Need help with digi-portrait(NSF56k)

Evigilant

In one of my drunken stupors I agreed to draw a portrait of my friend in her new haircut based on descriptions and references using GIS.

Here are some progress shots.

This is a cleaned up version so I could show her a rough draft. Cleaned up from all the scribbles, small notes, guidelines I had used. It occurred to me that initially the back part of her skull was too "short" so I just cut and paste my lines to where it would be appropriate, hence the weird stripe at the back.
I really need to practice more.


Adding more top hair based on her input.


Adding even more top hair


Erased the hair, started over. I didn't realize how off center the hair was. It's supposed to be split down the center of her head. I'm not sure if it's still possible to correct this.


Deciding on the colors.


Using CS3, brush size at around 12-15, opacity at 23% fill at 25%, slowly building the face. I tend to focus a lot on eyes and lips. Though, I think I might have to dive into learning textures and different brushes to really nail these down.
Orange lines used for even more corrections based on her input.


Adding base colors to her hair, worked on her other eye, and filled out the face a bit.


Where I'm at now. I'm trying to get away from bland backgrounds, but I'm having a problem really grasping on how I want to accomplish the ideas in my head.


The issue I'm having is incorporating other colors. I've never taken an art class, so I don't really understand how to properly use textures, light theory, color theory, different brushes, etc... My goal is where the light is the most intense, have some light purple. The background would be a deep purple with a high contrast to the bright purple light. I'd also like to learn on how to use texture brushes and textures so I can make the skin look more like skin, as well as adding some depth to the background.

Mykonos

one of the better digital portraits. nice job so far.

Use a light turquose for highlights. place subtly along your nose, high cheekbone, corner of your upper brow, and a spot on the chin.

For skin texture you want add some pores, so to make your own custum brush in ps take your circle brush on a blank sheet and dab a bunch of specks randomnly. look for capture brush variant somewhere in your menu, then once you have your brush make some dabs on very low opacity in a darker color around your midtones...the key here is subtly. Some of the best brushes used for portraits are martah dhaligs collection, which can be found online at imaginefx.com in the workshop section...might have to browse.

Photo of textures can be placed directly on your painting as well, with bits erased out were u dont need it. best layer settings to use are either multiply or overly (soft light too) all dependig on the occasion.

If you want to give your painting an overal purplish tone, you can adjust your color settings either via the hue controls or color balance found in your main menus

rts

It is my opinion, that most of the portrait stuff you have done was traced. I said in another thread I would speak up when I think I see it and so I am. But maybe I am wrong and just an asshole. Whatever.

mattharvest

Could we see the photo-reference to get a better sense of your work?

NakedZergling

Are you flipping the image as you go along? It makes mistakes stick out like crazy. But it looks pretty good.

srsizzy

cakemikz wrote: »

It is my opinion, that most of the portrait stuff you have done was traced. I said in another thread I would speak up when I think I see it and so I am. But maybe I am wrong and just an asshole. Whatever.

...You can see the guidelines on the face for the eyes, mid line, and such. Plus, he's obviously not tracing the color, which is really good here.

I'd say more contrast, but I'm also addicted to contrast. The colors are really soft and this sort of lighting could only be achieved with like photo/film lighting. Like you're trying to eliminate all shadows, which can look really boring.

Alright, just this took me like 2 minutes. Upped the contrast manually, and then added some shadows by just taking a purple-gray, made a multiply layer, used a soft brush, made some shadows, pushed it down to like 40% opacity, and erased the edges a bit to give a gradient. Shadows are good. (Could've definitely pushed it up more on the side of the face and the cheek, this was just a rough idea.)

Mustang

cakemikz wrote: »

It is my opinion, that most of the portrait stuff you have done was traced. I said in another thread I would speak up when I think I see it and so I am. But maybe I am wrong and just an asshole. Whatever.

I'm not picking up a tracing vibe here, just looks like a good photo observation.

rts

Well like I say, I could be wrong. But I still believe it is a tracing and I have my reasons for that. But it doesn't really matter. He knows whether it is or not and if it isn't then he should be fairly proud because he has a decent eye. But if it is I think he should reconsider his approach to drawing in general.

TheMorningStar

I agree with what has been said, mostly that you need higher contrast between darks and lights on the portion of the face that is closer in space (nose, check, brow, chin). Also, stuff that is farther away, such as the hair on the far right, should be lighter. Having a deep dark like that will make it sorta of stand up and ruin the illusion of it being 3D.

Otherwise, very good portrait!

Scosglen

I think we need seriously need a sticky telling people what is and is not good portrait reference material.

This is probably an example of the latter.