Watercolor effect

[levo]

I use the words that I am able to use at the moment and I also have a language problem. anyway, I found the original and it's not private so I'm posting the whole photo. I add one thing, I remember seeing two photos with different subjects whose result was similar to that obtained in this photo and the watercolor effect as regards the jagged shape and the splashes was identical (although obviously the effect watercolor modified the different objects portrayed, and did not overlap by deleting them), so my hypothesis was that to obtain the effects of the two photos he had not used brushes but a texture.

rich2005, now i look at what you suggest

https://postimg.cc/346v5kwC

edit. rich2005, I understand but I think it's a different mode that can't replicate the example I put

[rich2005]

Well, start off with something simple. It is very similar to those edge masks I referenced but painted in.

I made a 'grunge' - type brush, quite a large one, 1000x1000 px greyscale mode image (to take FG colour when used)
Black on white with angular shapes of various densities.

Then using that brush, paint in white on a black layer mask to uncoverthe subject area. White FG uncovers, black FG hides.

example: https://i.imgur.com/VyxvmSz.mp4

[PixLab]

The blur thingy you are speaking about is what we call in photography a "shallow depth of field", which is made usually with a fast lens and/or relatively near the main subject. (I won't enter in detailed explanation)
This was not made artificially (although might have been increased artificially as this picture is already heavily processed)

This the original photo is from pexels.com  

   

You can have/do this effect in GIMP, if your photo does not have it, by separating the foreground (people and area horizontally on the same plane), and blurring different part of the background background with Filters > Blur > Gaussian blur (the Focus blur won't really work in this very picture)

For everything else, rich2005 and Ofnuts gave you extensive explanation, you should just take your time to try - re-try what they told you to perfect the technique until you're happy  

Juxtaposing the pictures, you can see what was done, it looks that everything was done ABOVE the original image, thus put your texture above, add a black layer mask to that texture, paint in white on that layer mask starting from the center with brushes explained by rich2005, use different gray > not just black and white to get different effect/opacity on the mask, and you should be good...
Way easier than what you told us what you would like to do

   

[levo]

ok, and the Gradient Tool, with the gradient editor bar that is displayed in the photo, can it have a role for the modification that I say or does it become more difficult?

[PixLab]

(06-23-2023, 10:06 AM)levo Wrote: ok, and the Gradient Tool, with the gradient editor bar that is displayed in the photo, can it have a role for the modification that I say or does it become more difficult?

If I understood what you are speaking about, look at the Ofnuts first screenshot where you can see a gradient (radial in this case) on the mask.
It's not more difficult, just a different step or just one more step

[levo]

A ramshackle modification I made, I realized that you have to play with the settings to see what happens, it's fascinating but at the same time also demoralizing for not knowing how to proceed, thanks to all for the help given

https://postimg.cc/Y4MhDXW0

[rich2005]

(06-23-2023, 04:32 PM)levo Wrote: It's fascinating but at the same time also demoralizing for not knowing how to proceed

Actually, getting a really good 'grungy' background is the hard part, the foreground faded selection however you do it is the easy bit.

[levo]

Ramshackle was to say a somewhat clumsy attempt... ;-)

[rich2005]

(06-23-2023, 05:27 PM)levo Wrote: Ramshackle was to say a somewhat clumsy attempt... ;-)

I know what you mean, ramshackle sums up most of my work.

Looking at the background, which is going to be as important as the subject, remember there are the mypaint brushes, different from the regular Gimp brushes when it comes to blending.

Adding to the grumpy-cat image, a new background.