Renaissance Photoshop

Sistine Madonna, Angels 

1513-1514, Raphael

 Shutter Speed: 1/20

Aperture: f/4.5

  Photograph taken with a  Canon Rebel XSi Camera

&

EFS 18-55mm Lens

      The Renaissance period (1400 to 1600's) marked the rebirth of humanism and the revival of cultural achievements in all forms of art. The classical antiquity from knowledge (math), experimentalism, and the importance of living, well in the present. During this time, artists produced works that displayed more artistic freedom and individualism. This creativity allowed artists to leave stricter ways of the Medieval Era. Their art forms rediscovered the ancient Greek ideals (Archaic Smile, Da Vinci's: The Mona Lisa). An explosion of knowledge brought on by printing and the creation of new techniques in art, poetry and architecture led to a change in the style, and part of the arts and letters. This period represents Europe emerging.

      During the Renaissance, painters began to enhance the realism of their work by using new techniques in perspective, thus representing three dimensions more authentically. Artists also began to use new techniques in the manipulation of light and darkness, such as the tone contrast evident in many of Titian's portraits and the development of sfumato and chiaroscuro by Leonardo da Vinci and Giorgione. The most refined works were produced in the High Renaissance. The most famous painters from this time period are Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, and Raphael. Their paintings are among the most widely known works of art in the world. The Last Supper, the Scuola di Atena and the Holy Family all feature a perspective, lively and natural presentation of people and landscapes. Renaissance painting evolved into mannerism around the mid 16th century. The High Renaissance symbolized exquisitely balanced frescoes of Raphael.

 

      Sculpture was the first of the fine arts to display Renaissance traits. Donatello was one of the most notable sculptors of the early Renaissance. He returned to classical techniques such as contrapposto and classical subjects like the unsupported nude. His second sculpture of David was the first free-standing bronze nude created in Europe since the Roman Empire. About a century later, Michelangelo developed figures that were independent of any architectural structure surrounding them. Michelangelo's David however is moving in a more natural way. Both sculptures are standing in contrapost, their weight shifted to one leg. 

 

Raphael (1483-1520) 

     Raphael became one of the three greatest masters of the High Renaissance. His first painting lessons came from his father. He then trained with Perugino, his early work supports this theory reflecting the clarity and harmony which is prevalent in the work of Perugino. Later Raphael, worked in Tuscany and Umbria where the work of Leonardo Da Vinci influenced his development. Pope Julius II sent Raphael to Rome in 1508 where he was employed to complete the fresco decoration of a number of rooms in the Vatican. The best known of these works is The School of Athens, a piece which glorifies the philosophers of antiquity.  The characteristic of serenity and harmony, clearly display Raphael's maturity and technical skill.

     The famous painting, Sistine Madonna, Angels is an oil painting, painted between 1513-1514. The painting has been highly praised by many notable critics, being called "a truly rare and extraordinary work". The angels are mentioned numerous times in the Bible. They always are described with light and godly, holy, beauty. Neither were children nor had dark wings. This painting is unbiblical, as most angels are seen with white wings, the colour of the children's wings are black, brown, and red. The background is very dark, the smoke covers all or if any light. The cherubs faces are painted exactly how Raphael saw two children on a street looking through a window of a bakery.

      My attempt of seamlessly adding another photo on the original was not ideal, but I think the shades of lighting in this painting match and work. I had my brother's face replace the cherub on the right. I decided to have his eyes shut (sleeping), because firstly, it would be easier to take the photo when he was still and second, the cherub's arm position is as he rests. As I spent two consecutive days both learning and using Photoshop, I feel I still have so much to learn. My biggest challenge was matching the hue of orange in the face, from cropping, angling, changing the hue/saturation, using the impressionist brush, and healing brush I feel I have come close to the original. Though from what I have done, through numerous cycles of trial and error, my final product has very alterations with tools in blending in.