Photoshop course portrait between photo and painting

This course is available in English and French

This style of portraiture is commonly referred to as "Fine Art" or "painterly portrait effect".
This course will teach you how to create this style of image, and obtain visual renderings that are somewhere between photography and painting . You can see some examples under the course thumbnail (click on the images to enlarge). The atmosphere, the colors, the backgrounds, and also the luminosity, create a whole characteristic of this style of image.

Prerequisite:
This course is intended for users with a good knowledge of Photoshop (intermediate level).
The mastery of the blending masks and the dynamic objects are necessary to follow the course easily.
Concerning the selections, the technique (which will be about the only one necessary here) allowing to separate the subject from the background, will be an integral part of the course, and will be explained in detail.

Course Content :

• Presentation of this style of image:
  We will discuss the characteristics that are regularly found in these images.
• Shooting:
  Although we start from a file that will be provided to you, the shot used as a starting point for this style of image also has its own characteristics. These will be explained.
• Trimming the subject :
  This is the essential technical point I mentioned above. In this course, you will learn how to crop the subject with precision. Indeed, the idea is to place a new background behind the portrait. Selecting a character is usually a complex job, because of small elements such as hair.
  The technique explained here will be clipping using layers, and working on an alpha layer (also known as a separation mask in this case).
  There are several methods to create layers as a basis for the preparation work. They will be explained in detail.
• Edge enhancement :
  A clipping often needs to be refined. You will study the different techniques to obtain a precise result.
• Paint effect :
  Several effects will be studied. Insofar as these are intended to be subtle, in order to remain between photography and painting, they will be applied in a localized manner, and with different techniques.
• Atmosphere:
  Here is a very important point. Indeed, as you can see in the examples, the atmosphere of these images is always very particular.
  Once all the elements are in place in the image, work will be done to create the atmosphere. Several techniques and tools will be studied.
• Final rendering:
  Once the result is obtained, you will study the possible variants. An image created is always a reflection of its own sensitivity. We each have our own, and that is why we will end the course on this subject.

Software :
For this course, in addition to Adobe Photoshop, the Nik Collection suite will need to be installed on your computer.
If you don't have it, you can find a trial version, or buy a license on the DxO website.

Working files :
The images (1 portrait file and 1 texture file) will be supplied just before the start of the course (sent by WeTransfer).
If you wish to work with your own images, you can let me know in advance. Provided they meet the standards required for the course's technical needs, we'll be able to use them during the course.

Video recording :
This course is accompanied by a video recording.
It is recorded during the course and includes the key points. Also, depending on your specific needs, which will be assessed during the course, some additional points may be added to the video.
The video summary will be sent to you in MP4 format, by WeTransfer, after the course.