in company, the least little remembrance will always be most pleasing to Him.

And from this quote from Edmund Morgan, a Welsh Anglican bishop:

… to overcome the temptation to love the praise of men more than the glory of God, your life must be a continual sursum corda; you must ever be groping, fighting, leaping Godwards…

‘Lift up your hearts’ – Latin: sursum corda – is the opening dialogue to the Preface of the Eucharistic Prayer. Rarely featured in Baptist tradition, it was a perfect illustration of what I took away with me from the retreat.

[created in Procreate and Inkpad Pro apps on iPad Pro with Apple Pencil]

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Sermon Sketchnotes go digital

Posted on 22nd November 2015 by perfectly4med

I’ve been lucky enough to get hold of an Apple iPad Pro, and used it this morning in church – not only to do my sermon sketchnotes direct to digital, but also used it for paperless music whilst playing the worship songs 🙂

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Getting to know… the Paper 53 Pencil

Posted on 10th October 2014 by perfectly4med

I treated myself to the Paper 53 Pencil (in walnut) to use with the Paper 53 app on my iPad mini. It takes a bit of getting used to, but I think it has helped my digital art on the move no end. Here’s the result: three drawings inspired by the sermons I was listening to at the time… and I’m going to be having a go at live on-screen illustration in mid-November! Each drawing was completed within two sermon lengths (approx. 40 mins) as the church I go to has two morning services (9am and 10:45am) and when I’m playing in the worship group, we’re rostered for both.

More Art in Worship

Posted on 26th September 2013 by perfectly4med

As previously mentioned, I am clearing out my study – I’ve also cleared out an old PC. Whilst doing this, I came across my original sketches for some artwork I did back in 2008 whilst at Robert Hall Memorial Baptist Church in Leicester. Again, I sketched out the idea whilst the service was taking place, and this time took the sketches back home and created some digital art (Photoshop/Illustrator) which was then printed as A0 poster size. As far as I know, they’re still on display in the church. I also know that one of them ended up being given to Rothley Baptist Church as well. Here are the ‘before and after’ pics: