How to turn a photo into a line drawing

Welcome to our new photoshop tutorial article from which you can learn how to turn photo into line drawing. Turning a photo into a line drawing provides a pencil sketch-like effect that can enhance the viewing experience of your image. However, illustrating a picture and making a line art drawing requires skills and expertise. Both of these do not come for free, but finding the right person can sometimes make you sweat also. 

But fortunately, learning how to turn a photo into a line drawing in adobe photoshop cc 2021 is relatively easy. See the following steps, and with enough practice, you can master the line art drawing technique as well. 

White background product photography is the best fit category for line drawing. However, before turning a photo into a pencil sketch in Photoshop, selecting the right image is essential.

What is line drawing?

Line drawing is an art that consists of lines, curves and creates the shape of the subject without any drop shadow photoshop and colour in the image. Line drawing art is more like a pencil sketch of an image. So if you love pencil sketches like me, then knowing how to turn photo into line drawing will make your image editing experience more enjoyable. You can use any image, but if you are an eCommerce retailer, photoshop clipping path company using your product photo to line drawing will give you a unique set of images.

How to outline an image in photoshop?

To outline an image in photoshop, all we need is a selection tool. Photoshop outline effect helps make the selected area pop and draw attention to the area or subject quickly. Let’s know how to outline an image in photoshop below.

After inserting the image, the next step is to make a selection around the area or subject that we want to create the outline for. In photoshop, we can select the subject using different selection tools such as the Object Selection Tool, Pen Tool, Magic Wand Tool, etc. Using these tools is easy, and most of them are automatic. For now, we will use the object selection tool to select our subject. First, find the selection tool from the left toolbar and select it. Next, bring the cursor on the image, left-click on your cursor and drag the cursor over the subject then release.

The object selection tool will create a rectangular area over the subject. Then, after you release the cursor, the tool will detect the edge of the subject and make the selection by creating paths around it.

From the menu bar of the object selection tool, select subject select and then, by clicking on the active layer, create a duplicate layer of it. Then double click on the newly created layer, and from the popup menu, select Stroke and set the position option to Outside.

Set the fill color to whatever you line, and then increase the Stroke by using the size slider. Creating an outline is ready, and now you can use it wherever you want. To pop any area or subject in your image, outlining it is the best idea. To outline an image in photoshop, we first have to open the image we want to edit.

Step by step guide on how to turn photo into line drawing

Turning photos into line drawing requires basic knowledge of photoshop. If you don’t know about photoshop, then I would suggest you learn about the essential tools of photoshop. Nevertheless, this step-by-step guide on turning a photo into a line drawing will contain some advanced level of image editing skills. In this guide, I will try to explain the photoshop tools I will use also.

Finding the image that will fit the line drawing technique is quite tricky. So judging which image will go is also a skill that you should consider adopting as early as possible. Product photos can be an excellent choice for line drawing as photographers focus on the most delicate detail while shooting. Now, let’s start our article to turn photos into line drawing without wasting any more time.

Step-1: Open your eCommerce photography in photoshop

We will select the image we want to edit and insert it in the photoshop dashboard in the first step. To insert your image go to the File menu, then click on the Open option, and a window will appear. Find your image, select it from the window, and hit the Insert button to open it in photoshop. You can use a shortcut to drag the image and drop it on the artboard of photoshop.

Step-2: Create duplicate layer and setup layer

After inserting the image, the first thing that we must do is to create duplicate layers to avoid any issue whatsoever. In this tutorial, we will use three duplicate layers, which we will create in a while. To create the duplicate layers, go to layer and click on the Duplicate Layer. Repeat the technique twice to make three duplicate layers.

Step-3: Convert the image to grayscale using an adjustment layer

Now we will select the top layer to make turn photo into line drawing. go to the Adjustment Layer that we will find right at the bottom side of the layer panel. After clicking on the adjustment layer, a window will pop up, and from there, we will select the Hue/Saturation option.

As we have selected the hue and saturation for the top layer, every layer underneath will also get the changes. Now go to the Properties option, and there you will find three sliders called Hue, Saturation, and Lightness.

We will change the Saturation slider and make it -100. Now our image will look like grayscale, and we will go to the next step after that.

N.B.: You can convert your image into grayscale mode by using the image menu on the top. Go to image> Mode > Grayscale, and the image will convert into grayscale like magic.

Step-4: Convert photo to line drawing

We will create an outline of our image to turn photo into line drawing. Learning how to create an outline of an image in photoshop will help you in other photo editing tasks. And if you only want to create an outline of your image, then you can discontinue this tutorial after this step.

From our three duplicate layers in this step, we will use the first duplicate layer and make invisible the other two. To make the layer hidden, all you need to do is click on the eye icon on the left side of your layers. After making the upper two layers invisible, click on the remaining duplicate layer and change the settings from Normal to Color Dodge.

Now we will invert every change we have made till now, and to do that, you can directly press Ctrl+I or go to image> Adjustments, then select the Invert option.

It’s time to select the Gaussian Blur and to do that, and you can select Filter> Blur and then click on the Gaussian Blur option from the menu bar.

A window with the settings of the gaussian blur will pop up, and from there, first, make sure that the preview option is enabled. In the window, you will see a slider called Radius. Change the slider until you see your image gets the line drawings effects.

Step-5: How to create the strokes of your line drawing thicker in Photoshop

To make the line drawing thicker, we need to use stroke settings in photoshop. To make turn photo into line drawing thicker, we need to create another duplicate layer from the original layer. Drag the layer up and take it above our first duplicate layer because we have selected colour dodge blend mode for this layer.

Now click on the Filter> Filter Gallery, and from there, choose glowing edges from under the Stylize option. Play with the Edge Brightness as this slider helps to get a cleaner edge and hit OK.

Now invert our changes again by pressing Ctrl+I and use Multiply as the blend mode of this layer. Our line drawing will be thicker than before after this step.

Step-6: Set your Background and Foreground Colors to turn photo into line drawing

In this step, we will change the background and foreground colour from the left toolbar. To change the colour, double click on the icon and a Color Picker window will pop up. From there, you can select any colour you want.

We will set the background colour to white and the foreground colour to light grey using the color picker window. To change both fields’ color, we have to double click on both fields individually. This means when you go to change the background color, double click on the background icon and from the color picker window, take the selector to the upper left-hand corner and hit the OK button.

The same goes for the foreground color, which is double click on the icon, and from the color picker window, take the color selector midway down the left side and hit the OK button to confirm.

Step- 7: turn photo into line drawing need to Add Pencil Shading to your photo

We will select the layer above the current layer we were working on for this segment, but as we turned off the eye button of this layer, this layer is now in invisible mode. Click on the eye button to turn the layer on and make it visible.

Now to add pencil shading to the photo, you have to use the filter gallery. Go and click on the Filter from the top menu bar. Select the Filter Gallery from the drop-down menu.

From the Filter, gallery selects the Sketch folder and then click on the Charcoal filter to give your image the pencil shading.

Set the Charcoal Thickness, Detail, and Light/Dark Balance sliders according to your requirements. When you find the perfect spot for the sliders, hit the OK button to confirm the changes. 

The last part of this step is to change the blend mode of the layer we are working on from Normal to Multiply

Step 8: Add a cross-hatching effect to your photo

Now we will add a cross-hatching effect to our photo, and for this, we have to go to the Filter Gallery again. Like step 6, click on the Filter option from the menu bar and select the Filter Gallery option from the drop-down menu

Pro Tip: As we have previously used the filter gallery option, you might see two filter gallery options in the Filter drop-down menu. Select the second option this time.

From the Filter Gallery window, select the Sketch folder again and click on the Torn Edge filter. Adjust the sliders of the Filter that are on the right side until you get the effect you want.

Step: 9 Adjust the sliders for the Graphic Pen

Staying in the Torn Edge settings, see at the lower bottom right-hand side. You will see a corner folded paper icon called New. Click on the icon, and you will get two Torn Edge names on the right-hand side.

Between the two Torn Edge, the bottom one will have another partner called Graphic Pen. Keep selecting the first Torn Edge filter, and then from the bottom two clicks on the Graphic Pen, select it.

Now use the graphic pen slider to make changes until you are satisfied, and before changing the slider, select the Stroke Diagonal to Left Diagonal. Hit the OK button to confirm the change you made.

Step: 10: Change the Layer Blend Mode 

Change the Layer Blend Mode from Normal to Multiply for this layer like the previous one. You can play with the settings and practise whenever you are free to learn the operations of these tools.

Step: 11: Add Motion Blur to make turn photo into line drawing

Now we will add motion blur to the layer we have recently worked on. To add the motion blur to our layer, go to Filter> Blur and select the Motion Blur option.

As soon as you select the motion blur option, a dialogue box will pop up. From there, set the Opacity and adjust the Distance slider according to your requirements. When you are done, hit the OK button.

Pro Tip: Check the preview box to see the changes in real-time.

Step: 12 Adjust opacity of layers of image

If the result that came out after step 11 feels satisfying, you can skip this step. But if it didn’t, then the reason must be the intensity of the pencil shading being high. To reduce it, adjust the Opacity of the layers. I kept the percentage to around 60% for the top layer and around 70% for the next one for my

Pro Tip: keep the Opacity of the bottom two layers intact, or the line drawing will reduce along with the Opacity.

Step 13: Clean up any artifacts to make turn photo into line drawing

Last but not least, cleaning up the artefacts can bring the flawless perfection you were looking for from the start. To remove any dark spots and dust, merge all the layers into one by pressing Ctrl+A+E. This layer is also called the stamped layer.

Set the background color to white and select the brush tool from the left toolbar. Paint over the spots and smudges to remove them in photoshop.

By doing this, you have successfully turned a photo into a line drawing and ready to use it on online platforms

Purpose of use turn photo into a line drawing

Before you turn a photo into a line drawing, you must know the purpose of use. Line drawing a photo will provide a pencil sketch-like look, and these images can offer a premium artistic vibe.

A line art image can enhance the reputation of your brand if you use it properly. People love to watch unique images, and so they will appreciate this new idea. So retailers and photographers can adopt this unique idea without any doubt. For personal use, turning a photo into a line drawing should not be any surprise because of its benefits. It enhances the style of your image and attracts more eyes than ever.

Conclusion

Learning how to turn photos into a line drawing will help you work on your personal images without hiring any outsiders. In this photoshop tutorial, you will find the detailed image editing process for the line drawing technique. On top of that, if you have ever wondered or wished to be able to make a pencil sketch of yourself, then after reading this article, I am sure you can. Practice makes a man perfect, which means that you have to practise multiple times if you want to master this technique.