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Auto' - Watercolour Portrait.


Yad'

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I don't know what the original looks like, so I don't know how accurate your photos are...but I took the last one and did a simple contrast/color balance correction in Photoshop...took all of 10 seconds! I don't know if this is any closer to reality or further away!!!

Barnes20Ausrtin207.jpg

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Hello again Harry...............

Thanks for trying, I've attempted something similar within "Fireworks", part of my web building package. With pretty much the same results - a touch too far the other way.

I think the main problem is watercolour is a transparent medium and as any light source travels through the paint - hits the white paper and comes out again, it allows the camera to read all sorts of discrepencys that arn't visible to the naked eye. I know when work goes to be digitally scanned for limited edition prints etc the file size is humungous - in the region of a 100megs or the like, it's then manipulated by a technician who is seriously au-fait with image manipulation software. Even then it takes several proof prints and adjustments before it's considered good to go.

So, using a recreational camera, and keeping the file size under a 100k as a courtesy is parhaps hoping for a tad too much?

Just a bit frustrating that the landscape is OK - ish but the bit everyone is interested in [the cars] are reading less than they really are - or is this all starting to sound like an excuse???.......... smiling now.

More as it's ready......... just winding myself up to start that Traction Avante!!!!

Later...................... Andi.

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I finally can put my two cents in :-)

I wouldn't worry about color that you see on your computer.

Unless you calibrate your monitor on a regular basis (I do it every three weeks), what you see is NOT going to be the same that someone else sees on their screen.

Calibration and color correction on computers is science and art mixed together, with sometimes unpleasant results.

I have spent many years learning what I can on this, and basically the adage is true:

"What you see is not what you'll get"

Heh, wait, I just made that up.

My two cents....

anyone want change?

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  • 2 weeks later...

A further update on the Auto' portrait.

We're getting close to a finish now with the Traction all but complete.

Here's a single shot of the Citroen, although it's been planted it now needs to be stitched into the road surface, a few tickles here and there and then some time spent balancing the perspective to make sure it reads consistantly as a complete image.

Here you go then........... as ever, even with a bit of fiddling a lot of the subtlety hasn't made it to the screen but you should definately get the flavour. Also notice how the level of detail has increased along with necessary contrast levels in order to reinforce the notion of distance within the painting.......... an element we were discussing earlier. [i've just previewed the post only to notice that's one of the subtleties lost!! - oh well].

Traction%20Barnes.jpg

As ever............cheers for now,

Andi

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A quick post to tie this thread up.

I'll live with it for a while but I'm pretty much calling this one done. I did try and shoot at a higher pixel rating, plus mess about with lighting corrections etc,. But it appears that by the time I'd optimised it for about 100Kb it looks even worse than the previous postings?? - You'll have to take my word for it! But, it does look a lot better in the flesh, The commisionee has Ok'd it so apart from a little nibbling here and there to satisfy myself it's on to the next one.

Barnes%20Done.jpg

All the very best................ Andi [Yad']

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That turned out great! I totally understand about it looking better in person. That is one reason I want to learn how to do the electric version. My original always looks better.

Just out of curiosity, how many hours do you have invested?

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Hi Mike,

Thanks for your continued interest. I'm embarrassed to admit that I've about 80 hours into this piece as on the screen it looks pretty amateurish.

In fact I'm quite appalled at the way it's reproduced - although this does seem like a bad workman etc! I must really try and get sorted as to posting a much more representable image if I try to do this again.

For those interested in such things it's been painted on 300gram Schollershammer #12, hot pressed paper, Windsor and Newton pigment with permanent white Gouache for highlights and tinting.

Cheers all.................... Andi.

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