Okay Folks, here it is.

The Impressionist pluging can use an "orientation file" to affect the direction of the strokes applied by a given style. If you're familiar with displacement maps, this file works in a similar manner.

Stroke direction is affected by the tones in the image.

This strokes orientation file specifications:
* According to Impressionist documentation it must be in either .tif or .bmp format. I can only get it to work with .bmp files.
* It must have the exact same dimensions (length, width) and resolution as the image to which it is being applied. An easy way to assure the sizes match is to duplicate the subject image a few times and make stroke orientation files from duplicates.
* It must be in Grayscale format. Before it was saved, the Photoshop's Image > Grayscale command (or the equivalent in other programs) must have been applied to it. Applying a desaturate command is insufficient. It must be grayscale. The HELP topic on this is incorrect.

To apply this feature, click "More Controls" and choose "Orientation" from the Style menu. From the "Orient the Strokes" dropdown menu, choose "By file..." and navigate to your orientation file.

It's not uncommon to use a grayscale version of the image you're working on for this file, but it can be any grayscale image.

Black corresponds to the "Start Angle", and White to Start Angle + Range of Angles.

For VanGogh effects, you want the angles to follow the lines of light. I used a PictureTube for Paint Shop Pro as well as some other methods to produce the direction file.

First thing, I cropped the image. Then, I duplicated the window.

For the direction file, I painted the copper flower with the tube, and then some of the more prominant pink flowers. I then made a selection based off of saturation, and filled it with a neutral gray. Ran Edge-Preserving smooth to make things come out nice.

For the image, I used "Variations", "Edge Preserving Smooth" and then enhanced edges. Then, I used impressionist. I let it vary the hue, saturation, and brightness by about 5% to get the strokes to come out nice.

Here is the result.

Here is the direction file used:

Here is the PSP PictureTube (zipped for uploading):

Finally, here's the image prior to running impressionist. I forgot that I fixed one of the petals:

For comparison. Paint Engine - arctic with a vanGogh pattern layer.

Catia

Late to the party, but sure glad I got here. In a phrase, "Holy Cow!" What a dynamite technique for this already incredible plug-in.

I followed the basic steps Jeff described above. First I created three stroke direction files in .bmp format based on the original image. The basis for each file was a duplicate of the original image to which a Channel Mixer adjustment layer set to monochrome was applied to make a grayscale image. I used various combinations of Emboss, Posterization and Inverse to generate individual files that were mostly white, one that was mostly gray and the last one dominated by black. Each file was converted to Grayscale before saving.

I applied Impressionist's Pencil Sketch: Detailed Colored style to three copies of the original background, each time using a different stroke orientation file.

I found that applying Filter > Fade and backing off the effect to about 60% toned it down to what I thought to be a more pleasing levels. Since each .tif rendered strokes in different directions, I blended the three layers using layer masks.

As a final touch (?) I applied Virtual Painter Collage to a copy of the original image and, using the Select > Color Range with black as the foreground color, selected the black strokes and isolated them on a separate layer (CTRL + J). These strokes were selectively applied to layer below, again, using a layer mask.

The original came from this thread:
http://www.retouchpro.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&postid=62041#post62041

Jeff: Thanks again for sharing this method. It really opened my eyes to another dimension of this plug-in.

~Danny~

I'd forgotten about this Impressionist feature. I was experimenting with using it in conjunction with some of the Pencil Sketch styles.

It has some awesome possibilities.

Film at 11.

Late to the party, but sure glad I got here. In a phrase, "Holy Cow!" What a dynamite technique for this already incredible plug-in.

I applied Impressionist's Pencil Sketch: Detailed Colored setting to three copies of the original image, each time using a different .tif orientation file. I found that applying Filter > Fade and backing off the effect to about 60% toned it down to what I thought to be a more pleasing levels. Since each .tif rendered strokes in different directions, I blended the three layers using layer masks.



~Danny~


Danny can u post the 3 .tif files you created for the image so we have a basic
knowladge of creating them. (Hope u didn't delete) I tried this yesterday, didn't turn up well!
Manju

Danny can u post the 3 .tif files you created for the image so we have a basic
knowladge of creating them. (Hope u didn't delete) I tried this yesterday, didn't turn up well!
Manju

I was in error. Must have been .bmp files. I tried to recreate using .tif format, and .tifs don't show up in the Orientation File Open window.

I don't have the original files, but I slapped together a few .bmp / grayscale files that worked pretty well. Unforunately they are way to big to upload as attachments.

What you can do instead:
* Duplicate original file a couple times
* Image > Mode > Grayscale
* Use Image > Adjustments > Channel Mixer or Levels to render mostly black on white or white black images
* Save in .bmp format
* Apply each via Impressionist. While you're at it, experiment with General/Brush size and Orientation/number of angles settings.

Other options for building stroke orientation files:
* Use the gradient tool to create black/white gradients. Applying the strokes based on a B/W radial gradient rendered very interesting results.
* Literally paint white on black or black on white.
* or type black letters onto a white background.

Remember:
* .bmp format
* same size as file to which it's going to be applied
* Grayscale (not desaturated)

~Danny~