Need help with this pencil sketch look

[palms]

Glad this thread has come back again, but i cant play anymore as it seems to be filters/plug ins i havent got.
great work everone

Palms

[BillFrey]

I tried a few different ways, but couldn't get the same detail as the original sketch posted. Perhaps the sketch was made from a higher res photo?

[DannyRaphael]

Originally Posted by BillFrey

I tried a few different ways, but couldn't get the same detail as the original sketch posted. Perhaps the sketch was made from a higher res photo?

Hi Bill... Welcome aboard.

Nice work on these.

re: Perhaps the sketch was made from a higher res photo
Most likely true on the original. We're limited to 100KB here, so there's usually some quality loss.

Looks like your 3rd one is based on a Bitmap pattern (yes)? In any event, share a bit about your techniques, will ya? You've got a nice touch.

~Danny~

[NancyJ]

Really like the first one Bill, the grain is a little too uniform though

[palms]

Welcome Bill i like all three ! ! ! and second Danny could you please explain a bit of your workflow

Palms

[BillFrey]

Thank you, DannyRaphael, NancyJ and palms1,

I haven't done a sketch before, although I did try out some of the sketch actions available and got ideas on how I might attempt to do one.

Here's my terrible answer ... I tried so many things, that I'm not exactly sure how these were done.

The steps I took weren't advanced, and were done trial and error.

On the first one, I figured this much out:
Convert to BW (I think I took a channel)
Smudged photo
High Pass with a tiny radius, overlay mode, duplicated 6 times
Merged
Added Grain (not sure which grain maker I used, I tried many)
Levels and Curves Adjustments
Dodged to remove background and areas of photo

For the second, I started with the first sketch
(This file is as messy as the first, sorry)
High Pass but with masks to isolate where I wanted the sharpening
Duplicated a merged layer and set to overlay
Levels
Used Selective color and added black to white, the used the default custom filter to break up the grey into grain


Third one: full details
Started with l channel in LAB
Customer default filter
Sketch: Base Relief: detail 15, smoothness 1: Soft light, 49%
Merged, set that layer to soft light, 60%
Merged, set layer to linear light, 60%

Should I do another sketch, I'll be sure to put the history log on

Bill

Edit: I just remembered... I'm pretty sure I used Virtual Photographer for the grain.

[palms]

Thank you Bill off to have a go just now

Palms

[plugsnpixels]

I came across this page today (scroll 2/3 down) and recalled this discussion. I don't know the guy's techniques and I'm trying to find contact info for him.

Looks like something to do with High Pass on an extra layer and erasing with a soft brush (?).

[plugsnpixels]

OK, I can't find him but I found his tutorial! My browser is cutting off some words, but you'll get the idea:

"This tutorial will explain the techniques I use to create digital pencil portraits in Photoshop. I have been doing these for a few years now and have searched the web for some techniques of how to do this. I have tweaked what I learned to give this tutorial a more accurate (and pleasing I might add) rendering.

There are some things that can be done in advance before the photograph is taken to help give a more pleasing result. For instance, having a white background helps to have a cleaner separation of the subject. Also, having the subject wear white (or some other light color) clothing is a big plus as it helps draw the viewer to the person's face. Though these tips are helpful, they are not absolutely required.

Okay, let's begin!

1. Open the image in Photoshop.

2. Create a copy of the background layer by pressing “Control J” on your keyboard. Now invert the new layer by pressing... “Control I”.

3. Convert image to “grayscale” by clicking (Image

4. Set layer mode to “color dodge”... this will make the layer look almost completely white.

5. Now bring out some of the pencil strokes by applying a Gaussian blur. Filter

6. Now is the time to to use the brush (B) on your keyboard and start painting the unwanted areas of your image white. Make sure you lower the opacity of your brush to around 20% or so, have white selected as your foreground color, and are using a soft edge brush.

7. Now let's add some subtle shadows to the face, chest and clothing. To do so, make sure that your foreground color is black by pressing (D) on your keyboard. Select your brush and lower the opacity of your brush (not layer) to 15%. Now start painting over all the areas, that you feel needs a shadow. Particularly, the face. There are really no rules here. Just bring out some shadows that you feel is right. This might take a little practice.

8. Now, let's add some highlights to the hair. Select white as your foreground color and make sure that the opacity of your brush is 15%. Start brushing over the lighter areas of the hair to bring out some highlights. Notice that the changes are very subtle. You don't want to over do it.

9. Now it's time to merge the layers and crop the image. Select... Image"

[DannyRaphael]

Originally Posted by plugsnpixels

I came across this page today (scroll 2/3 down) and recalled this discussion. I don't know the guy's techniques and I'm trying to find contact info for him.

Looks like something to do with High Pass on an extra layer and erasing with a soft brush (?).

Interesting result he gets, but hard to really assess with such small sample images -- and not worth $67 to me to find out for sure.

Tried your High Pass idea (one leyer, Color Burn to boost shadows, another Color Dodge for the highlights, with Layer Masks for selective application); works pretty good.

[lkroll]

Since I've been in a sketchy mood of late, I thought I would resurrect this one. Highkey, DCSpecial's ICE4, Impressionist (for pencil work; used Geo Chaotic Chrome; well I modified it), Photo Plugins Local Contrast Enhancement, and some selective smudge cleaning.

[pavel123]

Couldn't get anywhere close to the sample, with more time and a higher resolution image perhaps...

[todd424]

Hi all - i'm new here to the forum. found this thread when i was searching for techniques and/or actions to make nice looking pencil sketches. the pencil sketch that was originally done is amazing! has anyone found out how to duplicate this since this thread started? would be great to get photos to look like this. thanks in advance.

[DannyRaphael]

Originally Posted by todd424

Hi all - i'm new here to the forum. found this thread when i was searching for techniques and/or actions to make nice looking pencil sketches. the pencil sketch that was originally done is amazing! has anyone found out how to duplicate this since this thread started? would be great to get photos to look like this. thanks in advance.

Hi Todd... Welcome to RP.

Since the last posts I have yet to read about any methods that improve upon the suggestions thus far. I doubt the answer (if there is one) is a PS action. IMO getting results like these would be a custom set of steps each time.

Glad you asked. Perhaps someone else will have run accross something new.

~Danny~

[satrain18]

Originally Posted by BillFrey

I tried a few different ways, but couldn't get the same detail as the original sketch posted. Perhaps the sketch was made from a higher res photo?

How you did the first two?

[DannyRaphael]

Originally Posted by satrain18

How you did the first two?

A couple posts down he added some info...

http://www.retouchpro.com/forums/pho...tml#post129467

Does the additional info help?