Exhibit 2
Sweet 16 Portrait
Background
This "Sweet 16" picture was taken during qurantine with no option to go outside for a better background or lighting. The necklace and earrings the girl is wearing were a birthday present.
Design
Composition: The background of the photo had a messy background with picture frames and wall angles cluttering it. I wanted to remove this distraction so that the focus could be on the eyes and a face looking towards the future. I took out the picture frames and sharp angles, but added some dark color around the edges so that when the artbrush was used, the dark splashes framed the image. Because the eyes are intended to be the focus of the picture, they are the only part of the image completely in focus.
Color Repetition: The color that stand out in the image is the blue which is repeated in both the subject's eyes and her shirt. I wanted this repetition to bring focus back to the eyes.
Photoshop Skills Used
I used the the object selection tool to remove the pictures from the background. I used the paintbrush tool to paint over any sharp lines in the background with surrounding colors and added dark splashes at the edges.
I used the healing and spot healing brush tools to remove blemishes from the girl's face and skin.
I added a layer on top of the subject and used the art history brush with various settings to create a stylized look to the image.
Used a color look up adjustment layer (Pastel 8 hues) with soft light blend
Original Image
Credits
Original Photo was my own.
Inspiration for the technique came from the tutorial by Good Creative.
Picture Frame Photo by Dmitry Zvolskiy from Pexels
Revisions
Improved the line of her forehead
Whitened the whites of the eyes
Added shine to the right eye
Added a Hue/Saturation filter to brighten her eyes
lightened the jewelry a bit
Added more variation in color to the background
Used a color look up adjustment layer (pastel 8 hues) with a soft light blend
Original Portfolio Submission