Using Filters for Clarity

In this section we will be turning our photo into a painting's base layer. Almost every painting starts with a base layer consisting of painted flat colors. From there, the artist will add depth and dimension using techniques such as blending.

I have found that a painting using only it's base layer is just as interesting as a fully rendered piece if done correctly. If you don't have your photo opened in Photoshop please do so now. Time to really break out the sections of this photo. Hit "Filter » Artistic » Cutout" and use your own feeling on the settings. Just make sure there are some easy to recognize lines between each variation of volume.

Let's bring out these lines a bit more with some more Unsharp Masking.

At this point you should be getting an idea of what we're after. Notice how the gradients have been exposed using flat colors? If you wanted to take this painting further you could use this as a base layer for your painting. Looks almost gallery quality right?

Sure it could be museum worthy but as an artist, wouldn't you like to make this piece your own? Let's doctor this beast some more in the next section.