Glenna's New Challenge 3/25/07

[cmpentecost]

Hi Glenna,

I think Candy is right.  It does look like an ear.  Dave's suggestion should help in this restoration.  Good luck with the rest of it.

Christine

[glennab]

Hi Chris

Hubby and I studied the original when we got home this evening, and he agrees with me that because of the position of the little guy's head, his ear can't be showing on the left side (our right).  I took Dave's advice and cropped him, and he looks better zoomed in.  As Dave said, it's all damage, so nothing's lost.

I'm going crazy trying to get the shading right.  It's better, but still needs work.  I'm finding that having the original in the file and using it as a template for the shading is a tremendous help. It's so easy to clone and heal out contoured areas that are very small but quite critical to the shape of the face.

And then there's the HAIR!  Can't figure out how to get a credible likeness.  And so I'll be back at it after work tomorrow.

Good night!

Glenna

[laportelj]

Hi Glenna,
I think what is missing is just a hint of his left ear.you can almost see it in the photo.
   Jane

[klassylady25]

Have you considered this?  Computers being different, perhaps the coloring on yours isn't bringing out the ear?  I still see it. 

Hugz,
Candy

Off to work I go.

[glennab]

Hi guys -- this ear thing is a crazy-maker.  I honestly think his head is turned far enough that an ear wouldn't be showing. I've even studied photos of my grandkids with their heads in about the same position, and an ear is not visible.  I think what we're seeing is a juncture of his face and the damage that's creating a small oval area that looks like an ear but isn't.  I'll continue trying to determine that for sure, but so far it appears to be an illusion. Hubby swears that the little guy would have to have a deformed head for the ear to show.  It looks adorably pudgy but normal to me!

I certainly appreciate all your "eagle eyes" checking it out!

I had to take a couple-day break, because discouragement had set in.  I can't get the shape of his face on the right where the big white piece of missing image sits.

We've had ungodly, unseasonally wet weather with a lot of low pressure, and that causes me horrendous headaches (I hate being old -- prior surgeries and injuries become very evident when the barometric pressure plummets.  Can't think well when the headaches get too bad).  Today I've pulled out my "pooffer" and demanded that the aches and pains be GONE!  Of course, no one listens to me . . .

Anyway, tonight it's back to trying to finish.  Main thing left to do is get head in right place (mine!).

Candy, I hadn't thought of the monitor issue, but my new Apple is much clearer than any monitor I've ever used.  I don't think my ancient View Sonic would show remotely as much as the new technology does.  I remember when I first got the new monitor I was working on the Army couple, and when I became aware of all that I'd missed on the View Sonic, I started over.  Freaked me out!

Later!

Glenna

[kiska]

Could this be the ear. I think this was the magenta or yellow channel.

http://upload.pbase.com/image/77019264

[glennab]

Kiska, thanks for taking the time to check him out.  I'm still not sure how his ear could be visible from that angle, but I'm going to check again tonight with every technique I know to be sure in my mind one way or the other.

Appreciate the input!

Glenna

By the way, your sketched in hair looks better than anything I've come up with so far.  Cross your fingers that I'll get it worked out.

[cmpentecost]

In my humble opinion, I think it is a tip of his ear showing.  Maybe he's got ears that stick out???  I think that based on the angle of his head, and what Kiska outlined, that the ear makes sense.  Ultimately Glenna, it will be your decision, as you are the one seeing it close up and working on it.

Christine

[glennab]

Hi --

The latest iteration with a disclaimer that I think the hair needs more work.  Too pooped to go any more.  Comments appreciated!



Goodnight!

Glenna

P.S.  This is my 700th post.  I think my new designation should be "Opinionated Old Fart!" or maybe "She who WILL NOT SHUT UP!"

[klassylady25]

LOL  You might be right about the P.S.  but man o man do we love ya girlfriend!!!   I see an ear! :o) *wink*

[glennab]

Candy -- yep, you talked me into it.  I don't know exactly what I'm looking at, but there is definitely something there, and once I traced it, even subtly, it helped with his look.  So maybe it is an ear!  He still doesn't look "finished" to me.  I'm so close to him that I just can't figure out what I'm missing (the hair is a given).  Help, gurus!

Glenna

[laportelj]

That ear does give it more balance.
It looks great, looks like you are almost finished.
Jane

[Ausimax]

Hi Glenna, I have been keeping out of this one till now, for you have already been getting quite an "earful", pun intended :funny:

I think you have done a pretty darn good job on it, just a touch with levels, bring the black slider up to the start of pixels, seems to help, I know you are not happy with the hair, but where do you stop with hair? Remember OPR states that these images may still show some damage, you can only do what you can do, sometimes the more you try with hair the further away you seem to get.
What is the print size? It is easy to get bound up with a perceived problem that can't even be noticed at print size.

I only wish we could get more images of bald headed men, much easier to deal with.


Max

[glennab]

Hi Max

Earful indeed.  What a card you are!

The photo is 8x10, and other than the damage, I don't think it's that I can't see things so much as I'm not always sure of the best way to fix them.  You and Kenny have tutored me very well on the healing and cloning.  I think I have that down pretty well.

And using the original above the restoration with a blank layer between for shading has made all the difference in the world.

You're so right about the hair.  I'm going to give it one more try -- maybe mix the different versions -- and hopefully have something acceptable.  I'd like to send him home, not only because I'm sure his family is anxious to have him back, but I've also reclaimed the mother and daughter painting that I started earlier.  No one had spoken for it, and since I'm well enough to keep at the restorations consistently now, I want to get them finished.  I'd gotten quite a way, then about the time I got sick, everyone was clamoring for photos to work on, so I told Mike I'd relinquish it so someone else eager to get at it could finish the job.  I guess no one was THAT eager to tackle the mess, so I'm going to make it my next major challenge.

Bald headed men would be a gift, wouldn't they?  I have several tutorials on making brushes for hair that I want to try, because hair is one of the toughest areas to make realistic.  I guess we all battle with that.

Thanks for the encouragement (and the pun!).

Glenna

[Codeman]

Hi Glenna,

I have started playing around with a "hair brush". It was created by Dave Nagel. You can download the series 36 brushes from here:

http://photoshop.digitalmedianet.com/articles/viewarticle.jsp?id=36502

The brush that I have been using is Hair brush #6. It starts with a radius of 113 but I set it down to around 70 depending on the
resolution of the picture. There are several ways of using the brush. Start by creating an layer above where you need to modify
the hair. Set the blend mode to overlay, multiply, screen, or whatever seems to work. Since this is an empty layer you can play
with different colors to quickly find something you like. This technique mainly modifies what is already there to add texture and color
variations to the existing hair. You can combine this with a mask for the layer and opacity settings for both the brush and the layer.

Another possibility is to use the brush with the clone tool. Again to modify the existing hair. Clone to a new layer with the layer's
blend mode set again to overlay, multiply, screen..... Check the aligned box. Select the source for the clone tool to somewhere
on the hair that you are working on. Don't move the cursor and then start cloning. This allows you to clone back on to the source
but modified with the blend mode. Again this allows for adding texture and color variations to the hair.

I hope this helps you.

Codeman