Hello Everyone!

This is my first post at RetouchPRO. What a great forum!

This was set up in CS2 with a bit of light adjustment.
Painted in Painter IX with Pastels, Round Soft and Hard.
The original photo was taken with my new Sony H5 (which I love!)


http://www.pbase.com/cherylblanchard/image/73801550/large



Thanks for looking!
Cheryl

Welcome to retouch Cheryl. Took a look at your post and your pbase galleries
very nice work, hope you will jump in (anywere with the rest of us) and enjoy your self

Palms

Nice job on the old world style. Since it is one I enjoy playing with as well, may I ask for a posting of your steps. You did such a nice job.

And by the way...Welcome to RetouchPRO.

Janet

Great gallery and outstanding work.
Alan

Great work Cheryl welcome to RetouchPRO.

Thank you all very much for the kind words and warm welcome!

Janet, here's the process I used here, hopefully it won't be too lengthy...
I use this layering process I'm about to describe in all my digital paintings.

To begin with, I always determine what size I may want to print at and set the image up in CS2 at 150 dpi. I have templates I use with 1" of overage all around in case I decide on a gallery wrapped canvas, and extend my image if necessary. This one is 11 x 14 with 1" overage.
The photo I started with was taken in low light and I had to bring up the midtones a bit, especially in the cat, so it wasn't too dark. Levels, curves, masking, dodge and burn......

Then into Painter IX:

First, I created a layer(#1) and using Round Soft Pastels in a variety of sizes (mostly with the default settings) in clone, I blocked in the basic color areas. I don't cover the whole canvas, just getting the important areas in.

Next, I created another layer(#2) and placed it underneath the first layer (in between the canvas and the top layer. At this point, 2/3 of the canvas is covered and I add paint underneath the first layer to finish blocking in the rest of the underpainting. This way I don't lose any of my initial brushstrokes while I'm completely filling in the canvas. I turn off the canvas so I can see what's happening, and often use a copy of the canvas at a low opacity under the layers, so I can still see the photo and my brushstrokes.

Then I created a new layer(#3) and set this on top of the canvas and paint some slightly more refined shapes. When I'm done, I move this layer to the top of the stack, so the sequence now is 3,1,2, canvas. I used Round Soft Pastels for all 3 of the lower layers.

The detail layers (#4 ) were done in the same fashion. It's important to place each new layer directly on top of the canvas as you paint each one, so you can paint (clone) with the pure colors from the photo, and not a blending of all the underlying layers.
Then I moved each layer to the top after they were completed. On the final layer I sampled color from the photo and painted freehand for some richer color and bolder lines. I used Round Hard Pastels for the final two layers for more texture.

I paint very quickly, and mostly right brained, so I can't tell you much about what happens there, except that it's the most exciting part of the process. It's mostly instinct and years of traditional painting.

I hope this makes sense! :dizzy:
If you don't paint on layers, this may all seem a bit odd.
If you need anything clarified, please let me know.
As a traditional painter, this is much the way I create a painting, except of course the 'painting underneath the layer' part!

I truly hope I haven't bored anyone, but that's the process...:blush:


Cheryl

Cheryl,

Thank you for the walk-through.
Fantastic gallery, looking forward to seeing more of your work.

Pavel