How to make your own Julian Opie portait.
 

Julian Opie is a British artist famous for his work on the BlurGreatest Hits album cover.

Below is a tutorial about how to make your own Julian Opie style portrait.

It is design for Adobe Photoshop, however is you use Paint Shop Pro or similar you should be able to follow the basics.

...Once finished submit your portrait here... or just visit it to see the work of others.

     
1.

Start by making a new image.

File > New

Select the size. If you are going to print the final portrait select either A3 or A4 from the Preset Sizes menu and set the resolution to a minimum of 50 pixels/cm. (100 pixels.cm for high quality)

 
2.

Open your source photo.

It doesn't matter if you have your eyes half closed...as with this picture.

Select the part of the photo you want using the marquee selection tool

Edit > Copy

Click on your empty picture you just made

Edit > Paste

 

3.

You will probably now need to resize the photo in yout picture.

Press Ctrl+T to free transform it

Advanced Tip: When resizing the picture hold down the Shift key to keep the picture in proportion.

It doesn't matter if the photo does not fill the whole frame.

4.

Make a new layer and call it 'Hair'.

Layer > New > Layer

Name the layer hair in the pop up window.

 

5.

Using the lasso tool trace around your hair.

Advanced Tip: To select more that more area of hair with the lasso hold down the Shift Key.

6.

Advanced Tip: To make you lasso selection slightly smoother, if you have a wobbley hand then click...

Select > Modify > Smooth

and smooth anywhere between 10 and 20 pixels. You may need to experiment. If you smooth too much your hair will start looking the wrong shape.

  
7.

Now use the colour palette to select a suitable colour for you hair.

Then using the Paint Bucket Tool fill your hair.

 

8.

Now make a new layer and call is 'Hair Highlights'

Make the Hair Layer invisible by clicking on the eye next to the layer in the Layer Window.

Now you can see your hair on the photo to trace highlights

Fill these a slightly lighter colour.

9.

Make a new layer called Face and use the Lasso tool to draw around your face

You do not have to be accurate on parts of your face covered my hair. But take your time to trace your chin accurately.

Smooth your selection (step 6)

Fill you face with a suitable colour.

 
10.

If you find that the your face is on top of your hair you can reorder your layers by dragging the face layer down the layer list

Learn more about moving layers here

 
11.

Now make a new layer called 'features'.

Using the pencil tool set to a large size click on 2 eyes

(you will need to make the face layer invisible to see your eyes on the photo layer)

Make the pencil the right size for the eyes by moving the Master Diameter slider up and down.

The eyes also have a small white dot in them. Make the brush smaller and select a white colour.

 

12.

Stay on the 'features' layer

Use the lasso tool to trace one eyebrow.

Hold down the Shift Key and trace the other eyebrow.

Smooth your selection

Fill the black with the Paint Bucket Tool.

 

13.

Stay on the 'features' layer

Now used the lasso tool to draw trace your nostrils and your mouth.

Fill these selections.
14.

Photoshop Only Tip:

We are now going to put a black line around your face.

Select the 'face' layer

Right click on the 'face' layer in the layer window.

Select 'blending options' from the pop up window.

15.

Click the word Stroke.

You can now change the colour of the stroke to black and alter the thickness of the line.

Experiment until it looks right.
16.

Now add your neck and ears.

Make new layers, one for your ears and one for your neck.

Use the lasso tool to trace them, then fill them.

You can also add a stroke for them.

I have also drawn some black lines on the ears using the pencil tool.

 

17.

Your clothes are made in the same way. The shirt in this picture is made on a few layers.

'Shirt': Trace the shirt with the lasso tool and fill.

'Collar': Trace the collar seperate

'Shirt highlights': Trace light patches on the shirt and fill a lighter colour

 

 
18.

The tie and jacket are made in the same way.

 

  
19.

Finally, Make one last layer. Move it to the back in the layer order window and fill it a colour.

To see it make sure you make your photo layer invisible.

IMPORTANT: SAVING WORK.

When saving work to email people or upload to this site save your picture as a GIF not a JPG. It will be better quality.

 

 
     
 

Send us your results to put on the website.

Make sure you only send a jpeg version of your photo. The photoshop file will be too big.

You can also send the original photo of yourself so other people can compare them.

HOWEVER, if the portrait is not of you please don't send the original photo, we don't like putting peoples photos on the internet without their permission.