How I Paint Women ... WARNING PARTIAL NUDITY

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I do a lot of work in Photoshop, I’ve done a bunch of tutorials about what I do and how I do it. Every once in a while I have the urge to do a painting in Photoshop, usually my subjects are women. I hadn’t done one since 2005, but a photo that reminded me of someone I knew motivated me start one. Paintings are a lot of work, and it’s hard to figure out when to stop, there’s always something that can be improved or done better.

I start with a photo open in Photoshop, that’s close to what I’m looking for.

On a new layer I sketch some of the detail of the photo..

On another layer I add a flat background.

On a third layer I block in some flesh color as a base layer.

I continue with layer upon layer, I start by adding shadows and highlights on separate layers. I’m working very rough at this point just adding blocks of color to set the planes of the face. Once I add a color I’ll usually diffuse it by adding a Gaussian Blur, and usually reducing the Opacity of that layer. Shadows first, slowly getting darker and more refined. Then the Highlights, once again building slowly on separate layers.

Eyes and teeth are painted on layers and put behind the flesh layer.

I also added some hair that will be behind the face.

Adding more and more detail, eye makeup, eyebrows, lipstick, etc. all on their own layers.

More sections of hair are added, each with their own shadow and highlights.

It’s good to have the reference photo open while you work, but I’m not trying to do an exact copy. You may notice in that I’ve raised the contrast with the painting. In the photo there is almost no difference in tone between the nose and the far cheek. Funny thing is when I made the nose more defined it appeared too big to me. I changed it in the final image, as well as enlarging the eyes.

There are parts of this painting that I like very much. There are many things I could spend many days working on to improve. I worked on this over three days, sometimes for a few minutes, sometimes for an hour. I can’t say when I’ll consider it finished.

WARNING PARTIAL NUDITY... Please don’t click on the thumbnails and complain later.
 

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You can call it a Ham Sandwich if you want.
I think I know what Photo Editing is.
 
Nice, Phil.

In the Photoshop and graphic design world, as well as in the books and magazines serving those groups, it is called 'painting.'

Semantics aside, there is quite a large audience for this type of artistic endeavor, and a large number of practioners too. There are forums and sub-forums devoted to it on-line and, as I mentioned, magazine articles and books/book chapters about it.

The various styles that have grown out of digital painting are beginning to receive some acceptance as evidenced by the increasing numbers of works that appear in print, in art and photography exhibitons and that have sold to collectors and others privately, through galleries and at auction.

It reminds me of the path air-brush art has taken over time - from outright rejection to near universal acceptance.

I love all things Photoshop and though this isn't knife related per se, I do appreciate your sharing it, Phil.
 
Revolvergeek, thanks for looking.
Buddy thanks for your comments. Not only computer graphics and air brushing, look at the Tattoo Art that's being done.

I guess there wasn’t enough nudity in the picture to satisfy NStricker. Thirty posts in a year and a half, and he uses one of them to trivialize my work. Not even to critique it, but just to suggest that because it was done in Photoshop that it shouldn’t be called a painting. I wonder if it would be allowed if I did it in Paint Shop Pro?

I’ve done a lot of work in Photoshop, and I don’t own any other Paint program. I’ve worked for many makers here taking their drawings of new knife designs and rendering them as realistic as possible, so they could get feedback and even sell knives before they had actually made them. I even did a tutorial that showed step by step how to design a knife in Photoshop and cyber it to look real.

For example, the background photo of the pistol is real, the knife is from a line drawing submitted by Darrel Ralph.

56286687.jpg


I could have said “How I Cyber” or “....Render Women”, but it actually is Painting in Photoshop, not Photo Editing. Of course the medium is pixels and not paint, but the process is exactly the same. Which is what I tried to indicate in those step by step frames and my explanation. I was painting in oils and water colors from age of 12. I know the steps and how a painting evolves.

Maybe he objected to the use of a photo. I don’t know of any painter or illustrator that tries to create realistic paintings that doesn’t use photographs. Even before there was film for cameras, Dutch masters were using the Camera Obscura to capture realism and perspective in their work. There were other devices going back to the Renaissance that helped artists create their masterpieces. Before these devices there simply was no realistic perspective in painitngs. Maybe folks that don’t know the process would consider it cheating. To not use photographs would be moronic.
 
It's photo editing, but I wouldn't call it painting.

so by the slightly condescending tone i take it you work in the field, graphic art, designer, illustrator? which one?
You can paint in photoshop... seriously the program has brushes and palettes and everything.:rolleyes:
Ive heard artwork done in photoshop called everything from paintings to illustrations to photo-illustrations and everything inbetween...

You might consider the usefulness of your responses before posting
cheers
ivan
 
thanks for sharing your work and for showing us your creative process:thumbup:
remember, some people cant/dont see beyond antiquated classifications of art:confused:

cheers
ivan
 
Guys thanks for the feedback and support. I was just so surprised by that guys comments, I was wondering what put a bug up his arse.

Buddy, I used to frequent Photoshop Cafe, and was blown away by the work presented there. So much of the Photoshop work I do I either can't show, becaus someone else has the rights to use it first, or it's just too heavy with Knife Content. Hard to believe, but most to the Photohsop users aren't focused on how to show a knife better.

As I said before I don't do a lot of work that isn't knife related, just every once in a while I want to flex my muscles a little bit. Trying to make a human face look real is tough, even cheating using a photo. Again this was my first attempt in three years. Here's the one I did back then.

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PhilL: Your art is very much as real if not more so than much of what is considered art.
It is widely accepted that if what you make evokes emotion in you it will touch others. Some of that emotion will be negative and some who do not understand will respond negatively. Actually through his criticism he established the validity of your art.

Personally I am in awe and congratulate you and again thank you for your willingness to share the art you feel.
 
Ed my friend, thanks for your comments, it means a lot to me.

I'm having a problem uploading images to my album site. I would prefer to show these pics a little bigger than the direct attachments here allow. I completed another painting, it's a little weird, but it is the best work I've done so far. Hopefully Picturetrail will solve my upload problem and I'll be able to post it here.
 
I think the problem is fixed.

Once again it's a strange image, but I'm very happy with the way it turned out.

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I spent years of my life working at becoming a graphic artist before I lost the drive and gave up.

Your work is very impressive and in many respects contains alot more real work than other mediums.

A person can get lucky with watercolors from time to time, but nobody could deny the skill put into what you do.
 
I spent years of my life working at becoming a graphic artist before I lost the drive and gave up.

Shotgunner, thanks for your comments and I understand where you're coming from. I don't remember a time when I wasn't drawing. My first goal was to work for Walt Disney. My drawing and painting eveolved into a photography career. But, I haven't worked as a photographer for over 20 years. I never lost the desire to create.

I bought a Mac because I wanted to do graphics and Photoshop has become my medium. I do get paid for some of the graphics work that I do, but it's not what I do for a living. I spend time playing in Photoshop like others spend time playing video games. It's nice to have this forum to share what I do.
 
Looks good PhilL.
That last one has some spirit to it. I like it.
The step by step image is a great way to show how the work evolves.
I think the hardest thing to do is put the mouse/brush/pen/pencil down and say "Done"

I get to put together photo montages at work (Lots of photos artfully arranged to portray a mood or theme).
I can work on one for a week :D
I depend on the art director to tell me when I'm done.
Or the account person saying "Print it, the meeting is in 15 minutes"

Photo editing?
I didn't see any photo being manipulated.
Rubber stamping/cloning a third eye into the photo of an overly zealous critic would be photo editing.
:D

Keep'em coming PhilL!
 
Cool stuff, PhilL :thumbup:



I run my students through this Illustrator tutorial each new semester


http://www.kosterknives.com/Mesh.pdf


Accomplishes much of the same idea...but in Illustrator.

:thumbup:



It's quite the challenging project!


Kudos to you for the skills you've acquired.



Sometimes, my students make me feel like an old man...behind the times...and I'm only 35!! :(

I do still have a few tricks up my sleeve to impress them...mostly speed/efficiency is on my side. But they usually win in creativity.


Thanks for sharing.

Dan
 
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Wally, the step by step for the last one is really creepy, but I want people to know that I'm honestly not copy & pasting any parts from a photo.

Daniel, I've never used Illustrator, I do know that images where the artist labels their work 100% Photoshop make a point of mentioning No Illustrator.

I got a 404 Error message when I clicked on your link.
 

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oops!

It's supposed to be a capital "M"...:foot:


I fixed it....works now.


Dan
 
ah.....yeah....a little creepy :D

A guy in our studio is a good photoshop painter.
I'll do birthday cards for members of our group.
I'm a Pentel Sign Pen and layout pad kinda guy ;)
He'll scan my cartoons and then paint them in PS.
Really interesting seeing your own work colored by someone else.
Good exercise for both of us.
 
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