Make my photos look like Art

[cb2]

In the UK we have these photo booths where they snap your photo and then it makes a sketch, as it says, in the form of Leonardo Da Vinci or someone else. Does anyone know of some free software for the PC which does the same sort of thing?

[hgernhardtjr]

Free? Only if you already have PhotoShop CS2 or a similarphoto-editor that will use PhotoShop actionsas there aremany free PhotoShop actions that will do what you ask. Beyond that, I have not seen any free stand-alone software that does the same. Perhaps someone else has and will answer your question.

[hgernhardtjr]

Accidently double posted ... so I deleted.

[VTphotog]

The only one I can think of is the free version of Ulead Photoexplorer. I have the full version, and it has some painting effects that can be applied. I think the free version has all the functions, but there are some ads you have to put up with. Picasa may also have some of these effects, but I'm not certain.

brian

[cb2]

Which photoshop effects would you suggest?

[learning_mode]

Picasa which was mentioned above...isa free photoimage program I love. http://picasa.google.com/

I have some image programsi have purchased and some I got online but this one is my favorite all around imaging program- so far. I haven't downloaded my new stuff from Nikon that came with my camera this past week- Image program-so it may become my new favorite but this one Picasa-is very *user friendly* it really organizes your pictures on your computer ... I enjoy it alot!

~debby~

[hgernhardtjr]

cb2, rather than being specific re free PhotoShop actions, etc. I feel you should try several andchoose whichever best meets your needs.

Adobe Studio Exchange http://share.studio.adobe.com/axBrowseProduct.asp?p=2 has many actions, etc. Just do a search on "sketch" or similar key words and you will find several actions (or displacement maps like http://share.studio.adobe.com/axAsse...26allprods%3D0, etc.) that should meet your needs.

Personally, I like http://panosfx.com/ ... Panos has many free actions as well as inexpensive but quality actions. I really like his s"sketch effects" and "vintage photo" actions. He is now supporting Elements, also.

[Aphrodite]

here in the uk i tried a trial version of "ArtMasterPro" it does all the things you asked both in an array of automatic methods or completely manually. i loved it but the trial ran out and i haven't bought the full version yet. it's on my wish list tho. :-)

i did an internet search and found this page that gives you some examples

http://graphicssoft.about.com/od/pho...tmasterpro.htm

hope you find this helpful.

yasmin

[sjburges]

The GIMP has a plug-in called gimpressionist - its a good way of doing a lot of "art-like" effects. Its totally free (including source code), just a little hassle to setup on windows (requires some prereqisites). There's a number of other purpose-specific ones to make particular styles of "art" too.


http://www.gimp.org

[awisnewski]

I too have been trying to recreate this effect for a while. A few summers ago I had a photo taken of me and my kids in one of those booths and I loved it! I've attached a scan of the sketch. Unfortunately the scan is not as clear as the original. The machine was called Leonardo and printed 'Portrait Studio' onthe bottom left and 'Leonardo' and the date on the bottom right. It had a black/grey frame around it and had vignette effects. Is this the same thing you are trying to recreate? I am in the USA.

I have tried every piece of 'free' software, Photosop tutorial and action on the webthat I can find (many that other posters mentioned and more!) and nothing really gets me the exact look. I have figured out that I can create my own pattern to overlay at the end to put in the 'scratches' over the photo. I have played around with gaussian blur, color dodge overlay mode, shadow/highlights etc. and come close but still can't get it exactly right.

I found this Photoshop tutorial by Tim Shelbourne to be helpful but still a little rougher than the sketch I am trying to recreate. It applies a removal technique at the end instead of a pattern overlay but it is the same idea. (http://www.graphic-design.com/Photoshop/pencil_sketch/)

Please let me know if you find anything better and I'll do the same!

- Anne