Here's another of Margie's magical missing hands photos. I have used a good bit of magic to counter the original spell but I think it still needs some more pixie dust.
Gary
(http://api.photoshop.com/home_c865cc22f3514db7b779d72475e7b5ff/adobe-px-thumbnails/559014e825fe4d3eb081ab883a1b1fab/1024.jpg)(http://api.photoshop.com/home_c865cc22f3514db7b779d72475e7b5ff/adobe-px-thumbnails/7cbdc0719b814f2f8c580bc62cd8466d/1024.jpg)
Gary, your hand reconstruction is amazing. I'm envious!
I do think that you may have your colors too much on the cool side. The whites of the kids' eyes look blue. To me it appears that the original was pretty close to a correct coloration.
Here's what I get when I color correct with curves:
(http://i113.photobucket.com/albums/n222/glennab-fla/1024forgary.jpg)
I think it's much more realistic. That notwithstanding, I want to know how you manage to get such great hand restoration. I think that's one of the most difficult of our challenges.
Cheers
GK
Hey Glenna,
I realize the color tone is too cool and I'll dial it back before I am done. the little girls pinky was in the blue channel so I copied it and then colored it in. Believe it or not but the boys hand is the little girl's that has been copied, sized, and distorted/warped until it was close to what I wanted. And then clone it in until it blends. I had the add the curled pinky.
Here's the latest...
(http://api.photoshop.com/home_c865cc22f3514db7b779d72475e7b5ff/adobe-px-thumbnails/683138109ee148e8aef95575f3740b30/1024.jpg)
Hi Gary,
What a great cleanup and hand repair!
I wonder if it would be possible to repair the original background... (please don't hit me!)
Hannie
:knuppel: :knuppel: LOL, no hitting, honest... It repairable, this was a quick fix because I always wanted to find a use for the clouds filter.
Ok, here's the next iteration, and yes the clouds are still there. I did warm it up a bit. Also worked some more on his hand, pants leg, and her dress. Still have more work to do to get the dress clean, wish I could just pour some OxiClean on it!
Back to Tess' green lady tomorrow...
Gary
(http://api.photoshop.com/home_c865cc22f3514db7b779d72475e7b5ff/adobe-px-thumbnails/67b8f157ea544cffa32d0d33974c9798/1024.jpg)
Hi Gary,
I'm not sure if this will help or not, but this is a website of nothing but backgrounds:
http://www.grsites.com/archive/textures/ (http://www.grsites.com/archive/textures/)
The kids are looking really good!!
Chris
Great progress, Gary. I'd go with a tad less contrast on the kids, but that's just me. Something about the left hands bothers me, but can't put my finger on what it is. The little girl's hand pretty much matches what shows in the blue channel. Maybe the boy's fingers are too short?
<C>
Hi Gary
I think I'd go back to the original background. You can copy pristine areas onto their own layers and then move them around to your heart's content. Or clone or patch until you have all the mucky areas covered. For several of my first restorations I did exactly what you've done, which is to create something totally different from the original as a background. In some cases it was a matter of not being able to see anything and having to guess at what might be there. But our artistic guru Mary has been insistent that it's better to recreate the original background when at all possible. She beat me into submission, the brute, and has finally convinced me to take that route. After seeing so many of the restorations, I agree that replacing the original background diminishes the feeling of authenticity. You're lucky in that you have a great deal of clean marble-like texture from which to work.
Color correction is much improved. I think you may need more saturation, as they look just a little washed out.
You've done a wonderful job on the restoration. Please lose the clouds and return to the marble! Thank you very much! (Mary would be proud and hopefully there will be no more beatings!)
Bless,
GK
:) Keep working on it Gary. I love watching the progress.
Hi Gary,
Seeing I'm safe and you will not hit me I have to agree with Glenna, no matter how careful I am when I replace the background it always looks not quite right, see for yourself below.
The hands may improve with a little shading, I tried but am not sure it worked out very well!
Hannie
(http://i210.photobucket.com/albums/bb18/marijtje2/OPR/portrait.jpg)
Figured out what was bothering me about the boy's left hand - besides being too small, the angle of his knuckles is wrong and the middle joint on his pinky is way too short. You might try staring at your own hands for a while. That's what I've done, admittedly with mixed success.
(http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb314/lurch_album/portrait.jpg)
<C>
Thanks all, I wasn't liking the look of the hand either so I'll take these suggestions in tow... Only reason the clouds are still there is for me not to be distracted by the muck while I work on the rest. I promise it will be gone before I return these two. Probably a couple more days...
Gary
(http://i496.photobucket.com/albums/rr322/kandykisses0054/Helps/portraitcopy.jpg)
You've said your going to change the background so I thought I'd play too. :)
Okay, I think I have this one ready for final review.
Gary
(http://api.photoshop.com/home_c865cc22f3514db7b779d72475e7b5ff/adobe-px-assets/dbe0858a2321421cb9e4b1dbfec84157)
Gary, this one looks great! I'm glad you went back and worked on the background as it made a huge difference. Now it looks like a studio photo rather than two kids floating in the clouds. ;D
Margie
Much better background Gary! Good job!
There is both black and white in the boys shirt so I tried another levels with black and white point, nice colors but the dress is a little blown out now...
Hannie
(http://i210.photobucket.com/albums/bb18/marijtje2/OPR/levels-7.jpg)
Ok, here is another shot at it...
(http://api.photoshop.com/home_c865cc22f3514db7b779d72475e7b5ff/adobe-px-assets/0b4b2164eea34d4b9b659d1155177ca0)
Gary, I think they look beautiful. The background is great. Thank goodness Mary won't be looking for her tools of torment now that the clouds are gone!
I do agree with Hannie on the color issue. My solution to the blown-out dress would be to make her suggested corrections on a separate layer above the original, and then mask off the dress to get the vibrance of yours on the layer below.
I give you much credit for sticking it out through all our critiques and suggestions. The result, I think, is well worth it. Fantastic!
Cheers,
GK
The dress has been a big bug-a-boo from the start and earned its own mask early on. But here is another tweak to make it a bit more yellow and less goldenrod without blowing the whole dress out...
Critiques make you :mad: and maybe :'( and the whole thing makes you :D but in the end its all :hug:!
(http://api.photoshop.com/home_c865cc22f3514db7b779d72475e7b5ff/adobe-px-assets/bbbdf14f92764901acffe06d73dd4b75)
Here is my take of color balance for whatever its worth.
(http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z298/schen_album/copy.jpg)
Good coloration. Natural looking Schen. It's been grand watching the progress of these photos come alive.