Realism, disguised with abstraction, makes for interesting artwork. Abstract art has no boundaries, no set of protocols and no clear message. The fun part is that even though you've created the piece with a certain subject in mind, every viewer will comprehend it according to their thinking and imagination and arrive at different conclusions. Realism is important because it helps to connect with the viewers.
When a famous personality is your subject, it's important to think beyond how others have portrayed him/her. It gives you the chance to surprise not only yourself as an artist but also the audience. Doing some research, like going through some of the best creative works on the subject, is always recommended. You'll notice that most portraits are hand-drawn sketches or paintings. That's why exploring the digital medium can work wonders as it gives you limitless scope and opportunities to experiment.
Creating digital portraits makes your work stand out. It also allows for the beautiful creation and merging of abstract elements along with unique colours. Now that's different!
Our subconscious mind is capable of communicating with colours. After all, they are the expressions of our emotions, feelings, thoughts and moods. That's why, most of the time, you'll find that the colours you chose were done without a thought. Sometimes it's better not to plan them and let them be spontaneous. However, sometimes they need to be monitored with respect to the design. The primary colour is an important ingredient as it sets the mood. Including a splash of contrasting colours supports and emphasizes the message and feeling which are embedded in the design.
Colours are like a language. Like certain words hold different meanings when used in different contexts, so do colours. You can use the same colour to represent a smile in one artwork and laughter in another. It's how you combine it with other colours and look at a painting as a whole to tell the complete story.
Using real photographs in your artwork and building around it is equally challenging. You need the right photographs, to begin with. Once you've got it, you start planning what effect or things you want to do with it. The best way is to work along the way and alter your design numerous times before you finish. You add an element and then maybe tomorrow when you look at it again, you replace it with something better. That's how your design grows and a photograph evolves from a subject into a story and finally becomes a piece of art.