[Aztlan] MA. A Maya Puzzle

[paul schoenmakers]

Hello all,

Although still a (very interested) amateur I was fascinated by Justin Kerr's 
"puzzle" of the Dark Pond or Otherworld Sea on Maya vase 8948. As an 
experienced illustrator I saw it as an challenge in trying to touch up this 
rollout. Perhaps the 'swimming creatures' are better to identify this way. 
Unfortunately I could not much touch up the Primary Standard Sequence (PSS) 
but maybe it is for some of the experts enough to decipher it. Please let us 
know what you can make of it.

The result is available at:

http://research.famsi.org/aztlan/uploads/K8948-LINE-SMALL.jpg

For those who are interested in the way I have done this 'touching up':

Step 1 - For the first step I used the graphics software package Adobe 
Photoshop CS2. First I did resize the picture (vase 8948 from Justin Kerr) 
by increasing it with 300%. Then with the tool adjustments and in there 
'Brightness/Contrast' and 'Replace Color' I brightened up de colors and made 
the contrast between light en dark stronger. Some of the unwanted and 
disturbing colors I have replaced by a neutral yellow color. The picture 
become now more uniform in color (in this case yellowish) and the lines 
darker, sharper and therefore more visible (the latter also through the 
contrast adjustment).

Step 2 - From the in step 1 adjusted picture I made een A3-colorprint on a 
A3-printer HP Deskjet 1280. This bigger format is very useful because the 
lines are better distinguished from each other and therefore more easy to 
work with im the third step.

Step 3 - This third step takes een lot of time and a steady hand. First I 
redraw the (as good as) visible lines with a very thin pencil (0,3 mm). 
After this it becomes more clear were lines are disappeared or unclear. The 
trick now is these disappeared/unclear lines to fill in. A combination of 
knowing and feeling.

Step 4 - In this step I have the picture with de greyisch pencil lines 
carefully redrawed with a very thin inkpen (0,18 mm Rotring Rapidograph). 
After I like the result of this I make the thin lines thicker and good 
visible with a thin black fineliner (0,3 mm).

Step 5 - Now the picture must become again digital. With a flatbed color 
scanner (A4) I have made two scans on 500 dpi (left and right side).

Step 6 - For this final step I return to Photoshop and import and place the 
two digital scans together in one empty (white) image, merge them and save 
it as one image. Then I open this image (still very large) en decrease it 
with 75% and save it again.

If anyone needs help with the making of this kind of images please let me 
know, I'm glad to help you. I love this kind of creative work.

Greetings,

Paul Schoenmakers

Zoetermeer, Netherlands, pljschoenmakers at casema.nl