Sherlock - Step by step

This is the step-by-step process of how I painted "Sherlock."
kstarrlynn.deviantart.com/art/…


1) I'm not so great at drawing people with my tablet and making it look perfect, so I traced Benedict's face in Photoshop. I used a screenshot from one of the Sherlock episodes and traced him on a new layer. I also traced the major color changes so it would look sort of like a paint-by-number. After I traced him, I removed the screenshot from underneath the tracing and opened the screenshot in a different window to use it as a reference, not to trace the colors.

2) I blocked in all the colors in a layer underneath the tracing, using the eyedropper to take color samples from the reference.

3) I had to hide the drawing layer to make sure I filled in all the white space.

4) I then blended the colors on his face, adding extra colors and values as I needed. I looked off the reference and used the tracing layer as guides as to where to paint all the colors and how to blend them. I used the paintbrush tool and the finger-smudging tool.

5) I added a background early on in the process. I think it helped me to paint with it behind my painting rather than just having a white background.

6) I added details to the face such as wrinkles, skin texture, more shadows or highlights, etc. I used a noise filter for the skin and erased that noise from the eyes, eyebrows, and lips. I used the blur tool to soften the noise. I used the dodge and burn tools to add wrinkles, shadows, and highlights.

For the hair, I had to make two layers: one for the base color and one for the hair details. I noticed that the hair on the previous layers was creating unwanted shapes beneath the hair details, so I had to either hide those layers or erase the hair from them. For the details, I used a small brush, the smudge tool, and the blur tool.

7) Next, I blended the colors on his clothes, put a noise filter on the jacket and I think a couple textures on the shirt collar. I softened the filters with the blur tool and adjusted the colors.

That's it! I began painting it in Photoshop, but finished it up in Photoshop Elements 10. I ran into a few problems while making it, but I made use of several layers, and kept things organized, and figured it all out. I took screenshots throughout the process (which came in handy making this ^). I'm pretty content with the way it turned out.

Once again, I want to make it clear that I do not necessarily like Benedict Cumberbatch. I didn't really like him as Sherlock Holmes. But he seems to be fun to draw so far. I've tried drawing Matt Smith, but it doesn't turn out so well. I've done one other Sherlock piece and several Doctor Who pieces, but I don't want to consider myself one of those people who do mainly do fan art or draw the same actor a thousand times. Buuut since I like BBC's Doctor Who and Sherlock, I'm sure I will end up doing several more drawings related to the shows.
Like I said, I don't own BBC's Doctor Who or Sherlock, I just watch them.