How to Paint a Portrait With Your Camera or Cell Phone

My two-year-old grandson CJ was getting very frustrated with Grandpa. While we were walking around an old barn yard, I told him that we'd see chickens. Pen after pen there were none. At one point, he turned and gave me a look that said "Where are the chickens? You said there would be CHICKENS!" 

I loved his expression and got a quick snapshot. Then, I decided to photo-paint a portrait from it. It was easy and fun, and I got something to frame for my office.

You've got shots like that too. Here's how easy it is to convert them into painting-like portraits at iPiccy.com, a free, online photo editor:

1. Go to iPiccy.com, hit the "Start Editing!" button and upload your snapshot from your computer or cell phone.

2. At the "Basic Editor" section (the camera on the tool bar), crop the photo to get a dramatic close-up of the face you want to use for your photo-portrait.

3. At the "Retouch" section (the head on the tool bar), enhance the image with iPiccy's easy-to-use tools. fix red-eye, remove blemishes, add more colorful eye and flesh tones and more.

4. At the "Photo Effects" section (the magic wand on the tool bar), find the "Artistic Painting" effect and hit the "Update effect" button.

5. Experiment with different settings and effects throughout iPiccy.com. You're sure to find some that improve your photo portrait and make it unique.

6. Hit the computer disk symbol on the tool bar to save your image. Give it a name that's different than the original photo's name and save it to your computer. From there you can use any photo viewing program or Microsoft Word to print your portrait.

I set my ink jet printer to the highest quality level and printed CJ's portrait on a good quality, matte photo paper. It turned out looking great. Every printer is unique, so you should experiment with different printer settings and paper types for your portrait. Jot down what worked best. You'll be creating beautiful portraits again and again.

Create Your Own Photo Portraits at iPiccy.com >>>

You’ll find a list of dozens more free photography and photo editing lessons and demonstrations at Today's Arts and Crafts' Web Site>>>

Learn Trick Photography With This Amazing eBook

Would you like to learn how to take photos that knock people's socks off? Using even the simplest DSLR camera you can teach yourself how to take multiple exposures, create light paintings, shoot 360 degree panoramas, levitate your friends, family and pets, alter perspective, freeze motion, capture the path of stars and much, much more. All you need is a free weekend and Evan Sharboneau's Trick Photography and Special Effects eBook.

Click here to visit Evan's web site to read all about the book, to watch his video about it and to see some of the incredible photographs that folks just like you created after they finished the lessons >>>

Evan sells the book thru ClickBank. That means, if you order, you'll get a quick delivery of your downloadable book. You'll also get to try the book for a full two months, risk free. If it doesn't help you with your photographs, you can have a full refund, just for the asking.  The price changes from time to time, and there are special offers some days. So, check the web site for those.

Trick Photography and Special Effects eBook

Become a creative and artistic photographer by taking breathtaking shots that blow people's minds away! Dozens of rare trick photography ideas are included in Evan Sharboneau's 295 page e-book, along with nine hours of how-to photography video tutorials.

Read more at TrickPhotographyBook.com >>> 

Evan sponsors this blog, so please check out his great book and lessons and consider buying your own copy.

How to Give an Old Master Painting Effect to Any Digital Photo

Create an Old Master Painting Effect with Your Digital Photo

If you've read some of the previous posts on this blog, you'll know that I took a point-and-shoot snapshot of an apple. I liked the apple, but not the photo. The lighting was as dull as my photography skills. The image was pale and boring.

Since this blog is my attempt to develop some skills at art, crafts and photography, I decided to experiment with the photo to make it more interesting.  

Read More >>>>

How to Turn Your Digital Snapshots into Dramatic Black & White Photographs

Black & White Photo Created at PicMagick.com

If you'd like have some more dramatic photographs, why not try Black & White? You can convert your digital images using Photoshop, Lightbox or any of dozens of free, online photo editors. I like to use PicMagick because I can get good results with very, very little trouble. You might want to give it a try too.
 
Read More >>>>>

Add Vibrant Colors to All of Your Photos

Original Photo (Above) with Vibrancy Added at Phixr.com

Do you take dull photos? I do. When I see something interesting, I just point my Nikon Coolpix at it, shoot and hope for the best. I take a lot of shots and every once in a while I get a good one. Well, except for the dullness.

But, I've found a easy fix for that. Phixr.com is a free, online photo editing service that has a feature that would take me hours to duplicate on Photoshop. It's their "Vibrance" tool in their "Color Adjustments" section. All that I have to do is upload a photo, slide the Vibrance tool bar to right, and like magic, colors burst on the shot.

Try it yourself. You'll be amazed at what a great photographer you are.

Click here to improve your photos at Phixr.com >>>

You’ll find a list of dozens more free photography and photo editing lessons and demonstrations at Today's Arts and Crafts' Web Site >>>

PicMagick's Free DIY Photo Editing App

Original Photo (Above) Edited at PicMagick.com

Here's a very simple and easy-to-use photo editor that might be all you need to improve your photos' exposure and tilt and to add a bit of special effects.

Read More >>>>>

Free Online Photo Editor

Edit your photo with some of the special effects available at FreeOnlinePhoto Editor.org

Here's an easy-to-use online photo editor that offers both basic photo touch-up tools and some interesting special effects. This simple solution can save time and expense when compared with professional-level photo editing programs.

Editing Tools:  Resize, Crop, Change Orientation

Effects:  Enhance photos. Change brightness, contrast, saturation and warmth. Sharpen photos. Reduce redeye in portraits, then whiten teeth and remove blemishes. Use brushes and drawing tools for touch-ups. Select from a variety of preset effects

Special Effects:  Add Text, Frames and silly Stickers. Use the Splash Tool to pop colors from monochromatic pictures. Use the Focus Tool to accent any one area of your shot.

Instructions:  1. Hit the "Upload" button to get a JPG photo from your computer or from a disk. 2. Click on the "Edit Photo" button. 3. Play around with all of the different controls and tools on the photo editor's top tool bar, and make sure to use the left and right arrows to find more effects. Don't worry about ruining your photo. You can always choose to cancel your last edit. And your original is always safe on your computer.  4. Save your photo when you're happy with it. Then hit the "Download" button to save it to your computer's file. Make sure to give the edited photograph a new name so that you don't overwrite your original. 5. Try another photo. Why not? Photo Zoe is free and it's fun.

Test Photo:  I cropped a photo of a single rose to add a bit of drama. I enhanced it for more contrast, used the Focus Tool to highlight the blossom and then tried the cool Splash Tool to get color on that rose alone. The Text Tool let me sign the photo, but I could have added any text in any of a variety of sizes, colors and fonts.

The final, edited photograph sure isn't an improvement over nature. But, it did give me a chance to try out many of the quick and easy-to-use features on PhotoZoe.com's free photo editor

Notes:  Photo Zoe's online editor, powered by Aviary, is easy to use and doesn't require a setup or registration. Uploading photos and saving your edits are both a snap. Downloading to save your edited photos to your computer, or to a disk, is a bit confusing. That process varies with your hardware and software, so I can't be of much help to you about it. But, try it, you'll find a way that works for you.

Use the Free Online Photo Editor >>>

You’ll find a list of dozens more photography and photo editing lessons and demonstrations at Today's Arts and Crafts' Web Site >>>

Edit Your Photos and Add Special Effects for Free at LunaPic.com

You can touch-up any of your digital snapshots at LunaPic.com. Straighten them,  sharpen them, crop them, adjust their exposures and more. But, you don't have to stop there. LunaPic offers an amazing assortment of interesting, free special effects and animations that you can apply to your photos with just a click or two.

Edit Tools:  Resize, crop, change the orientation of your photo. Check out the "Skew Image" tool if you just have to change the angle of your shot a little bit.

Draw Tools:  Add text, borders, frames, shadows and gradients. Fix blemishes on portraits and even do a little cosmetic surgery. Create mosaic and stained glass effects. Try the custom drawing and painting tools.

Adjustments:  Change exposure, contrast, sharpness, color saturation and more. Adjust skin tones. Reduce redeye. Change lighting effects. Create a sepia or black and white monotone of your photo.

Effects:  Apply all types of artistic and playful effects to your photo. Create photo paintings and drawings in a variety of styles. Give yourself plenty of time to experiment.

Instructions:  1. Click on the "Browse" button to upload a photo from your computer or from a disk. Or, use the URL of any photo on your web site or blog. 2. Mouse over the tool symbols on the left side of the edit screen. Or, use the drop-down menus on the top bar to find the tools and effects you need. 3. Try all of the adjustments, tools and controls. You're sure to find some that you'll use again and again to improve your shots. Don't worry about ruining your photo. You can always choose to undo your last edit. Your original is always safe on your computer.  4. When you're happy with the changes to your photo, hit the "Save To" link near the bottom of the edit screen. Choose to save to your computer or to a social media site. Make sure to give the edited photograph a new name so that you don't overwrite your original. 5. Try another photo. LunaPic is free and it's a lot of fun to use.

Test Photo:  I took a dull snapshot of some wild daisies and tried to make it more interesting. The shot was tilted and the trees in the background were leaning, so I skewed and cropped the image. Then, I brightened it and added a bit more color saturation. I experimented with a bunch of different artsy effects and settled on something that's called "Surreal Painting."

The final, edited photograph isn't a keeper. But, it did let me test some of the free tools and effects that are available at LunaPic.com.

Notes:  LunaPic's online editor is free, easy to use, and doesn't require a setup or registration. It's little or no trouble to try and a lot of fun to experiment. To learn more, check out the free tutorials and how-to videos at LunaPic.com.

Edit Your Photos and Add Effects at LunaPic.com >>>

You’ll find a list of dozens more photography and photo editing lessons and demonstrations at Today's Arts and Crafts' Web Site >>>