Supplementary Information

Using digital photo processing software such as Corel: Paint Shop Pro PhotoX2 process your photo to actual painting size eg.14x18inches.Ref information on processing your photo below..

This section on transferring your digital portrait to your painting surface assumes that you have computer processed the portrait that you wish to paint.

1) Print out a proportioned graphic of your painting on a standard letter sized paper or cover stock.

2) Print out your portrait image in actual size on two or more letter sized paper or cover stock.

3) Align the two sections and draw a black line around the features.

4) Cover the two sections with bracing paper and trace over your black line with a black pen.

5) Turn your traced image over and place another sheet of tracing paper on top. Then trace the black line with a coloured pastel pencil. (Blue pastel pencil was used in the illustration below).

6) Place your Blue bracing pastel side face down on your canvas and gently rub over the lines with a smooth object. (I used the rounded handle of a knife - see below)

The image will be transferred to your painting surface. You may fix the image with clear acrylic gesso or acrylic paint.

You now have a basic likeness to which may be applied a variety of painting techniques.

  

(1) Select the portrait composition

 (2) Print out actual size on 8x10 paper

(3) Join sections and draw black line around features
 (4) trace features line onto tracing paper

(5a) turn tracing paper over
 (5b) place a second sheet of tracing paper on top of the first and trace with blue pastel pencil

(6) Place pastel side down on painting surfice, tape in place and rub.

 

Ideas on processing your digital portrait.

Corel: Paint Shop Pro: Photo X2 is an excellent software application for this purpose and is available at a very reasonable price.

The makeover features for skin - blending etc. and especially the thinning feature which will make your portraits a little thinner is very useful. I use on average a 15% thinning rate.

The ideal is that your digital camera captures clear images. Some cameras automatically process the image a little smother to make it more acceptable to the buyer. This is not an advantage if you want creative control over image quality.

If you want creative control over your images this type of software takes time to become proficient at but is well worth the effort .