Transform Your Photos into Pencil Drawings with Photoshop

Turn Your Photos Into Timeless Pencil Art

Ever looked at a photograph and imagined how it would appear if it were a pencil drawing? Maybe you want to give your photos that hand-drawn artistic touch without sharpening a single pencil. Lucky for you, transforming your digital images into realistic pencil drawings is just a few Photoshop tweaks away—no graphite or sketchbooks necessary.

Preparing Your Image Canvas

First, let’s dive into preparing your image for its stunning penciled transformation. The foundation begins by setting up your document in Photoshop:

1. Open your desired photo in Photoshop.
2. Check your image size. In our demo, we used an image of 21×4 inches with a resolution set at 72 pixels per inch, but feel free to adjust based on your individual needs.
3. To work non-destructively, duplicate your image by pressing Ctrl + J (PC) or Command + J (Mac). This keeps your original image safe and unaltered.

Desaturate for That Classic B&W Look

Now, it’s time to desaturate your image, stripping it down to black and white:

• Add a new hue/saturation adjustment layer by clicking the adjustment layer button found at the bottom of your layers panel.
• In the properties of this layer, slide saturation all the way down to -100. Your image should now be fully desaturated into a minimalistic grayscale.

Set for a Glowing Sketch Vibe

• Ensure your duplicated layer (Layer 1) is active.
• Change its blend mode to “Color Dodge.” It will produce a bright glow effect on your image.
• Invert the layer by pressing Ctrl + I (PC) or Command + I (Mac).

Bringing Out the Pencil Drawing Effect

Ready to get sketchy? Here’s where the transformation really starts to take form:

• Head over to Filter > Blur > Gaussian Blur.
• Adjust the radius slider until your photo starts to mimic the texture of a pencil drawing. Remember, the higher the radius, the softer your pencil effect will be.

Fine-Tuning with Levels

• Create a levels adjustment layer and make it the top layer.
• Drag the input dark slider to the right until the main subject of your image has the desired density and depth.

Perfecting the Pencil Art

Should your background or certain areas appear too intense:

• Select the brush tool. Set a large size, with hardness at 0%, and opacity around 50%.
• Set your foreground color to black and gently brush over areas needing lightening.

For finer touches:

• Create a composite snapshot of your edited image by pressing Ctrl + Shift + Alt + E (PC) or Command + Shift + Option + E (Mac).
• Invert your foreground and background colors by pressing X.
• With a smaller brush size and opacity set to 100%, refine or clean up any areas with a gentle brush stroke.

The Final Masterpiece

With just a few nimble maneuvers, your photo can transcend into a striking pencil drawing. It’s a straightforward process that delivers results more stunning than a surprise double rainbow on a Monday morning. Whether it’s refining portraits or giving your landscapes a timeless quality, mastering this Photoshop trick opens a new dimension of artistic possibilities!

Embrace your inner artist and experiment with different images for a range of pencil drawn styles. Expand your creative toolkit and push the boundaries of digital art!