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ARTISTRY ACADEMY OF
PAINTING FOR PHOTOGRAPHERS

Karen Sperling’s
 

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Don't You Wish You Could Paint based on photos in Adobe Photoshop or Corel Painter?

If you've wanted to turn your photos into paintings, you have come to the right place!

Whether you have thought you might like to paint based on your photos, but have never taken the steps to do so…

Or you have tried to paint, either on your own, or with the help of instructors, but have found yourself getting stuck…

Either way, you know that if you could turn your photos into paintings, you would find it rewarding and challenging and perhaps even lucrative.

Painting by Karen Sperling in Corel Painter based on a royalty free photo.

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Instead of Wishing You Could Paint Based on Photos, Start Painting! Join Karen Sperling's Artistry Academy of Painting for Photographers!

Learn to turn photos into paintings in Corel Painter and Adobe Photoshop from the author of the original Painter manuals, Karen Sperling.

Video lessons show you art and color theories and software steps, then you apply what you’ve learned. Then you get feedback from Karen Sperling in live Zoom webinars. Karen Sperling’s Painter and Photoshop brushes, free with your membership, help simplify and enhance the painting process. And you trade inspiration with fellow Artistry Academy members in a private VIP online forum.

Painting by Karen Sperling in Corel Painter based on a photo by Christy Peterson

 

karen sperling’s

artistry academy of

painting for photographers

is named after her books!

The Painting for Photographers book series has art lessons and step-by-step instructions for turning photos into paintings in Corel Painter. The first volume also includes steps for painting based on photos in Adobe Photoshop. The first volume also includes information for painting with traditional oils and acrylics on printed canvas.

The Artistry Academy of Painting for Photographers takes your painting to the next level with the addition of videos, custom brushes and personal feedback.

The Painting for Photographers printed books are available at Amazon around the world.

Click Add to Cart below to order Painting for Photographers books in .pdf format.

Compatibility: The Painting for Photographers books were written for previous versions of Corel Painter and Adobe Photoshop. There are some differences compared to current software versions, but they’re mostly cosmetic and the books’ art lessons and painting techniques still apply today. You can always email Karen Sperling with questions, but no one ever does. The books really are compatible with today’s software.

The Painting for Photographers books

get rave reviews like these:

Yes!​

 

I’d like to order

the Painting for Photographers

Volumes 1, 2 and 3 Bundle in .pdf format!

Full Price: $108 ($35.95 x 3)

With 25% bundle savings: $81 total price for 3 volumes

Please note: The Painting for Photographers books in .pdf format aren’t automatic downloads. A person sends them to you. You will receive the .pdfs within 24 hours of your order during regular business hours Monday through Friday U.S. Pacific Time. Due to the nature of digital tutorials, there are no refunds or credits.

Thank you for your order!

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Your Membership in

karen sperling’s

artistry academy of painting for photographers includes:

Step-by-Step Videos to Turn Photos into Paintings in Adobe Photoshop

Monthly Zoom Paint Along and Feedback Webinar

Karen Sperling's Tips, Techniques and Secrets for Getting the Most out of Adobe Photoshop and Corel Painter Developed Over Decades of Painting with and Teaching Both Programs

Private Member Forum

Step-by-Step Videos to Turn Photos into Paintings in
Corel Painter

Master Artist Video Classes, including Rembrandt

Karen Sperling's Unique Corel Painter and Adobe Photoshop Custom Brushes

Ongoing Personal Help From and Access to Karen Sperling by E-Mail, Videos and Webinars

Art lessons, Art History, Color Theory, Use of Tone and Composition for knowing the why behind turning photos into paintings in addition to the how-to software steps

Art lessons and Corel Painter and Adobe Photoshop steps for Developing Your Own Painting Style for Turning Photos into Paintings

New video tutorials weekly covering painting techniques and software steps for turning photos into paintings in Corel Painter and Adobe Photoshop

 

Examples of photos turned into paintings using the brushes, techniques and art lessons in karen sperling’s

artistry academy of

painting for photographers

 

more examples of what you’ll

learn in karen sperling’s

artistry academy of

painting for photographers

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  • What will I learn in the Artistry Academy of Painting for Photographers?
    How to turn photos into paintings in Corel Painter and/or Adobe Photoshop by studying traditional art and color theories and by learning step-by-step how to get the most out of the software of your choice for painting based on photos.
  • I want to learn to paint, but I don’t have time.
    I think we all have time if we just make it a point to do something. Even if you devote a 1/2 hour to painting per week, you will see results over time. Of course, if you spend more than 1/2 hour a week you’ll see results sooner, but slow and steady wins the race.
  • I don’t have any painting talent. Is that OK?
    Talent is an overrated word, in my opinion, and one that I don’t like to use. It’s too limiting. People think they either have talent or they don’t. However, I believe talent can be cultivated with classes and also with simply observing and analyzing art through the centuries, like we do in the Artistry Academy. And practice. Painting is a skill that you can learn by studying art theories, learning techniques and by practicing, and you’ll get all three in the Academy of Painting for Photographers.
  • I get frustrated following tutorials because I can’t ask questions.
    That’s one of the most exciting parts of the Academy of Painting for Photographers. I offer individual feedback and answer questions for all who enroll. If you have a simple question, I can just answer it in email. If it's something I think everyone can benefit from, I create a video or webinar to go over it.
  • I would like to learn everything I can from you so that I can teach it to others. Is that OK?
    No, I’m afraid it isn’t OK. My copyrighted classes and information are only for those who would like to use what I teach to paint their own paintings based on photos. All of my materials and information are copyright protected and not to be passed along to others.
  • I don’t relish the thought of sitting alone in front of the computer painting. I get more out of interacting with other people.
    That’s another exciting aspect of the Academy of Painting for Photographers. It’s a virtual school, where you can be in touch with others like you as you all learn to paint, see each others’ progress together as a group and cheer each other on in both webinars and online private forums. Members have the opportunity to rub elbows with like-minded photographers/artists/hobbyists, enhancing and grounding the learning-to-paint experience way beyond where it can go just sitting alone at your computer and going through tutorials in isolation.
  • I don’t have Corel Painter, just Photoshop. Will the classes be useful to me?
    Yes. I’ve been painting with Photoshop for almost as long as I’ve been painting with Corel Painter and I have offered several kindles and videos covering painting in Photoshop over the years. Now, with the Artistry Academy of Painting for Photographers, I'm including step-by-step information for turning photos into paintings in Photoshop, while still offering Corel Painter instruction. In other words, in the Artistry Academy, you can learn to paint with either Painter or Photoshop, or both—it’s up to you!
  • Do I receive anything when I join?
    Yes. You will receive access to all the videos, webinar recordings and custom brushes that are currently available and to all future ones as long as your membership remains active. You will also be invited to a members-only VIP private forum on Facebook where you may post your images and questions and also view work by fellow Artistry Academy members.
  • Do you have a formal schedule of classes you’re offering?
    There are currently close to 50 how-to-paint videos and webinar recordings that you can go through at your own pace. Additionally, there are new videos every week and a monthly Zoom webinar where you receive personal feedback from Karen Sperling and visit with your fellow Artistry Academy members.
  • I took a class with a teacher and though he was really talented, I felt we only learned to paint like him, but I’d like to find my own style. Is that possible?
    Yes! That is my main teaching philosophy—that you learn to paint like you, not like me. That’s the reason for learning art and color theories. We go over how to find your own style by choosing among all the different possibilities. Along those lines, we also talk about the ingredients of different art eras, like Impressionism, and art history, and artists, so that you aren’t locked into one look, but free to explore and incorporate ideas passed down through the ages.
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The Reviews Are In, And They're Raves!

enjoys video classes

I’ve enrolled in the Artistry Academy of Painting for Photographers based on the fact that I really enjoy your teaching style in videos I’ve purchased or seen on You tube. You keep it simple but informative. I’ve always felt very encouraged by you and always am impressed at the personal touch with your email responses. I look forward to committing more time to painting by enrolling as well as playing and experimenting more with painting and art concepts. - Monty Wiseman

sold 1st painting

I attended Karen’s class at the PPA affiliate schools (MARS) in Cape May, NJ this year. Karen is a wonderful instructor. She knows her work, and conveys her instructions in a manner that is structured but not overwhelming. My very first painting that I created to show at a bridal show received rave reviews from potential brides. In fact - I told the subjects of that print that I had a surprise for them when they picked up their previews from their wedding. When they walked in the studio, their first response was WOW - that’s cool - WOW that’s us!! They bought a framed 16x20 on the spot!! I think that Karen Sperling would be a fine addition to the list of PPA instructors, and I would highly recommend her talents. Theresa Terilli PPA Certified

Benefited greatly

As a relatively recent user of Corel Painter I’ve benefited greatly from working through several of Karen Sperling’s quick fix videos and her online class on turning floral photos into impressionist style paintings. When she announced the creation of her Artistry Academy of Painting for Photographers I knew I couldn’t pass up this opportunity to learn even more with personal instruction and one-on-one feedback. - Terry Mills

highly recommended

Karen Sperling Excellent Artist; Outstanding Communicator To whom it may concern; I am writing this letter on behalf of Karen Sperling, who was the instructor for the Painter workshop at the recent MARS workshop in Cape May, New Jersey. I am a photographer of over 30 years who, two years ago, switched to a digital workflow with the intention of producing archival giclees of my library of photographs. At that time I had no computer savy and knew nothing of Photoshop, Painter, software rips, color management, Raw files or any other aspects of a digital workflow. I embarked on an extensive 18 month series of studies at various centers around the country. In my opinion, Karen Sperling exhibits the wonderful trait of being more than an excellent artist, but is an outstanding communicator as well. She is both patient and informative to whatever depth required by the individuals in her class. She can see the individual needs and attend to them while keeping the group moving at a pace that is exciting to everyone. In my opinion, another of her best qualities is an engaging personality and a great sense of humor that is liberally applied through the workshop. I would highly recommend Karen to any group or individual that is considering taking advantage of her multi-faceted talents. Sincerely yours, Bruce Keyes

became painter pro

I use Photoshop, Lightroom and Corel Painter as a combination in many of my images.Karen Sperling is the best Corel Painter instructor in the world and she made me a master in the Painter software. - C. Willie Winslow II

painting lessons fun

I joined Karen Sperling’s Artistry Academy in late August 2023. Her new Rembrandt class was my first painting video lesson. Learning art theory and color theory helped with the new video lessons that were sent to me on YouTube to watch by email. Karen explains how to paint the next step and also how to set up in Corel Painter and Photoshop. She sends you her brushes with each lesson and demonstrates how to use them on that class video. The videos are clear and the brushes are easy to paint with in Photoshop or Corel Painter. Questions I needed answering I just simply sent off an email, and Karen promptly replied back to me. I’m very interested in learning how to paint portraits, landscapes, flowers, pets and more. Since finishing the Rembrandt class I now have purchased the 2023 Corel Painter Software. Karen’s webinars are fun, we all laugh together and Karen suggests what she would do with our paintings and how to correct them by demonstrating how to do it. Having so much fun learning, and wanting to learn more from Karen,  I’m glad I took her 12-month subscription. Thank you Karen! MoMo

right path

When I finally retired from the information technology industry 14 years ago, I finally had time to pursue my artistic muse through digital photography. I’ve been quite successful with my photographic art, exhibiting in several local art shows every year since then. However, I felt some images needed more “artistry” — they seemed more suited to becoming painted art than remaining as photographs. But I couldn’t paint a barn door with a brush if my life depended on it. I did try a number of “automatic” painting programs, each promising to turn my photographs into fabulous digital “paintings” in the style of Rembrandt, Van Gogh, Monet … whatever I wanted. While they made the effort, each program fell short of what I had in mind — they just didn’t look like real paintings. And any attempt to paint digitally by hand with Photoshop or Painter fell even shorter — I just didn’t understand the “basics” of how painted art is created. Then I discovered Karen Sperling’s Artistry Academy. It offered to teach me how to turn a digital photograph into a hand-painted digital artwork, from initial preparation to final brushstroke. Karen is a master of both traditional and digital painting — it felt like the right path to achieve my vision. Furthermore, the cost wasn’t going to break the bank. So, I decided to try it for a year, just to see if it could get me closer to my goal. I must say that after these first few months, I have learned quite a lot from Karen. She broke things down, and presented them in simple, easy-to-follow steps that allowed me to understand both the “why” and the “how” of each step in the process. She is also a master of painting in Photoshop (where I am comfortable) and Corel Painter (where my learning curve is steep). And Karen is also very responsive when I email her a question about something — she replies, usually within a few hours, or at least by the next day. The Academy also includes a monthly member get-together over Zoom, where we discuss the “State of Our Art” and talk about our work and progress. We also get to see the work by other members, and receive feedback about it from Karen. Interacting with Karen in a live session is an important part of my learning process. The sessions are recorded and made available to Academy members a few days later, so there is no need to spend time note-taking, leaving more time to focus on the discussions. I am working on my first “masterpiece,” a Rembrandt-style portrait based on the first set of Karen’s Academy lessons. I feel that I am making better progress towards my goal than before, and I’m confident that I will have at least one finished digital painting to show at my photography exhibitions in the next year, thanks to Karen’s help and the Artistry Academy. There is so much to learn that I have a feeling my one year Artistry Academy trial will turn into something much longer. And I’m really looking forward to it. Thank you, Karen, for your help and support. Martin M.

appreciates style

Thank you for putting on such an ambitious webinar! I found it very helpful creating the layer to separate the subject from the background then use content aware  to fill background, and then lock transparency. It would have saved me a lot of grief on a family portrait where I had to cut out an individual and realign the subjects. It took me a lot of time to work out logistics of getting it into Corel Painter. The background has been an issue since I initially made it white, replacing the setting they were in, but not realizing I could have locked the top subject pixels and protected them from the background when the brush is close to the edge. I never know what gem it is I’m going to pick up, each webinar, but there is always a number of things—often just little gems that I may have heard before, but then it falls into place. If I ever finish the above painting I talked about I’ll share it with you. I really appreciate your teaching style and how careful you are to emphasize we each have our own style and don’t need to copy you. Your approach is never intimidating and always encouraging. Again, thank you for the courses you’re developing and for checking in to see if we’re going in the right direction! M. W.

easy-to-digest info

There are people who teach‚ and then there are teachers. Karen Sperling is a natural born teacher. She presents her Corel Painter information in a clear, easy-to-digest manner. She provides the information that you need to be successful with Painter, without burying you in a ton of unnecessary techno talk. Her lessons are very well planned, and are recorded and presented with a professionalism seldom seen in online lessons. Karen is wonderfully generous in sharing her knowledge, experience and talents. She holds nothing back--and her many years of experience are presented in a way that allows the viewer to experience success from the very beginning. After watching nearly 100 different videos on Painter by a vast number of different instructors/masters/teachers, I chose to invest in Karen’s courses. While each instructor brings something unique to the table, I felt that Karen’s approach was the one that I wanted to use to learn. She does not dictate rules and methods, or intimidate by over complicating the software. Instead, she empowers the user with knowledge, confidence and the personal freedom to make their own artistic statement. - Cynthia Howe

Click here for more reviews.

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Yes!

 

I’d like to learn to paint based on photos in Adobe Photoshop, Corel Painter, or both!

Join the

Artistry Academy of

Painting for Photographers

Choice #1: One-Week Trial Membership $14.99

Monthly Membership $29.99

Yearly Membership $299.90 ($24.99/month)

(12 months for the price of 10)

Choose this option if you’d like to get a one-week trial membership for $14.99 before committing to the full membership. After a week, the trial membership becomes either a monthly or yearly full membership, depending on the choice you make now when you enroll.

Choice #2: Full Membership 

Monthly Membership $29.99

Yearly Membership $299.90 ($24.99/month)

(12 months for the price of 10)

Choose this option if you’d like to cut to the chase and enroll with either a monthly or yearly full membership without a trial period. 

Take the Artistry Academy of Painting for Photographers for a test drive for a week for $14.99 or enroll in a full monthly or yearly membership and skip the trial!

When you choose the trial subscription, you will have a one-week trial membership in which to view the first 13 videos in the Artistry Academy library for turning photos into paintings in Corel Painter and Adobe Photoshop.

Then, if you enjoy the trial membership, you can continue with a full membership either monthly for $29.99 per month or yearly for $299.90, which is 12 months for the price of 10, and gain access to not just the additional videos and webinar recordings, but also custom Painter and Photoshop brushes; source photos for following along with the video lessons; the VIP members forum; and future videos and live webinars.

Or you can enroll in the full monthly or yearly membership and skip the trial—it’s up to you!

Please note: If you decide not to join the Artistry Academy after your one-week trial, please be sure to cancel before the end of the trial membership week or you will be charged for a monthly or yearly subscription, whichever option you chose when you enrolled. If, however, you enjoy your one-week trial membership, if you don't cancel, you will become a member of the Artistry Academy automatically, you will be billed monthly or yearly, whatever you chose when you enrolled and you will receive full access to the members area as long as you remain active.

You will receive access to the Artistry Academy of Painting for Photographers members website within 24 hours of payment, during regular business hours, U.S. Pacific time, Monday through Friday.

You will have access to the videos as long as you are a member.
You may cancel your membership at any time, but memberships aren’t pro-rated. That is, if you take the one-week trial, if you cancel, the trial will run to the end of the week. If you subscribe monthly,
if you cancel, your subscription will run till the end of the month and if you subscribe for a year, it will run till the end of the year.

There are no refunds.

If you decide to come back, you will be offered membership at the going rate, not at this current low rate. 

Get in on this low-cost one week trial membership while it lasts!

Happy Painting!

 

Thank you for enrolling in 

The Artistry Academy of

Painting for Photographers!

Client-submitted source photos.

Painting by Karen Sperling

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