Open the photograph that you wish to base your graphic off of (with Adobe Photoshop)
The photo need to be "print ready", meaning it has been processed (color corrected, sharpened, and ready for output as a quality photograph)
Set your crop to:
WIDE SHOT: 10x8(inches)
TALL SHOT: 8x10(inches)
Crop the photo so that the top of the skull to the lower neck area is the only features in the shot (close up shot)
Go to IMAGE > IMAGE SIZE > and set the resolution to 300 ppi
Uncheck anti-alias
Set up Grid Preferences:
Preferences > Guidelines, Grids...
set to pixels
set grid line number to 10
Go to View > Show > Grid (note, if the grid is distracting, you may not want to keep it turned on)
Go to View > Snap (make sure there is a √ check next to snap)
Keyboard Commands (if you are not using an action):
Throughout this project, you will need two main keyboard commands:
COMMAND D = deselect
COMMAND F= applies the last used filter
Creating an ACTION:
Open the ACTIONS palette WINDOW > ACTIONS
Create a new set (folder icon) on the bottom of the action's palette, name it poly
Create a new action (paper icon) on the bottom of the action's palette, name it poly
Click Stop
Make a random selection with the polygonal lasso tool (placement doesn't matter)
Click RECORD BUTTON on the ACTIONS PALETTE
Click on the background layer (since this is our reference)
press command J
name the new layer polygon
make a selection by holding command then click the new layer thumbnail with the copied polygon shape
go to Filter > Blur > Average
Command D (to deselect)
STOP the recording
Double click the new action, to open it's options
Set a short cut: Use F5
System Preferences:
Open the system preferences
Go to Keyboard
√ check the use all F1, F2, etc. keys as standard function keys
The Process:
This is a very simple process, however YOU must examine your values constantly throughout the project. Value, Size, shape, and direction are elements that you must look closely at for each and every triangle that you make.
All sides MUST match an adjacent side
Use small triangles for detailed areas (eyes), use larger triangles for less detailed areas (skin, fur)
Create a triangle using the polygona
Beginning the process.
THE EYE
Zoom in on the eye's pupil
Use the polygonal lasso tool to select a triangular portion of the pupil, be sure that is has the same or a similar value within the triangle
Go up to Filter > Blur > Average
This will make an average of the color that you have selected and it will make a solid shape with 1 color/value
Now that you have "set" this command on the computer, you can use COMMAND F each time instead of going up to: Filter > Blur > Average
Continue working with just the EYE.
Keep the triangular selections of the EYE very small, and contained only within the eye.
THE FACE
This is a bit trickier, the process is exactly the same, however now you have to recreate the fur or features on the animal.
To re-create the fur or feathers, you need to be conscious of the direction that the fur is growing in.
You also need to search for natural triangles that are created by light and shadow within the image.