[collinf]

Quote:

I think the ALT + CTRL + SHIFT + E keyboard shortcut, used to merge without collapsing individual layers, is among the slickest around. Once you get over the initial slight awkwardness, it becomes second nature. I use it all the time.

Guys

There is another way to do this (IFRC)

1. Put a new blank layer on top of the stack.
2. press and hold the ALT key, then click and hold on "Layer-Merge Visible".

This should merge the visible layers onto the new blank layer without losing the other layers. This works in PS7 on my PC.

Jerry: Quickly looking at your images, my guess would be to look/fiddle with the Brightness/Contrast layer, that was where I kept going wrong.

Collin

[pstewart]

That picture of Ali is great! Couldn't resist sketching her. Who is she? Ali is my 6 (going on 26) year old daughter. - Danny.

I used the sketch method described in the tutorial to get the outline, then, to add fill and shading, blended in a desaturated layer of the original with artistic>film grain added.

It looked okay, but I thought I'd roughen up the texture a bit, so I used the artistic>rough pastels filter a few times, turning the canvas to different angles inbetween, and fading each step a bit. This layer was blended in normal mode with opacity of 35% to add the texture and shading you see here.

Note: I have edited the picture I uploaded earlier...looked too flat and dull to me so I did some brightening.

Phyllis

[pstewart]

Danny, your daughter is a real cutie! Here is a colored sketch. Just added some "film grain" to a dupe of the original, then blended that over the outline layer (on which I had run the anisotropic diffuse filter) in normal mode at reduced opacity. Last I placed the original above the outline layer and set it to color mode to make the b/w lines colored. Then merged the three layers to get this.

Phyllis

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I guess I can never see enough pictures of my first child. Thanks, Phyllis, for giving her dad a few more smiles -- Danny
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[Leec]

Danny, being new and looking for a place to start, this looks like maybe where I should begin. You mentioned at the end of this tutorial that you had made some corrections. Were they made at the beginning where you gave the initial instruction, or is there a revised set of instructions somewhere??? Sounds just awesome and can't wait to start, even if is does sound a little intimidating to someone who hasn't played with Photoshop that much even though i've owned several versions. Was always going toooooooo, well I think I'ts time. Regards, Lee

[DannyRaphael]

Originally Posted by Leec

Danny, being new and looking for a place to start, this looks like maybe where I should begin. You mentioned at the end of this tutorial that you had made some corrections. Were they made at the beginning where you gave the initial instruction, or is there a revised set of instructions somewhere??? Sounds just awesome and can't wait to start, even if is does sound a little intimidating to someone who hasn't played with Photoshop that much even though i've owned several versions. Was always going toooooooo, well I think I'ts time. Regards, Lee

Hey, Lee:

I had planned to fine-tune this tutorial, but didn't get around to it. The steps (as is) should work OK, so give 'em a go.

Don't hesitate to post questions if you get stuck. There are lots of kind folks here who are eager to help out rookies!

It's (almost) never too late to start having fun. Glad you found us and a belated WELCOME! to RetouchPRO

~Danny~