Painting Photo Portraits

<p>Wow, when I had to 'select a category' most of these categories are the ones I created for PDN almost 20 years ago. I'm getting old...</p>

<p>I've been putting a concerted effort lately into something I'm completely unfamiliar with: namely, painting photographs.</p>

<p>I know there are techniques spanning the history of photography for taking a monochrome image and colourizing it, but usually they are based on huge blocks of colour (for example, an entire face with a particular colour or a swath of blue for a dress); but I've been trying to actually paint old BW photos (both digital and film) with a Wacom pen in a manner that is more like a painter, i.e., almost pixel-by-pixel.</p>

<p>When I paint, which is rare these days, there is a lot of material involved, i.e. paint; and there's also a lot of wasting that material because I scrape a lot of it off in order to find what I'm looking for.</p>

<p>With Photoshop, that's not a problem:)</p>

<p>I've never used PS to "paint" before and frankly, as someone who always works from photos, I always want to start with the photo. In other words, I've no interest in creating 'brush strokes' ex nihilo.</p>

<p>So I've been sticking to basic brushes on a colour layer in PS and just adding fake colour, with the occasional dodge/burn layer and the occasional 'drawing' layer to sharpen softness in key points, like the shadows of eyes.</p>

<p>The short of it is, while I'm not wasting money on paint, it is STILL just as time-consuming to 'paint' in PS as it is with a canvas. Several months into this, I've still not finished a single 'painting'.</p>

<p>But I must say, it is INCREDIBLY rewarding each night to come home from work and not be afraid to create something new, because I know it is non-destructive, and it is also not going to cost me money for paint:)</p>

<p>Applying painterly techniques, for example the turbid effect (Reubens) in Photoshop, layering, adding depth by way of another layer, it is all incredibly fascinating.</p>

<p>Here are a few examples, and I must stress, none of them are finished...but wow this is fun:</p>

<p>http://www.photo.net/photodb/folder?folder_id=1089361</p>

<p>Have any of you turned photos into digital paintings? If so, what advice do you have, given my early efforts?</p>

<p>Shawn</p>

<p> </p>

<p>None of them finished?? Wow, they are good. Makes me think I would like to try that </p>

<p>Thanks Brian. It's very challenging and time-consuming...but it's really cool because I am essentially making 'studies' layer after layer, while not having to consume paint, canvas, materials. </p>

<p>At the end of the day, they will still be digital, and won't have that awesome smell of lavender oil of spike and Canada Balsam, but they'll be pretty...I hope:)</p>

<p>Shawn</p>

<p>Look at:<br>

http://www.boredpanda.com/hyper-realistic-art/<br>

Its called hyper-realism. Its paint and brushes work. Anyone can do it in PS. Its also what I am starting to do. I did one last year. It took 3 months and I got paid for the three months work. </p>