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File: 1429410452464.jpg (90.96 KB, 800x1246, 400:623, portrait study 9001.jpg)

Portrait Study General Anonymous 04/19/15 (Sun) 02:27:32 3336df No.272

Rather than making a new portrait study thread for every image, let's just put it all in this thread. After an extended period of time, just reboot the thread with another study.

Anyways, here's a photo that was posted on /ic/ recently. I'll be doing a study of it.

Anonymous 04/19/15 (Sun) 03:49:58 3336df No.273

File: 1429415398104.png (446.31 KB, 667x1038, 667:1038, hnnngh portrait study 1hr.png)

1 hr
terrible likeness, should have paid more attention

Anonymous 04/20/15 (Mon) 01:48:48 a6503f No.278

File: 1429494528920.jpg (562.03 KB, 1997x1038, 1997:1038, 304.jpg)

>>273

My opinion:

So the values are a bit patchy in yours and the local value of his skin is becoming a bit ambiguous. You always want to maintain the local value, so don't go too extreme with highlights and such. The original photo has some of the same issue to a degree, but you've gone and made the problem worse rather than corrected it. It's a little tricky because there is a lot of light in the photo and his skin has some general specular qualities to it so the shine throws off the value read–all the more reason to be careful with how you handle it.

I did a super quick paintover, hope you don't mind. First I used a darken layer and just slapped a middle value on it to unify the overall read of local values. From this middle base, I then was able to bring back some of hte highlights carefully, as well as craft in the dark shapes more carefully. For example, in the photo the dude's eyes are the first place I look–they are intense and large, so getting the character of them correctly is important in getting the likeness. I just did it sloppy and quick, but it is a bit closer I think,

Anonymous 04/20/15 (Mon) 03:21:38 3336df No.280

>>278

Ahh!! Thank you so much!

You've definitely made it look better (and I obviously like it more with unified values). I think I will try out this darken layer myself as a way to 'soft-reset' my pictures if my values/highlights are getting out of hand.

I didn't realize how the proportion of the eyes/pupils can make such a huge difference. It definitely does a huge amount in changing the structure of the face, and the likeness.

A lot of things are running through my mind when I'm doing these studies, and especially doing it in 1hr makes me think about the essential things to do. I was thinking to myself "what would this person look like in real life." Half-way through I started to see form, and planes, a lot more than usual.

However, turns out I made it worse than the photo, because I lost the local value as you said. But you've given me a good tip for that.. and that's to not do that!

I'm going to do some more of these soon, trying out the things you said.

Anonymous 04/20/15 (Mon) 15:40:45 a6503f No.281

File: 1429544445503.jpg (179.79 KB, 600x800, 3:4, 30minutePortrait.jpg)

>>280

Cool, glad you managed to take something from my comment :)

And now for me going against my own words and fucking shit up into a mess hehe. Trying out some new things, painting without pressure etc. In the end I did a bit of soft brush on top to help the forms cause it looked like crap. Also unsuccessfully tried to get some posterization and dissolve into it…the dissolve stuff I removed but I think can maybe have some neat effects in other things. Gotta figure it all out and experiment more! I think posterization has some powerful potential, but it messes up the colours, so maybe just use it for selections to create interesting shapes? I dunno, more work needed in that avenue….