Pencil Sketch Effect in Photoshop

Today, we will learn how to transform a photo into a pencil sketch in Photoshop with the help of some filters and blending modes. This effect can be applied to almost any image, but it definitely works better if it has a white or light background.

Keep in mind that you may need to use different values for the applied filters.

For this tutorial, we will use a fun baby photo to apply the pencil sketch effect. Or you can try this effect on other stock photos of people that are available on Design Bundles.

Contents

• Duplicate Your Image
• Create a Black & White Adjustment Layer
• Convert Your Image Into a Smart Object
• Apply a Gaussian Blur Filter
• Create the Pencil Strokes Using Filter Gallery
• Create the Pencil Lines Using Filter Gallery
• Get Rid of the Unwanted Strokes Using a Mask
• Add Details Using a Pencil Brush
• Make the Sketch Color Adjustable

Step 1 - Duplicate Your Image

First, in Photoshop, open the image you chose to work with and duplicate it (Command/Control + J).

Step 2 - Create a Black & White Adjustment Layer

Next, we are going to turn the image into black and white and give it high contrast.

So, head to the Adjustments panel, and create a new Black & White Adjustment layer on top of everything.

To add more contrast, select your duplicate image and change its Blending Mode to Color Dodge in the Layers panel.

Then, invert the image (Command/Control + I), so the light colors become dark and vice versa. Your image should look almost completely white.

Step 3 - Convert Your Image Into a Smart Object

In order to be able to change our filters after we have applied them, we need to turn our layer into a Smart Object.

Right-click on top of the duplicate layer’s thumbnail and choose Convert to Smart Object.

It’s time to apply some filters to create our pencil sketch effect.

Step 4 - Apply a Gaussian Blur Filter

First, to bring out the edges of the subject, and before we create the pencil strokes, go to Filter > Blur > Gaussian Blur. Move the Radius lever until the outlines of the image look good to you, but the lines are not too dark or thick. Ours was 16 pixels.

Now, since your layer is a Smart Object, you can double-click on its thumbnail to open the filter panel and readjust settings after having applied the filters.

Step 5 - Create the Pencil Strokes Using Filter Gallery

To create the pencil strokes, we are going to apply some filters to a desaturated duplicate of our original layer.

Duplicate the Background Layer and Place It on Top

First, duplicate the original layer (Command/Control + J) and move it to the top in the Layers panel.

Rename this layer to Outline and change the Layer 1 layer name to Base Line to better identify them later on.

Remove the Colors of the Duplicate Layer

Get rid of the color on the Outline layer using Desaturate (Shift + Command/Control + U).

Turn Your Layer Into a Smart Object

Remember to turn this and all the layers you plan to apply filters to into Smart Objects in case you want to adjust the settings of the adjustments and filters applied to them later on.

Apply a Graphic Pen Filter

To add the strokes to the Outline layer, go to Filter > Filter Gallery. In the Sketch tab, select Graphic Pen. As we said before, you need to experiment with the filter settings to find the ones that work better with your image. We used:

• Stroke Length: 15
• Light/Dark Balance: 100
• Stroke Direction: Left Diagonal

Apply a Motion Blur Filter

Now, to stylize the strokes a bit more, go to Filter > Blur > Motion Blur and use a -50º Angle and a Distance of 3 pixels.

Adjust the Levels to Change Black to Dark Grey

Finally, to give the strokes a more realistic pencil-like shade. Open the Levels panel (Command/Control + L) and change the black’s Output Levels value to 70. This will turn the darkest color of the layer to a dark grey instead of black.

You may also want to adjust the Input Levels for the blacks, greys, and whites to your liking.

When you are done, change the Blending Mode of the Outline layer to Multiply to get rid of the white present in the layer.

Step 6 - Create the Pencil Lines Using Filter Gallery

To mimic the pencil lines that outline the drawing. We are going to apply some filters to a second desaturated duplicate of our original layer.

Duplicate the Background Layer, Desaturate It and Make It a Smart Object

Duplicate the original layer again (Command/Control + J) and move the duplicate to the top on the Layers panel. Name this layer Lines.

Get rid of the color on the Outline layer using Desaturate (Shift + Command/Control + U) and turn it into a Smart Object.

Apply an Angled Strokes Filter

To add the thicker lines around the subject, go to Filter > Filter Gallery, and in the Brush Strokes tab, select Angled Strokes. As usual, experiment with the settings to find the ones that work better. We used:

• Direction Balance: 16
• Stroke Length: 7
• Sharpness: 1

Change the Blending Mode of the Lines layer to Multiply and lower the Opacity to 30%.

Adjust the Levels to Change the Black to Dark Grey

Here too, open the Levels panel (Command/Control + L) and change the black’s Output Levels value to 70 to turn the darkest color of the layer from black to a dark grey.

You may also want to adjust the Input Levels for the blacks, greys, and whites to your liking.

Step 7 - Get Rid of the Unwanted Strokes Using a Mask

To clean up your piece and get rid of any unwanted strokes, we will group our Smart Object layers together and use a layer mask to erase them.

Group Both Smart Object Layers Together

Select both the Lines and Outlines layers (use the Shift key) and group them together (Command/Control + G) by clicking on the small folder icon at the bottom of the Layers panel. Name the folder Pencil Sketch.

Add a Layer Mask to the Grouped Layers

Select your folder and add a mask to it by clicking on the Add Layer Mask button at the bottom of the Layers panel.

Remove the Unwanted Portions With a Soft Brush

Select the Brush tool (B) and make sure that black is set as the Foreground color. Pick a soft brush (0% Hardness), lower its Opacity to about 75%, and remove the unwanted portions.

You may need to adjust the brush size, hardness, opacity, etc., to work in smaller or larger areas.

Step 8 - Add Details Using a Pencil Brush 

Now, we will add some finishing touches to the pencil sketch effect, enhance the hand-drawn look, and fix the areas that need it using a pencil brush to draw them.

Create a New Layer

First, create a new layer on top of everything and name it Details.

Select Your Pencil Brush

Then, click on the down arrow next to the active brush to open the Brush Preset Picker and open the Legacy Brushes folder. In the Default Brushes folder, scroll down and choose the Pencil brush.

If the Legacy Brushes folder is not available, you will need to click the gear icon at the top right of the panel and click Legacy Brushes. Then, when prompted whether or not you want to restore the Legacy Brushes Set to the list, click Ok.

Adjust the Opacity and Flow settings so they are similar to the ones on your drawing. We used an Opacity of 66% and a Flow of 35%.

Add Strokes to Areas Needing More Detail

Paint with your brush on the areas of the image that need more detail, like the edges that are too light and lack a stronger stroke.

You can also add some strokes on the face, neck, hair, etc., to add more shading and make the sketch look more realistic.

Step 9 - Make the Sketch Color Adjustable

Here’s a trick to use in case you want to change the color of your final sketch effect.

Add a Color Adjustment Layer for the Background

First, create a new Color Fill Adjustment layer on top of everything by clicking on the small black and white circle icon at the bottom of the Layers panel. Choose white as the Fill color.

We need to make a selection of our pencil strokes to use as the base to adjust the color of our sketch if needed.

Duplicate a Channel and Invert It

Head to the Channels panel, duplicate one of the channel layers (Command/Control + J) and Invert it (Command/Control + I).

Select the Stroke Pixels

We are going to make a selection of the sketch strokes (white pixels on the channel layer) by clicking on top of the duplicated channel thumbnail while holding the Command/Control key.

Create a Color Fill Layer With Your Selection 

Without deselecting, head back to the Layers panel, create another Color Fill Adjustment layer on top of everything, and choose a color for the strokes. We used a dark brown (#371a01) to add a sepia tone to our sketch.

Here’s how our final image looks like with the pencil sketch effect applied. Remember that you can change the color of the strokes and adjust all the filter settings as well.

Next up, we have more great tutorials, such as enhancing black and white images, creating an Orton Effect, and making a Hope poster effect in Photoshop.