Profile
Using a reference photo, I painted a profile portrait in SketchClub. To simplify the painting process, I used the Vector tool to make shapes as large blocks of color, and then I use the pen and soft and hard brushes to add layers of detail. Then I used iColorama to optimize the color, tone and contrast, and to add special effects that add emotional power to the image.
I opened a reference photo in SketchClub. I reduced the opacity of the photo layer so I could still see it as I painted, but it would not be so dark that I couldn’t see what I was I was painting. I kept this layer as the top layer throughout the rest of the painting process, turning visibility on and off to check my work as I went along. When I no longer need the photo reference, I will turn off visibility for the photo layer, so that nothing of the photo remains in the final image. On a new layer below the photo layer, I started by painting a skin-toned shape for the head and body, using the Vector tool. Then i created a new layer above the skin tones layer, and I continued using the Vector tool to create a red shape for her dress. I used a black and white reference photo, as I often do. So I have to invent the colors as I go along. Sometimes I later go back and change the color of a layer. You can do this by selecting the “magic wand’ tool from the right side of the tool bar at the top of the screen. This is one advantage of having the different image elements on different layers: you can change their colors independently of the other image elements, without having to go through a tedious section or masking process.
Next I went to the bottom-most layer and used Color-Fill to fill the layer with a dark mauve color. I tried several different colors by moving around on the color wheel, before dismissing the layer palette. When using Color Fill, you can see your background color change while the other layers are displayed, which helps you select a color that works well with the other colors in your image.
On a new layer above the red dress layer, I used a hard round brush to paint stripes on her dress. I selected a color that works well with the other colors in the image, and I tried to make the stripes follow what I imagined to be the contours of her body. (There were no stripes in the reference photo.)
On a new layer above the red dress layer, I used a soft round brush to paint shadows on her dress. I selected a color that is a darker and less saturated color than the red of her dress. I tried to make the shadows follow what I imagined to be the contours of her body.
On a new layer above the previous layer, I used the Vector tool to create shapes for her lips. I used a red that was close to the red of her dress. Then I used the Pen tool to draw a darker red line between her lips.
On a new layer above the previous layer, I used a soft round brush to paint shadows and highlights on her lips, using darker and lighter and less saturated shades of the color of her lips. I used the same shadow color to make a shadowy shape indicating her nostril. Then I used the Pen tool to draw darker red fine lines to indicate the wrinkles on her lips.
On a new layer above the previous layer, I used a soft round brush to paint shadows on her face and body. I used the reference photo to help guide me. I used a darker and less saturated shade of her skin tone color.
On a new layer above the previous layer, I used a soft round brush to paint finer shadows to help represent features on her face. I used the reference photo to help guide me. I used a darker shade of her skin tone color.
On a new layer above the previous layer, I used a thick pen stroke to paint an eyebrow. I also darkened her nostril.
On a new layer above the previous layer, I used the Vector tool to create a dark hazel-colored shape for her iris.
On a new layer above the previous layer, I used the Vector tool to create a soft gray shape for the white of her eye. Then I used a soft round brush to paint a highlight on the white of her eye, using a lighter shade of the same gray color. The whites of eyes are generally gray, with darker gray or reddish shadows. When using the soft round brush for the highlight, I also used a hard-edged eraser to erase any highlight that spilled off of the white of the eye.
On a new layer above the previous layer, I used a black pen to draw lines to edge her eyes and for the crease in her eyelid. I used a white pen to draw a white highlight on her lower lid. I used the Vector tool to draw a black pupil in her eye, and I used a white pen to draw a catchlight in her eye. I used a small soft round brush with a lighter shade of her iris color at medium opacity to paint a soft reflection on her iris, facing the light source (left side).
On a new layer above the previous layer, I used a soft round brush to paint off-white highlights on the lit surfaces of her face and body. Then I used a soft round brush to paint a pinkish area on the shadowy side of her cheek.
On a new layer above the previous layer, I used the Vector tool to create a shape for her hair. I tried a lot of different shapes before settling on this one. I even tried using various brushes to make the hair, but decided I preferred the simplicity of the look of the vector shape. I used a very dark reddish color, in keeping with my color scheme. It took me a while to get a shade I liked; I used the “magic wand” tool (at the right side of the toolbar at the top of the screen) to adjust the color a few times. I also adjusted the placement of the hair shape a few times. To do this, I used the “Transform” tool on the toolbar at the top of the screen: it’s the one that looks like a cross. When you use the Transform tool, you can resize, rotate, and reposition the shape that is on that layer. Here I made the shape smaller, rotated it slightly, and repositioned it. You can tell I did this by noticing the flat edges of the shape that were previously at the edges of the layer. I’m not going to worry about this now; I will fix it later in Elasticam.
On a new layer above the previous layer, I used the Vector tool to create streaks in her hair.
On a new layer above the previous layer, I used the Vector tool to create more streaks in her hair, in a somewhat different color.
On a new layer above the previous layer, I used a soft round brush to paint shadows onto the hair and onto the skin around the hair. The shadows on the hair do not cover all the hair, and give it a feeling of depth or three dimensions. Similarly for the shadow her hair casts onto her face. I saved the image to my camera roll.
I opened the image in Elasticam. I enlarged her head and gave it a downward gaze, altered her features, and rounded the top of her head. To make room for the larger head, I compressed the height of her shoulder. I saved the image to my camera roll.
I opened the image in iColorama. I used Brush/Paint with a large soft round brush to paint some pale yellow sunbeams coming from the upper right. Then I used Adjust/Levels to increase contrast a bit.
I used Form/Ray2 to create this grid. It takes a little practice to get an effect you like.
I used Effect/Blend to blend the previous version onto the Ray2 version. I used my fingers to resize and reposition the upper image for a close match with the lower image. Because the Ray2 version was warped a bit, I can’t get an exact match, but this won’t matter a lot.
I used Effect/Distort to distort the blended image onto the pre-Ray2 image. I tried all the slider settings, and I used my fingers to resize and position the upper image for best effect. I set the opacity slider at fairly low opacity.
I used Effect/Raise at low opacity to emphasize the texture. I used Adjust/Levels to increase contrast. I did this in several steps, using an inverted brush mask each time to increase the contrast to different degrees for different parts of the image.
