How to achieve this effect

[RosiePosie]

Hello everyone. I'm very much an amateur at photoshop, having used it for basic alterations to images over the years. I was wondering if anyone has any ideas how I might be able to achieve a similar finish to an already existing image as the one in the attached file. I've had a play around with filters, but that alters everything in the image, background and all, rather than just the image itself. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

 

[thebestcpu]

Hello everyone. I'm very much an amateur at photoshop, having used it for basic alterations to images over the years. I was wondering if anyone has any ideas how I might be able to achieve a similar finish to an already existing image as the one in the attached file. I've had a play around with filters, but that alters everything in the image, background and all, rather than just the image itself. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!


View attachment 115511

Hi RosePosie
It would help if you provided more specifics. Saying "a similar finish" would mean a lot of different things to a lot of forum members. Which elements and which characteristics of those elements do you want help e.g. graphical elements, text elements, the guiding arrows, image sheen, image color, etc etc. Many here to help, just need to steer forum members more specifically so that any recommendations would be targeted correctly.
Just a suggestion
John Wheeler

 

[RosiePosie]

Hi RosePosie
It would help if you provided more specifics. Saying "a similar finish" would mean a lot of different things to a lot of forum members. Which elements and which characteristics of those elements do you want help e.g. graphical elements, text elements, the guiding arrows, image sheen, image color, etc etc. Many here to help, just need to steer forum members more specifically so that any recommendations would be targeted correctly.
Just a suggestion
John Wheeler

Thanks John,

Sorry, I was rather vague! I'm referring specifically to the watercolour paper and collage effect. I've had a play around with the filter gallery, but I can't seem to find anything that gives a rippled, watercolour texture to the image. I don't even know if this is something that can be achieved in photoshop, but it seemed like a good place to start! Thanks for your help, and if I'm still not being clear enough with my description, please let me know.

 

[JeffK]

Hi Rosie -
John - @thebestcpu - will give you the best technical direction. But maybe if you post an original image, and combined with your comments above, it might give him and us a better idea of what the end result can be. I'm not sure if the watercolor effect is what you're looking for but maybe more of a flat "cartoon" effect on an original image. judging by the sample you show above.

But if it's a watercolor effect you want, there's a very simple tutorial to get you where you possibly want to go::

Using these directions, I opened one of my old original flower photos and applied the changes. Here's the original with the effected image next to it:



If you just want the blooms themselves affected for instance, you can apply a mask to get that effect:



You can also play with the opacity of each layer to change the effects.

Hope this helps to answer your questions without providing too difficult of a method.

- Jeff

 

[thebestcpu]

Hi RosiePosie
I will take you desired end result is to be able to combine image components that are either already illustrations or that you want to convert existing real life images to illustrations and combine them in a document. @JeffK gave a good starting point for converting real life images into watercolors

So there are two topics I see. How to get images that are illustrations and second how to combine them

If you are happy with using illustrations that already exist, there are many online sites that provide such images and a number that also have free images too. This could save a lot of time if they hae what you want. Here is a link to one such site: https://pixabay.com/
That site initially will show images that you need to pay for followed by many more images that are free. You just use the filter to have it show you illustrations only to give you a choice. Here is an example cut and paste from that site and notice the checkerboard is indicating that it comes in a format with transparency surrounding the image for easy adding into your overall product:




To add these elements into your image you can use the File > Place Embedded and such image will be added as its own Layer.

I will stop here as I am not sure this is the path in which you are interested or not.
Hope this helps with a starting point and just add more comments to help steer the feedback you are getting.
John Wheeler

 

[IamSam]

Hello. For my version, I created an (EXTREMELY FAST) drawing to offer another option. If this is something you may be interested in, let me know and I will explain how I did it. It's fairly easy.

 

[RosiePosie]

Hello. For my version, I created an (EXTREMELY FAST) drawing to offer another option. If this is something you may be interested in, let me know and I will explain how I did it. It's fairly easy.

View attachment 115521

OMG, yes! despite the terrible description of what I'm trying to achieve, you have hit the nail smack bang on the head. I came on here to try and clarify what my goal is, only to find this! I'm basically trying to reverse engineer, or create something similar, to the image in the original file posted, but I can't work out how to get a watercolour paper effect on my image.

 

[RosiePosie]

OMG, yes! despite the terrible description of what I'm trying to achieve, you have hit the nail smack bang on the head. I came on here to try and clarify what my goal is, only to find this! I'm basically trying to reverse engineer, or create something similar, to the image in the original file posted, but I can't work out how to get a watercolour paper effect on my image.

Or even on layers that I can chop up in order to create a watercolour collage effect.

 

[RosiePosie]

Hi RosiePosie
I will take you desired end result is to be able to combine image components that are either already illustrations or that you want to convert existing real life images to illustrations and combine them in a document. @JeffK gave a good starting point for converting real life images into watercolors

So there are two topics I see. How to get images that are illustrations and second how to combine them

If you are happy with using illustrations that already exist, there are many online sites that provide such images and a number that also have free images too. This could save a lot of time if they hae what you want. Here is a link to one such site: https://pixabay.com/
That site initially will show images that you need to pay for followed by many more images that are free. You just use the filter to have it show you illustrations only to give you a choice. Here is an example cut and paste from that site and notice the checkerboard is indicating that it comes in a format with transparency surrounding the image for easy adding into your overall product:

View attachment 115519


To add these elements into your image you can use the File > Place Embedded and such image will be added as its own Layer.

I will stop here as I am not sure this is the path in which you are interested or not.
Hope this helps with a starting point and just add more comments to help steer the feedback you are getting.
John Wheeler

Thank you so much for taking the time to reply to my somewhat vague post. I think @IamSam potentially has the solution I am looking for!

 

[RosiePosie]

Hi Rosie -
John - @thebestcpu - will give you the best technical direction. But maybe if you post an original image, and combined with your comments above, it might give him and us a better idea of what the end result can be. I'm not sure if the watercolor effect is what you're looking for but maybe more of a flat "cartoon" effect on an original image. judging by the sample you show above.

But if it's a watercolor effect you want, there's a very simple tutorial to get you where you possibly want to go::

Using these directions, I opened one of my old original flower photos and applied the changes. Here's the original with the effected image next to it:

View attachment 115517

If you just want the blooms themselves affected for instance, you can apply a mask to get that effect:

View attachment 115518

You can also play with the opacity of each layer to change the effects.

Hope this helps to answer your questions without providing too difficult of a method.

- Jeff

I really appreciate the time taken to respond to my rather vague enquiry. I think @IamSam may have my solution. Thanks so much!

 

[RosiePosie]

Hi Rosie -
John - @thebestcpu - will give you the best technical direction. But maybe if you post an original image, and combined with your comments above, it might give him and us a better idea of what the end result can be. I'm not sure if the watercolor effect is what you're looking for but maybe more of a flat "cartoon" effect on an original image. judging by the sample you show above.

But if it's a watercolor effect you want, there's a very simple tutorial to get you where you possibly want to go::

Using these directions, I opened one of my old original flower photos and applied the changes. Here's the original with the effected image next to it:

View attachment 115517

If you just want the blooms themselves affected for instance, you can apply a mask to get that effect:

View attachment 115518

You can also play with the opacity of each layer to change the effects.

Hope this helps to answer your questions without providing too difficult of a method.

- Jeff

OMG, yes! despite the terrible description of what I'm trying to achieve, you have hit the nail smack bang on the head. I came on here to try and clarify what my goal is, only to find this! I'm basically trying to reverse engineer, or create something similar, to the image in the original file posted, but I can't work out how to get a watercolour paper effect on my image.

Or even on layers that I can chop up in order to create a watercolour collage effect.

How rude of me! In my excitment, I forgot you say could you take me through the process, please?

 

[RosiePosie]

Hello. For my version, I created an (EXTREMELY FAST) drawing to offer another option. If this is something you may be interested in, let me know and I will explain how I did it. It's fairly easy.

View attachment 115521

After much experimentation, I have discovered 'Multiply'. Is that what you used? Either way, I think I may have solved the problem. Thanks so much for your time!

 

[IamSam]

Glad you liked it, I wasn't sure that you would so I waited in the explanation. You still want it????

 

[IamSam]

I have discovered 'Multiply'

The paper effect is a "paper texture" layer set to multiply at the very top of the layer stack.