At the request of many of you, I've included the steps to my latest abstraction. I can tell you that I most frequently use these apps in creating them: Matter, Fragment, Tangent, and Shift (all Pixite apps); also Master FX, Alien, Sky, Alayer for textures, and Glaze. Rarely do I use them all for one photo, but usually some combo thereof. I will say that when I start, I have no idea where I am going. It's a surprise to me every time.
Here are the steps to Kachina Echoes. Enjoy and I look forward to seeing your creations.
I started with a photo of calla lilies that I've posted previously and took it into Tiny Planet for this rendition.
Next, I went into Matter app and chose this object (I almost always get rid of the shadow).
I then chose another object in Matter and came up with this.
I took the photo into Fragment which added these shapes and changed the color as well.
Fragment again - it has the feel of Japanese paper cranes I've seen at Manzanar, the internment camp in California that is now a National Historic site. I'm wondering if this will turn out to be cranes or a kimono.
I Fragment it again.
And again.
And one more time - now I am seeing the Kachina face and I feel where this might be going.
I take it into Glaze for painting look - I don't like it.
I go back to the face and change the color palette in Shift app. Better.
I change the color again in Shift. I'm liking it more and more.
I add a texture in Alayer, which also shifts the color a bit. It feels very Southwest in origin to me now.
One more layer of texture in Alayer and I add a white vignette - not sure if I got it in Snapseed or PS Touch, but one of those. It feels complete to me now.