Playing With Photoshop

I took some pictures of periwinkles in a pot. They were lackluster at best. Rather than delete them, I played with them in Photoshop using the Oil Paint filter. Although most photographers would not like what I have done, nor would oil paint artists, I think it is fun and these would make pretty note cards. Anyway, it is just for fun. My apologies to Vincent Van Gogh!

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Hopefully I can express an opinion intended to help you without criticism from others.

I've never been a big fan of pixel bender (called oil paint from CS6 forward). Doesn't really look like oil to me.

HOWEVER, if you enjoy doing this sort of thing, may I recommend Topaz Impressions? It can create unbelievable stunning results. Available as a standalone. Sorry, don't know the price. If you don't have it, take it for a test drive.

Then there is always Corel Painter. Expensive? You bet... overpriced. But if you wait for sales, promos, and coupon codes you can save a lot. I got painter 2016 for something like $162.

And it has a very strong learning curve. But, AFAIC, it's the king of the hill. Total control over painting and you can also add brush / bristle strokes. Take a look at this example. Use the hi-res tool. You can see the brush strokes on the house and tree. I'm new and still learning. But IMHO, it can produce results photoshop can't begin to reach.

Hope the advice helps. Happy painting.