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Looking for opinions...

Started by RosyBijou, January 31, 2007, 01:46:14 PM

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RosyBijou

Hi all!
Boy, did I underestimate this one!  This is my first for OPR--wondering if I'm over my head here and looking for some objective eyes...   Have been building between pixels and can already see that I'm getting closer to crossing the "not-believable line" with every click... 

I couldn't figure out how to post the picture directly on the forum, so I put it in my "school" album:  http://picasaweb.google.com/RosyBijou/OPR  You can zoom in on each screenshot with the little mag. glass just above & to right of the pics.

Did a few shots... So, questions are:  1.  Am I so far off track that I should toss this one back in?  (Not feeling that confident about this one... but wiling to keep at it if you all think it's got a decent start...)
2.  If not, any advice about the center crease, nose, outlines of left side of face, dress, etc...  I started with plans of converting this into greyscale and then re-coloring, but actually had less information than just doing it in color...  The damage is strong on all channels too...
3.   :D Just saw how to post here...  Oh well... gonna submit on picasa for this time... (Now I know...)
Kerry
(aka RosyBijou)

cmpentecost

Welcome to the forums, RosyBijou!

What software are you using for your restorations?  So far, I think you are on the right track.  If you are using Photoshop, an excellent way to see what you are doing both close up and actual size is to have two images open.  Open the original, then, click on Window > Arrange > New Window for (your image).  This way, you can have one image at actual size, and you can zoom in and work on the other image, and constantly refer to the actual size image for the progress being made.

Are you familiar with curves in Photoshop?  That would be a good place to start to bring out contrast and color. 

Let us know what software you are using, and we'll all gladly help you with the picture!  Again, welcome!

Christine

glennab

Hi Rosy

Let me add my welcome to Christine's.

This is a tough one.  I played around with a download of the original and found that some of the shapes were more pronounced by duplicating the background layer and setting the duplicate layer effect to multiply (I'm using Photoshop CS2).  I duped it several times and played with the opacity and the layer effects. If you experiment with the manner in which the layers interact with each other, you can often get a little more detail.  Even if you can't actually use the image for restoration, it can give you an idea of the  outlines and shapes.

You can also work with the way the channels interact with each other by going to Image/Apply Image.  That menu allows you to set relationships among the channels and will sometimes bring out detail.

I know this isn't real specific, but I'm on my lunch hour, so don't have a lot of time to "play" and give you exact numbers or effects.

As for color, Chris is right, the curves adjustment does a great job.   Once in a while a little tweak with levels will also help.

These are the processes that I've had best luck with.

If it's any comfort, I've felt "in over my head" on every restoration I've done.  I have dozens of iterations of images on which I've tried and discarded much of my work.  When I have anything worth looking at, I post it, as you have, and have gotten much help from the other volunteers.

Good luck with this one, and don't get discouraged!

Best wishes

GG
What we do for ourselves dies with us. What we do for others and the world remains and is immortal. ~Albert Pine

(Photoshop CS5 /Mac Pro)

RosyBijou

Thanks, Christine & GG,

I use photoshop cs2, but also have illustrator cs2--have been so tempted to just bring this little face into illy and try meshing in the gradients...  I've only been working with the CS2 suite since last June, so still getting up to speed there... gigantic program with so much to learn still but what an amazing program!

Before actually starting, I did play with the curves & levels & mixing the channels, but frankly,  it never occurred to me to use them as reference--I was so focused on getting a start image that I completely overlooked using the tools for that purpose...  I just ran another quick curves adjustment layer above my tweaks and think I found the cheek outline!   :up: so that advice was just what I was looking for!  So thank-you!  Now maybe I can start working it from a new direction!

As to the second window, Christine, it was driving me nuts because I knew that I could do this, but for the life of me, couldn't remember how!  That little gem will absolutely make this one a little easier...

It's also reassurring to hear how others have felt about their own restorations.  I've d done quite a few restorations over the years, but most have had more to work with than this one...   

Boy, two for two in your responses!  Keep em coming!

Kerry
(aka RosyBijou)

Peter_AUS

One of the things I do first with an image of mine is to do a Levels Adjustment, but I do each of the colours separately. RGB.  If you open the image and then Edit/Levels it shows up as RGB but if you select the drop down box you can then select each colour separately.  Adjust the sliders from each side and see how the colours come back in.  Don't worry about the look of each colour adjustment as it is happening wait for the final colour adjustment and you will see that there is more definition and colour within the image to then work with.

Hope that makes sense.
Regards,

Peter

Ausimax

Hi Rosy,

Welcome to OPR.

Had a little play with your "Little closer" picture. This is very rough, I spent about 10 min on it, but the methods may help you.



First I used levels to get a bit more colour,then I used the method posted by Marylou in this thread

http://www.oprworkshop.org/forum/index.php?topic=465.0

That got rid of most of the spots and cleaned it so you have good material to work with the Healing Brush to clean up the rest of the skin etc, just watch when using the history brush not to obliterate detail you need sharp.

The outline of the face, as you clean up with the healing brush redefine it with the Burn tool, a lot of areas where you can't use the Healing Brush because of the proximity of contrasting colours can be worked by the Smudge tool, the bit I did around the mouth was done with the smudge tool, you can go over it with the healing brush to bring back texture if needed.

As I said it is very rough, but I hope it is of some help to you.

Max
Wisdom is having a well considered opinion .... and being smart enough to keep it to yourself!     MJS

"Life" is what happens while you are planning other things!

RosyBijou

Thanks, guys--I'll just keep on going then...!
Kerry
(aka RosyBijou)

Ausimax

Hi Kerry,

Definitely keep going, and keep posting your work on the forum, it is a great resource for help and ideas, and all those extra eyes help get it right, many times we are just to close to what we are working on to notice, sometimes even glaring faults.

Besides I think posting your work on the forum makes you work harder at getting it right, you know everybody is going to see it and a lot of those viewing are going to have more experienced than you have, so it drives you to greater heights.

Like you I had very little experience at restoration, and am still battling to learn the secrets of CS2, a steep learning curve for me.

Max
Wisdom is having a well considered opinion .... and being smart enough to keep it to yourself!     MJS

"Life" is what happens while you are planning other things!

RosyBijou

OK Guys, here's where I'm at:
(I hope that I'm not taking too long with this...   how long do folks usually take to complete restorations here?)

Anyway
Picture 1 is original (close up of face only,though)
Picture 2: original with some global adjustments so I could find some detail...
Pictures 3 & 4 are the same--just put them there for side:side comparisons...

Ignore harsh line of blue--just starting on the dress...



Questions:
1.  Nose:  I'm not sure how far highlight should go up--Is is reconstructed enough to look credible?

2.  Hair:  I have a softer blend into the background with the top & upper left of her hair than I do with the back top & right side.  Especially since the original looks hand colored, I don't think that the back top/right side need much more adjustment at the transition to background, but is the top & upper left too soft? 

3.  Facial profile along left side.  I had a really hard time finding the curvature of her lower cheek, neck and chin-- and ended up drawing it as I would if I were doing her portrait.  Does this look credible?

4.  Overall facial & hair texture:  I'm not sure if the softness/blur came from the dyes washing away or if the original was photo crisp.  I have tried to keep softness/shadows as I see them.  Should I try to make it more crisp or maintain the softness?

4.  Overall coloring.  After I remove the damage from the rest of the picture, I am thinking that I might go back and try to remove more of the rust tones.  Should I do this?  I'm trying to keep the perspective that this is only part of the image--I think the rust might be necessary to keep the tones (the original is 8x10, I think, and includes her whole body and much of the bench that she is sitting on...) but am not sure...

Whew!  Feeling really challenged by this one!  I don't think there is one part of this image that doesn't need attention!
Kerry
(aka RosyBijou)