COMBINING OIL PAINTING AND TECHNOLOGY Lesson 2 In this second lesson I shall show how an old photograph might be reconstructed to produce a large color photograph of a more lasting and dramatic form. This is essentially a lesson showing how training as a painter is essential to any computer specalist. A few of the basic skills needed to produce an oil painting are exactly similar to what you need to apply to computer or photographic work. We shall thus reconstructing a photograph in the same manner we might finish a painting.
Above is the old photograph we will use and we will concentrate on one of the faces. What do we know about skin color?
The first thing to do is to apply a 'background' hue to the face. To do this use one of the many tools to select the area you want to change. I used the 'quick mask' tool. I applied an underlying very subtle yellowish/red (very little red as I will be addind that later as an overlay) hue. The important factor here is not to overdo it. Should I wish to I could also apply a tiny blueish hue to the shadows.
The face can now be made-up, much in the same manner a woman might make up her face. We apply a faint 'rouge' to the cheeks, chin, end of the nose and any facial areas where the blood vessels near the surface. Painters will know all of these such as ear lobes and later in the hands, elbows, knees and all the other joints. They will also know where any bluish areas might occur that can give the appearance of greater chiroscuro (light and shade)that will help mould the forms.
Since it is a photo of children and the clients are the parents we might take the liberty of whitening the whites of the eyes and the teeth. We might also increase the sparkle in the eye by increasing the contrast in the little reflective spots. This is something all portrait painters are well aware of and use with great care, never to overdo it. Now the eye color can be applied with a virtual paint brush but again great care taken not to exceed the amount. The whole thing to remember is subtelty.
This is the finished photograph of which I printed four copies, two more saturated than the others.
The job here is to convert the sun-faded sepia like photograph into a 'Rembrant' style portrait on canvas. It is still a photograph however and unless I run into a problem with the computer I need not set it up on the easel and apply paint.
The blue shadow and red cheeks were applied last. The old fashioned cord coat was guessed at regarding color, while the tie was similarly color applied. The background is the classic Rembrant top to bottom, left to right, graduated affair which is easily done by isolating the area and applying the gradient tool. As we know from painting it is easiest to apply similar hues used in the face to any background. Make certain your highlights are consistent in 'hue and value'. To see the real thing and how I present it in a commercial setting go HERE to my ebay gem store and look to the presentation of the rubies! Back to Start