[JayBee]

This was inspired by the "self portrait" thread, but I realised that I have NO idea how to successfully shade and blend in Painter. I kept trying to make the image less blocky, but in the end I gave up cos they were all looking way too plastic.

This is what I settled on:



The thing is, I quite like the "chunky" look that I'm getting, but I want to make it look more finished than it is. Any suggestions?

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[ceenda]

Hiya JayBee.

Given that I'm probably the only guy on the board who knows what you look like, you could have posted that anonymously and I would have known it was you!

One thing though, look at your reflection in the mirror again. Is that really a straight line going from the back of your neck to the top of your head? I think that the head should be rounder at the back.

A technique that I find works quite well is to make measurements with the pencil.

No really, with the pencil. I usually hold the pencil vertically and move the pencil away until it is the length of my head in the mirror. I can use this to estimate the individual proportions quite well.

With regard to Painter, you know that you can set the opacity? There is also an option to configure the pressure sensitivity of your tablet as well. I think you're using very strong and opaque colours.

Great stuff JayBee!

[This message has been edited by ceenda (edited August 26, 2000).]

[-jp-]

Hi Jaybee!!

I think it's great in generally taken but one thing came to my mind when I saw it... I think it would be more efficient looking if it had more contrast. Now it looks little bit flattened but still the main idea of colors is good. My opinion is that use more dramatic shades etc. Btw, something like that.. then it seems more three dimensional. I guess so.

Anyway, I like it! Nice.

-jp-

[JayBee]

Cheers for the feedback:



Might chuck this on the Self Portraits thread as well...

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[micke]

Jaybee:In one way i actually liked the first one. When you smooth something out, it's good to keep some areas hard. there is a lot of hard-softened shapes in the face and also alot of hard shadows too. Look at Affected's and Ceenda's recent portraits and i think you know what i mean.

-Mikael

[This message has been edited by micke (edited August 26, 2000).]

[psi burn]

damn some of you guys are really old, im only 15.

[Fred Flick Stone]

JayBee-I did a painter tracing of this image. I dn't know what you look like so I am only guessing and I hope I am not insulting your looks or anything of that nature. I use chalks and oils mostly in painter. My problem is I am on Classic painter so I do not have layers or any of the other cool stuff the program started to develop. I still think the chalks have it going on.
What I mostly tried to do was eliminate the outlines in the image. The outlines leave the image looking a bit cartoony, and I try to eliminate that immediately in a portrait. I also try to blend in the background to the subject a bit so you don't get that cut out feeling.

Again, I apologize if I have done you no justice. This was a twenty minute redraw, and I got a bit away from the underdrawing...
I hope you can find any help in this image...and good luck with yours.

[burn0ut]

stand about 10feet away from fred's repaint and it looks damn real!

[waylon]

One little thing I've noticed (which no one else has specifically pointed out) is that you seem to be afraid to let your brush strokes overlap, and that's resulting in a lot of messy edges (especially around the glasses). Be bold! Don't be afraid to go slightly over the outline of something you've already put down. Especially with the frame of the glasses - this is just one way of thinking of it, but your best bet might be to shade your face solidly before you draw the rims in, then quickly, with 2 or three brush strokes, draw the glasses back in. I end up doing this a lot in my drawings, since little details like the glasses aren't something you want to have to leave pristine though the entire process.

[Visigoth]

Hee hee hee!!
You look like Ned Flanders!



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Your car is a fiberglass penis extension.

[DuKEZ]

ned flanders dont have a beard, so i see no resembelance.

[Rinaldo]

I agree with waylon. The main problem I see is that you are not defining your edges. don't be afraid to work it up and cut it back. on Spooges site there are some terific pages on seargent where I think it is recomended that one paint half an inch of background into the adjoining colours and then work it back and froward until everthing looks right. I think this has more to do with getting the colour and shape right in oils but it is an important point.
the pages are at http://www.goodbrush.com/hirez_pgs/process/painting_lessons/lessons.htm

I think it was pg 7 where it was discussed. But I recomend the whole lot for reading.

[JayBee]

Cheers for the feedback people!

PsiBurn - I'm only 21 you know - though I've been mistaken for a 32 year old before... embarrassing.

Fred - Looks like me in about 5 years, after being in the gym lots, but thanx for the reworking - you've given me a lot to think about!

Waylon + Rinaldo - yeah, I've been conscious of not overpainting. I actually did a pencil sketch in painter beforehand, and whipped it onto a transparent layer, which I won't be doing again - it makes me too afraid to kill the sketchlines, cos when I do, I just get a mess. I'm gonna do it, though, after this advice!

Visigoth - I do not Though Ceenda said I look like someone out of King of the Hill...

Cheers people. Might post a repaint later, but I'm feeling all inferior and stuff looking at fred's image and comparing it with mine... Might take a while to get it looking that good



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