I thought this might be a good candidate for everyone to try.
Please enjoy.

Peter

Original size pic
[img=http://img76.imageshack.us/img76/9602/ug2xnwv2468ofs8.th.jpg] (http://img76.imageshack.us/my.php?image=ug2xnwv2468ofs8.jpg)

My attempt higher res.
[img=http://img76.imageshack.us/img76/733/ug2xnwv2468hac4.th.jpg] (http://img76.imageshack.us/my.php?image=ug2xnwv2468hac4.jpg)

Nice capture Peter. It's been a while since I've done a compelling oil rendering (been on a watercolor binge). Thought I would take my Impressionist back out (Danny on DPR's site mentioned it and figure it's been a while since I used it) and blended it in with my original water to get the oil. Added the canvas at the end blended it in based on color (lighter gets through this time making the darker get more of the canvas; Cybia's Alphaworks filter for this). Here (http://img223.imageshack.us/img223/7655/ug2xnwv2468ofs8jp2.jpg)'s the complete Hirez version; attached is a lower quality crop. :)

nice ones, peter, lk.

i followed lk's use of cropping, but took it further. i wanted to get close to those eyes.

Great picture Peter, had to have a play.

oh, very nice, gary. i like that. great light treatment.

Old man in a turban.

Steve C.

nicely done, steve.

very compelling image.

nicely done, steve.Nice to work with. He looks like such a pleasant fellow.

Steve C.

And my version..
What a great picture! Thanks for sharing it with us, Peter!!
Sylvia

oh, very nice, gary. i like that. great light treatment.

Thanks Craig, now if only I could remember exactly what it is I did. :)

As usual with this kind of thing, I had a rough idea of the direction I wanted to go, and just fiddled around with it till it looked something like.

I know I upped the contrast, did a shadow mask and darkened the shadows, did a Left/Right gradient mask and darkened the RHS a tad, and finally used a spotlight filter from the left. What settings or what other minor tweaks I did I couldn't say.

Love everyone else's work, too many for me to do a piece by piece precis, but you've all managed to see something different in the same picture and expressed it in your own way. That's what I like best, seeing all the different interpretations.

I have been experimenting again (AS well as humming/whistling )

Palms

WOW Palms. Quite impressive. I really like what you did here.

Janet

WOW Palms. Quite impressive. I really like what you did here.

Janet

Thank you Janet will keep experimenting :)

Palms

Wanted to play too. I used something called "Paint Engine" (?) don't have a clue how to use it, just played around and then played around with AHB.

Here's an oil made in photoshop with the impressionist plugin.
Alan

Wanted to play too. I used something called "Paint Engine" (?) don't have a clue how to use it, just played around and then played around with AHB.

I'm sure lkroll is the one to ask about paint engine sure i have seen him use it a few times

Palms

For Paint Engine, follow the thread below. Also highly recommend Impressionist Plugin too (just search this site and you can't help but find links for it; lol). :)

http://www.retouchpro.com/forums/photo-based-art/16642-paint-engine-presets-installing-custom-uploads-file.html

Nice work , Alcar, you're really getting the hang of it. :bigthmb:

If you had said that it was done in Painter, I would have believed you!

Rô

Palms - Thanks for the lead about Paint Engine.

LKroll - Thanks for the link! I also need to re-visit the information regarding Impressionist because I think I did something wrong when I installed it :blush: .

I've seen and worked on this face somewhere else. But for the life of me, I can't remember where. It is still an intriguing face; and I couldn't resist a second go.

Janet

Nice one Janet, glad you decided to have a "second" go.

I've seen and worked on this face somewhere else. But for the life of me, I can't remember where.....

Looks like it's from that "ElDorado" site which (sadly) vanished.

Rô