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I prefer to start a base “underpainting” layer using one of the artistic brushes such as #62, which is included in your free download pack. This will paint out a rough version of the image. Then I like to fill in the main part with an aligned brush like #1. This is a good brush to use to get an aligned image that will start to look like the original, except more painterly and impressionistic. Then I take brush #52 to paint in areas I want to include more detail. Artistic brush #62 will have a looser image alignment, but it’s great for adding textured, directional strokes to areas in your painting. The same is true for texture brush #78. It adds a bit of canvas texture and artistic feel to your work.
A great feature of this technique is the fact that the brush strokes are directional, and you can essentially trace along the shapes in your image as you would naturally, making your final image look more organic and artistic. This will prevent your digital painting from feeling like a computer-generated filter or effect.
To create more detail in areas of your digital painting (such as a face for example), simply take any brush and reduce the size. This will result in sharper details emerging as you paint. If you are blocking your image in first, paint the strokes in a single direction to create a more “aligned” and detailed base. Then you can follow the curves or shapes of your detailed area to create a more realistic and detailed area. Conversely, to create a more abstract or loose area in your work, simply increase your brush size—this will give you larger, looser strokes that are slightly less aligned to the original picture, creating a more abstract effect.
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The Magic Wand tool in Photoshop Elements 11 works best when you have high-contrast images or images with a limited number of colors. Nina zilli rapidshare download. For example, the optimum image for the Wand is a solid-colored object on a white background. Skip the Wand if the image has a ton of colors and no real definitive contrast.
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