PhotoArtMaster

PhotoArtMaster
by Fo2Pix

Note: PhotoArtMaster 1.0 has been replaced by PhotoArtMaster 1.5 Classic, PhotoArtMaster 1.5 Silver, and PhotoArtMaster 1.5 Gold.

Guide Rating -

As of November 2007, Fo2Pix is out of business and the company assets are in liquidation. Unfortunately, there is no way to purchase Fo2Pix products at this time. [reference]

Despite the quirky interface and controls, this software is a lot of fun and very gratifying. It's a great way to transform ordinary-even boring-photographs into something you can be proud to frame and put on display. PhotoArtMaster provides starting points and tools, but you create the magic. PhotoArtMaster has a bit of a learning curve, but the printed manual and introductory tutorials take care of that very well. The trick is not to get too hung up on exactly how the the mixer control works. Just experiment and eventually you'll get a feel for it. Once you do, you can get lost in all the unique variations of art you can create. And, unlike some similarly advertised products, the images you create in PhotoArtMaster really are your own unique creations-not like one-click computer generated "art."

There are quite a few quirky aspects of the software, but the results make enduring them worthwhile. One of the more frustrating things is that it very easy to loose your work accidentally if you don't remember to click the "fix artwork" button regularly. In future versions, I would hope the program would prompt you to do this each time you choose a new source thumbnail. It's also very mouse dependent. None of the controls allow for keyboard entry and everything is done with point and click or click and drag actions. After several hours doodling with the software (and it is easy to get carried away for hours) my mousing arm became a bit tired. If you have a graphics tablet, you can use it to paint in the canvas area, but there is no pressure support.

PhotoArtMaster can only open and save JPEG format images. When you open an image in PhotoArtMaster, it will automatically be resized to one of a few standard sizes. The default seems to be the medium size of approximately 800x600 pixels. You can override this by clicking the "reload original" button to restore the original size, but be aware that working with large images can be quite slow. Generally, you don't need a great deal of resolution for PhotoArtMaster prints, but if you are printing large format poster-sized prints, you'll need to remember to reload the original before you get to work.

Next, you have the option of going to the Preparation Editor when you can flip, rotate, and crop the photo, make color adjustments, or correct skewed perspective or angled shots. After preparing the photo, you take it into the "Studio." PhotoArtMaster automatically generates several sources which you combine in the palette using the various tools and mixer controls. There are 13 categories of sources and each one has up to 20 variations. These sources have been stripped of unnecessary detail and are separated by color, line, and detail. When you pick a source image, it becomes your palette. The tools and mixers let you control how you layer and combine the source files to create your art.

The PhotoArtMaster "Studio"

Finally, you can print your images right from PhotoArtMaster. I found the printing options somewhat limited, so you may prefer to use another program for printing. I printed one of my creations on ink jet canvas and it came out beautifully! This was with a resolution of only 92 ppi using my printer's 720 dpi setting. In other words, I was able to get a framed 8x10 print from an image of only 640x854 pixels-pretty impressive!

The best way to get a feel for what PhotoArtMaster can do is to look at examples... and I have plenty to show you! Click the links below to see my PhotoArtMaster creations alongside the original photo. From each page, you can save a full size version, suitable for printing, which you are free to use for you own projects. [See Terms of Use]

These examples represent my own style and taste preferences; you will likely come up with art that is totally different! See the Fo2Pix Web site for more examples.

PhotoArtMaster Examples: Blossoms, Bryce, Cabin, Ducks, Gazebo, Landscape, Sedona, Tower, Wagon, West