Tutorial: Watercolor, Sarah Swartzie method

[Schwartzie]

Please barf up some turkey. (dogowners will get this)

I kept track this time and this is what I am doing for most of my watercolor attempts. The degree of effects applied, effects the amount of "water" used.

Open image
Duplicate layer
Smart blur
Duplicate layer
Median (according to taste use modes or opacities on any of these layers and flatten whenever you like what you have, repeat these steps if desired)

Flatten the layers leaving original background too.
Erased to the eyes and nose

Flatten
Duplicate
Fill duplicate with white and add layer mask
Use the wet watercolor brush to paint the image back in with several passes at lowered opacity
Selected background and applied light median
Deselected and used brush to blur the background selection area better up to the edges of doggie.
Flatten

thats it.

Sarah

[Schwartzie]

Another view of the little doggie. Same basic technique used. I havent made and action of this because it is all so variable according to the photo and your tastes

[dizzyjc]

Sarah,
I love the technique but I need some clarification
Can you please clarify some of the steps . I've been trying it out with no success.

Your steps:


>Open image
>Duplicate layer
>Smart blur
>Duplicate layer

WHICH LAYER THE ORIGINAL OR DUPLICATE?

>Median (according to taste use modes or opacities on any of >these layers and flatten whenever you like what you have, >repeat these steps if desired)

>Flatten the layers leaving original background too.

DOES THIS MEAN TO FLATTEN ONLY THE DUPLICATE LAYERS?

>Erased to the eyes and nose

IM NOT SURE I UNDERSTAND THIS LINE.

>Flatten
>Duplicate
>Fill duplicate with white and add layer mask

??

Use the wet watercolor brush to paint the image back in with several passes at lowered opacity
Selected background and applied light median
Deselected and used brush to blur the background selection area better up to the edges of doggie.
Flatten

Thanks,

dizzyjc

[Schwartzie]

I always keep my original background layer as is. I make a new layer, apply effect and duplicate that one. Any time I use modes I merge it with the layer below and then duplicate the result to work on further.

In this one I erased on of the layers to show more detail in the nose that was on the layer below.

[roger_ele]

Hi, I was pretty with you until "fill with white". I am assuming in the fill dialoge box "preserve transparency" is checked, but when I tried it checked I still got a solid white image, are you using a different blending mode in "fill", or is the image still there even though I can't see it.

I love the look of the ones you did! Thanks, Roger

[Schwartzie]

i admit I am not good at describing processes and with this there is so much variance with every one I do that I cant describe it all. Much of the effect depends on how good you are at painting it back in with brushstrokes that look like water color. I think photoshop7 is the only version has these interactive brushes but I think that Paint shop pro does and you could probably figure out a way in Painter.

Try other things with this too, like different filter layers or whatever strikes you as maybe looking good. If you arent familiar with painting watercolor I would suggest looking at some real ones to see how the strokes and paint behave.

When you have your finish ready, you duplicate it, go to edit, fill, fill with white; then you click the add layer mask and paint on the layer mask with black to bring the picture back in with brush strokes

I am still working on trying to get this to look as much as possible like real watercolor and I seem to gravitate to the same look that I like with real watercolors.

Here is a real watercolor to compare with
http://www.pbase.com/image/96883.jpg

[Schwartzie]

I keep experimenting and with this technique everyone is different. I will also use the blur or smudge brush on selective areas.

[Schwartzie]

Action used in the above example.

[Schwartzie]

This is my watercolor method, Danny has under Sarah's Watercolor

http://www.pbase.com/image/11025112.jpg

[pstewart]

This is awesome! Just the right amount of detail on face, glasses and eyes look convincing, and the large strokes are just right in opacity and placement. You are such a natural painter...you make it look so easy...and I KNOW it is NOT!

Phyllis

[Schwartzie]

Hi Phyllis. I worked in the art field and did traditional watercolors for years as well as dabbling in other media and photography. This gives me advantage of knowing how the media should look, although duplicating it in software isnt so easy. Ive never gotton to where i can start from scratch in Painter. ( or from a photo for that matter LOL)

Anyway what I was getting around to is that a good knowledge of what traditional painting looks like is, I think essential to trying to duplicate it on the computer. For those without an art background I would strongly suggest going to museums if available and looking though art books, both how to and on the masters.

And i must add that all the techniques I have found here have really helped me with photoshop.