Hello all my digi-friends! I am popping in today to share one of my favorite artsy photo techniques with you. Do you ever feel like a traditional color or black/white photo isn’t enough for your page? Or you just want to add some artsy oomph to your photo element? One of my favorite techniques for transforming photos is to apply a sketch filter, blend the photo onto a canvas background and then add some digital paint to it.
Here is an example of this technique in action:
This was such an artsy page with the paint-filled background and elements, that a traditional photo just didn’t do it justice. If you want to really see the pop of this effect, look at the before and after:
Steps for Creating an Artsy Sketch Photo
1. Apply a black/white sketch filter to your photo. I use AKVIS Sketch on most of my photos. It is a bit on the pricey side, so I wouldn’t suggest buying it unless you think you will use it a lot (which I do). You can also create a sketch effect in Photoshop/PSE. Just Google “photo sketch in [insert program]” in You-Tube and you will find tons of videos demonstrating different sketch techniques. Photos without a lot of background clutter are best for this technique.
2. Once the photo is converted to a black/white sketch, place it on top of a canvas background. Now change the blending mode of the sketch to Darken or Multiply. This adjustment will allow the canvas texture to show through. You can find the blending options in a drop down menu at the top of the layers palette in Photoshop:
3. Add paint splatter elements to the edges of the photo.
And that is it! I used the technique on a photo that was placed in a frame on my page, but you could also place the photo directly on the background and paint and/or other dimensional elements around it to create a art journal effect.
One of the really cool side effects of this technique is that is a great way to make slightly blurred photos look clear and sharp.
I hope you have fun with this technique. I can’t wait to see your artsy sketch photos in the gallery. :)
Until next time ~
Judie
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