Gradient Mesh Background for Tintype?
mark4man
Found myself in possession of a tinted tintype of my Great Grandfather
(tinted tintypes were typically black & white flash photos onto a
black enamel plate; & then colorized in oil paint by a portrait
artist. They replaced the earlier "daguerreotypes" around 1860, which
were flash photos onto silver coated copper plates.)
I had it scanned by a local digital imaging outfit; & am in the
process of a restoration in Photoshop (6.0.) The subject, in the form
of a bust (head & upper shoulders) is in OK shape . . . just a few
scratches & blemishes.
But the gradient background, in the form of a tall oval around the
bust, is largely faded & blemished on the left side. The right side
is mostly in tact; & consists of a shaded area around the subject,
graduating to a lighter area (which comprises most of the background
area); & then fading to a darker shade near the edges of the oval.
The original portrait artist did a great job on the gradient blending
of the colors.
What I'd like to do (using the original 3 main background colors), is
to first isolate the subject; & then create a new gradient background
following the blend lines of the original.
So . . . What I'd like to do is:
1)Create 3 horseshoe shaped color filled areas, each one larger than
the next.
2) Create a gradient mesh for each horseshoe, WHERE THE CENTER OF THE
SHAPE IS THE DARKEST; & THE EDGE OF THE SHAPE IS THE LIGHTEST.
I cannot figure out how to manipulate the gradient mesh lines in this
way. When I create the gradient mesh, the mesh lines are always
connected to the outside of the path. I want a single radial mesh
line, running along the center of the shape; & not connected to the
edge . . . & I want that center line to represent the darkest portion
of the gradient.
In other words . . . if you picture the horseshoe as an upside-down U,
where the shape of the body of the U is of a certain width, I want the
darkest line to run at the center of that width, like a thin U drawn
inside a fat U. I want the lightest area of the gradient to be along
the edges of the shape. (If I knew how, I would draw my own damn mesh
lines somehow!)
3) When these 3 cascading horseshoes (each on it's own layer) are
complete; & have the properly shaped gradient, I will blend the layers
together, to form my oval background.
I know this should be simple enough to construct . . . but I'm not
sure of the functions involved. If someone could help with this, or
point me in the direction of a *gradient mesh* tutorial (where perhaps
paths can be converted to mesh lines), it would be greatly
appreciated.
Thanks much,
mark4man
mark4man
Found myself in possession of a tinted tintype of my Great Grandfather
(tinted tintypes were typically black & white flash photos onto a
black enamel plate; & then colorized in oil paint by a portrait
artist. They replaced the earlier "daguerreotypes" around 1860, which
were flash photos onto silver coated copper plates.)
I had it scanned by a local digital imaging outfit; & am in the
process of a restoration in Illustrator (10.) The subject, in the
form of a bust (head & upper shoulders) is in OK shape . . . just a
few scratches & blemishes.
But the gradient background, in the form of a tall oval around the
bust, is largely faded & blemished on the left side. The right side
is mostly in tact; & consists of a shaded area around the subject,
graduating to a lighter area (which comprises most of the background
area); & then fading to a darker shade near the edges of the oval.
The original portrait artist did a great job on the gradient blending
of the colors.
What I'd like to do (using the original 3 main background colors), is
to first isolate the subject; & then create a new gradient background
following the blend lines of the original.
-------------------------------------
So . . . What I'd like to attempt is:
-------------------------------------
1) Create 3 horseshoe shaped color filled areas, each one larger than
the next.
Thanks much,
mark4man
. . . OR . . . Create the same cascading, overlapping shapes, each one
filled with a different color . . . & somehow blend those colors
together, whereby the gradient between colors is automatic?