By PAGE Editor

More Opportunities Than Ever

It’s become a trendy thing to change pictures into fine paintings, and you can actually draw a little more beauty from the images you’ve captured this way. It’s a great move for families, for school photos, for pictures of pets, and much more. The thing is, there are more options available today than many realize.

Where before modern computer tech, if you wanted to change a picture into a painted portrait, you’d have to do it yourself or hire somebody, now there are endless software “apps”. So with that in mind, here we’ll cover six ways to turn photos into paintings in 2021. We’ll look at old classic methods and new means of transforming photos to help inform your choice here.

1. Winging It: Converting A Portrait With A Canvas And Paints

There are always the old methods to consider. The way in which portraits were made into paintings before involved specific techniques. Nearly transparent paper can be fitted over a photograph, you can do a line drawing with a pencil to get the details right, then add in colors later.

Even if you’re not that skilled, you might produce something that captures the spirit of the picture. This does take some practice, though, and can be a real undertaking; so unless you’re interested in that sort of thing, there are quicker, easier methods in 2021.

2. Free Online Filters—Homogenous And Common, But Effective

The go-to for that “painted” effect on pictures right now is just to apply a “filter” like those available through Instagram. Here’s the thing: such filters have a “homogenous” output. That is: all pictures fed through them will come out looking a certain way, and it becomes easily evident to the eye of those who have used such filters what you’ve done.

If you don’t need an original product, great! This is the way to go. If you’re trying to do something unique, which individually captures the spirit of your unique photo, this probably isn’t your best bet. That said, there are countless free apps out there these days.

3. Companies That Professionally Convert Photos

This entry is sort of a marriage between an individual artist doing the work, and software technology doing the heavy lifting. Many today are getting dog portraits from Instapainting, and you can follow the link to explore how effectively this is done. Each painting is unique from this provider. Businesses like them are all over, and represent a great method here.

4. Commissioning An Individual Artist

This is something that could always be done—and has been done for many centuries. Instead of turning a picture into a painting yourself, you can hire an artist who understands how to do so professionally. There are artists who can produce photo-realistic output, simultaneously making it better than a picture or a portrait could be on its own.

5. Software Like Photoshop

Photoshop: the “oldie but goodie” of picture transformation—this option has been in regular use since the nineties, but it’s a bit complex. That said, you’re able to more directly control filters and other details applied to a given picture. That said, effective software like Photoshop can be expensive. There are online “knock-offs” that are free; but they have their own issues.

6. The New Old: Rotoscoping

Rotoscoping was the process by which “real-life” or “natural” film was made several decades ago. It is still in use today, but primarily in an artistic way that’s deliberate. Rotoscoping is basically the predecessor of computer animation in movies like Ralph Bakshi’s The Fellowship of the Ring and The Two Towers.

When the process started, it was cutting edge. Especially if you’ve got a series of photos collected together like film, this can be a great option. You can get multiple pictures made into photos.

Making The Most Out Of Your Photos With Modern Options

You could paint the portrait yourself. There are online options which are sometimes free—they’re pretty basic, but they do the trick. Some companies like Instapainting make conversion their core business, and they can really do a bang-up job. You might commission an individual artist, but this is more expensive. Then there are photoshop and rotoscoping options.

Some of these are older methods, some are newer methods. In 2021, they’re all at your fingertips. It all depends on how in-depth and aesthetically profound you want the final portrait to be. So explore what’s out there, and determine which of these avenues represents the best approach for the photography you’re looking to transform.

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