To turn a photo into a sketch in Photoshop, try these methods: use the Pencil Sketch filter for quick results, apply High Pass with Invert for clean line drawings, or combine Grayscale Inversion with Gaussian Blur for soft, hand-drawn effects.

If you want to turn a photo into a sketch using Photoshop, there are several techniques that can produce realistic hand-drawn effects. Here’s how to do it:

The operating environment of this tutorial: Dell XPS 15, Windows 11

1. Use the Pencil Sketch Filter

This method applies a built-in filter that automatically converts the image into a sketch-like appearance with minimal effort. It simulates the look of graphite or charcoal on paper.

• Open your photo in Photoshop and duplicate the background layer by pressing Ctrl J (Cmd J on Mac).
• Go to Filter > Filter Gallery > Artistic > Pencil Sketch.
• Adjust the Stroke Length, Stroke Detail, and Light/Dark Balance sliders to refine the sketch effect.
• Click OK to apply the filter.

2. Create a Line Drawing Using High Pass and Invert

This technique emphasizes edges and contours, producing a clean line sketch similar to a pencil drawing. It gives more control over contrast and detail compared to automated filters.

• Duplicate the original layer and go to Filter > Other > High Pass.
• Set the radius to around 1–3 pixels depending on image resolution to highlight edges.
• Change the blending mode of the High Pass layer to Overlay or Soft Light to enhance edge visibility.
• Press Ctrl I (Cmd I on Mac) to invert the layer, turning it into black lines on a white background.
• Add a new solid white fill layer below for clean contrast.

3. Combine Grayscale Inversion with Gaussian Blur

This method creates a soft pencil sketch effect by blending inverted grayscale layers with blurred versions of themselves, mimicking traditional shading techniques.

• Duplicate the background layer and desaturate it using Ctrl Shift U (Cmd Shift U on Mac).
• Copy this grayscale layer and apply Edit > Fill > 50% Gray if needed to stabilize base tones.
• Invert the copied layer (Ctrl I) and then apply Filter > Blur > Gaussian Blur with a radius of about 2–4 pixels.
• Set the blurred inverted layer's blending mode to Color Dodge. This will reveal the sketch lines clearly.
• If the result is too intense, reduce the layer opacity to balance the effect.

The above is the detailed content of How to Turn a Photo into a Sketch in Photoshop?. For more information, please follow other related articles on the PHP Chinese website!