You can create a text portrait with a digital image and photo-editing software.
There are a myriad of great ways you can use your graphic design skills to edit a portrait. You can add vector images to the portrait; you can add texture; you can adjust the lighting in the portrait. However, one unique way to edit a portrait is to use photo editing software, such as Gimp or Adobe Photoshop, to turn the original portrait into a work of art that uses words to form the face.
Instructions
1. Open the portrait that you want to use in your image editing software. A black and white portrait with a clear background is a good choice. Once you open the photo, look for "Layers" in your menu. Name the layer "Template."
2. Crop out the background of the picture using the "Polygonal Lasso Tool." Click "Image." Go to Brightness and Contrast, and adjust the brightness to +29, and the contrast to +41.
3. Click "Image" again, and then go to Adjustments and then go to "Posterize." When you get to Posterize, change the level of the setting to five. Change the Opacity of the picture to 40. "Opacity" can be found right above the Layers section.
4. Select the "Pen Tool" and then click on the edge of one eye in your photo. Drag your cursor to the other edge of the eye to make a straight line.
5. Select the "Anchor Point Tool" and then click the center of the line you created in Step 4. While clicking, left-click your mouse and drag it aloft, until you reach the bottom of the upper eyelashes of the eye. The process should result in an upper curve from one end of the eye to the other.
6. Select the "Horizontal Type Tool" and then click on the left side of the curve you made. After clicking, type one of the words that you want in your image. For example, if you type "Beautiful," the word should cover the entire eyelid and more than half of the eyelashes. You can adjust the Fonts and the format of them, so that they cover the eyelid perfectly.
7. Select the "Ellipse Tool," and make a circle inside the eye. Adjust the size and the roundness of the circle using the "Direct Selection Tool." Click on the first point in the circle using the "Horizontal Type Tool," and type another word or phrase. The text surround the circle.
8. Perform the same process on the rest of the portrait. Use the Pen Tool for the long curves, such as the shape of the face and hair. Use the Ellipse Tool for the circles, such as the other iris and the nostrils. Delete the Template layer when you are done.
