PHOTO ART: Mini-Challenge #20 - Edwin's Birthday Girl

[DannyRaphael]

Here’s another “mini-challenge” to play with in the Photo-based Art category until the next offical challenge is posted here.

See "Information and Guidelines below" if this is your first mini-challenge.

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PHOTO ART: Mini-Challenge #20 - Edwin's Birthday Girl

Edwin (aka: RedAlert) graciously consented to using this great picture of his daughter for this mid-week special edition mini-challenge.

Check this thread to see the terrific job he did to improve the quality of this adorable pic.

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It's OK to lick the frosting off your fingers on this one! Have FUN!

~DannyR~

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INFORMATION AND GUIDELINES

Unlike “official challenges” for this forum which can be found here, this one will be self-contained within this thread. It is intended as an opportunity to engage in this artform until the next official challenge is posted.

The rules are more-or-less the same:
* It’s a challenge, not a contest -- intended to provide opportunities to experiment, share methods and/or techniques and, most importantly, have FUN.
* Everyone who participates is a winner.
* There’s no expiration date.

GUIDELINES:
1. Use any method, application(s), style(s) you like:
. * Convert to sketch, grayscale, abstract, watercolor, oil painting, pen-and-ink, Conte crayon, impasto, van Gogh or any style of your choosing
. * Add elements from other images (collage) or replace the background
. * Hand painting? Tracing? Freehand? You bet. Always appreciate entries of this nature.
. * Apply filters from your favorite application(s) or tweak it with 3rd party plug-ins
. * Feeling animated? How about flickering candles or frosting blown all over the table?
. * Any or all of the above

Bottom line:
How you create this masterpiece makes no difference. Whatever floats your boat as long as you follow guideline #4 in the process.

2. When done, reply to this thread and attach your work (don’t forget the 100kb size limit).

Note: Multiple entries OK if you’re so inspired.

3. By all means include some verbiage on how you achieved your masterpiece so others will benefit from your skills and experience. Make it as descriptive as you like. Grammar and spelling will not be graded. Priority given to content, not how it is written.

4. Have fun.

[Wanda Schwind]

OOOOOOOOh, how I dislike being the first one! Nothing like being hung out on the line to dry I thought this photo wonderful for a painting of course The little girl is just adorable! I tried to get this down to posting size and notice I have lost some quality, especially in the shading of the face I used PhotoShop, Painter Classic, and the frame is courtesy of PhotoImpact 5.0 Thanks for this WONDERFUL challenge

wanda

[pstewart]

Just beautiful, Wanda! She looks so delicate. The frame completes it nicely.

Phyllis

[pstewart]

I wanted to illuminate her just with candlelight, so I used lighting effects to get an oval light, blended a few layers to brighten the candles themselves while darkening the edges and turning her skin tones yellower and darker, then "painted" her with the paint daubs filter. Finally selected an oval and filled around it with white.

Phyllis
www.innographx.com

[DannyRaphael]

WANDA:
Well, I'm GLAD you were first. This is a wonderful interpretation. The textures and strokes showed up fine on a 15" monitor. I'm sure they'll look even better on my 21"! (lol) The frame compliments the subject rather than detracting from it.

PHYLLIS:
Your idea to have the candles be the source of illumination is brilliant -- and nicely executed, too. Paint Daubs worked well in this case. Painterly texture w/o the usual unpleasing over-distortion.
This is your conscious speaking: "Let's see one using Painter 7...Let's see one using Painter 7...Let's see one using Painter 7.

[Wanda Schwind]

Phyllis thank you Love your entry, so warm and inviting. The soft glow of light that bathes her face one can almost feel. Wonderful Oh, I also like the way you did the oval, Cool. Don't you ever sleep

Wanda

[Wanda Schwind]

Danny, thank you! Appreciate your feedback I'm not really a big fan of frames. However, I'm not willing to discard the idea altogether I think they work well if they're used carefully and don't distract from the main focus of the composition. Oh, don't you sleep either

Wanda

[angue]

The little girl's chubby and rosy cheeks reminds me Renoir's paintings of the same subject. So here's an oil rendition after Renoir.
I hope it looks appropriate.

[JBCaffrey]

I tried out one of the techniques in the "One-Click Wow!" book to come up with this effect.

"One-Click" is not an accurate title, by the way.

Jim

[Wanda Schwind]

Angue, just wonderful I think you pegged Renoir, and it looks more than appropriate! Wow, and how did you do that

Wanda

[Wanda Schwind]

JB, you've certainly come up with a masterpiece with this one It reminds me of an old painting by one of the "Masters". I want it for my wall!! I also want that book You have to tell us how you did it, you can't sit there and tease us you know Beautiful!!!

Wanda

[Wanda Schwind]

Well, I applied angled strokes to my first entry. I used the eraser to erase some of the harsh angles. After that I have no idea what I did. I was trying to do the faded thing and everything got messed up. Things weren't doing what they were supposed to be doing and ended up with this. Not what I had planned. I have no idea how it's going to look. Oh well, what the hey, you live and learn. Well, some of us do

Wanda

[angue]

Wanda,
As Bob Ross would often say, "There are no mistakes, only happy accidents".

I usually start by duplicating the background, inverting color (same as getting a negative image). Change mode to grayscale without flattening. Set top layer's mode to color dodge. Do a gaussian blur 9.0 . The image is now like a line drawing.

Changing mode back to RGB, I use Art History Brush using Wet Brush 60 pixels and setting brush dynamics.
Big broad brush for bakground and smaller brush size for details.

Here's another version after (Mary Ellen Carter) Cicely Mary Barker. Almost same steps as above but using lower opacity and Artistic Roug Pastels as the last step.

[FONT=times new roman]I don't know why the image was not attached. Will repost immediately below.[FONT=times new roman][I]

[angue]

Here's a pastel rendition after (Mary Ellen Carter) Cicely Mary Barker.

[Wanda Schwind]

Angue, thank you for the info. You certainly got a beautiful effect that's for sure. I'm just beginning to learn how to use the Art History Brush. You got some really impressive brush strokes, I love that. I had to smile when you mentioned Bob Ross as I was one of his followers. Never missed a show, as a matter of fact I have some of his shows on tape. He was wonderful and made it look so easy. I liked his "happy little trees" too Again thanks, and thanks for your entry, I keep going back to look at it it's so well done

Wanda