Number 291 - August 2007
Turn Photos to Graphics
by Stan Sterdan, Big Blue and Cousins,
The Greater Victoria PC Users' Association, June 2007


   Here is a fast down and dirty technique for turning a photo into an image that resembles the type of painting you might find on some china, or the old tea or biscuit tins.



   Original photo by Louis Coppens
before cropping, and adjustments
(by Les Benson using Stan's directions)


   It's a fun piece to get you exploring some of the features in your editing program. It should work in any program that supports layers (or in Corel terminology--objects).

   Here is a fast down and dirty technique for turning a photo into an image that resembles the type of painting you might find on some china, or the old tea or biscuit tins.

Photoshop

   
  • Open your image, and duplicate the layer

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  • Adjust the levels on the top most layer (you want a somewhat washed-out look)

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  • Go to filter > stylize, and run the find edges filter (on the top layer you made the level adjustments on)

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  • Then go under the edit menu and select the fade find edges option and change the opacity blending mode to luminosity

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  • Drop the opacity down until the original starts to peek through from the bottom layer.




    •    Original image after cropping, etc.




       After step 3--find edges


       The same effect can be achieved by changing the blending mode in your layers pallette. (If you use the edit/fade option, you can't go back... if you use the layers version you can twiddle with it afterwards to change or get better effects.)

       It's much easier to do and faster than it was to type this out.



       If you are using Corel Photo-Paint it's pretty much the same procedure.
       
  • Two layers (or objects) one above the other ..

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  • Under effects > contour use Find edges on the top object

    •    
  • There is no luminosity blend mode, but you can get a similar effect with their "Logical Or" blend mode, adjust your opacity and you're done.

       Have fun and experiment! You'll learn more that way.
    •   Number 291 - August 2007