Money portrait - photoshop brush?

[jimlad]

If you've ever looked really closely at the way portraits are depicted on money you'll often see a dashed line which follows the contours of the form, the dashed line has a long dash, a space, then a short dash. This was created using a etching tool called a burin and on UK currency this portrait alone can take 9 months.

I need to make a life sized image of a large head and I want it to look like it's been created in this way, I was going to buy a wacom tablet and use a custom brush based on a high res scan of a large dash and short dash detail. Rather than stroke hundreds of lines drawn with the pen tool, I'd prefer to draw each line with the brush tool, if it was a simple dotted line it would be easy but the varying long, short dashes make me wonder it this is possible.

Advice and thoughts appreciated,

Thanks

Jim

 

[iDad]

Could you post a picture of what you are talking about I do not see the the area you speak of

 

[Gaussian]

I don't see it either... need an example pic.

 

[jimlad]

Will post image tomorrow as it's on my work machine. Thanks. J

 

[Steve]

There are PS plug-in's available that do this.

Here's one I found, you can search for others.
AlphaPlugins Engraver plug-in for Adobe Photoshop

 

[KRF]

Yes, Please post an image, so that we can help

The image I have here shows UK money, and looking at the quens face, I think I am looking at what you are talking about is this right?

 

[jimlad]

That plugin looks great, and if it was a quick illustration job it would be just the ticket, but I need to make something which is almost indistinguishable from the real thing, I'm using american dollars as a reference - the queens head image attached on the previous post (thanks) is the sort of thing I'm talking about but the dollar portraits have a long dash then a short dash, UK currency has more regular dashes. I'll post an image a bit later.

Thanks.

 

[jimlad]

Examples attached, one is from the hundred dollar bill, another from the 5 dollar bill and the other from a head I'm working on. I don't think I described it very well - on closer inspection I can see there are several kinds of stroke and even a dot between strokes. A plugin wouldn't get these sort of details right so it's going to need to be done manually.

The head I'm working on, shown here has been built from composites of the 5 dollar bill, laid over the top of an image, resized and manipulated, it worked to a degree but I'm now coming unstuck. I'm going to try enlarging these marks from the scans - tracing them into outlines in Illustrator, then creating a pattern brush for each type of stroke and finishing the job in illustrator as I can't see how to do it in Photoshop - correct me if I'm wrong...

 

[iDad]

"it's going to need to be done manually" I think you are right there, good luck!

 

[Steve]

That plugin looks great, and if it was a quick illustration job it would be just the ticket, ......................
Thanks.

I don't know how you could do what you want.
The plug-in puts an effect on the image but is just an overlay that doesn't follow the contours of the face.
This is interesting though so if I find something I'll let you know.
Steve

 

[iDad]

I was thinking about this, How about creating a blank layer over your image and then adding a translucent color to it (probably white) ….You'll still see the image but you'll be able to add the dots and dashes where you want them placed(use a contrasting color (black probably) and after you are done creating all those lines or dots switch the layer mode to overlay or screen……….I could be dead wrong just an idea