Puppet Face

Here I explore how to create a face using discrete shapes. I used SketchClub's Vector tool to create the shapes. I used iColorama to give the result a 3D feel.

I started with this photo from the Sktchy app.

I opened the photo in SketchClub and stretched it to fill the canvas. Make sure Freehand is selected from the menu that you get to by touching the "squiggle" icon at the top middle of the screen, and Mirror says "none" (also under the squiggle icon). I chose Vector from the tools menu (touch the left-most icon at the top middle of the screen to get to the tools menu). I kept the default vector settings (under the icon at the top middle of the screen that looks like 3 sliders). I reduced the opacity of the photo layer, because I'll just be using it as a guide), and added a new layer above it. On the new layer, I started painting shapes. (I kept the default gray color. In retrospect, I would choose different colors for different shapes.) I painted shapes to correspond to different parts of the face, hair and clothing. (With a little practice, you will be able to make some interesting shapes.)

I added another new layer. With the color picker (the colored square at the top middle of the screen) I selected a yellow shade. I chose the Fill tool from the tools menu and touched the screen to fill the layer with yellow. Then I dragged the layer below the vector layer.

On a new layer above the vector layer, I painted with a soft pink round brush on the cheeks and a redder hard round brush on the lips. Choose Brush from the tools menu, and from the brush settings menu (under the sliders icon at the top middle of the screen), choose the brush. You can size the brush and adjust its opacity using the sliders at the bottom of the screen. You can choose The Eraser tool from the tools menu to erase any paint that slops over into unwanted areas.

On the same layer, I now made the eyeballs. Choose the Select tool from the tools menu. Under the squiggle icon at the top of the screen, chose the Circle shape. Drag your stylus from the center of the circle you want to create, and make a circle shape for the first eye. Then under the sliders icon at the top of the screen, choose Add. Now draw a circle for the other eye. Now choose Fill from the tools menu. Choose black from the color picker. Touch inside one of the circles. This will fill the two circles with black. Now go through the same process to create two blue circles inside the two black circles. Now go through the same process to create two smaller black circles inside the two blue circles.

Now for the eyelashes. Create a new layer and drag it underneath the vector layer. Choose the Vector tool from the tools menu. Choose black from the color picker. Make tiny triangular shapes all around the shapes that represent the eyes. The advantage to having this eyelash layer underneath the vector layer is that you can allow the fat ends of the lash triangles to be longer or messier because they will be hidden beneath the eye shape.

Now on the layer with the pink cheeks, make two round pink center circles in the pink areas, using the same process we used to create the eyeballs.

Now create a new layer and drag it just above the vector layer and underneath the layer with the facial features. Use a soft orange brush to paint orange on her neck. Use the Pen tool (under the tools menu) to draw lines in her hair.

Now create a new layer and drag it just underneath the vector layer. Choose a thin hard brush to draw black lines to connect some of the vector shapes.

Now open the image in iColorama. Adjust the color and tone as desired. I also applied a texture from Texture/Noise.

I applied a preset under Preset/Shift or Shift2. Then I used Preset/Border.

I used Style/Flat preset 18. Try all the sliders.

I applied Effect/Raise.

I used the Elasticam app to warp the image.

I cropped using Form/Crop. I used Tone/Tint with a circular shape mask to protect the face, to add color to the background. I used a preset under Preset/Border.