My new passion-Portrait Paintings

[elsaspet]

Hi you guys! Ok, this is my second attempt at this. I used Painter 10 and Maura Dutra's tutorials for this. (Don't blame Maura!!!!)
Anyhoo, these are NOT AUTOPAINT. Each stroke is mine, including the underpainting.
I used family as my models. I don't feel ready yet to do this for clients.
Even so, I was kinda proud of these and wanted to share.
It's so much harder than I thought it would be. The first took 4 hours, and the second almost as long.

1. My sister and her hubby:

2. My mom and dad:

 

[wildmaven]

I do this kind of thing, too, but for nature photography (birds and landscapes). You've got to be careful with edges, like around their heads. In real paintings, the background goes BEHIND the head, not around it. Same thing for along arms and other objects. It's fun, isn't it?

 

[elsaspet]

Thanks for the tip WM. I never thought of that. (Maura's tutorial has us doing it on one layer, but I'm for sure not putting this off on her). She's amazing. I'm sure it's something I'm doing. Are you using layers?
Yeah, it's a blast! I can't wait to do some more, but right now I'm staring at two wedding, and and engagement edit......:-(
Hopefully I'll get to play more this year. I'm taking WAY less weddings, and trying to spend that time stepping up my game.
I've been studying paintings though, and of course the tutorials.
I'd love to see yours. I know how hard it is!!!!!
Thanks again for the tip. I need to pay attention to that. Do you do it on the underpainting?

 

[wildmaven]

Thanks for the tip WM. I never thought of that. (Maura's tutorial has us doing it on one layer, but I'm for sure not putting this off on her). She's amazing. I'm sure it's something I'm doing. Are you using layers?
Yeah, it's a blast! I can't wait to do some more, but right now I'm staring at two wedding, and and engagement edit......:-(
Hopefully I'll get to play more this year. I'm taking WAY less weddings, and trying to spend that time stepping up my game.
I've been studying paintings though, and of course the tutorials.
I'd love to see yours. I know how hard it is!!!!!
Thanks again for the tip. I need to pay attention to that. Do you do it on the underpainting?

I only use one layer, but I make sure that my strokes by the head and near objects "look" like they're going behind, rather than around. Instead of sweeping around the head, make strokes that stop right next to it. Then, when you do the hair, you sweep that past those strokes you just made. Try to think in layers, even if you're not doing layers. Start with the background. Then do objects just in front of the background and then objects in front of those objects. You'll get a more 3d look that way and a better "painterly" quality. Also, if you're doing a stroke that is supposed to look like it passes behind a post, make sure the strokes on each side of the post match up, so it looks like one continuous stroke.

 

[elsaspet]

Cool! Thank you so much.
I work so much with Photoshop, and I'm not used to "wet medium". LOL.
I try to push a leaf around, and next thing I know, someone's nose is melting. Haha.
Anyhoo, I'll try that. I think maybe the underpainting is the way to go on that. I think that was what Maura was doing now that I think of it.
Have you seen her tutorials? She the wife of Bruce Dorn, but she's in a league of her own for sure. They are both rockstars though.
Anyhoo, check out www.idcphotography.com
I'm a huge fan of the both of them.
Love ya, and thanks for helping!

 

[JohnMF]

i presume you're working with a wacom tablet?.

i think you done a good job.

Personally i would have used a softer brush for the background or maybe a blender brush, just to bring the focus more onto the subjects.

I've been using painter for about 3 or 4 months now and it's a lot of fun. I posted some of my work in the Creative Corner a while back.

http://thephotoforum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=95217&highlight=painter

http://thephotoforum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=99485&highlight=painter

I've just been using celebrity photos as reference for the time being because my own portrait photographs aren't up to much, but it's good practice.

I'm not an expert myself but if you want to share any tips or help on Painter give me a shout.