For most designers, Photoshop has become the tool we use everyday. There are some effects that are quite impossible or difficult to accomplish just by using Photoshop. That is why an ocean of Photoshop plugins are so easily available to us. Plugins are time-saving tools that are downloaded to support Photoshop and to provide additional effects for your image. Without Photoshop plugins, the world of image editing would be less fascinating.
In this tutorial today, we will be using a unique and powerful plugin, Filter forge and Photoshop to turn an ordinary photo into a watercolor painting. It is a simple and effective way to transform an image into another look within minutes.
Step 1: Open image in Photoshop
Launch Photoshop. Press Ctrl+O to open the source image to be modified. This is an image taken during a Chinese opera performance.
Step 2. Adjust Curves
Identify areas of the image that are unexposed.
Click on the elliptical Marquee Tool, set the Feather to 20 pixels.
Select the area of the image that is darker, press Ctrl+M (or Image > Adjustments > Curves) for the Curves window to to open. Adjust the curve of the graph to the one similar below.
Step 3: Sharpen the image
Sharpen the image by going to Filter > Sharpen > Unsharp Mask
Adjust the settings to the image below.
Be careful not to sharpen the image too much, it will turn grainy.
Step 6: Apply Filter Forge Filter – Water Color Painting
The plugin can be found under Filter > Filter Forge, after installing.
To apply the filter to your image, click on Filter Forge to launch the program.
On the top right of Filter Forge window, click on Download more filters.
Open the filter web page – http://www.filterforge.com/filters/7227.html – and click the ‘Open in Filter Forge‘ button.
Step 7: Fine tune the Filter Parameters
After installing, double click on the preset thumbnail to apply the filter.
Click on the Settings tab shown below. The beauty about Filter Forge is that it gives you a variety of different parameters that allows you to fine-tune the filter. Start experimenting by moving the sliders.
You can also try the ‘Next variant’ button in the Randomizer section, where you can click until you get your desired results.
The variant above seems to be close to perfect.
Step 8: Apply Filter Forge Filters – Water Color Frame, Paper Art Frame and Wood Frame
The next 3 filters I will be adding to enhance the image further are Watercolor Frame, Paper Art Frame and Wood Frame.
Download Watercolor Frame Filter.
Download Paper Art Frame Filter.
Repeat Step 7, and remember to experiment on the parameters in the Settings tab.
You may prefer your image without the frame. So this step can be optional.
Wood Frame filter: http://www.filterforge.com/filters/725.html
Again, adjust the parameters in the Settings tab to create a thick or thin frame .
Once you are happy with your image, click on apply at the bottom right of the Filter Forge window.
Step 9: Levels Adjustments and The Final Result
Let”s improve the quality of the image by adjusting the Levels. Press Ctrl+L, and move the slider as in the image shown below.
This is the final result. These are only a few of the 7276 filters available at Filter Forge. Enter the contest, and try out those awesome filters now! Contest details are below.
5 Free Licenses of Filter Forge Up For Grabs!
Filter Forge is a unique Photoshop plugin that comes with a pack of filters that generate textures, create visual effects, enhance photos and process images.
Winning this exceptional plugin, lets you create your own filters and get free access to 7276 user-created filters. Anyone can contribute their textures and effects to the online filter collection so it grows with every submitted filter. This means the more people use Filter Forge, the better it gets. Contributors get Filter Forge for free. You submit filters, they get popular with the users, we send you a free copy of Filter Forge.
How To Win
For a chance to win one of five Filter Forge Basic 1.0 – the platform (Mac/PC) could be chosen by each winner individually, all you have to do is post a comment below and tell us how this software could make your life easier with Photoshop. Please enter a valid email.
The competition will run for 1 week. Winners will be announced on this article and will be contacted via email on the 18th June 2010.
The 5 Lucky Winners
We are glad to announce the winners of Filter Forge Photoshop Plugin. These lucky 5 were chosen at random:
- Linn H
- Angela Watson
- James Coleman
- Brian Lockyear
- Drew
Winners will be contacted through email. If you are one of them and have not received an email from us or our sponsors within the next 48 hours, please contact us.