Creative challenge 001: Pamela in BW

[DannyRaphael]

As a result of a brilliant suggestion I just got, the CHALLENGE on this one is to use your BEST and most creative techniques to convert this one to any type of grayscale (aka: "black and white") you like.

You don't need to apply filters or plugins, but you may, as long as the final result consists of black, white and shades of gray. No color.

Wanna merge this with other images? Sure.

Replace the background? Sure.

Good luck and have fun.

~Danny~

[Janet Petty]

Black and White and Gray
Here tis, OK.

Janet

[Legacy~Art]

Janet that is lovely!

[sidis]

Cleaned up noise
Ran the action
Touchups

This is not a very good photo to properly show the usefulness of the included action. A photo with more color variation works best. The action is very sensitive to small slider movements--especially in combination. It allows for an infinite number of pseudo-filters; ie: red, orange, green, etc...in several shades.

.

[nansi]

Hi,this is my first post :-)
Here is my try using virtual photographer

[Neve]

Great results everyone and welcome along Nansi, looking forward to viewing more of your creations.

PSP.8.1

Auto Contrast Enhancement
Desaturated to gray
Edge Preserving Smooth - 3
Duped bottom layer twice
L2 - Soft Light
Merged bottom two layers.
Top Layer - Levels/My High Key White setting.

On this same layer used the eraser throughout using
Dry Brush for her hair, default brush on her skin and to bring
back some highlights for her features.
For interest, added some texture to her straps and dress using
Van Gogh Texture along with a Camel Hair Brush low opacity.

Smudged skin entirely.

Merged all - duped bottom layer
L2 - Hard Light - 16% - Duped this layer
L3 - Multiply 30%
Merged these layers.

Lessened Brightness slightly.

Applied a criss-cross texture.

Thoroughly enjoyed this challenge and thanks for the wonderful photo!

[Janet Petty]

Sidis, Nanci, and Neve, you have all done a wonderful job. Each is unique and each is distinctive. Very nice all.

Janet

[Duv]

First ran Neat Image. Channel Mixer set to Monochrome. Curves Adjustment layer (see attached). Ran Cartoon action.

Cheers
Dave

[SWEngineer]

Mine is perhaps too simplistic compared to the great work posted so far. (Yours too Nanci - welcome ) But it is my best sketch outline technique.

1. Resize & Decolored the image w/ channel mixer (mostly using red)
2. NeatImage to smooth everying out
3. HighPass 3.5 then Sketch>TornEdges 25/7/10.
4. Add layer mask to touch up rough spots. (esp. lips & eyes)
5. Put a light gray fill layer below the sketch
6. Add a fill layer of WashedWaterColorPaper. (Overlay, 62%)

-Mark

[Neve]

Oh...I love that Duv!!! Well done Mark too....I bet when you invert that it'll look like a chalk sketch.

Thanks a bunch Janet. Great challenge isn't it...?

[jaykita]

Very nice work, all.
First, using image-calculations and combinations which best suited me, for the b&w image. Then, used burn and dodge tools, also black, white and shades of gray paint, and finally difference blend with the orig b&w layer.

[Neve]

That's a beauty alright Jaykita....! Wonderful to view.

[kiska]

Nansi-nice crop.
Janet-like your 'painting'
Jaykita- wow.

I used channel mixer to get bw. Semi-glamour retouch, feivel's glow,both.

kiska

[Xaran]

I just love all these different ways to do black and white images.

Duplicated background
Converted to b/w
Duplicated b/w layer 2 times.
Bottom layer chalkaholic then motion blur 90 deg
Next layer chalkaholic then motion blur 45 deg - overlay mode
Top layer Xero line art and buzz spread black - multiply mode.

Christine

[Con Looymans]

Hi Danny,

Here's my attempt.

I did a bit of touchup work just to smooth the skin tones and duplicated the Layer.

I Blurred the top Layer and merged the two to create a soft focus effect. I then used two Hue/Saturation Layers to convert to B/W. I Created a composite Layer above these and used a Diffuse Glow filter effect and then a white to transparent Gradient. I also did a bit of dodging and burning to darken the lips and lighten the strap at the back of the dress a bit.

Regards

Con Looymans

[byRo]

Interesting challenge, Danny. Who needs colours anyway?

While I was doing this Con posted something similar, but Í got there by a different way...
Cropped, 10 min Toolkit, High-Key, Smudge painting, Levels and vignette.

Rô

[glikster]

beacuse of the filesize limit.
I finally got around to playing with Bitmap mode.
This is three layers of greyscaled images, each switched to Bitmap mode in a different manner, and then back to greyscale.
To get a good image, though, you need 300 ppi, minimum.

I added a detail. I'm not sure if it's from the same version, though. Sorry.

[byRo]

Originally Posted by glikster

beacuse of the filesize limit......To get a good image, though, you need 300 ppi, minimum.

A little work-around is to also post just a small part of the image - but this at full resolution, so that we can at least get an idea of how it looks.

Here's a pencil sketch, tweaked and with a aniso'd outline added.
Rô

[glikster]

Here I used some layer masks.

[kiska]

Smooth skin, dodge, dodge, dodge, diffuse glow.

[DannyRaphael]

Originally Posted by nansi

Hi,this is my first post :-)
Here is my try using virtual photographer

Nansi:

I'm glad you found us. Welcome aboard!

The Virtual Photographer plugin has SO MANY cool options it's hard to figure out which ones to use. (Click HERE to download VP.)

I like what you've done here. Keep 'em coming.

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jaykita:

You've nearly outdone yourself (again). That's an exceptional look you achieved.

A+

~Danny~

[Gary Richardson]

Hi Danny, not usually my bag, but thought I'd have a go for a change.

Extracted Pamela and pasted to another pic. Desaturated, both layers, played with levels. Created new layer, played with levels and find edges filter. Finally adjusted opacity of top layer.

[jch71566]

I don't even remember what I did here, but I like it!

-Jeff

[DannyRaphael]

Originally Posted by Gary Richardson

Hi Danny, not usually my bag, but thought I'd have a go for a change.

Hey, Gary...

Glad you gave it a go -- just for something different. Stop back in any time!

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Jeff:

A good one anyway despite the memory lapse! (LOL)

~Danny~

[DannyRaphael]

For those who have the Virtual Painter plugin, notice the results when you apply either the Collage or Drawing filters: Bold black lines against funky colors.

If you set the foreground color to black, Select > Color Range will make a selection of these black lines which can be isolated onto a separate layer via Ctrl + J.

I applied Photoshop's Find Edges filter to another copy of the background, converted the Find Edges layer to grayscale (Ctrl + Shift + U) and applied Image > Adjustment > Levels to get rid of most of the midtone grays. I painted white here and there to clean it up.

The three layers (VP Collage lines, VP Drawing lines and Find Edges) were merged into a single layer... black lines on a white background.

I went to the Channels palette, Ctrl + clicked on the RGB channel to load the selection (marching ants).

Back to the Layers Palette, Select > Inverse (to select the lines).

Ctrl + J isolated the lines onto a separate layer. Below this layer I added a new layer, filled with white (for a background).

Back to the merged lines layer, I fiddled with Layer Style effects and settled on a modest Drop Shadow.

Different for me, anyway...

~Danny~

[Neve]

Just so clever Danny, what a great result!

Very much inspired by Jaykita's effort, I desaturated image then lightened via Curves. Opened in Painter for cloning.

Conte/Dull Conte 8/Hair
Blenders/Grainy Blender 20/Hair (Yes...I was listening Danny )
Oils/Medium Bristles Oil/Eyebrows
Conte/Dull Conte 8/Facial outlines

Saved and opened in PSP

Duped bottom layer – L2 Soft Light 50%
Merged. Duped bottom layer.

L2 – Flaming Pear Ghost/This gives a blacker outline.
Merged.

I cannot draw to save myself and drawing a straight line even worse. I enjoyed it all irrespective.

[Xaran]

Thats excellent Danny, looks as if the black lines are floating above the surface. Have to make a note of this one...

Christine

[Neve]

I did something similar Danny by placing a new layer above original image and drawing an outline. Then filled the bottom image layer with a colour. Back to outline and selected, adding a drop shadow. I used the default paintbrush in PSP at 5 pixels for this terrible example of my wobbly lines... Using Bladepro on the outlines would give excellent effects.

[DannyRaphael]

Originally Posted by Neve

I did something similar Danny by placing a new layer above original image and drawing an outline. Then filled the bottom image layer with a colour. Back to outline and selected, adding a drop shadow. I used the default paintbrush in PSP at 5 pixels for this terrible example of my wobbly lines... Using Bladepro on the outlines would give excellent effects.

Neve: These last two are great. The "from the center-out" gradient on the second one is especially effective.

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Christine...

Glad you liked another of my "happy accidents," that resulted from experimenting with no particular destination in mind.

[vidanse]

First I converted her to BW with Fred Miranda's BW Workflow Pro using the high contrast filter, then I took it into Painter 8 used Lighting effects with a single spot. Back into Photoshop hue saturation to brighten eyes a little, added empty layer touched up hair with clone tool & healing brush, added another empty layer changed the mode to soft light painted with a black brush at 10% opacity to darken shadows a little more, added a levels adjustment layer moved black slider to 38 with a tiny brush at 20% opacity outlined eyes, darkened eye shadow, emphasized eyelashes, darkened corners. Added another layer to smooth skin and parts of hair, then used Photokit Sharpener to slightly sharpen eyes and eyebrows, nose and lips. Voila. What fun.

Vicki