Help for Sister-In-law

[geezer]

My brother gave me this photo of his wife and wanted to know if it could be made into a portrait. I've never done that before and don't know where to start or what toos (other than Photoshop) to use. Any ideas or assistance would be appreciated. Thanks.

[aartist]

Attach a larger sample of photo to let us all have a better peek.

[MiningArt]

You could crop, a square format maybe slightly off center. More space is generally given to the direction of subjects eyes. Decide whether to change the background or not. Her hair is in good order so shouldn't be to hard. Use Vignette or framing.

[geezer]

Aartist; how do I attach a larger sample. Isn't the forum restricted to 100kb? This is 82.8 kb...I'll try for spot on 100.

Mining Art: thanks for the suggestion. I'll try the Vignette to eliminate the background.

[lkroll]

I agree; way to small. Might want to host the original using another photo hosting service and post the link here. In the meantime, here's a vector simplication for an almost humoring Picasso look.

[0lBaldy]

If you use Photoshop you can post fairly large pictures which are under 100k using the save for web function in Photoshop as described here:
Size, Quality and/or Format your Attached Images.. (Click here)
How to attach Files/Images to your Posts or Threads?(Click here)

If you want to post a larger resolution that is over 100K then you can host your image elsewhere and attach a link in the thread, but also please attach an under 100K version (so the thread remains useful in the future, regardless of external links).
Other Hosts if you do not have your own site:
ImageVenue.com (3Meg max, free) pixentral.com (2Meg max, free) photobucket.com (1 Meg max free, 5 Meg PRO) mediafire.com (100 Meg per file, free) post a link in the thread to the site that is hosting the larger image.
Remember to attach an under 100K version in the thread so the thread remains useful in the future, regardless of external links.

[geezer]

Very nice - my wife is a great Picasso fan and loved this.

[geezer]

Thanks for the great tips...used "Save for Web" and got a much better image. Thanks again.

[lkroll]

You Sister-n-Law is a very pretty lady Geezer. Your new version is much better and now can do a little more serious play. Thought I would do a watercolor on your new version.

[Peter S]

For me the BG had to go, too distracting.

Peter

[MiningArt]

Really nice water color Lyle.

[ahutton]

This is quick and dirty, but is this kind of what you want? Or a formal photographer's background?

Amy

[aartist]

Here is my version of portrait.

Get rid of annoying background tree trunk growing out of the top of her head.
And that Cash for Clunkers Truck has to go.
It's a nice truck, only kidding, but it still has to go, if you want a portrait.

Very nice photo, very pretty girl!

[0lBaldy]

Originally Posted by geezer

My brother gave me this photo of his wife and wanted to know if it could be made into a portrait. I've never done that before and don't know where to start or what toos (other than Photoshop) to use. Any ideas or assistance would be appreciated. Thanks.

geezer..
copy background
crop image
new layer.. fill with any color
move new colored layer down below the copied layer
select copied layer
Filter>Extract... click top tool on the left...Trace around pretty lady with a size 4 or 5 brush.. half the diameter on lady half off.. outline the areas between the arms and body also... select the paint bucket and fill the inside of the outline.. click OK
Clean up cutout with a mask and/or using the history brush
fix the highlights using the patch tool and the clone stamp... set the clone stamp tool to normal, darken and lighten as appropriate and change the opacity of the tool as needed
do any other repairs as necessary
select both eyes loosly... Ctrl+J will put them on a new layer... sharpen using USM (Unsharp Mask) amount about 135 with a radius @ about 2.5 to 3... brighten the highlights in the centers using a small soft brush using the dodge tool set on @ 20%... darken the pupils with the burn tool set at shadows... hold the Alt key while clicking the Mask Icon at the bottom of the layer menu.. this will make a hide all mask and hide all the work you just did...
select a small soft brush and the color white and paint white on just the pupils and Irises to reveal the work you did
Select an appropriate background and place it under the cutout layer and above the color layer
Sharpen and reduce noise on the image if necessary

select the top layer in the stack then make a new layer.... hold down Shft+Ctrl+Alt+E to get a merged copy of your work in this new layer...
save as a PSD to keep the layers

Make a new document from this merged layer and use it as is.. or as a base for some Art work

[aartist]

OlBaldy, very nice work, along with thorough explanation.

[lkroll]

Originally Posted by MiningArt

Really nice water color Lyle.

Glad you liked the result John. Been working on a new procedure that I call reverse Aniso. I dup (total of three), then blur the top layer (in GIMP, usually GBlur set to 9) and then run Xero's Supersmooth filter for the Aniso step. I then set the result to Grain Extract and merge down. I then set the resulting layer to Overlay and dup till happy. Also, for this one, I used G'MIC with Pen preset and blended it back in for more of a hand painted feel.

[MiningArt]

Thanks for the work flow. I have a gist of want you did and will give it a try. For my go I put her on a computer generated background for a splash of color, vignette and frame.

[0lBaldy]

Thank you aartist

LOL I just noticed that this is the Turning Portraits into Digital Sketches, Oils, Watercolors forum... soooo,

Used DigiDoodle_3 one of the many free actions contained in the ZIP file from Mike Finn and finished with a blended version of my cutout copy and the digidoodle version run through FotoSketcher (Freeware)

[geepee52]

Changed the background and used the smudge tool.

Grant

[Cupcake]

I painted a new background and repainted the sweater.

[Kraellin]

oh lyle, i really like that first one! very unique!

[Kraellin]

did you ever have one of those days when you felt like you just werent all there?

[lkroll]

Thanks Craig. Autotrace is cool. When I port the resulting SVG file into GIMP, I retain the paths and then stroke the path for the outlines. How cool is that. Sort of looks Picasso'ish anyway.

edit:
Just finished posting my response and you posted something that caught my eye too. Been trying to figure out how to make one of those CG wireframes recently. Maybe you can mod your preset to get to that type of look.

[bpurvis]

Originally Posted by Peter S

For me the BG had to go, too distracting.

Peter

Peter - What technique did you use to get that soft sketchy look?

Becky

[Kraellin]

hmmm, a true wireframe. interesting idea. i did look at it in that filter i used and no, it wont really do a true wireframe as is. i did mod it a little to make it a bit more versatile, but i'd have to have a really good find all edges, i think, before i could do a good wireframe. still, i dont think it's impossible.

the technique used to make that stringy image i did is actually pretty simple and could probably be adapted to make a more true wireframe. i'll thunk on it

[geezer]

I think "overwhelmed" would be an understatement...thank all of you so very much for your input, especially Ol Baldy for that very precise explanation. As soon as I get a finished portrait, I will post it for your comments and critique. Thanks again.

[rogier]

Lyle
That is faboulous, jour Picasso work.
Kan jou explain how ik kan doe this , or is somwere a tutorial
Thank you.
Sorry, al the others is also very nice

[rogier]

Hallo Geezer, i give i also a tray

Photoshop, desaturate, and treshold?? (here is dutch,) and a little notepaper, dodge and burn, colorfilter .
Dificult for my to explain, hope understand.

[sylvia1065]

Great versions!!!
Smudged and changed the background...
Sylvia