IN this material I will tell you how, without much time and any in-depth knowledge and tricks, turn portrait photography into a pencil drawing (sketch).
In this material, I will use Photoshop version CS6, but the actions and commands used in the article are suitable for all versions of Photoshop up to CS3.
Below I have provided an image with the original and the finished result. In the picture on the left you see the original photo, and on the right the final image that we will get after applying the actions described in the article:
The first thing we'll start with is creating a copy of the original image. Open the photo in Photoshop, then open the layers palette (press F7) and press Ctrl+J, after which the background layer will be duplicated:
The copy will be located above the background layer and highlighted in blue, which tells us that this layer is active. We will perform all further actions with this copy of the image, leaving the original untouched.
Now we need to desaturate the image. To do this, go to the main menu tab Image --> Correction --> Discolor (Image --> Adjustments --> Desaturate) or simply press the key combination Ctrl+Shift+U.
Now we need to create a duplicate of the black and white layer, in this moment We have it active (highlighted in blue), so to duplicate it, press Ctrl+J again:
Invert the layer colors. Go to the main menu tab Image --> Correction --> Invert (Image --> Adjustments --> Invert) or simply press the key combination Ctrl+I.
This action in our case inverts the brightness values, which makes the light areas dark and the dark areas light, in other words, we get a negative photo:
Change the blending mode of this layer to “Color Dodge”. In this case, the working document window will be filled with white. Depending on the look of your photo, there may be some black areas remaining in some places, but the majority of the document will be filled with white:
Now go to the main menu tab Filter --> Blur --> Gaussian Blur (Filter --> Blur --> Gaussian Blur)
This opens the corresponding filter dialog box. Start moving the Radius slider to the right and you will see a sketch effect begin to appear in the document. The further you move the slider, the more blur effect will be applied and, accordingly, the intensity of the sketch effect will increase. However, if you move the slider too far, halftones will appear and the pencil drawing effect will disappear. In my case, I settled on a value of 12.5 pixels:
Right-click on the active (top) layer, and a context menu will open in which move the mouse cursor to the “Merge Visible” item, hold down the Alt key and left-click on this item. Thanks to holding Alt, we will have a new layer consisting of two merged upper (visible) layers. During this manipulation, the appearance of the photo in the working document window will not change. This is what the layers palette will look like:
Let's change the blending mode of this new layer to "Multiply" (Multiply), this action will darken the lines in the sketch. If you find that the lines have become too dark, reduce the Opacity value of the layer. I lowered the Opacity to 50%:
On at this stage black and white drawing ready, and if you just need a black and white drawing from a color photograph, then you can stop. If you want to add colors to the sketch, then follow several steps below.
So let's continue. Let's make a copy of the background layer located at the bottom of the layers palette, for which we left-click on this layer and press the Ctrl + J combination, and a new layer will be created directly above the original.
But we need this layer to add colors to the sketch, so we’ll drag it with the mouse to the very top in the layers palette.
Now all that remains is to change the blending mode to “Color” (Color) and reduce the Opacity (Opacity), in my example I set the Opacity value to 65%:
Take another look at the end result:
FotoSketcher is a free graphic editor with which you can turn a photo into a drawing using a large number of effects. The program turns images into drawings made with pencil or paints in different styles. Instead of a regular photograph, you will receive a painting painted by the artist's hand.
With FotoSketcher, you can discover the artist in you by turning photo images into paintings. Photos taken in FotoSketcher will be noticeably different from photos taken with a camera; if you try, you can create a real work of art in this wonderful program.
The name of the FotoSketcher program in Russian can be translated as photo sketch (sketch or outline). As a result of modification, a photograph (image) becomes a drawing or painting.
In FotoSketcher you can create images not only in the form of drawings made in different techniques, in the photo editor you can improve original photographs: add or reduce brightness, increase contrast, color saturation, change the size, crop the image, sign the picture, add watermarks, send for printing, etc.
You can download FotoSketcher from the official website of the developer. The program runs on the Windows operating system; the application has a Russian interface language.
fotosketcher download
After launch, the main FotoSketcher window will open. At the top of the program window there are two panels: a menu bar and a button panel. The program is controlled from the menu bar.
Using the buttons, you can access the most popular functions of the program. Almost any graphic editor has similar functions: open an image, save an image, copy to the clipboard, paste, undo an action, crop, resize, add text, send to print, etc.
By default, in the main window of the program to demonstrate its capabilities, the initial image is open on the right side of the window, and the processed drawing, made in the form of a hand-drawn picture, is on the left side of the window. You can practice with this image, or add an image from your computer to the editor.
The program can be controlled not only with the mouse, but also with the help of “hot keys”. Click on the “Edit” menu item. In the context menu that opens, you will see which commands correspond to the keyboard keys.
Creating a drawing in FotoSketcher
Select the starting image, open it in the program, and then click on the “Picture Options...” button. This will open a new Drawing Options window. Here you can load settings (if settings have been saved previously), save settings, or reset settings to default.
First you need to choose a drawing style. A large number of different effects are available in the FotoSketcher program:
- 6 pencil sketch effects
- 2 ink pen sketch effects
- 10 painting effects (watercolor, oil)
- 7 stylized effects (cartoon, mosaic)
- 3 other effects
- 1 option without effects (frame, texture, text)
In the “Drawing style” setting, you need to select one of the presented styles: drawing made in pencil, ink, painting, cartoon, mosaic, etc.
When you move the mouse cursor over a certain style, you will see that a fragment of the image made in this style. This makes it easier to choose the right option.
After selecting a style, a fragment of the drawing will be displayed in the Drawing Options window. This fragment can be enlarged to show full size images, reduced to fit the window size. This thumbnail image can be moved with the mouse in order to see different areas future drawing.
Now you can modify the image in accordance with the selected style: adjust the color intensity, contrast level, etc. Each style has its own settings. The Brush Guide button lets you change the size of the brush you'll use to create your drawing.
Apply various filters to give the image the desired look. Experiment to create a painting made in a certain style based on your ideas. Try to create a simple drawing first, and then, after you acquire the necessary skills, you can move on to creating more complex images.
After selecting the settings, click on the “Draw!” button. The project will take some time to process, so please wait until it is completed.
After processing is completed, the image is stored on the computer. If the result obtained is noticeably different from what was planned, then you can try to create several options before settling on a more suitable design.
This image shows that this is no longer a photograph, but a watercolor painting. The author of these lines studied in childhood art school, so I tried to make the drawing look like it was made watercolor paints(I liked watercolor best).
In a similar way, you can get creative by turning photos into paintings written in different styles.
In the final version, the image can be framed and a caption can be added to the picture. Try, create, create portraits, landscapes, etc. In order for you to succeed good paintings, independent experience in working with the program is required.
Conclusions of the article
The free program FotoSketcher is a graphic editor for image processing. With the help of FotoSketcher, ordinary images are turned into paintings painted by the artist's hand. The program has a wide selection of effects for turning a photo into a drawing made in different styles of painting and graphics.
Exist talented people capable of creating amazing realistic paintings. But if you're not one of them, today's tutorial will help you achieve a similar effect using Adobe Photoshop. In this tutorial you will learn how to create a painted effect from a photograph. In this case, you do not need to use a brush, since the entire process is based on effects.
The effect we want to achieve in this tutorial is to simulate realistic brush strokes. This technique is great for turning a photo into an illustration, for example for creating retro posters.
Open your image in Photoshop. The example uses a portrait from Shutterstock. Add a Curves adjustment layer and darken the dark areas and lighten the light ones to increase the contrast.
Press CMD/Ctrl+J twice to duplicate the background layer twice. Switch to the top copy and select the High Pass effect from the Filters menu.
Adjust the effect so that image details appear in gray background. A small value - about 1-3px - will help avoid creating a halo.
Change the blending mode for this layer to Linear Light. The image now looks sharper. These sharpened areas will help us create brush strokes, particularly in the hair.
Combine the High Pass effect layer with a copy of the background layer located below it, then select Filter > Stylize > Diffuse from the menu.
Select Anisotropic diffusion mode. This is the key to creating the brush stroke effect.
If you look at the work up close, you'll notice some ugly spots in areas where the diffusion repeats. We'll fix that now.
From the menu, select Image > Image Rotation > 90° CW/Image>Image Rotation>90° Clockwise, then press CMD/Ctrl+F to repeat the Diffuse filter.
Repeat the same procedure, rotating the image 90° again and applying the Diffuse filter again. Repeat this step a third time and rotate the image again, returning it to its correct position.
The Diffuse filter created a cool brush stroke effect, but blurred the image a little. To fix this, select Filter > Sharpen > Smart Sharpen/Filter>Sharpen>Custom Sharpening from the menu. Use a value around 100%, but within a small radius so as not to overdo it.
The result already looks good. Diffuse created swirling details on the skin, making the image look even more like it was painted. But there is one more step you can take to make your work look like it was drawn on a computer. Select Surface Blur from the Filter > Blur > Blur menu. Specify a Radius of about 50px and a Threshold of about 15. If you set these parameters correctly, the effect will only affect large, flat areas of the image.
Our painted image effect is ready!
The effect looks especially good up close.
Translation – Desk
Many users want to somehow edit their photo, make it more beautiful or noticeable. There are many programs for editing photos and applying effects that have long been known to everyone, as well as the effects from them. In order not to repeat yourself every time by posting pictures that are similar in processing, you can convert the photo into a pencil drawing. This will undoubtedly draw immediate attention to the image.
You can perform this operation in several ways. To begin with, you can use serious graphic editors, which are installed on the user’s computer, and carry out all actions through them. If the user does not like this method, then you can use applications for mobile devices or go to online services and do everything with their help. This article will tell you exactly how and with what applications you can make a pencil photo from your picture.
How to make a pencil drawing from a photo online
First, let's take a look at the work online services, which allow you to convert a photo into a pencil drawing because they do not require the installation of additional software to the user's computer, which may be an important factor if the photo is only being converted or if it will not be done very often. This section will list several services on which you can perform the required operation.
Photo Phunia
The user can find the service itself at the link photofunia.com. A page with a pencil effect will immediately open. It is quite easy to use and does not require any special skills, there is also no need for lengthy and precise adjustment of various parameters. You just need to go to the specified site, after which you should upload a photo to it; this can be done either from a computer, a laptop or a mobile device. To select a photo, click on Browse.
After this, all that remains is to choose whether the user wants to get a color drawing or a black and white one. Now follows click on create, then wait for processing to complete, look at the result and, if it suits the user, save the pencil drawing back to your device.
Croper
This service is located at the link croper.ru. To take a photo with a pencil in this online photoshop, the user will need to hover over the item Files menu, then select the desired source download option from the list and specify the path to the photo. Now all that remains is to find the section of the menu that will carry out the desired transformation; in our case, it’s worth going through the following items “Operations” - “Effects” - “ Pencil" Several new parameters will appear at the top, which will be responsible for the rendering methods; you can “play” with them and decide which image is best suited.
Now all you have to do is click on Apply, and then wait for the conversion to complete. In the final drawing, you can slightly change the contrast, after which you can download the photo converted into a pencil drawing to your device.
Programs for creating a drawing from a photo
Now that the simplest and fastest methods have been described, we can move on to a description of the specialized software that needs to be installed on the computer.
How to make a drawing from a photo in Photoshop
It’s quite easy to make a pencil drawing from a photograph in Photoshop. Unfortunately, there is no single filter that turns a photo into a drawing, so you need to follow the following procedure.
After the user installs the Adobe Photoshop program on his computer, he will need to launch it and open there the image on which the work will be done. After this, you should find the tab “ Adjustments" (Correction), which will be located on the style display panel, then click on the tool " Hue"(Shade). 
After these steps, another one will appear in the list that contains all layers, allowing you to change the shade palette. It's called Hue/Saturation.
You need to go into it and move the slider Saturation(Saturation) to the far left position. 
This action will bring the image to black and white. Now you need to go to layers again and select the background there. 
Now follows copy it. To do this, find the Layer item in the main menu, click on it, and then click on “New Layer” - “Layer via Copy”. 
Now you will have to use the main menu again, in it you need to find Image, then click on “Adjustments” - “ Invert"(Correction - Inversion). These steps will allow you to display the photo as a negative. Now you will need to select a copy of the background layer in the list and click on the item Color Dodge
Now you need to go to the layer menu. 
In this menu you need to convert to " Smart Object"(Smart object). Now it's a smart object and it has a label. 
Now you need to apply a few more menu items. To get started, click on Filter(Filters), then go to the “Blur” item and click on “ Gaussian Blur" (Gaussian blur). Set the radius to 12. 
At this point everything will be finished, you can save the result. 
If you need a color drawing, you should activate the color option in layers. 
GIMP
This is a free image editor that will help you turn a photo into a pencil portrait. You can find out more about it on the official website. After installing a program that makes a drawing from a photo, you will need to open the image that will be manipulated.
To make a sketch from a photo, you need to click on “Color”, then click on “ Discolor" Next, you should go to layers and copy the background layer, and then work with this copy.
Now you should click on “Filter”, and then click on “ Edge selection" - "Edge". A window with settings will open, you need to set the same as in the figure. That is, “Lightness”, Laplace Algorithm, Magnitude 2.0, “Blur”. 
The last step left is to click on “Color”, and then select “ Invert». 
You can also watch the whole process in the video:
Paint.NET
The main advantage of Paint.NET is its ease of use. Pictures before and after processing are shown in the figure. 
First you need open image, then select it, go to effects and click on “ Oil painting" A window with parameters will appear. Here it is worth experimenting and choosing those values at which the drawing will be most liked by the user.
After that, you can go to effects, select styling and indicate Bas-relief.
Now you should go to the layers, select the one in which the work took place, and then select the option blending mode and click on the overlap. This will remove grey colour from the final contour drawing.
Programs for Android
For those who mainly use mobile devices, programs were also invented. This section will identify applications that can apply the desired effect, and will also provide instructions on how to use them.
Prisma
Prisma learns with every use, so no two images or effects are the same. All the user needs to do is download it from the store and install it. After that, you can add photos and images to it. 
After adding, the user will be able to select below necessary filters, you can choose the drawing method of one of the famous artists as your style.
Pencil drawing
In the case of Pencil Drawing, everything is also quite simple. You need to download and install the program, after which you can add saved files to the application, or take a new photo. 
At the top you can set image type. For a color drawing, you should choose a colored pencil, and for a monochrome image, you should choose black and white.
Sketch Cameras
You need to install Sketch Cameras, upload a photo, and select color scheme
. It can also be configured in the parameters, which are located just above. The painted photo effect is applied automatically. 
After completing the work, you can click on share and send the photo to social networks.
