Grandson from photo - 7/2/11 update and help please

[Rose]

Looks super!!!!!!

[rcperryls]

My grandsons didn't see it yet. I was going to make them guess, but then decided it would be best to just surprise them when all three are done. that way they can't argue over who gets to be first,second and third. I am working hard at getting this one done since I am more anxious than anyone to see how it turns out. I'm a little worried about the colors by am hoping that the printout of how it is supposed to look is very close to how it does look.

Carole

[rcperryls]

A bit frustrating. I think the colors for my grandson's face are too red and am trying to redo the pattern for more peach colored or flesh colored tones. It is easy to switch colors in the program once I figure out what colors I want. I am doing a mini swatch now, but its difficult because my "assistant" insists on sleeping on all the papers I have around me. The pattern, the color key, a DMC sample book and a DMC color chart I downloaded. I am going to have to lock her in a room. In the meantime, I think I will take a little break and practice using evenweave on sample fabric that maggie was so nice to send me. In anticipation of starting my HAED. and still have at least 4 pretty detailed fairies to do.

I will figure out the colors. I should have realized it before I started, but the printout looked right. I know however that the colors are deeper and brighter than they appear on the sheet.
It happens with photos also. I have only done his hair so far and that is a bit darker than his hair is, but when I look at the photo the pattern is from, I realize now that there are other reflections on it which do change things a bit. My first one with a person. Others have been butterflies or non people patterns. Big difference.

Carole

[rcperryls]

An update and a request for any and all opinions:
This is how far I have gotten. The hair is looking pretty good except that I do need to get rid of the green (don't know why I even put it in)

Here is the problem:
I knew the colors for the skin didn't seem right so I did a small patch 30 x 30 (not completed) of some of his face:
a little hard to see from this photo but I think the colors look too dark, more rosy than flesh colored and some are completely wrong. So I am taking a break and starting my HAED (another post and asking for help there too, I'm afraid) but would like any suggestions if you have some.
I think I will just have to look at a range of flesh tones and then pick some and put them into the pattern?
Carole

[stitchingmae]

if you type in a dmc color number it will give you diff numbers that are similar and show a color comparison on the screen. not sure if it will help!
http://pic2point.com/dmccolors.php" target="_blank

[Nachstenliebe]

oh no!!! green hair?! And possible sunburn...
Faith

[rcperryls]

I suppose I can wait and see if he turns into one of those teenagers who like to dye their hair different colors (my grandaughter was a bright red for a while when she was 17, then ebony black when she was 18 until she reached 21 and is back to her honey blond natural color). Actually, I am going to look at the website that maemae suggested (I've bookmarked it) for when I get back to this one. Its in my rotation now. If I can't fix the skin color, I will just explain that sunburn is what the skin tone is!
(or blame it all on my feline assistant)

Carole

[Ketta]

What often happens with photographs of people when putting them through a cross stitch pattern program is a brightness issue. I don't know what program you're using (I'm sorry if you mentioned and I missed it), but with the one I use, once the pattern is generated, you can view what it will look like finished. Nine times out of ten on the first try when making a pattern of someone's portrait, it comes out too dark.

Typically, you can adjust brightness, sharpness, contrast and saturation during the pattern making process. I would suggest adjusting brightness and contrast (make it brighter and take down the contrast) to try and correct the 'sunburned' look.

As for the weird colours in the hair (like green), there is one thing to remember: quite often, to get a desired effect, artists use contrasting colours. For example, when painting a realistic portrait of someone with red hair, you don't use just darker shades of reds and oranges to create shadow. Often greens are mixed in (green and red = contrasting colours), and the effect is much more realistic. People looking at the painting don't always see 'green' (certainly if they looked closely they would), they see the shadow created by the painter.

On the other hand, too much contrast generates too bright of these contrasting colours. You still want them for a realistic effect, but reducing the contrast should help you get more neutral contrasting colours.

I hope that helps. I know it sucks to get so far into a project and realize something's gone amiss...