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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.
http://www.graphics.com/modules/Gall...umName=album53
Look at William Clegg's work.
Rich
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.
Rich,
Thanks for your link. I'd forgotten about Bills excellent work. Are you still lurking Bill?
Thanks for the links.
I guess it just comes down to practice, practice and more practice.
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 ...Quote:
Originally Posted by 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.
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.Quote:
Originally Posted by parahandy
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 ...
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.
Ah ... many thanks.
May the artist in the sky rain multitudenous golden pixels upon your existence.
Your explanation of how you made the hair, along with the files, is just what I need.
I'll make good use of that info in my next portrait and post the result.
Thanks again . we'll make a proficient illustrator out of me yet.
Thank you. I enjoyed that.
If you allow me to ask a few questions as a result of your 2 examples.
When you look at someone for the first time, where in the face do you look?
Most people look at the eyes first, then the mouth!
The same goes when you look at mags and drawings these two pull you into the drawing so if you concentrate on these two areas then you don't need to spend the same amount of time in the other areas. In one of the threads that I posted I was doing potraits from photo's at work and at home and the most we could charge was around £40 for a framed print and sometimes £60 for a pet so therefore I could not spend time creating blends and transparencies to get the skin tones perfect and all went home happy. The point of this is if you get the general shape right and the eyes and mouth show the character of the person you can get a way with less than your second drawing. Take the mouth from second and put it on the first. Is it not terrible that folk will pay more for a portrait of a bloody pet.
If your struggling with hair why don't you use Christine Farrlley's hair Brush. Works for me
Yup. Gotcha.Quote:
Originally Posted by Albacore
It's all in the eyes, then the mouth.
Obvious really, ennit?
I just needed it pointing out to me so that it would be obvious :o
Because I want to be able to draw hair without using a brush.Quote:
Originally Posted by Albacore
Second portrait.
Not sure about the nose ... the hair isn't great but at least this time I didn't cover it with a hat.
Getting there ...
That one is looking very nice!
You are making great progress, Intbel.
Try feathering the shapes you used to make the nose. You may have to exagerate the shapes to achieve the effect you want but the feather makes smoother transitions. Use of blends can also help smooth transitions for colour variations and/or shadows on the face
Thank you.Quote:
Originally Posted by Know1
Gradually 'tis coming together. I think that maybe I will have cracked it by the time I have done a third.
Or the twenty-third ...
Yes ... I should have paid more attention there.Quote:
Originally Posted by Soquili
But see the previous images ...
This one I was focussed on the hair ... the next one all the different bits will, I hope and expect, come together.
I resisted the use of a brush for the hair - I need to be able to do everything myself. Once I can do that, then I'll probably use a brush for quickness.
Also, in the process of drawing hair (or anything else, fo that matter) one gains an understanding of the texture and construction of things ... one begins to understand them and get a feel for them ... I have some difficuly finding the words to explain this.
I suppose it's like a person saying "I can't draw faces" ... by the time they have traced 2,000 pictures of faces they will be able to draw reasonable faces ... the proportions and so on will automatically be absorbed as they go.
Thank you for your support, 'tis most welcome.
Good work Intbel, she is "real" looking I think the hair is very good.
***** Norman.
Thank you Norman.Quote:
Originally Posted by parahandy
Apart from the clump in the centre I am happy with the hair.
There are not as many lines in there as it may seem at first sight.
Ah .. having just written that a light bulb just glowed in me 'ead.
What I want to achieve is maximum effectiveness with minimal shapes/objects/lines.
I knew what I wanted, just wasn't able to define it until now.