Oil painting effects and discussions

Blacknight · #1 06-03-2002, 05:27 PM

I personally prefer the look of an oil painting over watercolor. I played with this one (mainly the FILTER/ARTISTIC/UNDERPAINTING) and liked the way it turned out. How many different mediums can we simulate with Photoshop?

Blacknight · #2 06-03-2002, 05:30 PM

Here is what it looked like before I messed with it...

jeaniesa · #3 06-03-2002, 05:43 PM

I usually prefer watercolor over oil, though I've been trying to create different effects with the various images I've been working on. Oil is one that I've had a hard time duplicating though. I usually think of oil as "heavy" and just don't prefer that look as much, though I HAVE seen plenty of oil paintings which have a light feel to them, so perhaps I'm not being fair.

In any case, I think it would be fun to see how many different mediums we can simulate in PS. Oil paintings will be challenging because of the inherent tecture in the paint - at least that's how I think of it. But I don't know why, since my grandmother was accomplished at oil painting and most of her images did not include lots of texture. (Wonder where I've come up with that bias then?)

I'm glad to see the the original photo is dark, because my first thought when I saw your painting was that it was a night-time view of the ocean. I'm not sure I like the green areas in your version, but that is purely personal color preference. One other thing I notice is that the texture shows up in some areas (midtones) more than others (highlights and shadows.) Not sure if this was your intent or not.

Overall, it leaves me with an ominous feeling - perhaps because I've been surprised by large waves breaking on the rocks of a jetty as night falls.

So, how did you do it?

Jeanie

Mike Needham · #4 06-03-2002, 05:43 PM

Nice idea Blacknight! I love the concept of reproducing various mediums

Great touch to have used a canvas texture too

Jakaleena · #5 06-03-2002, 05:45 PM

Neat idea trying to simulate oils instead of watercolors. I think I'm gonna mess around with that idea some. I bet it would look neat to try to make a portrait into something like a Rembrandt painting.

DJ Dubovsky · #6 06-03-2002, 06:40 PM

I love how the canvas shows through in some spots but not others as though the paint were thin in areas. You did great on achieving the effect you wanted. Now I wish there were a way of simulating brush strokes without affecting the image below unlike the brush stroke filters already in Photoshop which change the appearance of the image totally.
DJ

jeaniesa · #7 06-03-2002, 06:51 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by DJ Dubovsky
Now I wish there were a way of simulating brush strokes without affecting the image below unlike the brush stroke filters already in Photoshop which change the appearance of the image totally.

One idea, and I have NO idea if it will work, is to make a new layer on top of the painting. Then use a black brush to "paint" the strokes you want on the blank layer. (You might want to use grey for lighter-looking strokes.) Essentially, paint the strokes as you think they should look in the painting (you'll probably need to use PS7's new brushes or another painterly program to get a try brush stroke effect.) Once you're done, copy the layer over a "new image" that is filled with white. Then, save as a PSD file. Back in the painting, delete the layer with the brush strokes, then apply the texture filter using the texture file which you just saved.

Like I said, I have NO idea if this will work and I don't have time to try it right now. (Didn't Doug suggest something like this in one of these threads? Perhaps that's where I got the idea from.

)

Jeanie

Vikki · #8 06-03-2002, 08:59 PM

I haven't spent too much time on an oil technique, so I thought I'd give this a go. I wanted to try and give it an effect I've seen done by past artists, that paint Niagara Falls (dramatic effect)
I really prefer watercolors, so this may still look like one.
Oil or watercolor, or what?
Blacknight: I liked this photo for the oil effect!
I've posted the steps, but it's late for me, so if they aren't clear, let me know.
Adjusted levels (to fix color also)
Duplicate layer
TOP LAYER
cutout: 8/0/3
PE: artic
select midtones (color range)
distort/glass:frosted 10/8/100
select highlights:accent edges:1/29/1
select shadows:smudge stick:2/0/10
set layer opacity to lighten 62%
BOTTOM LAYER
PE: 0wetter2
Flatten image
Select shadows:unsharp mask 94/1.2/0
Select midtones - invert
Texturizer:canvas
fade 50%
deselect
texturizer:canvas 55/1/top
adjust level (darken shadows % highlights)
increase saturation on greens
increase saturation on magenta & adjust hue to more yellow

Blacknight · #9 06-03-2002, 10:27 PM

Looks great to me! It lost it's "nightime" look that it seemed to have in the original. Now it looks like a fun place to be rather than maybe a little scary as I think I made it appear.

I personally wanted the rocks to look more like maybe a palette knife kind of effect, and actually tried that on the image I did. It was a disaster, but it remained as a "buffer" layer with a blend mode because it changed the colors below it to more what I wanted. I was bad and didn't record the steps I did to make it - wasn't really doing anything but playing around and then I got into it and, well, you know how it goes.

I've been thinking of using the action menu and recording whenever I start messing around like that, but so many of them end up in the trashcan that I never seem to bother recording and then wish I had. That would be an easy way (mistakes and all, though) to "remember" what you did, I guess.

Blacknight · #10 06-03-2002, 10:50 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Vikki

I've posted the steps, but it's late for me, so if they aren't clear, let me know.

Maybe it's late for me too, but what's PE?

jeaniesa · #11 06-03-2002, 10:52 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Blacknight
Maybe it's late for me too, but what's PE?

Paint Engine - the one that only runs on PC's.

Jeanie

jeaniesa · #12 06-03-2002, 10:58 PM

Vikki - I LOVE it!! Like I said above, I'm not an expert on oils - nor am I particularly drawn to them, but I think your painting is a lot more "oil" than "watercolor"! I love the color of the water that you got - esp. that small green patch.

Phil is right that the lighter version changes the mood, but my version would probably end up lightening the picture as well. That being said, perhaps I should try making a dark version to "test" myself.

Great job!!

Jeanie

Blacknight · #13 06-03-2002, 11:34 PM

I'll stop now - I feel like I'm hogging the thread or something, but I wanted to make a non-green version just to see if it would still keep the same mood as the green one and not offend those who don't prefer green (I don't like green much either, except for some reason I kind of liked that green pic - but then I think I like this version too...fickle, I guess)

Blacknight · #14 06-03-2002, 11:48 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by jeaniesa
Paint Engine - the one that only runs on PC's.
Jeanie

Oh.

~pouts 'cause he can't use it~

jeaniesa · #15 06-03-2002, 11:50 PM

YES!

I like that MUCH better!!

Jeanie

Jakaleena · #16 06-03-2002, 11:56 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Blacknight
I'll stop now - I feel like I'm hogging the thread or something

No, don't stop. I'm really enjoying this - and the examples. Besides, it was you who started the thread. And it's obviously something you're excited about, which is really neat.

Blacknight · #17 06-04-2002, 12:02 AM

Do I appear excited?

Throw your hat in the ring, Jak...let's see your version. I bet it won't be dark.

Jakaleena · #18 06-04-2002, 12:35 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Blacknight
Do I appear excited?

Well, maybe not excited - but enthusiastic anyway...

I may give it a go, we'll see... You guys are doing so great though...

Jakaleena · #19 06-04-2002, 04:15 AM

Ok, here's my "hat"

Vikki · #20 06-04-2002, 04:26 AM

Blacknight- I know exactly what you're talking about, regarding recording actions. Until I got version 7, I gave up trying to record, as the version I had didn't record all the steps anyway. Now I've been trying to train myself to record everything when I'm messing around. If it doesn't turn out, just trash it. The other big mistake I've made, is to NOT include the steps/or action name in the file. When I look back at a picture I've done, I have no idea how I did it! Now with version 7 it's easy to add a "note" - now, if only I can train myself to do it.

Your photo automatically lightened up when I ran auto levels. I was suprised myself! Personally, I prefer the lighter version, as I just prefer sunny, light scenes.

Sorry about the PE. I've tried to find a similar Photoshop approach to some of the PE filters, but can't get a good match.

Although I've never been a painter, I have dabbled with paint. Your version looks a lot like a dry brush technique. Actually, I prefer your first version, because it has more "paint" on it, and more colors. The darker areas have the brushed look, whereas the newer version doesn't. All just personal taste.

Vikki · #21 06-04-2002, 04:52 AM

Here's the dark version (no levels adjustment in beginning and no hue/saturation adjustments at the end)

digi · #22 06-04-2002, 10:26 AM

Vikki it looks just like an oil painting, WELL DONE! I have tried to acheive oil painting effect my self but it never really works, I wondered if it,s the paint engine that does the trick, were can I get hold of a copy so I can try it.

Blacknight · #23 06-04-2002, 10:39 AM

Vikki, your rocks look like what I wanted mine to look like but was unable to achieve with what I have available or with what I tried using anyway. The waves and such turned out like I had in my mind, but i was never pleased with the look of the rocks. I haven't tried duplicating your steps yet, but I suspect that it's the lack of PE on my part that might make the crucial difference just looking at what you wrote for the first pic.

I shall work on it some more - there has to be a non-PE way to achieve that look.

Jakaleena · #24 06-04-2002, 12:27 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by fugitive
I looks like you have watched the waves during So. Calif nites, as with it's abundance of clear weather, it looks just like that.

To me, that looks more like the northern Pacific coast. The S. Calif. beaches that I've seen (San Diego, LA, etc.) seemed to me to be almost void of rocks and spray like that. I think that's why I love the Pacific NW, because of the great, craggy, wild coasts...

I really do like yours though, Vikki. It looks incredibly like an oil painting (which I happen to like the smell of, btw)

Here's one I've been messing with for a few days now.

Jakaleena · #25 06-04-2002, 12:29 PM

This is what I started out with.

DJ Dubovsky · #26 06-04-2002, 12:53 PM

That turned out beautiful Jak.
DJ

Vikki · #27 06-05-2002, 03:48 PM

fugitive: I live in New York, Niagara Falls, to be exact. So you can imagine I've seen some water hitting the rocks - big time!
Although I have lived in California (Redwood City).
But really, what inspired me was this artist's paintings of Niagara: (click on the image for a larger view)
http://www.artchive.com/artchive/C/c...rican.jpg.html
(I'll have to figure out how to add that shine)

Blacknight & digi: I do think it's the PE filter that helps out. There has to be some info on that, somewhere out on the net. Otherwise, something like Painter could probably be used.

Some ramblings......When I do these simulated, natural media things, I don't want it to look like a "computer" generated image. I very rarely, if ever limit myself to one filter. Most of the techniques I've used have been a process of overlapping various filters, fading them, and disquising them. I try to analyse the natural medium for the qualities that are characteristic to that particular style, and then try to duplicate them. For some reason, I don't consider it original or unique unless I've had a major impact in the process, and added something myself.

Jak: That frame is awesome! (but, I too was distracted by it)

Jakaleena · #28 06-05-2002, 04:03 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Blacknight
JAK - That's a FRAME! I found it hard to look at the picture and kept looking at the details in the frame!

Yeah, I know...

But if you go into those galleries that sell oil paintings, you always see them displayed on easels in these huge HONKIN frames with little canvas inserts - so that's what I did..

lglogan · #29 06-06-2002, 05:35 AM

I used the oil emboss filter from Photo Brush on this image. I have been trying to duplicate it in Photoshop but I have not had any luck. Anyone have any ideas?

Smiles,
Lynda

lglogan · #30 06-06-2002, 05:38 AM

I forgot to mention the uncut version lives here.

http://www.pbase.com/image/2390459

Lynda