Tell me more ×
Graphic Design Stack Exchange is a question and answer site for professional graphic designers and non-designers trying to do their own graphic design. It's 100% free, no registration required.
up vote 0 down vote favorite

Is it possible to achieve this effect using a few filter combinations in Photoshop?

Image
http://cl.ly/183m2V253O1U2u0j2642

share|improve this question

2 Answers

up vote 6 down vote

No, it's not possible for PhotoShop filters to magically create nice artistic illustrations for you.

share|improve this answer
oh i must disagree.. i think combining a few techniques CAN produce a few ( not many ) nice "illustrative" effects : cl.ly/1u3c2Z2P1k0w1a2E000N – Arturino May 31 '12 at 20:23
Well, they can assist with effects, but they can not typically CREATE nice illustrations. – DA01 May 31 '12 at 20:28
In other words, your sample illustration is something someone drew. – DA01 May 31 '12 at 20:29
just using 2 filters and 1 adjustment layer i managed to bang out this: cl.ly/2y1Z0R392V01360T1W0n - .. albeit not great.. but perhaps someone has already done something close? – Arturino May 31 '12 at 20:45
2  
The challenge is that it's hard for a software algorithm to make the organic, artistic decisions that are in the example you show. The line weight, repetition, varying angles, shape forms, etc, were all created with an artistic eye...something PhotoShop filters haven't quite mastered. I think a good example of that are some of the 'engraving' filters out there. They come close...and impressively so, but you can always tell it was a computer process rather than an actual engraver that created the image. – DA01 May 31 '12 at 21:01
show 1 more comment
up vote 0 down vote

It shouldn't be too hard for you to color a drawing like that using Photoshop (I would recommend illustrator for this vectorial style, but any soft is good), but you would first need to have the outlines. If you have access to a tablet, you can try doing some lines and filling the spaces using colors and gradients. I would have a top layer for the outlines (transparent), and draw "boxes" of colors in layers behind it with the pen tool (colouring them using blending options). Another option, but with much more work I think, would be to use patterns (you can make them yourself) and apply those patterns to the color layers. That way you don't have to draw every single line with the tablet (or mouse, mouse is good too!)

share|improve this answer
thanks yisela.. we will give this a try! – Arturino Jun 1 '12 at 16:18

Your Answer

 
discard

By posting your answer, you agree to the privacy policy and terms of service.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged or ask your own question.