Creative Portraits: Bonnie Brunette

[Andrew B.]

The main method here is local contrast control done more than one way and then blended. Then things like smart blur, paint engine, blending modes, hand touch up. But only for small areas of the image, masked in with layer masks at partial opacity.

[byRo]

I used the original from the site Neve posted at the start.
Before doing anything arty did a wholescale retouch and crop (1) - seems that the old saying "you can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear" applies pretty well to this stuff. A good base makes the "arty" stuff better / easier.

(2) AHB pencils (again )
As always, the texture got lost in the jpg crunch, see detail (3)

Rô

[Janet Petty]

You are getting better and better Ro. Soon you will be listed amongst the masters.

Janet

[PamSav]

Here's my version of this one. Retouched image and enlarged to 8 x 10, then used the Art History brush in PSCS using a Trimoon preset that I modified slightly. Trimoon canvas texture on top.

Edited to add 2nd version, started from same retouched image but used Painter this time (captured bristle, just add water, square chalk). Added my own texture in PSCS to finish.

[byRo]

Pam, I really like the first one.
The second seems to be lacking something - maybe some brush strokes, unpainted canves, texture, not sure.

Rô

[Neve]

Pam - your first one is really very well done and detail retained
I think that's the difference with the 2nd one - that there's been a loss of detail somehow. Maybe just too much blending with JAW which I have trouble controlling. I find skin extremely difficult to do in Painter and I admire you giving it a go.

[PamSav]

Thanks for the comments ! I actually like the hair and skin from the first one and the eyes and background from the second. Perhaps I should try to blend both versions together ?

Edited to add: Well I had to try it to see if I liked it better, and I do ! Here is the second image with the first one blended with the "lighten" mode. I think it adds just enough detail back in . What do you think?

Higher resolution version here: http://www.pbase.com/pamsav/image/42987139/original

[jaykita]

Another painter 8 creation, but with some tweaking in ps7 as well.

[Con Looymans]

Hi Neve,

Here's my attempt.

I simply cut the figure out of the background and used a radial zoom filter, plus a bit of basic touchup on the face.

Hope you like it.

Regards

Con

[ahutton]

Well I got something I like, but even sizing it down to 50% was too big. So you can see the 50% version at http://www.bigbluebird.com/brunette2.jpg

and the ridiculously large, but prettier full version at http://www.bigbluebird.com/brunette.jpg Don't attempt this one without DSL!

Impressionist, sepia, tons of layer merging, blurring, and a mess of other stuff I can't remember.

AmyHutton

[byRo]

Originally Posted by ahutton

... Don't attempt this one without DSL!

Amy, I have always like the way you "do " textures. Well worth having a fast link just to be able to appreciate your work better.

I know you didn't really ask for comments but...you could have cropped in a bit, that would have reduced the total size without harming anything (seeing as the attention getter is only the face)

Rô

[DannyRaphael]

There have been some great interpretations so far on this one.

I've been wanting to take a swipe at it for sometime now... Just had a chance to do so.

First thing I did was apply a Levels Adjustment layer in order to bring out midtones in her dress (for definition vs. the all-black blob) and highlights in her hair. I painted black on the mask where I did not want the effect to be applied.

After merging the result onto a new layer, I applied some unsharp mask to bring out the hair, eyes and mouth detail. This became my base layer.

I made multiple copies of the base layer to which these filters were applied:
* Photoshop Dry Brush
* KPT Pyramid Painter
* Impressionist > Crayon > Choppy Strokes (dress only)
* Impressionist > Conte > Unsmudged Monochrome (More controls > Color > Stroke color = background, Jitter: Hue = 25)
* (Again with brush = 40 ) Impressionist > Conte > Unsmudged Monochrome (More controls > Color > Stroke color = background, Jitter: Hue = 25)
...then combined the best of each layer using layer masks.
* Merged all into a single layer and applied Unsharp Mask for texture

I usually don't like digital textures, but I liked the Splat > Canvas look on this one (stolen from Corona's method).

View at max size possible.

~Danny~

[Janet Petty]

Marvelous Danny. Simply marvelous.

Janet

[jaykita]

Danny, you've done it again....i'm floored!

[DannyRaphael]

J & J... The kind words, esp. from you two, are sincerely appreciated. -djr