Thursday, October 13, 2011

Eyes, The WIndows to the Soul

Last month I spent 3 days at Photoshop World in Las Vegas. I learned so much over the three days I thought I would never stop working, as soon as I got home! Well, in true procrastinator fashion I allowed my life to get in the way of trying out all my new tricks.


Today I decided to try out something I learned from Fay Sirkis. She is an amazing artist and has a beautiful heart. She taught a class called The Eyes are the Windows to the Soul. In this class we learned to edit the eyes in an image to bring life and soul to them. I loved seeing what she had to teach and her technique brought about fantastic results.


One of the subjects that came up in her class was the need for a tablet during this type of editing. Well, I just don't have one. Ok, I take that back, I do have one but it's a baby and well out of date. When Fay was asked if we really needed to have a tablet, she answered by saying, "Yes, you need a tablet because you are painting and you wouldn't paint with a bar of soap, would you?" Well, today I tried out her technique and yes, using my mouse to do it was very much like painting with a bar of soap.


So here are my first attempts at Fay's editing technique for eyes, remembering I will never excel at anything if I never start trying. 


Original image:
Amanda has beautiful eyes and it's never very hard for me to 
get a great image of them. They have nice specular highlights
in them and good detail.


First Attempt and "painting" a beautiful eye:


I definitely feel this look is much more dramatic/clean 
and has a much more commercial look. 




Second attempt: Went a bit lighter this time, with my bar of soap.

 Amanda is going to like this one since I decided to try out my 
Scott Kelby Eyelash Brush! I have to say I'm in love with
this easy to use, lovely brush that actually adds a set of 
 eyelashes in such a natural and elegant way! Beautiful!
Right eye: Drama
Left eye: Less Drama


The number of new tools I came home with from PSW Las Vegas is ridiculous and I hope to get to share more of them with you. Tell me what you think of these eyes. Are they too done, not done enough? Do you love the lashes? Are you happier with a more lifestyle/natural eye? 

2 comments:

  1. I see bigger spots of white in the second two sets of eyes, yes, and perhaps more eyelashes in the last set. The middle picture, overall, appears more dark to me.

    Can you be more specific about what you have done? For a novice, I don't think I'm picking up on the changes that are so clear to you.

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  2. You got it, Susan! You noticed the eyelashes. Probably the ones on the right for sure, lol at my house we voted for the ones on the left eye, the other side is too obvious. I just removed all the natural highlights from the first image so I could re-enter them and control exactly where they are on the other two.
    Don't feel bad, my husband had no idea what he was looking at, he just knew they were eyes!
    Which ones did you like most?

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