How the transformation from "Galen" to "Pip" was accomplished
1) We start with an old photo of "Galen":
© 2006 Galen A. Tripp
2) We remove the yellowing of the old photo:
© 2006 Galen A. Tripp
3) We start work on the eyes. First step is to black them
out:
© 2006 Galen A. Tripp
4) We continue work on the eyes. The second step is to
make them a little larger:
© 2006 Galen A. Tripp
5) The next step is kind of creepy. We return color to the
eyes. It has to be dramatic coloring because detail will be lost
in later steps. The red color is taken from the sweater.
The round white line is a shape supplied by the photo manipulation
program that we use (Microsoft PictureIt Premium 2002).
© 2006 Galen A. Tripp
6) We now start work on the sweater. We use a feature
called "clone painting". With the "clone painting" feature, we
change the sweater into a "hair suit". That is to say, we "paint"
the pattern of Galen's hair onto the sweater. This will allow for
an interesting visual effect in the final product.
© 2006 Galen A. Tripp
7) We now want to crank up the intensity of the color. A
photograph is fine with realistic color, but we are not making a
photograph. If we do not intensify the color, then the final
product will be boring.
© 2006 Galen A. Tripp
8) We are now ready for the first "artistic rendering".
The photo manipulation program that we use (Microsoft PictureIt
Premium 2002) has several "pre-set" effects called
"Illusions". Within each "pre-set", a variety of variables may be
adjusted. For this first pass, we want only a subtle
change. Trial-and-error gets this result:
© 2006 Galen A. Tripp
9) We are now ready to produce the final product (i.e.
"Pip"). We pass the work through the "pre-set" effects called
"Illusions" one last time. Much trial-and-error gets a look that
we like:
© 2006 Galen A. Tripp
Along the way, we rejected several tries. Here is one of the
best of the ones that we rejected. We liked the rich, "3D" look
of this attempt:
© 2006 Galen A. Tripp
Here is another one that we thought had things going for it:
© 2006 Galen A. Tripp
Take our word for it that you don't want to see the works that we
rejected utterly! O.K. We will show you just this
one:
You were warned!
And, you know, none of this is
"art".
