Dragan portrait

[Hazel Grant]

I have been fascinated with the Dragan portrait effect, but never knew what it was until recently when I came across a how-to in Photoshop Creative magazine. so, I worked on a shot of my mother using the steps. Also removed the background of the room.

[Hazel Grant]

Just found out I had failed to check theme: not a cartoon. Just a regular post. sorry for the confusion.

[Hazel Grant]

This is the original so you can see what the process can do.

[Cheryl Slechta]

Hazel, thanks for the original for comparison - this is an interesting effect - I'll have to read up on it. Your mom looks like a very sweet lady:S3:

[Maureen Allen]

Nice, Hazel. Your mom is beautiful.

I think if this were mine, I'd crop just a sliver from the top edge to eliminate some of the speckles there, then paint with black around her right ear to get rid of it there. And I'd blur a little along her right shoulder to blend it a little better. This is a great image, and these are really minor nits, but well worth it to clean it up, I think.

[Hazel Grant]

Thanks, Maureen. I'll work on these suggestions. Good to have some detailed feedback. It's so easy to keep looking at something that you miss small details.

[Bob Miller]

Hi Hazel..really like the effect here.....I too would like to read up on the technique.TFS

[denise ippolito]

Hazel, Nice work! I agree with Maureen regarding the top sliver clean up or removal. You did a great job with the background, thank you for sharing.

[Hilary Hann]

At first I thought the title was "Dragon" and wondered why such a kind looking woman should be called a dragon. Glad to have it explained. Not something I've come across before.

[Mark Fuge]

Nice image and application, Hazel.

Agree with the others on the cleanup. I find using a black layer, as opposed to painting the BG works best after removing the BG (for the info of others, if you do that). I also add a black, white layer or other color when deleting and cleaning the BG area to help see the "defects". When working a fine cleanup, I enlarge the specific area until I can barely see the image and work the pixels as needed. You have to keep going back and forth to see the effects, and may have to backup if you make a mistake in the cleanup, but it helps me concentrate on the problem area.

I must say that I also wondered what you had against this woman, with the title! :e3 :w3

[Hazel Grant]

Thanks to all, esp Mark re a method of fine cleanup. I will try that.

And no, my mother is NOT a dragon :) anything but.....