Another portrait.

[hawkinob]

Hi.
Another thank you to a helper, one way for my wife and to say thank you to her.
I have found ,as I think is well known, that some people do not show on photos or these patterns as well as others. This lady for instance is about 60 or so, she is a neighbour that we have known for a short time. In her house she has family photos and in her younger days she it seems she must have been quite a beauty. She still shows some of that yet the pattern - no fault of the designer (not me, I cannot do the patterns) - seems not to reflect that so that the cut, to me, does not do her justice. Other people's photos, like the one I posted a few weeks back (A Portrait) seem to produce real life cuts.
I (we) just hope this lady likes her portrait a little.

Regards.
Bob H.

 

[Claymore]

Lovely work Bob and its a very good likeness so she will love it
Cheers
Brian

 

[AES]

First off, I MUST say "My Goodness, what a charmer she looks to be! She wouldn't have to ask me twice and I'd elope with her to a sunny desert island any time."

Re the portrait, I've never tried one myself (not yet anyway) so excuse me in advance if the following sounds harsh - it's meant to try and be constructive criticsm.

It's clear that you've cut very carefully, but somehow, there's something "missing" in your portrait that's present in the original photo of the lady. Just as you say yourself.

It may be "only" the warm sparkle in her eyes in the original that's missing in your portrait, and if indeed that is what's missing, I have no idea how you'd add that sparkle in such a scrolled portrait - but somehow, the portrait rendition of the lady is a bit "lifeless" when compared to the photo (and as I say, I'd LOVE to meet her myself)!!!!

I really do hope that you don't take that comment as being just a negative moan, I'm trying to be constructive. But I just don't know enough about scroll portraits to add suggestions for how to improve. MAYBE the answer lies in the process of transitioning a photo into a cutting pattern, e.g. MAYBE it's what to leave in/leave out when turning that photo into the pattern, I just don't know, sorry.

However I'm sure the lady will definitely love it, and again, please excuse my negative comment. Difficult job very well tackled I think.

 

[MJOriginals]

Hi all

Re the portrait it is well executed I must say but the debate about patterns from photos interest me I have tried a couple of computer programs and they never seem to do the subject justice, I found the best way is to enlarge the photo to the size you need and the using simple tracing paper over the top ( and a light table if you have one helps) then trace your own pattern sometimes it takes a few goes to get s satisfactory on but I think the human mind helps trace a more feeling portrait than a machine logic
Just my thoughts anyway
Martyn

 

[CHJ]

I think it's down to the cheek shadow lines, don't know how they could be rendered differently, they seem to age her to me.