Imitation Landscape Sketch or Hey! I'm a Pretend Artist!

Here's how I turned this:

Policka, Czech Republic 2007

into this:

1. Duplicate Background (as usual)

2. Remove Colour
Image>Adjustments>Gradient Map>Black and White

3. Duplicate Layer

4. Invert Image
Image>Adjustments>Invert

5. Select Blend Mode: Colour Dodge (screen will turn white)

6. Filter>Other>Minimum>1 pixel

Note: Filter>Blur>Gaussian Blur>12 pixels (6-12 pixels work best) is done instead of the above step if you're "sketching" a portrait.

7. Merge layers to a new layer by:

• (Alt+Shft+Ctrl+E) which is the shortcut, or
• Layers>Merge to a new layer while depressing Alt key

To Add Colour:

8. Duplicate background layer

9. Move background layer above all others

10. Select Blend Mode: Colour, 50%

I love the dark outlines

Faux Sketching or I Never Thought I'd Ever Use Gaussian Blur

I'm going to turn this photo of Tom Cruise into a sketch.



original

1. Duplicate Background (as usual)

2. Remove Colour
Image>Adjustments>Gradient Map>Black and White

3. Duplicate Layer

4. Invert Image
Image>Adjustments>Invert

5. Select Blend Mode: Colour Dodge (screen will turn white)

6. Filter>Blur>Gaussian Blur>12 pixels (6-12 pixels work best).

Note: Filter>Other>Minimum>1 pixel is done instead of the above step if you're "sketching" a photo that is anything other than a portrait, e.g. landscape.

7. Merge layers to a new layer by:

• (Alt+Shft+Ctrl+E) which is the shortcut, or
• Layers>Merge to a new layer while depressing Alt key

b/w sketch

To Add Colour:

8. Duplicate background layer

9. Move background layer above all others

10. Select Blend Mode: Colour, 50%

coloured sketch

Who knew Gaussian Blur could be so useful?

Hell! I'm Not Boring!

Unlike other droopy Hellebores I've tried to capture, this beauty seems to be lifting its face towards the sun.

Original

Posterized

How to Posterize:

Select Layer>New Adjustment Layer>Posterize

Note: Other options under New Adjustment Layer are: Levels, Brightness/Contrast, Hue/Saturation, Gradient Map, Invert and Threshold.

This is what Invert looks like:

Inverted

Note: I left the option under Posterize "Normal"; however, within Posterize the other options are: Dissolve, Darken, Multiply, Color Burn, Linear Burn, Lighten, Screen, Color Dodge, Linear Dodge, Overlay, Soft Light, Hard Light, Vivid Light, Linear Light, Pin Light, Difference, Exclusion, Hue, Saturation, Color and Luminosity.