Water color or painting effect?

[Michelleltn]

Okay I posted here before, and my post vanished so I am trying again.
Anyway I like this picture and have been editing a lot of pics lately and have been happy with the results.

I want to make an enlargement of this one (probably with a verse) and put it in my room.
I really would like a painted effect (where it would look like an oil painting or a water color portrait.)

When I tried the effect in photobucket I was less than impressed. I also tried different things in Picasa and Piknic, but to no avail. I do have pse9. (But hate using it b/c my laptop really doesn't have enough memory to work the program. ) So I am waiting to upgrade before I really try delving into it.

Here is the original pic.


Here is the painted effect (it added in a bunch of colors like yellow that I don't like).


So after the painted effect, I went in and tried to adjust the color.


But It still doesn't make it. (I want a romantic feel to it.)
any ideas?

[metric_photography]

My advice is to get a different photo editing program. Photoshop has different "artistic" filters that you can apply to look like a painting. Not sure if this is the look you are going for, but here is an idea of what you can do in photoshop.

[Michelleltn]

Originally Posted by metric_photography

My advice is to get a different photo editing program. Photoshop has different "artistic" filters that you can apply to look like a painting. Not sure if this is the look you are going for, but here is an idea of what you can do in photoshop.

So can you do that with one button in PSE? Since you were able to do it so fast?

It looks close. (It could be a little softer.) The pixels look a little more like squares, than say a painting. But I think the general effect is at least going in the right direction.

[metric_photography]

Originally Posted by Michelleltn

So can you do that with one button in PSE? Since you were able to do it so fast?

It looks close. (It could be a little softer.) The pixels look a little more like squares, than say a painting. But I think the general effect is at least going in the right direction.

Yes-- I used CS5, but maybe in Elements there is something similar. I clicked on Filter, then Artistic. I chose watercolour and then used sliders to determine sharpness, brush thickness, etc. You could adjust what you want here. I think I like pics to be sharp, so my watercolour is probably sharper than what you are looking for.

[metric_photography]

This might be more fitting for what you want....

[Michelleltn]

Yeah, that looks great, thanks!

[premgaire]

Originally Posted by metric_photography

This might be more fitting for what you want....

This is great! PS is the fastest watercolor artist. I have used Artistic Filters in PS a few times and they are mostly awesome. The guy behind PS deserves a Nobel Prize if he hasn't got already, no exaggeration!!

[Mocha]

Yes, the artistic effects are available in PSE9. And they are awesome. Because PSE10 is out, you might be able to find a copy of PSE9 for a good price. I'm not sure of the difference between the two, but PSE9 give me (hobbyist photographer) everything I need.