In this tutorial, I'm going to bear witness y'all how to create a realistic pencil drawing from a photo in Photoshop.

This effect is very straightforward; you can apply information technology to almost any epitome, but keep in heed that it volition look better when yous have a subject field with a white groundwork or no background.

Y'all can follow along with your own epitome, but keep in mind that you may take to enter dissimilar values so that they work on your image.

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Tabular array of contents

  • Footstep 01 – Excerpt the Background from the Foreground
  • Footstep 02 – Catechumen the Photo into a Smart Object
  • Step 03 – Create the Main Line Drawing Effect
  • Pace 04 – Apply the Charcoal Filter to Add together Shading
  • Step 05 – Use the Find Edges Filter to Add Lines

This upshot works better when you excerpt the background from the foreground.

You lot can use the Quick option tool to select your discipline. And then yous can click on the Layer Mask icon to create a mask out of the choice. Doing so will hibernate the background.

Step 02 – Convert the Photo into a Smart Object

Information technology's always a good thought to work non-destructively and then that you can always come back and edit your adjustments after.

To convert a layer into a Smart Object correct click on a layer and select "Convert to Smart Object."

Step 03 – Create the Principal Line Drawing Issue

To create the chief line cartoon event start duplicate the Smart Object by pressing Ctrl J (Mac: Command J).

Then go to Image > Adjustment > Invert.

You tin can and so change the layer Blending Style to Color Dodge.

To make the lines visible and create the line cartoon effect, go to Filter > Blur > Gaussian Blur.

Step 04 – Employ the Charcoal Filter to Add Shading

Duplicate the Original Smart Object, the go to

Set the Blending Mode to Multiply to keep the dark pixels and hide the bright ones.

Step 05 – Use the Find Edges Filter to Add Lines

Indistinguishable the Original Smart Object.

Then desaturate the layer by going to Image > Adjustment > Black and White.

You lot can and then go to Filter > Filter Gallery and select Stylize > Glowing Edges. Adjust appropriately.

Press Ctrl I (Mac: Command I) to Capsize the pixels and make the white lines blackness.

To keep the black lines fix the Blending Mode to Multiply.

Watch the original tutorial from 2015 here. Download assets for the original tutorial here:

Final Paradigm

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Jesús Ramirez is a digital graphics expert, speaker, and educator specializing in Adobe Photoshop. Jesús is best known as the founder of the Photoshop Grooming Channel, one of the most popular Photoshop YouTube channels in the world. More.

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