This is a fun effect to make it look like your photo is drawn with colored pencils. This tutorial is a foray into filters that’s going to be suitable for anyone, even a beginner!
With a small change, you can even do this with Elements.
In this tutorial, you will be using the following Photoshop techniques and tools:
- Duplicating a layer
- Using Filters
- Using Blending Modes
- File > Open. Choose your photo file.
- Notice your photo is the Background layer in the Layers palette. (Don’t see the Layers palette? Go to Window > Layers.)
- Drag this photo layer to the Create New Layer icon
at the bottom of the Layers palette. (in Elements, it’s at the top and looks like a page) - With this topmost photo layer chosen in your Layers palette, go to Image > Adjustments > Invert. This gives you a creepy photo like mine at the right. (In Elements it’s Filter > Adjustment > Invert.)
- On this same layer, go to where it says Normal in the Layers palette. This is the Blending Modes. Scroll down that list and choose Color Dodge. At this point, most of your image sort of disappears. Hang in there.
- Filter > Blur > Gaussian Blur. Yay! A Colored Pencil drawing!
