Portraits - help, tips, advice please anyone?

**Intbel** · 08 August 2006, 03:11 AM

I have been working on a portrait with what you might call 'limited' success.
This is summat with which I need to get to grips.

Any and all tips and pointers would be v. much appreciated from anyone who knows about these things.

I'm not aiming for photo-realism neither am I aiming for a faux painting.
Just a realistic illustration.

I'm focussing upon shape edges - elimination of.

I'll post the image when finished ... meanwhile, here's an eye.

**molucca** · 08 August 2006, 05:23 AM

http://www.graphics.com/modules/Gall...umName=album53

Look at William Clegg's work.

Rich

**Albacore** · 08 August 2006, 10:05 AM

Have a look at this thread: http://www.talkgraphics.com/showthre...ghlight=Photos

As well as using the the method stated which was for a very quick portrait have a look at using the Posterising filter in PS which gives you the shading and gives you a good idea where to use blends. Also if you do a search in Google for "vector hand tracing from photo's you will get Illy tuts on the subject.

**Egg Bramhill** · 08 August 2006, 09:53 PM

Rich,

Thanks for your link. I'd forgotten about Bills excellent work. Are you still lurking Bill?

**Intbel** · 09 August 2006, 05:58 PM

Thanks for the links.
I guess it just comes down to practice, practice and more practice.

**Albacore** · 10 August 2006, 09:08 AM

Have a look at this tutorial it is the way I do it in Xara: http://www.layersmagazine.com/when-v...ets-photo.html

**Intbel** · 10 August 2006, 03:12 PM

Originally Posted by Albacore

Have a look at this tutorial it is the way I do it in Xara: http://www.layersmagazine.com/when-v...ets-photo.html

Thank you Albacore ...

That works. It is though, but a starting point is it not?
I want to be able to illustrate the original expression most of which is lost (or not put in) in your most excellent example.

Anyways, here, at last, are two images.
One is overdone maybe and one is possibly underdone.
Somewhere between the two lies the result I want.

Whie I'm not satisfied with either, I am not dissapointed with the results as this is my first attempt at a portrait.

Incidentally, I drew the hat 'cos I ran out of patience with the hair - something else on which I need to work.

Thanks everyone for your feedback.

**parahandy** · 10 August 2006, 03:39 PM

If, as you say this is your first attempts at portraiture Intbel then I say very good, the second one( IMP ) has the most character. I know what you mean about the hair, a lot of patience is required, some of the guys and gals draw hundreds of strands and very realistic as well. You are a man of many talents keep up the good work.

**Intbel** · 10 August 2006, 03:52 PM

Originally Posted by parahandy

If, as you say this is your first attempts at portraiture Intbel then I say very good, the second one( IMP ) has the most character. I know what you mean about the hair, a lot of patience is required, some of the guys and gals draw hundreds of strands and very realistic as well. You are a man of many talents keep up the good work.

Thanks ... no worries, I'll keep it up.
I have a long ways to go yet and I don't give up on something until I've mastered it. Can only give 100% foucus to one thing at a time though and while I'm focussing on graphics I'm not making progress with mandolin.

There is some internal debate here which is the most important... and then there's writing as well ... >sigh< so many things I want to accomplish and so little time ...

Anyways, enough digression ... while the second illustration does, perhaps, have more character, I feel the first has a little more gaeity in it which better reflects the subject's personality. I dunno ... somehwere between the two is the answer I feel.

The second one certainly took a lot of time.

But what the hell , it was mostly fun though I'll admit to cursing the project a few times.

I'll begin another one in a few days, need to give the mando some attention before my fingertips go soft ...

**Soquili** · 10 August 2006, 04:25 PM

Hi Intbel,

Good work on the portraits.

If you are still looking for some tips, in the thread http://talkgraphics.com/showthread.p...ight=Stop+Post Post 15 has some images and Post 16 has the .xar file you can download to see how things were done.

If you want some hair samples, look at the thread http://talkgraphics.com/showthread.p...highlight=hair post 6 has the complete portrait and post 14 has two .xar files with samples of how the hair was done.