 |
Oil Painting from a Photo
PhotoImpact 8.0
Level: Beginner
Needed Items:
Landscape Painting
Painting
Toolkit presets
Mask (optional)
Description: This
tutorial will show you how to create an oil painting from a photo using
only the presets in the kit.
|
One of the things I love to do with graphics
programs is to take a photograph, and through the use of filters,
both internal filters and external plugins, turn the image into one
that looks like a painting.
I have learned a few things
about the process; however, sharing that information is hard because
every photo is different, requiring different effects to truly
create the look of a painting.
For that reason I have
developed this small kit full of presets containing my most used
effects. Using it I can quickly try an effect and undo that effect
if it does not produce the effect I wish to create.
These presets
can also be used to improve a photo without turning it into a
painting. |
| |
Remember that any time you want to change or
modify the settings of any paticular preset, you can right click on
the thumbnail and click modify properties and apply. You can then
change the settings to better suit your
photograph.
|
| |
|
 |
I
will be using this photo from the Photoimpact 8 disc, located in the
samples/ landscapes directory. If you want to follow along exactly,
put the pi 8 disc in the drive, and then in PhotoImpact, browse to
the samples/ landscapes directory. This image is scene474.jpg. If
you wish to use your own photo, this technique works best for
landscape type images, preferably with trees or other noisy areas.
As you can see, this image is less than perfect. It's hazy
and lacks contrast. If we wern't going to be modifying it anyway, I
would start off with format/ Autoprocess/ level. This would take the
haze away, and improve this paticular photo greatly.
|
| |
Since
I'm not sure this set of presets will work for the lower versions, I'll
also give instructions for those without the presets. However, if you're a
new user, the screenshots will not be available for the different effects.
If you want to create the look of an unfinished painting, press control
and D to duplicate the canvas at this point.
 |
1.
Double click the preset titled Colored Pen-55. I you're not using
the presets, go to effect/ artistic/ colored pen. Set the level to
55. For versions 5-7, go to Effect/ creative/ colored pen.
|
|
 |
2.
Double click the preset titled More colorful. If you're not using
the presets, go to format/ hue and saturation, and set the
saturation to 60. Leave the other settings as is.
|
 |
 |
3.
Double click the preset titled Oil paint landscape. If you're not
using the presets, go to Effect/ artistic/ oil painting in version
8, or Effect/ creative/ oil painting in versions 5-7. Set the stroke
detail to 5, and the level to 55.
|
|
|
4.
Double click the preset titled Level Darken more.
If you're not
using the presets/ go to format/ level. In the center of the Level
dialog box is a graph with sliders on the left and at the bottom.
There are three triangles of different shades that control the light
levels in the image. Click on the gray one, (the bottom middle one)
and drag it to the right until the middle number below it reads
0.60. Dragging this triangle to the right will darken the image,
while dragging it to the left will lighten it, without causing lack
of contrast like simply lightening the image with the quick color
controls would.
Unfortunately, the level command in versions
5-7 was not as sophisticated as the current one. Here is a work
around for those versions. Copy the image and paste on top. You may
need to use the pick tool's Center both at this point. Right click
on the image, and click properties. Change the merge mode to
Multiply or overlay depending on which one looks best on your image.
Click ok and merge all.
|
|
| |
5.
Double click on the preset titled Brighten. That's the first one in
the set.
If you're not using the presets, go to format/
Highlight/ midtone and shadow in versions 7 and 8, and Format/ Tone
Map in versions 5-6. Set the highlight to 12, and the shadow to -12.
You can play with the settings if they don't produce the desired
response, or you may decide that this step isn't needed for your
image.
|
| |
|
For an unfinished painting effect, continue
as follows.
Activate the duplicate canvas, and double click
these presets.
1. Mono. (Effect/ artistic/ monochrome.)
2.
Colored pen - 70 (Effect/ artistic, colored pen v 8, or Effect/
Creative/ Colored Pen v 5-7) Set the level to 70.
3. Right click
on Ink sketch, click Modify properties and apply. Select the colors
for white and black.
4. Open a mask of your choice and make sure it is grayscale.
5. Resize the mask to the
size of your image. For this image, that is 600 X 400. You will most
likely have to unclick Keep aspect ratio.
6. Activate your
painted image. Go to selection/ import selection. Your mask should
show in the window. Click ok.
7. Copy the selected part of the
image. (Control C or Edit/ copy)
8. Activate the sketched canvas,
and Paste. (Control V or Edit/ paste/ as object)
9. If necessary,
center the object on the cavas. (Object/ align/ Center
both)
|
| |
©Deb DeHaven
|
