What you are proposing to create probably would be considered a
derivative of the original, and creating derivatives is an
exclusive right of the copyright holder. You would need permission from the artist-photographer to use his work.
In order to use the copyrighted work of another as the basis for your own work without authorization from the copyright holder and without infringing, you would have to add original expression and new meaning to make your work
transformative.
I have often used Jeffrey Koons as an example on this forum. Koons is an "appropriation" artist. His artistic creations are often based on the creative works of others. And he has been sued for copyright infringement many times as a result.
The courts in the Koons' cases have ruled in favor of the plaintiffs, judging Koons' work to be a derivative of the original, and the courts have ruled in favor of Koons, judging Koons' work to be transformative. Koons lost another infringement case in France late last year.
Reading through the various courts' analyses is an education on the difference between derivative works and transformative works.
Here to start is a link to
Rogers v. Koons, 960 F.2d 301 (2d Cir. 1992):
https://h2o.law.harvard.edu/cases/5190
In
Rogers, the Court found Koons infringed on Rogers' photo copyright.
In
Blanch v. Koons, 467 F.3d 244 (2d Cir. 2006), the Court found Koons' work, that used Blanch's photograph, transformative.
https://cyber.harvard.edu/people/tfisher/IP/2006 Blanch Abridged.pdf