tattoo help required

[xxxmen]

Usually I have no problem cloning out a tattoo on a picture but in this reference image I would like to isolate the dragon image and better yet get
a good looking vector image for reproducing this image. My friend would like
a tattoo identical to this, what is best method to use using Adobe cs3?

[Frank Lopes]

It can be done.

However, if you upload a higher res image, the results will be much better than with this small image since it will have much more detail.

Originally Posted by xxxmen

Usually I have no problem cloning out a tattoo on a picture but in this reference image I would like to isolate the dragon image and better yet get
a good looking vector image for reproducing this image. My friend would like
a tattoo identical to this, what is best method to use using Adobe cs3?

[pixelzombie]

just take the image and outline the design using the pen tool...

[TommyO]

xxmen,
Just treat it like creating a mask. Examine the colors of the tatoo vs the skin. In CMYK you will notice the tat has more cyan, magenta and black. Do a few hue/sat layers to build those colors and lessen the yellows. Then add a curves layer and push the highlights very bright and the darks darker. Then add a layer in overlay w/ fill of 50% gray and paint over with a white brush in overlay mode. This pushes any pixels more than 50% gray to white. You then have something like the image below.

You can clean it up a little to your liking.

[Mike]

Convert it to grayscale

Adjust contrast and density to taste.

[igot2pman]

To extract the tatoo, select>>>color range>>>shadows.... copy>>paste>>make new layer filled with white under it.

very simple

-Hope it helps

[xxxmen]

Sorry TommyO,

I don't understand your process when using hue and saturation.Can you explain in more detail your step process? This technique seems like a more inticate way to select as opposed to the color range technique. Thanks.

[TommyO]

I don't know that it is more intricate, but it can be just as fast as any other technique. I only used four layers and it took about 2 minutes. As with any mask, the key is to find a way to accentuate the darker colors and diminish the lighter ones.

I only used the hue/sat layer to increase cyan & magenta, since they are a component of the tatoo color. I then used channel mixer to increase the black. You could do this numerous ways, as the others have mentioned.

In a very traditional technique, I added a curves layer and pushed highlights lighter and darks darker.

The fourth layer was just the blank layer, set to overlay, with the 50% gray fill. It is often used this way to clean up edges. Painting with white lightens any pixels lighter than 50% gray; painting with black darkens any pixels darker than the 50% gray. You don't have to be careful with the brush at all, just slap it on, use as big a brush as you want at full opacity. In this case white was all you needed. You can even fill the layer with white to prevent brushing.

[chillin]

Use TommyO's method + some unsharp mask.

[micke]

If you want it to be vector, follow one (or more) of the sets of directions given, then place the file in Illustrator and do a live trace. This image traces well.

micke

[igot2pman]

Chillin, I see how the unsharp mask can darken the black. But what did you do to get such perfect lines?

Mine turns out so bumpy...

_____________________________________________________

Just another way to do this but you could desaturate>>> Levels>>> set black dropper to the tattoo>>> Set white point to darkest freckle>>> move grey slider to right.

-Keven

[chillin]

Originally Posted by igot2pman

Chillin, I see how the unsharp mask can darken the black. But what did you do to get such perfect lines?

Mine turns out so bumpy...

-Keven

The pic I posted is a vector one, after using live trace in Adobe Illustrator.

[igot2pman]

Chillin,

Interesting...

Off topic:

Never tried using other things besides PS and LR, is there anything else that could taken out the norm to get unique effects such as this?

Anything worth trying on regular pictures?

-Keven