Ben

I made this image of my nephew Ben using a photo taken by my mother that I then repainted in Sketches Pro and then edited in iColorama.

This is a photo that my Mom took of my nephew watching TV.

I imported the photo into the Sketches Pro app. Then I created a new layer and changed the blending mode to Screen. I painted all over it with a white crayon, and changed the layer opacity to around 80-90%. With this white as a separate layer, I can lower the opacity when I want to see through it more, so I can trace lines, and then later increase the opacity (to in effect reduce the opacity of the photo) without affecting the opacity of any of the other image elements, which will all be on other, higher, layers.

Next I added a new layer in Normal blend mode, and I used a black pen to draw some outlines.

Then I added another new layer in Normal mode. I used a black pen to draw lines suggesting the weave of the couch, then I changed the layer opacity to around 50-70%. This lower opacity makes the lines a medium gray, so they are not competing for attention with the lines of the figure.

I added another new layer in Multiply blending mode, and I used a watercolor brush to paint in the colors.

Then I added a new layer in Normal blending mode, and I used a white crayon to paint catchlights onto the eyes. Then I reduced the layer opacity slightly so that the catchlights look more natural. I saved to my camera roll.

Now I opened the image in iColorama. I used Adjust/Tonelab preset 4, Tone/Enhance preset 2, and Effect/Sharpen, all at very low opacity, and I cropped off most of the white border using Form/Crop, but left enough border so you can see where the paint strokes slopped over the edges a bit.

In iColorama, I applied one of the Style/Water presets at medium opacity. This has the effect of smoothing out the tones and softening the lines somewhat.

I used Form/Warp to warp slightly, to change the expression slightly and the shape and size of the head, taking care not to alter the straight line of the window sill behind the couch.

In iColorama, I used Texture/Vintage in Multiply mode, and at low opacity, I applied a texture on the couch, using an inverted brush mask to paint the effect only onto the couch.

In similar manner, I used Texture/Vintage to paint in a grid-like texture at low opacity, to suggest a screen over the window area.