WHAT ONLY EXISTS
IN THE MIND
JEFFREY SMITH
J
effrey Smith – whose work rings with
symmetry and symbolism – is a painter. His
medium just happens to be Photoshop.
What Only Exists In The Mindis “an
interpretation of nostalgia, the painting depicting
the scenery of where I grew up as a child,” says
Smith (www.sonarfates.com). “The mountains,
rivers, and the endless horizon. I wanted to paint this03
SURFACE DETAILS
I begin to add surface details with the Pen
and Gradient tools, which help to break up the blocky
shapes. I’m a sucker for details so I probably go
overboard with this step on most of my pieces.THIS PHOTOSHOPONLY DIGITAL PAINTING COMES FROM THE
SYMMETRICAL MIND OF AMERICAN ARTIST JEFFREY SMITH01
FRONT TO BACK
Midway through the painting, with the
foreground in place, I flattened the piece and began
painting the spiralling clouds. I used my own
custom brushes for the entire piece.02
HEAD IN THE CLOUDS
I started at the horizon, painting very small
distant clouds and building up layer by layer with larger
clouds. I do a lot of symmetrical work in this fashion.because I often think of how beautiful and special
that place is to me, and now as an adult I have
moved.” He explains that he began the piece “with
a sketch, line art just sketched into Photoshop.
Underneath that sketch layer I began the
mountain and the hills on the horizon, working
towards the foreground with the river.” He used
his own custom brushes, and relied heavily on theHOW I MADE TECHNIQUES
Smudge tool. “I also used a reference shot I took of a
lake for the overlay on the water, to give just the
slight look of ripples,” he adds.
The success of the piece is largely down to its
symmetry, and Smith says “many pieces of mine- past, present, and yet to be made... Have this same
symmetrical style. My pieces are more symbols than
anything, so symmetry is my default.”
Many pieces of mine – past, present, and yet to be made...
Have this same symmetrical style. My pieces are moresymbols than anything, so symmetry is my default