How To Turn A Photo Into A Woodcut Carving
Woodcut carving is a very ancient printmaking method in which an image, design or illustration is carved onto the wood surface with special knives and chisels. The surrounding wood is removed so the carved image looks raised onto that wood piece. Later, ink is applied to the carved illustration or design to print it onto paper or any desired material. The final composition looks bold with a high contrast, creating intense visual descriptions. Even without proceeding to the printing process, the wood craving becomes an art chef-d’oeuvre to be used in various art projects. Creating a woodcut craving using digital tools is also an exciting practice. You can create wood-craving-like aesthetics with minimal effort and no necessity for any tangible tool. In digital art and image editing, the woodcut craving approach paves the way for enormous aesthetic outcomes. You can also create a vintage and organic wood-like appearance for your common shots. This blog deals with all the necessary phases to turn your image into digital woodcut carving, making a composition that resembles a blend of traditional and modern art themes.
Step 1: Adding Grayscale Effect
Load the Adobe Photoshop application and open the image you need to edit into a woodcut carving effect.
Copy the background layer by right-clicking on it within the Layers panel and selecting “Duplicate Layer.” This conserves the initial picture for reference.
Select the duplicate layer, move to the menu bar and press on Image > Adjustments> Desaturate. This action will remove all colours and convert the picture to grayscale.
Head to Image to click on Adjustments, then Brightness/Contrast to improve the grayscale photo. Advance the contrast to form the dark and light zones more distinguishing, which assists in making a more characterized woodcut impact.
Make sure that the key points of interest in the picture are still obvious and not misplaced within the conversion process. Revise the brightness essential to highlight fundamental highlights.
Step 2: Using Cutout Filter
Confirm that the duplicate grayscale layer is chosen within the Layers panel.
Move to the menu bar and tap on Filter and Filter Gallery.
Within the Filter Gallery, get to the “Artistic” option and choose the Cutout filter.
Fix Levels to a lower number, like 3-5, to streamline the picture into particular areas of tone.
Alter Edge Simplicity to manage the smoothness of the edges. A higher value develops simpler and smoother edges.
Modify Edge Fidelity to direct the detail level. A smaller value gives a more abstract look, while a more elevated value holds more detail.
Utilize the preview window to catch the effect on your image. Alter the settings as required to attain a proportion between simplicity and detail that conforms to the woodcut impact.
After you are satisfied, tap Ok to add the Cutout filter to your layer.
Review the resulting picture to guarantee it keeps up fundamental points of interest while disentangling the general appearance.
Step 3: Use Of Wood Textures
Navigate to Layer > New> Layer to open a new layer. Title this layer, such as the texture layer.
Select a wood grain or comparative texture picture. Open that chosen texture picture, duplicate it, and paste it onto the new layer in your main document.
Utilize the Transform tool and resize the texture picture to cover the whole canvas. Press on Shift and keep resizing to preserve proportions.
Within the Layers panel, alter the blending mode of the Texture layer to Overlay or Multiply mode to mix the texture with the grayscale picture beneath it.
Alter the opacity of the Texture layer to control the intensity of the texture impact. If you keep the opacity down, it can result in a subtler texture.
As necessary, include a layer mask to the Texture layer by clicking the Add Layer Mask option at the foot of the Layers panel. Utilize a delicate brush to paint on the mask, covering up ranges where you do not need the texture to seem.
Regulate the texture’s formation by applying extra alterations, including Brightness/Contrast or Levels, to the Texture layer to guarantee it goes with the basic picture.
Step 4: Sketching With Graphic Pen
Click on the grayscale layer and copy it by right-clicking and selecting the Duplicate Layer option. That new layer will be utilized for the Graphic Pen filter.
With the new copy layer chosen, go to Filter > Filter Gallery.
Within the Filter Gallery, go to the Sketch option and select the Graphic Pen filter.
Fix the stroke length to manage the length of the pen strokes. Smaller strokes make more precise lines, whereas lengthy strokes provide a more stylized impression.
Alter Light/Dark Balance setting to regulate the contrast between the light and dim ranges. A higher value boosts the contrast.
Select the stroke direction by considering parameters of Right Diagonal, Left Diagonal, Horizontal, and Vertical to pick one that best suits the composition of your picture.
Utilize the preview window to see the effect on your picture. Alter the settings until the lines closely correspond to woodcut carvings.
Press Ok to spread the Graphic Pen filter to the layer.
Switch the blending mode of the filtered layer to Multiply or Overlay within the Layers panel. Alter the opacity if essential to coordinate the lines with the picture below.
Step 5: The Levels Setting
Recheck that the layer with the Graphic Pen filter connected is chosen within the Layers panel.
Head to the menu bar and click on “Image” > Adjustments > Levels, or you can utilize the key shortcut Ctrl+L.
Within the Levels dialog box, drag the left (black) slider to the right to extend the shadows. That will upgrade the dark regions, making them more noticeable.
Drag the right (white) slider to the left to illume the highlights. It makes the light regions more particular.
Utilize the middle slider to revise the midtones. Dragging it left can lighten it, and moving it right will obscure the midtones. Make tweaks to attain the specified consonance between light and dark regions.
Reach the preview option to see the changes in real-time. Alter the sliders until you accomplish a solid contrast that improves the woodcut impact without losing fundamental subtle elements.
Finally, click on OK to apply the Level adjustment.
Step 6: Adjusting The Blending Modes
Make sure that both the texture layer and the layer with the Graphic Pen filter are evident and chosen within the Layers panel.
Within the Layers panel, open the blending mode dropdown menu and select Overlay or Multiply. Overlay will blend the texture with the fundamental layers, upgrading contrast, while Multiply will darken the image by integrating the texture with the grayscale tones.
If you find the texture effect is too substantial, decrease the opacity of the texture layer. Tap on the opacity slider within the Layers panel and adapt it to attain a balanced appearance.
Presently, press on the layer containing the Graphic Pen filter.
Appoint the blending mode of this layer to “Multiply” to combine the pen lines with the picture underneath, upgrading the carved effect.
Adjust the darkness of the sifted layer as required to guarantee the lines actually mix with the general picture.
Step 7: The Final Touch-Ups
Create a new layer, which you can name as the Final Details by tapping on Layer > New> “Layer”.
Pick the Brush Tool from the toolbar or press B. Select a little hard-edged brush to include exact components.
Put the brush colour to black for dark lines or white for highlights, as per the regions you need to upgrade.
Use Zoom in to observe the picture and work on minute details. You can utilize Ctrl+Plus to zoom in and Ctrl+Minus to zoom out.
Deliberately draw extra lines or highlights where vital. Concentrate on improving key regions like edges and contours and the woodcut impact.
If needed, use the Eraser option to refine or evacuate any undesirable details. Alter the eraser size for accuracy work.
Use the Zoom out feature to audit the widespread photo. Make sure that the included details elevate the woodcut effect without overpowering the image. Make last adjustments to the opacity and blending modes of this layer as required.
Conclusion
Ultimately, achieving the woodcut craving effect on your images gives them a distinctive, organic appearance that evokes a nostalgic feeling. This way, you are transforming your mundane shots into memorable and stimulating artworks that enchant the viewers with their raw appeal. Logo designers or engraving shop designers often use this effect to embellish the finished product of their work. In addition, this technique can be utilized to produce three-dimensional designs on pottery, furniture, and decorative pieces that require engraving. Whichever field employs the woodcut carving theme, the commonality of the simplicity of details and cultural aesthetics conforms every piece to a single scope.