The PhotoSketching Battle Continues!

[madster]

I am bound and determined to try to master, or at least be comfortable with making photos look sketched with pencil or charcoal. Thanks to Julie, Ron, and Drapier for the lively discussions and hints!

The action still didn't give me the effect I'm seeing in my mind, so I keep trying different techniques in Photoshop...

Here's my latest version:
http://www.wetcanvas.com/Community/images/11-Nov-2002/Barn.jpg
Which I created from this pic:
http://www.wetcanvas.com/Community/images/11-Nov-2002/BarnOriginal.jpg
Getting better, bit by byte!:p

[Ozzie]

Madster..............I really like your photo. Keep at it, you'll get it. Got some instructors here. Good luck.


Ozzie

[haggis63]

As a struggling learner, do you mind if I have a go at this one?

Alan

[madster]

Please, Please DO!

It's only because of some of the recent works and photographs from the rest of you that I've even tried to achieve that almost mythical grail in Photoshop of making a photo look like it was drawn! My stuff is ALWAYS open to reinterpretation by my fellow WC'ers! That's why I try to post the photo I've worked from, although I sometimes feel guilty of clogging up the forums!
:rolleyes:

Good Luck Alan, have Fun!:)

Maddy

[haggis63]

Here ya go then:

Alan :)

http://www.wetcanvas.com/Community/images/12-Nov-2002/haggis-horse2.jpg

[madster]

Ooh OOH, what'd you do?!?

What a wonderful effect!:clap: That's more of what I keep seeing in my head that I can't quite click the right buttons to achieve!

WOW! Please, Alan, ya gotta share that secret....pretty please?
Fabulous job!

Maddy

[haggis63]

If you have even one talented bone in your body you'd be better following the likes of Trimoon's Photoshop tutorial or Julie's PSP tutorial. I on the over hand, not having a single talented bone in my body when it comes to sketching things in by hand etc, have been playing around with the following ideas.

This was done in Paintshop Pro. It may seem a bit convoluted but here's a simplified version of what I've done:

1. choose a photo
2. Make a duplicate layer
3. With the top layer: convert it to a negative Image
4. Reduce to Grey Scale
5. Turn colours back up to 24 bit
6. Set layer Opacity to 100% and Blend Mode to Dodge
The photo will all but dissapear
7. Do a Gausian Blur somewhere between between 3 and 10
8. Merge all layers
9. Increase colours back to 16M colours
10.Make a duplicate layer
11.Effect-Artistic Effects-Charcoal I used detail at about 90 and opacity 100
12. Set layer opacity between 80 to 90% and blend mode to burn
13. Merge all layers
14.Use Eraser with opacity varying between 30 to 50 % to eat away the edges of the photo
15.Make New Layer - All White
16.Add noise
17.Do a Motion Blur - Intensity 40 Angle 240
18.Use automatic contrast enhancement to darken it
19.Adjust layer opacity way down so you can see your picture through it

As well as the above I've constantly sharpened, blurred, darkened bits and pieces, erased, textured, cloned etc etc to get what I wanted. It's far from perfect but I'm convinced with a bit more tweaking one could vastly improve on this method.

Alan

[drapier]

Sketch Effects (http://store.yahoo.com/forwarddesign/sketcheffect.html) and Photoshop

http://www.wetcanvas.com/Community/images/12-Nov-2002/Barndrapier.jpg

[geckonia]

I hear ya maddy... these guys make it look much easier than it is! I actually think your sketch looks great. The only thing that looks computer generated is the angles of the strokes. They're all the same... I think that's the hardest thing you need to overcome. Mike's version is better, but I don't think the strokes work in the sky... I think what I'm getting at is maybe use these techniques in concert with one another on different portions of your image to get the overall effect you want. For instance, I think the grass in Mike's version looks great, but like the way your barn looks more orderly.

Great stuff guys... I'm so slow at this I'm still working on my first one! lol...

[madster]

I really like Drapier's horsie!:D

[drapier]

http://www.wetcanvas.com/Community/images/12-Nov-2002/Barnburning.jpg

I stole Haggis' moon

[geckonia]

Mike, did you set that barn on fire? Lol... I know how much you like fires in your pictures... great manip... the blue and yellow are really nice together and the moon.... great addition!

:clap: :clap: :clap:

[jsr88]

ARGH!!!!! I missed this one. (But I understand, after seeing the date...why.)

OH....you guys have done a POSITIVELY WONDERFUL JOB here!! EVERYONE!!!

Alan...I'm "stealing" your instructions so I can see if *I* can do it!
(And I'd say that there are some pretty talented "BONES" in this group...even some of them just might be affectionately renamed "bone-HEADS!!!" :D )

Y'all...keep up the GREAT WORK...and I'll be back later.

Thanks Maddy!!