Portraits of people are good candidates for converting into digital sketches, as are small-scale landscapes and shots of one or two distinct-looking items. If the picture you want to use is stored on a separate device or camera, you’ll need to transfer it to your hard drive before you can edit it via Photoshop.
You can also convert your image to grayscale by simply hitting “Ctrl+Shift+D” (or “Cmd+Shift+D,” if you’re using a Mac). [3] X Research source Yet another way to desaturate your photo is by clicking on the “Image” tab and selecting “Hue/Saturation” from the expanding “Adjustments” menu, or clicking the “Desaturate” option closer to the bottom of the list.
In order to achieve that authentic hand-drawn look, you’ll be merging two separate layers into one image.
It’s okay if you invert the original layer by mistake. All that matters is that you have one normal version and one inverted version of the image.
Selecting the “Color Dodge” option will give your photo thin, sharp lines like those in an actual pencil sketch, while “Linear Dodge” will soften them a bit so that they resemble a charcoal sketch.
A radius somewhere in the neighborhood of 8-30px will usually offer the most convincing results. If the lines in your image still aren’t as bold as you would like, one thing you can do is create 2-3 additional layers of your edited image and merge them together to beef them up a bit. [8] X Research source When you’re satisfied with the look of your image, right-click your original layer and click “Merge Layers. ” This will combine the properties of all of your individual layers into a single layer. Keep in mind that you won’t be able to make any further edits once you’ve merged your layers.
A well-framed photo with a clear subject and distinct edge details will work best. If it’s your first time using GIMP for this type of project, run a quick search for stock photos that you can play around with. Many stock photos are perfectly suited for converting to digital sketches, and will give you a sense of what each step of the process does. [10] X Research source
The icon for the duplicate button looks like two overlapping photos. [12] X Research source You’ll be using the Layers window to make all the necessary modifications to your original photo.
You can also click the “Desaturate” option in the “Colors” menu and select “Luminosity” for a slightly higher contrast look. [14] X Research source
You may notice the contrast of your image change slightly when you apply Saturation mode.
Dodge mode will reduce the exposure of your image, flattening the and coaxing more detail out of dark spots. This effect will give the lines in your final “drawing” a rougher, sketchier look. [17] X Research source
If your image doesn’t turn white when you click “Invert,” you may have applied the effect to the wrong layer. Hit “Ctrl+Z” to undo the action and try again, being sure to select the middle layer in the list.
If you’re not sure where to begin, start a blur radius of 10 and slowly increase one or both values.
After making your final edits, right-click your original layer and use the “Merge Layers” function to bring all of your layers together into a single image. Don’t forget to save a copy of your image in your preferred file format when you’re done!
Photo Lab, Paint, Enlight Photofox, Prisma, and Clip2Comic are all free apps that boast a wide range of filters and effects meant to emulate traditional art styles. [23] X Research source If you’re surfing the web, check out popular photo editing sites like Pixlr and Paint. NET. There’s no need to use a fancy photo editor if you just want to play around. These days, the newer version of many common programs, like Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, feature their own built-in photo effects. [24] X Research source
Photos that contain lots of small details could end up looking muddled or confusing once you apply certain filters or effects.
Apps that are designed specifically to make photos look like drawings often display all of their effects options right on the main page.
When you’re satisfied, tap or click the “Save” button to download a copy of the edited image. Some editors also have more specialized sorts of art effects to choose from, such as retro-fied comic book stippling, vibrant pop art, and subtle charcoal painting. [28] X Research source
A pencil is much better suited for this project than a pen, as you’ll have more control over your lines. The eraser will also allow you to correct and draw back over any mistakes you happen to make.
Take a few moments to study your photo in depth before you get started. Familiarizing yourself with a many details as possible will help you reproduce the image more faithfully and keep you from having to stop and look at it every few seconds.
Don’t bear down too hard. You can always go back and make your lines thicker and darker once you’re happy with the way they look. Another useful technique is to section off both your paper and original photo into identically-sized squares, then zero in and focus on copying only what you see in each square. [33] X Research source You can start your outline wherever it feels most natural to you. As a rule, it’s just easier to start with the basic form before moving on to smaller details, rather than vice-versa.
As you did with the outline, try to match the proportions of your drawing to those of your photo, and keep your lines light and loose until you’re ready to commit to them. The idea here is essentially just to recreate the kinds of lines, shapes, and contours you see in the original image onto your paper. This requires a keen eye and a steady hand more than anything else. [35] X Research source If you need to make small touch ups, like fixing someone’s eyes, try a Tombow mono eraser. Since it’s so small, you can erase tiny details with a ton of precision.
To achieve the most realism possible, study how light falls on your subject as well as the shadows cast on them. You can also give techniques like hatching (drawing straight, parallel lines close together), cross-hatching (crossing your hatching lines perpendicularly to produce a gridlike pattern), and stippling (making small dots with the tip of your pencil) a shot for parts of your drawing where conventional shading may not look right. [37] X Research source Shading is a crucially important artistic skill to possess if your goal is to make your drawings more lifelike.
Alternatively, you can use a regular sheet of printer paper (or any other type of paper you want) and light both the photograph and your paper from underneath with an art projector. [39] X Research source For best results, it’s important to use a type of paper that’s at least as big as the photo you’re working with, preferably larger.
Be careful not to position the tape too close to the center of the paper, or it could get in your way once you start tracing.
Some smaller details may not be visible on your tracing paper. This usually happens when part of the picture is especially light or made up of thin lines.
Transfer your tracing paper to another photo to create a composite drawing made up of elements from different images. If you want to add some texture or special effects after you’ve colored in your drawing, take out a Tombow mono eraser and try out different strokes. For example, rub your eraser in downward strokes to create highlights in someone’s hair.
