My first attempt at a smudge painting

jav · #1 12-01-2005, 05:21 PM

you guys make it look so easy...

i still got some practicin' to do....

DannyRaphael · #2 12-01-2005, 05:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jav

you guys make it look so easy...

i still got some practicin' to do....

You know how pro bowlers and pro golfers make their sports "look easy"? Same with good smudge painters. It looks a lot easier than it is -- to do it well anyway.

For what it's worth applying a texture (to me) tends to detract from rather than add to an effect like this, but that's me.

Nice job on your first attempt. Keep 'em coming.

~Danny~

Kraellin · #3 12-01-2005, 08:50 PM

jav,

welcome to RetouchPRO!

now, who could resist such a face! just had to do one of this

Craig

palms1 · #4 12-02-2005, 07:03 AM

Welcome jav
This is very good for your first attempt , i couldnt post my first attempt, and anything is easy when you know how, but it does get easier especially with practice

Palms

Photoshop i agree with Danny about the texture i also am not a great lover of them

raniday · #5 12-02-2005, 10:48 AM

Jav, welcome to the forum. You've done a good job of softening your background, but I think you added your texture a little prematurely and a tad too heavily. Most smudge paintings that I see in the various forums are way overdone so they end up looking cartoony, but there are a few folks who do an amazing job of it. If you've got your painting in layers still, you might go back and think about highlights and shadows on the little girl, building up light areas where you think the sun would shine brightest and bringing in some new colors here and there.

Steve Conway · #6 12-02-2005, 01:41 PM

I agree with Craig, a wonderful face.

A bit of a watercolor technique. Smudge painting is not my thing. Have to get around to trying it.

Steve

jav · #7 12-03-2005, 08:38 AM

thanks for the advice...

ima redo it anyways cuz i need to make it a higher rez so i can try to print an 8x10 later

jav · #8 12-03-2005, 08:54 AM

this is gonna be my next project

jav · #9 12-03-2005, 06:08 PM

this one's better, but i cant get her hair to look right, imo...

Kraellin · #10 12-03-2005, 11:38 PM

jav,

yup, that's one of the problems with smudge painting. the strokes want to be nice curves and the hand we use to paint them wants to make jagged lines

one thing you could try is making a duplicate of what you've got on a new layer and then giving it a very light gausian blur and a blend mode of overlay, screen, luminance or soft light, depending on what appeals to you. the blur will tend to smooth out the strokes a bit and the blending will keep a little of both layers giving you the strokes of the smudging and the smoother lines from the blurring.

and, if you want to refine it a bit more, make a mask of just the area you want to affect and promote the mask to a new layer and just work on that bit with the blurring, then do the blending. that way the whole image wont be affected, just the areas you want to touch up a bit.

you're definitely getting the hang of it, though

Craig

palms1 · #11 12-04-2005, 11:42 AM

What brush are you using for the hair, and at what opacity ?
I do find with longer hair that the pen works better than the mouse, It does take longer and needs more patience for the mouse but it can be done !

Palmer

p.s. Is this any better and what you are after ? Sorry only had time to do a bit of the hair, but if i get chance will have a go at one of the photo's

palms1 · #12 12-04-2005, 01:56 PM

Well I have had a go hope you don't mind, not all that happy with the end product, given more time could probably of done it a bit better, but i really must turn this pc off and let people know i am still breathing ! ! ! !

Palms

jav · #13 12-05-2005, 05:56 AM

hey Palms,

Yeah, that looks really good....

Did you use Photoshop or Painter? All I've got is PSE2, so I'm limited on the tools and brushes I have and I can't run most actions...

Also - the main image I'm working w/ is big: 8x10 @ 300dpi, some of the artistic effects work well w/ screen size images but on really hi-res ones, the options sliders won't allow that large of an adjustment. Is this clear? hehe Does Photoshop and Painter have this limitation?

Anyways - thanks for the help, everyone...

patriciakay · #14 12-05-2005, 06:41 AM

Hi Jav,
Know what you mean about the size of some pics being a problem....what i do and its probably incorrect is i make the picture to a more manageable size and then in my cannon camera program called photo impression 4 i bring it back to size again, i have been happy with the printouts A4 size...but then again i am not a pro and do most things by trial and error...

Kind regards Patricia Kay

A word for Palms....i love your pic of the girl the colors are just perfect for me....

palms1 · #15 12-05-2005, 01:20 PM

Hey Jav i use just ps7 and no other program or action for this effect, and sorry but you lost me on the size thingy (not that technical) i do know that some times the size does effect effects ? so i do try altering them and then putting them back to original size (have i lost you now ? )
Can you add to the brushes in pse2?

Glad you and Patricia liked my interpretaion funnily enough it was the colours that worried me the most ! ! ! !

I dont claim to know all the answers to this technique as i am still trying to improve, but ask a question any time ( anyone )

Palms