Jonathan,
Oh wow, I didn’t know that my questions was all over the place. I did in fact, post this question in both the Photoshop and Illustrator forums as I thought the look could be accomplished using both mediums. I will ask once more, in a concrete fashion of course.
but just in case anyone pops into this thread the question is, I am attempting to achieve this rustic (vintage) floral look using a flower I shot on my camera. I have tried several things, but cannot achieve the almost illustrated look that I seek. It will be printed on a paper medium, so overlook the wooden piece. It was posted to give off the basic look I wanted to achieve- of course when printed on wood it takes on a different textural aesthetic.
Burci