Pencil portraits

[Leen_...@adobeforums.com]

This technique is so extremely simple, I hardly dare to "reveal my secret".
But its effect is so wonderful, I would feel guilty not to mail it to this forum that has helped me so much to understand the elementary secrets of Elements.

Probably you all know the high key pencil portraits. I create these images this way.

You can start with either a well lit nice B&W portrait or a coloured one, whatever you prefer. Preferably shot before a white bacground.
Create an empty layer and fill it with white.
Set the opacity of this layer to about 80-90%. Now you can see the original image shine through.
Apply the eraser at about 5% and carefully remove as much of the top layer until you think it is almost OK.
Reset the opacity to 100%.
Finish the job, flatten layers and print it. Place your signature in the bottom right corner and you have created a new piece of art!

I did this trick several times lately (you can see some on my website)and they are rather popular now and sell extremely well.
Moreover, I remember doing this in the darkroom; usually I filled quite some paper bins before I was satisfied with the final result. Now I can do this trick within 10 minutes.

Leen

[byron_gale]

Thanks, Leen!!

[Leen_...@adobeforums.com]

Another extra tip: you can apply the same technique to landscape images. Just add a little soft focus, et voilá, another piece of art.

Leen

[Leen_...@adobeforums.com]

You are welcome.
I hesitated to post this to the forum as it was so extremely basic, but it was quite an eye opener to me.

Nevertheless, maybe an extra warning might be useful: for digital high key images, don't overexpose like when shooting film. Expose correctly, just like for mid key and low key images.

(Obviously quite some people are reading this forum as there is a sudden boost of the number of visitors of my website since I posted.)
;-)

Leen

[Wendy_E_...@adobeforums.com]

Leen,

What a great tip .... thank you

Wendy

[Jodi...@adobeforums.com]

Leen, I find the best tricks are always the most basic ones...the ones that get overlooked....' can't see the forest for the trees saga'.....thanks, sounds like a fun thing and definietly a keeper trick !

[Bert_B...@adobeforums.com]

Thanks Leen! Can't wait to try it! I have wanted to do things like this since I first started with Photoshop and never knew how. You have given me new hope for my (sadly lacking) artistic ability.
Bert

[Nan...@adobeforums.com]

Actually the white is totally covering the image, but you have reduced the opacity so it doesn't appear so. So the object is to lightly erase some of the white to allow a little of the image to show through. Can check as you go by returning the opacity of the white layer to 100%.

[Lorace...@adobeforums.com]

I'm having trouble with it, too, Kenny. When I apply the eraser, not much happens, then I increase the opacity and do it, again, and I end up with something like my original picture.

Do you have a link to your website, Leen? I'd love to see your pictures and maybe I can see what I'm doing wrong.

Thanks,
Lorace

[Ken_...@adobeforums.com]

I'm not sure I get this. Actually, I'm sure I don't get it! Sorry. What should I be looking for when I "apply the eraser at about 5% and carefully remove as much of the top layer until you think it is almost OK."? Is there a site where I can see the outcome?

Thanks,
Kenny

[Terry Boyles]

Lorace,
Click on Leen's name. There is a link to his website there. Go to baby pictures and I think you will see the effect in a few of those.

Terry

[Leen_...@adobeforums.com]

Thanks to all who answered the questions while we are asleep in Europe.
;-)
I applied this technique mainly to images in the portrait section; most of the ones in the baby section have been produced in camera.

Leen

[Lorace...@adobeforums.com]

Terry, thanks for the help. And Nancy, that helped and I understand better.

Leen, what can I say? Your portraits are so beautiful that I feel honored to have seen them.

Thanks for this tutorial.

Lorace

[Leen_...@adobeforums.com]

Lorace, thank you. I'm almost blushing.

This week started wonderfully for me as one of the top photographers in Europe, Roy Lewis FBIPP from Wirral (UK) praised my images too. I always admired what he was doing.
Nevertheless I'm not an extremely talented photographer; all I can do now I owe to other people -including the ones on this forum- who taught me how to improve my standards.

Today, sunshine faded into darkness as I was told that the wife of one of my teachers -and I love her dearly, she really is a wonderful woman- went to hospital the second time for surgery on a brain tumor.
Often bad things seem to happen to good people.

Leen

[Barbara...@adobeforums.com]

Leen,
Wonderful Picture. Thanks for instructions on Pencil portraits. I think even I can do this.
Barb