Photo-Art

[raven4ns]

Hello,
I am looking for a program that will create photo-art yet allow me to have a good bit of control over how it looks if I want to. I have tried Topaz simplify and wasn't fussy about it, I also tried DAP and liked it but wanted to have more control than what it offers. The auto nature of a painting program is appealing but I want to control the strokes, intensity, direction etc if possible. On my website I tried using PS CS2 and perhaps this is the way I will have to go, however, I am not a painter just an amateur photographer.
If anyone is using software that will allow you to do what I have stated above, please let me know. I find PS difficult to use with a steep learning curve and if I am away from it for a while I need to relearn it all over again. Any and all help is appreciated especially from those who have already gone through what I am attempting to do. Thank you.

[Marko]

Hello,
I am looking for a program that will create photo-art yet allow me to have a good bit of control over how it looks if I want to. I have tried Topaz simplify and wasn't fussy about it, I also tried DAP and liked it but wanted to have more control than what it offers. The auto nature of a painting program is appealing but I want to control the strokes, intensity, direction etc if possible. On my website I tried using PS CS2 and perhaps this is the way I will have to go, however, I am not a painter just an amateur photographer.
If anyone is using software that will allow you to do what I have stated above, please let me know. I find PS difficult to use with a steep learning curve and if I am away from it for a while I need to relearn it all over again. Any and all help is appreciated especially from those who have already gone through what I am attempting to do. Thank you.

You can do TONS with CS2, you just have to play (despite the learning curve). Lots of choices will be located under FILTER....LOTS.

For an AMAZING painting art program there's Painter 11 http://www.corel.com/servlet/Satelli...3#tabview=tab0
I have not used that program in years, but you have FULL control over brush strokes etc...It's a way way way cool tool to create art or photo art. (but like CS2, there IS indeed a learning curve).

[QuisutDeus]

There is a wonderful plug-in called SnapArt that I use for my photo-art creations.

SnapArt

[F8&Bthere]

I don't know if you will find this helpful in any way, but I recently listened to an insteresting podcast (available with video too though), which was an interview with a photographer that does painted portraits. Her name is Winifred Whitfield and she uses Corel Painter and a tablet to enhance her images. Try this link if you are interested....
Episode 015 - Winifred Whitfield Video

[raven4ns]

Thank you everyone for your suggestions. I have purchased PE 4 and will try that for now.

[raven4ns]

I requested the information from Corel about the algorithm that handled the auto-paint in Painter 11 vs PE 4 and was told it was the same. For those people who only want the auto-paint feature you may as well get it with PE 4 and save yourself some money and a less complex piece of software. I hope this information might be of some use to those trying to decide between the two auto-paint features in these programs.