Hi all,
This is very much a work in progress, I'm seeking some guidance on how to proceed.
1. The light strands on her right shoulder, are they hair or damage, should they be orange,
there was a line of damage through there so it could be either, and I'm not sure.
2. If you zoom in on the face its very grainy, is it worth trying to fix that or do we accept the grain as it is.
3. Where she is standing, is the lighter curved part at the bottom damage, I've drawn lines on the blue channel, I'm thinking she is standing on flat paving and there is a wall at the back.
4. What is the best way to repair the wall and avoid the painted look, normally I would finding a clean area and clone it but there not really anywhere that's not discoloured.
Thanks
Kim
Original
(https://i.postimg.cc/w1q8FBXZ/Original.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/w1q8FBXZ)
wip1
(https://i.postimg.cc/6yRnzWWr/wip1.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/6yRnzWWr)
Blue channel
(https://i.postimg.cc/F1kLsrJM/Blue-Channel.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/F1kLsrJM)
If you're talking about the right side of the photo (the young woman's left shoulder), that tiny bit of what looks like hair in the crease is damage, I think. More generally, the WIP has the photo so dark you can't see her hair on the other side very well - left side of the photo. Hair just gets lost in the gown.
Regarding the grainy face, in the past, I've been asked to smooth similar grain out, so after repairing any damage, I make a copy of the face area and blur it just enough to remove the grain. Then I mask that completely and paint it back in making sure that the important edges - eyes, lips, nostrils, etc. - are still sharp. So mostly it ends up smoothing out the grain in the skin
I did some Google searches to find out where this picture was taken, and it's at Purdue University. That's their bell tower in the background and the woman is standing in a rather sculptural fountain - the engineering fountain. You can find pictures online that should help sort out where she's standing
https://www.specialeducareers.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/hovde-belltower-sculpture-blossoms.jpg
https://engineering.purdue.edu/Engr/Giving/Imprints/2017/boilermakers-all-together/students-walking-around-the-Purdue-Engineering-fountain.jpg
I think the curves you see are part of the fountain, not damage
When I have large areas to fill in, I typically paint to match the colors and then use the healing brush from somewhere with the right texture to apply texture to the paint. As long as your source is of a consistent color with no edges, it doesn't have to be the same color as the target area. That way you end up with a texture paint brush. Once you have texturized part of the area you can then just use the clone brush to fill in.
Thanks for the detailed answer Jo Ann, I'll work through all of that.
The hair I was meaning was her right shoulder which is the left side of the photo, it looks like hair but is the same colour as the clothing.
Thanks
Kim
I think her hair ends where you see it sticking out over the sky - hair on the gown below that level is probably damage?
I've really been struggling with this one, I think I may have bitten off more than I can chew.
Can I get some feedback on the gown please, and is it too green?
The hands are a bit freaky too, they line up with the blue channel but I think maybe they need some shading.
I know the rest is a bit of a train wreck but if I get the gown sorted first I figure I'll be making progress.
Thanks Jo Ann for the help with the fountain, I've worked out what's happening there which is the first step but it still needs a lot more work.
Kim
wip2
(https://i.postimg.cc/kRt9rkBj/wip2.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/kRt9rkBj)
Kim, could it be that those 2 thingies sticking out from her hand are not fingers but damage? Perhaps her hands are in the gown's pocket.
Yes, the image is too green, easily fixed with color balance layer (blue slider to the right) or levels layer (blue slider to the left).
Wow Kim, really nice work so far. Wonder if you could use your blue channel copy as a guide for the lower right corner where her feet are? Probably just me - the solid corner of light color is distracting. Good luck. Bet it will be great.
I think her hand - that you gave the freaky two-finger look! - is holding the (purple-ish) strap of some type of bag. You see a closed fist, back of hand out, with the strap emerging from either side. I don't know what shape the bag is, but you could just fudge the details and make it a simple rectangle carry with an open top. Sort of like this but black body purple strap
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/61OVkv6heyL._SY606_.jpg)
I take it you will put her feet back (they're currently underneath one of the stone bits in your WIP)?
I don't think she has feet, I think its damage.
Jo Ann found the actual fountain and I found a photo with almost the same viewpoint, the camera just needs to be a little bit higher.
I think she is standing inbetween the parts of the fountain and you can't see her feet as they are hidden by the concrete structure in front, see my blue channel markup.
I've also put her into the fountain, the perspective is different, our photo was taken a lot closer but I think this is where she is standing.
For the freaky hands, there is a square on the rhs of her legs so I think maybe Jo Ann is correct on the bag.
Blue channel markup
(https://i.postimg.cc/s1gXp4sN/Blue-Channel.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/s1gXp4sN)
Fountain
(https://i.postimg.cc/tZfzNCZS/20658587-a-perfect-design-both-past-and-future-in-mind-purdue-en.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/tZfzNCZS)
Girl in fountain
(https://i.postimg.cc/QHPw6h5T/test-fountain.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/QHPw6h5T)
I don't think the dark areas by her legs/feet are damage, and given the shapes & placement of concrete blocks for the fountain, I don't think she could be standing on one of the arcs-of-a-circle blocks with her feet obscured by the center-to-edge blocks. There's a big gap between the blocks and she couldn't be standing on the ground, given the height of the blocks and her body next to them. This is an overview shot from higher up
(https://i.postimg.cc/VdMz45ZR/Purdue-layout-from-above.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/VdMz45ZR)
The spokes pieces are higher than the circumference blocks and stick out beyond the edge of the circle. With your red lines on the blue channel, she'd have to be standing on the ground, I think - which she can't be.
Look at an alternate view that's not exactly right, but I think is closer to her placement
(https://66.media.tumblr.com/9a5bbde9097a8f1ae65c5b3028cd6c68/tumblr_oa0z81iXOW1qzeiz3o1_1280.jpg)
Here's my take on the outlines and how that maps to the above image
(https://i.postimg.cc/5Y0sNYFW/Purdue-grad-explain.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/5Y0sNYFW)
Anyone live close enough that they can visit and duplicate the shot to put us out of our misery?? :) So, I'm not sure, but I think this guess makes sense given the objects and background, etc.
For her right foot (left of the photo), I think she is rocking it back on the heel of her shoe so the toe is up and there's an odd shape as a result.
Sherlock Holmes would be impressed with the detective team work on this one!
:up: :up:
I've contacted the University, we'll see what sort of help they can provide
A REAL quickie. Looks to me like she's standing on the curved section. As for the hands, her left appears on her hip. Her right, dunno...
(https://i.postimg.cc/8FzmxkSh/Screen-Shot-2019-01-25-at-3-54-54-AM.png) (https://postimg.cc/8FzmxkSh)
She is Kiska.
Quote from: kiska on January 25, 2019, 05:03:26 AM
Looks to me like she's standing on the curved section.
:
I think your right Kiska
And I'm back, sorry for the delay, the lower part of the photo with the fountain was pretty badly damaged so I contacted Purdue University who put me in touch with their Senior Photographer.
He's been waiting for quite a while for some better weather and has just taken a photo of the fountain with the same perspective.
So wip 3 attached, I think the colouring is a bit off but I cant quite put my finger on it.
Thanks
Kim
(https://i.postimg.cc/YjzyDKJh/WIP3.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/YjzyDKJh)
What a beautiful result Kim!
Only one thing jumps out at me, her left foot should be more sideways pointing towards the camera.
Kind of like what Kiska did, perhaps also with closed shoes? (no straps or skin showing)
Color, in Levels you can bring in the blue slider some towards the left, that will take care of the yellowish cast.
It's great that Purdue was able to provide you with a photo.
In addition to the comments Hannie made, I think the sharpness of the new Purdue photo should be altered so it's approximately as blurry as the original - otherwise the trees next to the stonework look mismatched. There are also a couple of places where the join between old and new needs work - under the trees where the curved stone just fades and on the upper right curve of the fountain where there is a black edge.
The sharp edges on the woman's trousers need softening too. The fabric isn't straight - there are folds - and the edges need to be blurrier.
I think the woman's left shoe clearly has a strap (looking at the blue channel) even though the right doesn't show it. Getting something with the right perspective - as Hannie explained - is probably more important and doing black shapes is probably easier (and avoids the pixelated skin in the current WIP).
I'd get your distributor's OK, if you didn't already, on dropping the bag her right hand is holding the strap of. The hand you put there looks fine, but just isn't what was in the original.
What a project this turned out to be!
You've come a long way on this photo. The family is going to be very happy when they do get it home.
Wow Kim!! Agree with Candy, the family is going to be very happy. Beautiful :up:
Next wip attached for comments please
(https://i.postimg.cc/XBNHkXcm/WIP4.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/XBNHkXcm)
You've made some good progress. The angle of her right foot is looking good, although the toe is rather pointy compared to the other foot. I think more rounded is preferable.
Given a very overcast day, I think the shadows around the foot don't look quite right. You wouldn't have anything dark and directional - like you have on her right foot. Very, very light soft shadows where the feet touch the stone would probably be enough - not that there's no shadow of the young woman's body visible anywhere in the original.
Softening some of the remaining sharp edges (the stone curved edge behind her, for example) and I think you're done! Quite a journey from the original, no?
Thanks Jo Ann,
WIP 5 attached
(https://i.postimg.cc/MnLDt3PY/WIP5.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/MnLDt3PY)
See what other feedback you get, but I think that's probably ready to be returned - if you can let her go after all this time :)
As there are no further comments Ill send her home, thanks everyone for your help
Kim, we will contact the owner and say you do not want to release her. :cool: Nice work, the owner will be happy.
Great job Kim! :up: