Trying something different

[Admirer]

Hi this is my 1st post and i only get good pictures by accident. I am trying hand coloured portraits but they look a bit stark how can i get them to blend better?

 

[terri]

Welcome to TPF.

Well, your skin tones are pretty off, your model looks a bit gray in most of these. Anything you lay on top of that base will look off. Is this real hand coloring, with photo oils, or something you're doing on a software program? I find the software programs can give garish colors if you're not careful.

 

[Admirer]

Thanks for the input. i was trying for a washed out just off grey look with the lips standing out more but i will try some more colour.

 

[Weaving Wax]

The model looks a little "choppy". It looks like she was cut out of another image and placed in the white background. When I do cut & paste stuff in photoshop I try my best to smoothe out the rough parts to make it look natural. My suggestion? After you cut & paste, take about a 5 pix smoothe brush eraser and zoom in around the edges and smoothe out the edges. Don't erase too much, but just enough to make it blend well. Someone might have a better suggestion, but thats my 2 cents..