Suggestions & Improvements for Photoshop Assignment

[Ghakimx]

sup guys. I basically have this photoshop assignment where I'm supposed to make some really cool composite with the theme of "nature" on hand. I came up with this picture of a model covered in autumn in that sense but it feels.... like it needs something extra somehow?

My technical skills aren't too bad but I'm more concerned about the composition. I think I need some more creative suggestions to improve this work to score well for my assignment.

[hi19hi19]

less hair, more nature IMO


cool idea tho

[hi19hi19]

like specifically, get some opaque leaves hanging over the edge of where her hair would end.

Leaves don't fade out in the middle of the leaf like that. They need to have more definite boundaries or else it feels too unnatural.

[Wayward Vagabond]

add a dragon

[gold stinger]

I feel like the big things to point out is the white tracing around the leaves when you're fading them into the hair, just sort of sticks out for me in a way.

Love what you did with the bottom right side of the image.

[Ghakimx]

Originally Posted by hi19hi19

like specifically, get some opaque leaves hanging over the edge of where her hair would end.

Leaves don't fade out in the middle of the leaf like that. They need to have more definite boundaries or else it feels too unnatural.

good point. noted.

Originally Posted by Wayward Vagabond

add a dragon

maybe a very very very subtle one.

Originally Posted by gold stinger

I feel like the big things to point out is the white tracing around the leaves when you're fading them into the hair, just sort of sticks out for me in a way.

Love what you did with the bottom right side of the image.

Actually, I may not even do the bottom right part of the image because I'm doing a 20x20cm square composite focusing on the face. Maybe I should add a wood texture to the skin?

[Spenner]

It's a good start but there are a few problems-- the leaves that are masked in are too detached from the perspective of the hair at times. I feel like having some areas of the leaf complete themselves/don't become contained within the hair. Having a mixture of external and internally integrated leaves would be a better direction than all-integrated.

Something can be done with the skin. I don't have a lot of free time, but here is a quick attempt at showing what I mean by adding an "organic" element to the skin.



Very quick sloppy example, but i think you could find a way to integrate the "veins" of the leaves onto the persons skin by having a small brush size (1px) of a dark colour (sample from leaves), using the pen tool to draw where you want the lines to appear, then right click > Stroke Path, have Simulate Pressure on (tapers the edges). Duplicate the layer and change your swatch to a much lighter colour (or just white) and Stroke Path again on a layer above. Then nudge that layer up a few pixels with the keyboard. Add a mask to both sections and mask away the areas of highlight or shadow that feel don't belong, or which make the face pop out too much.

Just an idea that comes to mind, take it or leave it

[hi19hi19]

Originally Posted by Spenner

It's a good start but there are a few problems-- the leaves that are masked in are too detached from the perspective of the hair at times. I feel like having some areas of the leaf complete themselves/don't become contained within the hair. Having a mixture of external and internally integrated leaves would be a better direction than all-integrated.

God damn this is so much more eloquent way of saying what I tried to say.
I agree totally.

Also the veins on the face look interesting, bark definitely something you could try too (but not too much)

[Ghakimx]

sup.

so I fixed the white outline problem. I'm trying to get some of the leaves to go over her hair but the blending mode looks real ugly if I leave it as normal. The current arrange of the leaves is like this:
Leaf > Sub Group > Hair Outline Group (This is a mask for all the leaves to adhere to)



I'm going to upload it here so you guys can see how I did it. My layers look disorganised as fuk but still.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B7K...ew?usp=sharing

[Xiz]

I'm not a fan of the bark on her face in all honesty. I love the concept of it being there though... perhaps make it more subtle? Or something... I dunno I am no help

[Xiz]

Also, there is an amazing group on facebook called Fstoppers.
Lots of professional photographers and photoshop'rs are there. I use it all the time to get the highest quality review, and sometimes help on how exactly to fix it.
Check it out.

[Ghakimx]

Originally Posted by Xiz

I'm not a fan of the bark on her face in all honesty. I love the concept of it being there though... perhaps make it more subtle? Or something... I dunno I am no help

That's actually not a bad idea. Photoshop is the art of subtle so I probably should tone it down to suggest its there but not to the extent it grabs the entire attention away from the rest of the composition. Will check out Fstoppers.

[Alioth]

Originally Posted by Ghakimx

sup.

so I fixed the white outline problem. I'm trying to get some of the leaves to go over her hair but the blending mode looks real ugly if I leave it as normal. The current arrange of the leaves is like this:
Leaf > Sub Group > Hair Outline Group (This is a mask for all the leaves to adhere to)



I'm going to upload it here so you guys can see how I did it. My layers look disorganised as fuk but still.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B7K...ew?usp=sharing

Hey, I like this :O Anyhow...if you are going to go for the bark skin concept and stuff, I would use the bark on the areas of the body where there is skin and such. Also, try to make the bark like... aligned with the muscular/bone features of the skin to make it look more surrealistic. I would also make the eyes an autumn mix since this portrait is indeed autumn themed.

I do love the concept of this picture though...shows how beautiful modern surrealism can be~