It is very normal in my daily work as an image creator, that I use different software for the edition of the different elements, which as in this occasion come from different techniques. It is very common, for example, to create images for architectural visualization by merging photographs and renderings from 3d models, and even then add illustrations on them.
This time I show an example of an image representing a male cape sugarbird, Promerops cafer, perched on a branch; the image is composed of a photograph taken by me to the branch of an autumn tree, to which I applied an editing style used to give a pictorial touch to the photographs, so that I get already a minor contrast between the photograph and the digital painting that I will proceed to merge.
Once I have obtained the desired style in the photograph of the scenery, I start to draw the subject, of course making sure that the values of colors and lights are consistent.
As always, each image will require different ingredients and its own recipe, but these techniques help us to take advantage of our library and put in value all our work done behind the scenes, without a defined client.
By the way, some biologist might tell me that the image is striking because of the connection between this bird and the poplar in autumn. I know it would not be the natural setting, but it was a personal work to test variations in technique 😉