Black Eyes
I experimented with Paintstorm Studio for painting over a photo. I found it gives much more control than with Art Set or Sketches Pro. It includes specialized brushes for hair, grass, leaves, and so on, that can spark your creativity! I made a second version using Metabrush, which gave it a much edgier feel.
I started with this photo from the Sktchy app. Sktchy photos are small, so I upsized her twice in BigPhoto.
In iColorama, I applied Adjust/Tonelab preset 5 at low opacity, for more tonal separation.
I used one of the presets in Effect/Blur, trying for a less photographic feel to the image.
Then I applied one of the presets in Style/Water, to soften the image and bring out some highlights in the hair and dress.
I applied Style/Coherence preset 1 and Style/Flow preset 1 to smooth everything. I felt this would make a good basis for painting over: I would be able to retain some opacity from this base image without dirtying the image with any pixels from the original photo. Although this image is not all that attractive, it will be mostly covered by the painting we will do over it.
I imported the image into Paintstorm Studio and set the layer opacity to low. On a new layer, I used the Sketch Brush to paint some outlines. Then I set the layer opacity of the iColorama image to zero so I could show you what I painted.
On another new layer, I used the Draw Blend Opacity brush to paint some color onto the face. The brush picks up some color from the bottom layer with the iColorama image, which I had set to a low layer opacity while painting, then set to zero layer opacity so I could show you what I painted.
On another new layer, I used the Draw Blend Opacity brush to paint color onto the hair, body and background, as well as some shadows on the face. I set the layer opacity of the iColorama image layer to medium.
On another new layer, I used the Brush Hairy brush on the hair.
On another new layer, I used the Draw Blend Opacity brush to paint some color onto the cheeks.
On another new layer, I used the Camel Hair Little brush to paint texture onto the arm and clothes.
On another layer, I painted in catchlights in the eyes.
On another new layer I painted in more detail in the eyes using the Simple Ink brush.
On another new layer, I used a white pencil to paint a highlight on her lower lip, then blurred the layer.
This is the final output from Paintstorm Studio after adjusting all the layer opacities.
I opened the image in iColorama and applied Adjust/Tonelab preset 5 at low opacity, then Effect/Glow preset 3 at low opacity; these adjustments were to get a bit more of a 3D feel to her. I used Brush/Paint to lighten the whites of the eyes. Then I opened the image in Elasticam, and subtly altered the shape of the eyes. Then I opened the image in iColorama. I used Effect/Sharpen at low opacity, and I used Tone/Enhance and Tone/Duotone at low opacity, to tweak the color.
Now to make another version. I opened the above image in Metabrush and painted on a new layer in Wets/Drips, Wets/Lines, and Wets/Grids mode.
In Brushes/Paint mode, I used the Dry 1/12 brush to paint white lines in the hair, on a low opacity layer. I saved to my camera roll.
I opened the image in iColorama and used Adjust/Exposure and an inverted brush mask to put a soft highlight in her bangs. Then I applied Adjust/High Preset 1.
I cropped off some of the bottom of the image. Then I used Deforms preset 5 several times, and then Elasticam, to modify the shape of her face.
In iColorama, I used Effect/Denoise Smooth Preset at medium opacity, then Effect/Raise preset 1 at low size.
As a finishing touch, I applied Form/Warp.
