Trying to make this look better

[DDD]

I have just stumbled on this site and have found it very helpful!!!
So helpful that I have attempted some photo art myself. One on my first attempts at photo art is this picture. I followed pstewart's tutorial
http://www.retouchpro.com/forums/sho...4820&highlight
I did the dry brush, paint daubs, and spatter faded 75% etc.
I like the look on screen and up close when it is printed. But from a distance it still looks like a photo.
Now I wish I had studied fine arts in university because I don't know if the picture is okay or I should alter it more. Any suggestions would be great!!!
Thanks
http://www.retouchpro.com/gallery/sh...php/photo/4137

[byRo]

Hi there, DDD. Welcome to RetouchPRO!

You've made a pretty good start there and your question.....

But from a distance it still looks like a photo.

..is one that's gets newbies and oldies alike.

There are (usually big) differences between a photograph and a painting. When you take a photograph (especially as an amateur) you probably didn't arrange the lighting, didn't remove unnecessary items, didn't get up close enough. As a painter you would have decided these things, to your best advantage, before starting.

Follows then, some suggestions to get a photograph looking more like a painting...
- Crop to get the main subject up to size and in the right place;
- Remove unwanted items (I thought the skid marks going up to the little girl were a bit worrying!);
- Fix the lighting on the subject (I had to lighten the girls a lot to stand out from the background);
- Beware of too much background detail (a "real" artist probably wouldn't paint every leaf - I used Filter>Stylize>Diffuse>Aniso.);
- Raise the saturation to get firm colours (I went for +40%);

I tried to illustrate some of this in the attachment. Howver, your image is very small (and I cropped half of it out), so remember that around 800 x 600 is usually the best.

Most important tip of all....Have fun!!

Rô

[DDD]

byRo
Thanks for your comments. I chose the picture not because it was a particularly good photo, I just liked the fall colours with the leaves. I didn't even want the girls to be a large focus of the picture. So like you said, I really should "compose" my picture first.
I had already bumped up the saturation because it was so washed out before, but after looking at your revisions I obviously should have done more..
And to be honest, I forgot about the "skid marks" I had touched up a few other details, but forgot that one. But just so you know, they aren't skid marks it is tar used on our ashphalt roads!
Thanks again, I really need to take some photography classes now!
DDD