From the Desk of Klassylady

[klassylady25]

Wow, has it been a long time since I've been here but I've been reading all along.  Here is my latest project.  You know, working on hair is a pain!!   :-\  So what do you think so far?  Does anyone have a roller and a bobby pin?   ^-^

Before:

[kiska]

Looks good so far. It appears the original image was soft, so I don't think the hair needs a lot of detail. Just some modeling, maybe.

[glennab]

Hi Candy

I'm with kiska on this one.  I'd go with very soft repair and not a lot of detail in the hair.  What you've done so far looks great.

GG

[klassylady25]

Thanks girls!  I am very thankful for that feedback and will move forward thusly.  :loveit:

[Peter_AUS]

I think you have played to much with the inner eye of the right eye, looks to me like you might have brought detail from the inner left eye over and flipped it.  Hair is coming along, forehead needs colour put back in.  Shirt and neck look OK.

Coming along.

[RosyBijou]

I think that your image is coming along nicely.  These "painted" photos are difficult because you want to maintain the original integrity of the image, yet it's hard to come out of the mindset of restoring a photo.   Do you have any painting type software or are you familiar with the artistic filters in your photo editing software?

Sometimes for these types of images, I will repair the really blatent defects, (like running ink and such), create an "alt/layer/merge visible" layer, make a few copies of this layer and then run a few different artistic effects on those copies, just to see what comes of it...

These artistic filters can even out (or enhance) some of the tones or add some of the texture back without blowing the image if you tinker with the layer blending modes and opacities.  If you're familiar with the history tool, this is a terrific way to use some of that information, but you can also just use layer masks to reveal the parts that you like, blocking out (and later deleting) what doesn't work.  How this can apply to your hair dilemna... you can brush on the layer mask with a soft brush/reduced opacity to reveal some of the shadows of the hair (that the filter has created using the original colors...)

I hope I'm making sense here...  Keep at it--you're doing great!

[klassylady25]

Restorations of this sort aren't easy but I love the challenge with the colors.  Eyes? I doodled but didn't really work to much on the, save a little,  at the time of posting have worked on them more now.  I was more concerned with the hair at that time. 

Like each one here, I've started over several time, have several layers to choose from and may start over a hundred more times, but presently I'm fairly satisfied with the hair and the eyes. There was so much of the hair that was missing and it was so blotchy that I had to rebuild it, to say the least.  I'm working on the mouth and the nose right now.  Still not where I want to be there, but  I work a little on it, move away from the puzzle, and return.  Each time my eye picks up something to work with.   

[Peter_AUS]

The eye looks much better in this latest update to me.

Glad it's you doing this and not me, wouldn't have even tried it.

[kiska]

Candy, I realize you're working on a painting. The mouth IS prominent on the original but I think it would help if it was toned down a bit, especially the corners and top lip? Whacha think??

[klassylady25]

Keep watch on the colors.  New computer, old monitor and even my grayscale is looking a bit pale.   I think I'm to that point for "new"  ...... arghhhhhh   have been eyeing the colors a bit so thank you for the heads up.  Will look into that and thanks for letting me know that the eyes have improved. 

I'm struggling with how to handle the blouse and the coloring is still off, at least here it is.  As for the blouse -  I'm thinking that since it can't be rebuilt, due to lack of information, to continue with the color to a point, but use a vignette to offset the rest what do you think.   THAT however leads me up to the signature dilemma; how to work that in because I WILL not leave it off the photo.... wo oh wo.....  :-\  And then again I may start all overAGAIN!  lol   ;D  But she won't go home until she's right. 

Have a grand day, I'm out the door to work.   
Hugs,
C

[klassylady25]

It's a definate.  All work will stop until the new monitor gets in!!!!  I'm looking at the work from my partners computer... and arghhhhhhhhhhhh      :'(

But I'LL be back !!

[glennab]

Hi Candy

Isn't it a shock to see the difference on an old monitor vs. a new one?  I went through the same thing.  My Army couple looked fine on the ViewSonic; then I got the new Apple LCD and was back to square one.  I saw so much damage that wasn't visible on the old one!  Guaranteed, you'll love having a new monitor!  What are you getting?

GG

[klassylady25]

I arrived today!!  It's call  Mitsubishi Diamond ProSB.  19" and OMGoodness!!  what a differents it makes.  My old monitor was a ViewSonic 150B.  It was 5 years old and was over $500.00 when I got it.  I chose to go back to a CRT, but this one is designed for graphics; stills, documentation and video.   

I'm attaching a card that someone wanted to keep through OPR.  When I opened it (and I was just about to send it home) I saw more cleaning that needed done.  As you can see it looks much better.  As for the girl. I'm going to start once again on her, but this one is going home. 

Hugs C

Origianl

Restoration

[cmpentecost]

Very nice job Candy!

Christine

[klassylady25]

Well, what think ye?   Nighty Night

:loveit: Candice