Canvas effect = sleepless nights

[Drach]

As the topic says that "see canvas through picture"-effect was giving me a hard time lately.

Applying a canvas texture isn't a big deal of course.
Making it visible only on certain parts of the picture isn't difficult either.
Now making the canvas really shine through is a different story..
(thanks Corona for making me sit in office very tired )

I guess I figured it out now using a 4-layer technique, but I let you all decide if it really worked or not (not sure if I went a bit too far with it).

Here we go..

[kiska]

So, Drach, it's been driving you crazy too. Looks good. Wanna share????

[byRo]

For me the problem is not how to do it, but deciding where should the canvas show and where not.

Seeing as our digital version is trying to mimick a "real" painting then the canvas should show through where the paint is thinnist.
If this were some sort of (transparent) watercolour then it would be easy, just mask the canvas to the luminosity.
But for (opaque) oils we need to discover where the "real-world" artist would apply more paint and where less. As I only painted once with "real" oils, and that was a LONG time ago, I can't be sure fo this.

My guess would be that the more detailed parts get more paint and so the canvas would show through in the other broadly stroked areas.

Any ideas??

Rô

[byRo]

Drach, don't know why you think you went too far. I think there's room to go a LOT further

Rô

[DannyRaphael]

Originally Posted by byRo

Drach, don't know why you think you went too far. I think there's room to go a LOT further

I agree with Rô: You need more of the effect.

I, too, would be interested in reading about your method.

[Drach]

Today I took some time to examine a few real painting at the house of my parents-in-law. You're right, it could be more and also I got some ideas to improve it further, but I have to test it first

So far I used the art history brush on the picture (don't remember the settings) and then used the following layer-setup:

1. Original, opacity 80% and certain parts carefully erased out using a very smooth brush with opacity between 5 to 10%
2. Original with canvas applied, hard light
3. Original with canvas applied and level changed (mid tones brightened up a lot), Dissolve with certain parts erased out
4. Original picture

I'll test out a few other things and report back

[kiska]

Drach, hate to beat a dead horse. Have I got this right?

1.(yours) = layer 3 - Original, opacity 80% and certain parts carefully erased out using a very smooth brush with opacity between 5 to 10%

2.(yours) = layer 2 - Original with canvas applied, hard light

3.(yours) = layer 1 - Original with canvas applied and level changed (mid tones brightened up a lot), Dissolve with certain parts erased out

4.(yours) = Background - Original picture

[Drach]

Aye, you can vary it a bit if needed.
Right now I'm trying around with an embossed layer to give the paint some volume. For now it isn't working like I want it to, but I think I'm on the right track.
Also I was thinking about using a stained glass layer to simulate certain damage on the painting from bad storage (noticed this effect on one of the paintings in my parents-in law's house).

Edit: Just forgot, you have to try around a lot with the dissolve layer since it seem to work differently on different pictures for some reason.

[Drach]

Finally..

While working on a painting version of some picture I found I tried around with several layers using emboss, emboss inverted, find edges and find edges inverted (various modes and opacity).

The result.. (only a small part of the picture due to 100kb limit)

[Cassidy]

Interesting affect drach, like it

[Drach]

Hmm.. I'm at home now and it looks too dark.
Please let me know if you can see the grey areas so I can either adjust the picture or my monitor..

Thanks

Edit: I did some calibration tests and it seems my monitor at home is calibrated perfectly.
Therefore I decided to post an adjusted picture..

Edit2: Noticed a typo

[DannyRaphael]

Originally Posted by Drach

Please let me know if you can see the grey areas...

If by "grey areas" you mean the shadow/embossed/texture effect, they are most apparent (on my monitor) in the midtones and highlight areas of the image.

[Drach]

I meant the grey parts below the chin

If you look closely some meshes are loosely filled with paint while others are covered more and on some parts the paint is that thick that no meshes shine through..

[raniday]

This is fascinating, Drach, and very kind of you to post your progress for the rest of us to learn from.

[Drach]

I tried around some more..
This time with only 1 emboss, but 2 find edges and 2 find edges inverted, all shifted differently.

Some examples..

ps. I later noticed that if a line is too bright or too dark, it helps to clone the layer which causes the problem, set both to 50% and shift one 1 step back..