Tutorial: Abstract Drawings (Phyllis Stewart)

[pstewart]

This method gives pictures an abstract look, with a bold and simple quality.
I use this technique a LOT, as you may have noticed. But I don't think I ever wrote it up as a tutorial, so here it is.

1. Outline with 2-layer b/w blur/color-dodge method. *(below)
2. After merging the two layers from step 1, use multiply on a duplicate layer or use levels to darken the lines a bit and get more contrast if needed.
3. Adjustment-->equalize.
4. Filter-->stylize-->diffuse-->anisotropic.
5. Blend layer 4 over the original in vivid mode.
6. Filter-->artistic-->cutout set to medium values till you get the look you want. May have to adjust opacity of top layer or darken bottom layer if too many whitish areas appear.

*This outline method has become a standard, so I didn't include the steps above. It's probably here in the "best of photo art" techniques that Danny put together, but in case you can't find it, here's what you do to get the outline for step 1 above:

1. Dupe layer and make b/w...desaturate will do in this case.
2. Dupe b/w layer and invert.
3. Set blend mode on top layer to color dodge.
4. Gaussian blur top layer just slightly till outline shows up.
5. Merge two b/w layers.

Hope you found this helpful and useful. Enjoy!

Phyllis

[d_kendal]

Ooh, big thanks for the tutorial Phyllis, I really like that technique that you'd used on all those photos and I was wondering how you did it. lots of possibilities with this one!

- David

[LactoBeeZor]

Yes, Yes, Phillis;

Technique looks Great !!!

Thanks Again;

[pstewart]

Thanks, guys, glad you like it and hope you'll enjoy playing around with it.
A few more notes...

Some pics respond better with hard light instead of vivid light, and sometimes, as in the case of the red barn pic above, I also overlay another blocky cutout of the original to add large features to the background when it gets too spotty, or when there is little background to start with.

So, you can combine this basic technique with others in a variety of ways. Sometimes the process results in sharp black outlines which go with the pic, and sometimes you will want to minimize them--contrast the fish pic above with the mountain goat pic to see the difference. As with most photo art, what you do with it largely depends on the picture itself.

Phyllis

[DannyRaphael]

PS... This is quite good. Just added it to the "best of" collection.

Many thanks...
~Danny~

[Blacknight]

Originally posted by d_kendal
Ooh, big thanks for the tutorial Phyllis, I really like that technique that you'd used on all those photos and I was wondering how you did it. lots of possibilities with this one!

- David

SOMEONE has a new avatar...

I like to cut and paste, keeping things like this in a file so I can later make it an action. Here it is in sequence, for those of you who are like me and like things in consecutive order...
1. Dupe layer and make b/w...desaturate will do in this case.
2. Dupe b/w layer and invert.
3. Set blend mode on top layer to color dodge.
4. Gaussian blur top layer just slightly till outline shows up.
5. Merge two b/w layers.
6. Use multiply on a duplicate layer or use levels to darken the lines a bit and get more contrast if needed.
7. Adjustment-->equalize.
8. Filter-->stylize-->diffuse-->anisotropic.
9. Blend layer 4 over the original in vivid mode.
10. Filter-->artistic-->cutout set to medium values till you get the look you want. May have to adjust opacity of top layer or darken bottom layer if too many whitish areas appear.

[jeaniesa]

OK Phyllis, I tried following your tutorial for your abstract method and came up with something that is not even close to the results you get. What layers am I supposed to run each of the filters on? You talk about a layer 4, but I don't have four layers!

Help!

Jeanie

[sdubose99]

Jeanie, I don't know where the 4 layers come from either but I got it to work! Super method, Phyllis (but then, you knew that )!

(you may need to scroll to see the "after" version of my image)

Scott

[alex]

Phyllis
I tried to follow your tutorial and make an action with it.
Can you try it and see if I am doing anything wrong?
Can you advice on default values ?

Alex.

[sdubose99]

Alex -- looks good -- color dodge is left out before merging the b&w layers...

Scott