My blog pal Vivian recently mentioned an app called "Waterlogue" that renders photos as watercolor paintings. I was intrigued enough to buy it ($3.99) and experiment with it a bit.
Above is a view of a house that I photographed while walking Olga yesterday morning. I liked the yellow-on-yellow theme, and I must say, the Waterlogue version looks even better than the original picture:
Don't you think? Somehow it clarifies the color and reduces the visual clutter of the photo.
It was very easy to convert -- it takes about two seconds, and you can watch it happen.
Vivian (who is a watercolor painter herself) pointed out -- and rightly so -- that an app can never make the sorts of intentional decisions that an artist would, about what to depict and how. But having said that, the finished product is pretty darn amazing.
Of course I had to try it on a picture of Olga, lying on the bed with her favorite pink blanket.
I got the wildflower garden planted yesterday. It was a comedy of errors -- I scattered two packets of seeds from Homebase, and all the while a pigeon was sitting on the fence above the garden eyeing it greedily. I walked over the seeds after scattering them -- as the host of our favorite gardening TV show suggested we do, to push the seeds into the soil -- but our soil is so clayey that it stuck to my shoes in big blobs, and I suspect that half the seeds are now buried in the treads of my footwear. (I did my best to put the blobs back!) And finally, I scattered seed compost on top, which looks like awfully inviting digging material for the squirrels.
So between squirrels, my shoes and that pigeon -- not to mention other unmentioned hazards -- I'm not sure what's going to survive out there!
The water colour painting app is incredible. When I saw the first picture of the house I just thought it was a well-executed water colour with excellent perspective and boldness... And then I scrolled down to discover it was a very clever "fake".
ReplyDeleteRegarding the wild flower seeds, I think you need to buy another packet, wait for the soil to dry and warm up a little and then try again.
Love that watercolor app. I use Photoshop, which has a watercolor editing feature. I haven't tried it but maybe I will now. I like YP's advice about the wildflower seeds.
ReplyDeleteSo the whole effort with the seeds will be a bigger surprise than the variety in the package. Does it ever dry out there?
ReplyDeletethe forsythia in that photo is enormous! they will bloom here but not like that as we don't usually get enough cold weather. and good luck on the wildflower seeds. we have to plant those in the fall.
ReplyDeleteI really like the results of your watercolor app.
ReplyDeleteAwwwwww...I love little Olga's watercolor. I can see the look she is throwing you, "Are you really going to wake me up from a nap with my favorite blankie just so you can take my picture?"
ReplyDeleteI do like Waterlogue's ability to do architecture so well. I would love to see some of your street scenes (like the one you kindly sent me, of the lady in the pink hat running for the bus). And as soon as I find out how to buy an app from the Apple store I will be playing with it for hours.
I must give this app a go. You might find yourself growing taller if those seeds start sprouting on the bottom of your boots, lol
ReplyDeleteBriony
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I have a similar app called Photo Lab Pro on my iPad. It will do all types of artistic edits. But I might check out the Waterlogue app too. I love the way your photos turned out. I'm wishing you luck with the garden wildflowers. I can just picture that pigeon eyeing you as you were planting.
ReplyDeleteThat app is amazing! I love that faux watercolor! Dang. I might even try that.
ReplyDeleteI was thinking you could have just set your shoes upside down and see what sprouted. That would be an interesting experiment.
Wow...those renderings are marvelous!
ReplyDeleteOh, my goodness! This is so cool. I just purchased the app. Thanks!
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