The photo above (left) is my beautiful wife and our son. Taken some 15-16 years ago, it is one of my favorites. I scanned it in on a cheap HP all-in-one printer. Original isn't all that important... it's the magic that happens during the process that follows. I learned about the technique at various on-line, retouching/photography sites. It involves using custom brushes, smudging, brushing and dodging, etc., etc.. And it requires a pressure sensitive brush, and the sensitivity (touch) of actual painting - without the muss and fuss of dragging out my oils and canvass. Click on the images above to see a higher res version of each.
If you would like to see a close-up of the faces click on one of these two links:
