x-mas present

[pawprints]

So...this is my mother in law.
She lives out of state...I di not get to see her that often and therefore cannot photograph her myself.
So....had to use what was sent to me


Thanks
Dee

[maureeno]

You did a beautiful job of it, Deee. I'm sure your mother-in-law will be very happy!

Maureen

[NancyJ]

I'm not sure what look you were going for and I dont know your mother-in-law, so feel free to ignore everything I say
While your brushstrokes are excellent and the colours are wonderfully rendered, the exaggerated expression makes her look almost characaturesque. If that was your intention then I would consider exaggerating more to make it clear, otherwise I would tone it down slightly. I also would pick a different background colour, its too close in tone to the jumper.

[Legacy~Art]

What a beautiful lady, you did a marvelous job!!!

[pawprints]

Originally Posted by maureeno

You did a beautiful job of it, Deee. I'm sure your mother-in-law will be very happy!

Maureen

Thank You Maureen.
I mostly work with pets...this is just about the first person I have actually worked on...was tough.

[pawprints]

Originally Posted by NancyJ

While your brushstrokes are excellent and the colours are wonderfully rendered, the exaggerated expression makes her look almost characaturesque. If that was your intention then I would consider exaggerating more to make it clear, otherwise I would tone it down slightly. I also would pick a different background colour, its too close in tone to the jumper.

Yikes....no I was not going for characaturesque :-(
Thank You for telling me you see it that way...
The middle was the finished one....my husband said No....whiten her teeth more....her eye looked "funny" fix it.
Sadly, that is what I came up with...that is the one he wants.
So, you think she will hate me?

[pawprints]

Originally Posted by Legacy~Art

What a beautiful lady, you did a marvelous job!!!

Thank You

[NancyJ]

Originally Posted by pawprints

Yikes....no I was not going for characaturesque :-(
Thank You for telling me you see it that way...
The middle was the finished one....my husband said No....whiten her teeth more....her eye looked "funny" fix it.
Sadly, that is what I came up with...that is the one he wants.
So, you think she will hate me?

The face shape is slightly different causing her mouth to be enlarged and exaggerated.
I doubt she will hate you I've never met her but if she's anything like pretty much any mother she'd love it whatever you did Also bear in mind that unless she's also an artist, her eye will be a lot less critical than ours.

[Duv]

Pawprints, I really like what you did! The pose is interesting. The low angle seems to elongate the face. Just a thought would be to rotate a bit to the left and perhaps Edit>Transform>Warp to give her face a slightly more rounded look.

Cheers
Dave

[NancyJ]

I've shortened the lower half of her face and softened the edges of her lipstick, IMO this makes a big difference, she no longer has an exaggerated mouth and does your excellent brush work justice I think.

[pawprints]

Originally Posted by NancyJ

I've shortened the lower half of her face and softened the edges of her lipstick, IMO this makes a big difference, she no longer has an exaggerated mouth and does your excellent brush work justice I think.

Nancy....Perfect! Now for the stupid question when you say you shortened the lower half of her face...I am new to PS so please be patient with me....what do you mean....I see the difference and like it.

Dee

[pawprints]

Originally Posted by Duv

Pawprints, I really like what you did! The pose is interesting. The low angle seems to elongate the face. Just a thought would be to rotate a bit to the left and perhaps Edit>Transform>Warp to give her face a slightly more rounded look.

Cheers
Dave

Thanks Dave

[NancyJ]

Originally Posted by pawprints

Nancy....Perfect! Now for the stupid question when you say you shortened the lower half of her face...I am new to PS so please be patient with me....what do you mean....I see the difference and like it.

Dee

I'm sure theres a much better way to do this but its not something I usually need to do so I just selected the bottom half with a rectangular marquee and scaled it but only in the height not the width. If you zoom in theres a 1px distortion accross the iamge where I did it but thats easily corrected.

[pawprints]

Originally Posted by NancyJ

I'm sure theres a much better way to do this but its not something I usually need to do so I just selected the bottom half with a rectangular marquee and scaled it but only in the height not the width. If you zoom in theres a 1px distortion accross the iamge where I did it but thats easily corrected.

OK...I did the same thing however is there a scale key???
So, do you mean "squishing (how's that for a technical term)...that would resize the entire image...I tell you....I am sitting her with three PS book out....this is one tough program to learn!

Dee

[NancyJ]

OK, I used the rectangular marquee tool ( the one that makes a rectangular outline of 'marching ants' (dotted line) when you click and drag.
The went to edit->transform->scale
Then the marching ants should be solid and there should be 8 litle squares, one at each corner of the selection and one in the middle of each edge.
Then I clicked on the middle square of the bottom edge and dragged up until it looked right, then I clicked on the tick.

and thats about it. Hope none of that sounded patronising, I just wanted to make sure I was being clear.

[pawprints]

Originally Posted by NancyJ

OK, I used the rectangular marquee tool ( the one that makes a rectangular outline of 'marching ants' (dotted line) when you click and drag.
The went to edit->transform->scale
Then the marching ants should be solid and there should be 8 litle squares, one at each corner of the selection and one in the middle of each edge.
Then I clicked on the middle square of the bottom edge and dragged up until it looked right, then I clicked on the tick.

and thats about it. Hope none of that sounded patronising, I just wanted to make sure I was being clear.

OK....Thank You
No, not at all patronsising....very helpful.

[NancyJ]

You appear to have 'squished' the entire image, rather than just the lower half... I would select from just underneath the nose

[pawprints]

Originally Posted by NancyJ

You appear to have 'squished' the entire image, rather than just the lower half... I would select from just underneath the nose

I fixed it...sat here thinking it still did not look right....thanks!

[NancyJ]

Glad to help

[Vikki]

It's a bit overdone. I'd suggest layering your image over the original, and letting some of that show through, to soften the rework. Also, instead of reshaping her face (which she may find insulting), I'd try a different crop/rotation of the original. Here, I overlaid yours on the original (had to resize, so getting them aligned may be a bit off, but you'll get the idea).

[pawprints]

Originally Posted by Vikki

It's a bit overdone. I'd suggest layering your image over the original, and letting some of that show through, to soften the rework. Also, instead of reshaping her face (which she may find insulting), I'd try a different crop/rotation of the original. Here, I overlaid yours on the original (had to resize, so getting them aligned may be a bit off, but you'll get the idea).

OK...where in my books would I find how to do that
So...I open the image that I touched up....then open the original...
Again....I am so very new to PS...three books open and still I cannot keep up with the suggestions

[NancyJ]

Originally Posted by Vikki

It's a bit overdone. I'd suggest layering your image over the original, and letting some of that show through, to soften the rework. Also, instead of reshaping her face (which she may find insulting), I'd try a different crop/rotation of the original. Here, I overlaid yours on the original (had to resize, so getting them aligned may be a bit off, but you'll get the idea).

I disagree. I think yours looks like the original with an arty background. As photo based art I think pawprints has done an amazing job, aside from the slight exaggeration of the lower part of the face, which was easily fixed. Overlaying the original (or at least as strongly as in Vikki;s examples) makes it look far too much like a photograph.

[Vikki]

NancyJ, good point about me losing the art aspect. My idea was, combine the best of both to produce an image that is attractive and not overdone. Artistic portions can be brought back while still retaining the likeness of the individual.

[pawprints]

So....I sat having another look see....with my three PS books open and played around and got no where quickly.
Going to painter to see if I can do anything better with this.
I hate to give up....however I have to have this printed and sent out so today is the last day. thanks for your opinions and suggestions....even if with some I am a bit in the dark


Dee

[nebgranny]

Quite frankly PawPrints, I like the very first one you did the best. I even like leaving the white around her. I think you did a fine job. Maybe lighten her lips just a tad..but it brings out the truth of the original picture. You must understand however I am a newbie to photoshop and do not have near the experience most people have here, but my eye is pretty good and I like what you did very much!! Neb

[Ed_L]

PawPrints, this is my first posted opinion in quite a while. I'll admit that the "art stuff" is out of my league, but I like the first ones you posted too. I even like the color used. The one that is not vignetted, IMHO, might be slightly better if you had more of the sweater showing (a little larger base), like in the vignetted one. I think it really jumps out at you! And I'm certain she'll be quite pleased with either one of them.

Ed

[pawprints]

Originally Posted by Ed_L

PawPrints, this is my first posted opinion in quite a while. I'll admit that the "art stuff" is out of my league, but I like the first ones you posted too. I even like the color used. The one that is not vignetted, IMHO, might be slightly better if you had more of the sweater showing (a little larger base), like in the vignetted one. I think it really jumps out at you! And I'm certain she'll be quite pleased with either one of them.

Ed

Ed & Neb,
Thank You both for your response.
In the end went with a slightly toned down version at my husbands request.
Just trying to learn PS....I swear I am usually sitting at the PC with several books open....tough stuff.

Thanks Again