How To Draw In An Etch Style

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Give your illustrations the traditional wait of an engraving without actually drawing all those pesky little lines! The technique is uncomplicated, but requires some experience with the Displace Filter and knowledge of basic shading techniques. The result will have people thinking you spent hours and hours on your design... which you probably volition, merely at least you lot don't have to actually engrave anything!

Final Image Preview

Earlier we get started, let's take a look at the image we'll be creating. As always, the layered Photoshop file is available via our Psdtuts+ Plus membership.

Step one

The printing technique known as engraving, is a procedure by which an intaglio matrix (or metal plate) is incised with a design, and then is used for printing images on paper. By using Displacement Maps in a artistic way, I was able to recreate that await. I began with an illustration. For this tutorial, I sketched a picture of Alice from the famous Lewis Carroll story, and inserted it on a layer named "Line Art."

Step 2

In an engraving, the lines follow the contour of the class, giving it a 3-dimensional quality. The same thing can exist done with the aid of the Displace Filter. The filter uses a grayscale Displacement Map to calculate the amount of distortion information technology will apply to the texture. In general, darker values brand the texture appear to recede, bending the texture downward, while lighter values appear closer, bending upwards.

Creating a Displacement Map is simple.

1. Create a layer named "Apartment." On this layer, fill the illustration with a flat, medium-gray colour (#646464 volition do nicely). It is best to do this with the Pencil Tool (B) or Lasso (L) rather than the Castor, so the outlines are nice and crisp.
2. Select the contents of the "Apartment" layer.
3. On a separate layer named "D. Map," shade within the selection area using a large brush with a low Menses pct. I used pure white, then pure black, passing multiple times over areas, until the appropriate values were reached.
4. Adjust the opacity of the "D.Map" layer until it has a less harsh range of tones (if necessary).
5. Duplicate the "Apartment" layer, merge information technology with "D. Map," and apply a Gaussian Mistiness (Filter > Mistiness > Gaussian Blur) to smooth out the brush strokes.
6. In order to produce perfect values, adjustments can exist made to the Displacement Map in the Brightness/Dissimilarity bill of fare (Image > Adjustments > Brightness/Contrast).
7. Finally, hibernate the "Line Fine art" and original "Flat" layer, leaving simply the "Background" and newly merged "D. Map" layer. Indistinguishable the prototype (Image > Duplicate). Proper name the new image, "d-map," check the box marked, Indistinguishable Merged Layers Only, so save the new image.

Yes, I know Alice looks deranged in the 2d frame, only she has the Mad Hatter and March Hare to deal with, and then she'southward bound to have her moments.

Step 3

Before I could apply the Readapt Filter, I needed to brand a fix of engraving textures that could exist wrapped around my illustration. I made ane horizontal, ane vertical, and one angled texture, giving each its own layer named "Horiz.," "Vert.," and "Angle," respectively. These were placed in a grouping named, "Textures." They were each large enough to cover the entire drawing.

In order to keep the textures within the boundaries of my illustration, I selected the contents of the "Flat" layer and used it equally a Layer Mask for the entire "Textures" grouping.

Step 4

Finally, I was able to put the Displace Filter to work. I began by filtering the horizontal engraving texture. While putting the "Horiz." layer in focus, I selected the Displace Filter from the menu (Filter > Distort > Displace). Keep in mind that the size of the image you work with will determine which values are placed in the Horizontal Scale and Vertical Calibration options.

Since I was working with a large image and a texture containing horizontal lines, I gave Vertical Calibration a value of fifty, and nothing for Horizontal Scale. The remaining options for the Readapt Filter were unimportant for this application, and so I clicked OK.

Go along in mind, the event of the filtering process does Non have to be 100% perfect. There will always exist a few rebellious pixels here and there. When a skillful 75-80% of the lines meet your satisfaction, then proceed.

Step five

These were my results so far!

I repeated the same procedure (using the Displace Filter) for the "Vert." layer, this time choosing a Horizontal Scale value of 25, while leaving Vertical Scale set up to 0. I did non readapt the "Angle" texture, for this detail illustration.

If you are unhappy with the results of the filtering process, you can alter your Displacement Map and/or the Vertical Calibration value of the Readapt Filter until the texture wraps effectually the grade properly. Without a Preview pick on the filter, y'all will have to gain experience with the mode the filter behaves before you can predict its output. This may be challenging at outset, but things volition eventually become clear.

Footstep half-dozen

Later using the Displace Filter on all of my engraving textures, information technology was time to selectively remove parts of each texture. I used the textures to ascertain the following areas of light and shadow:

• Absenteeism of texture represents areas of straight light.
• Horizontal texture is a lite shadow.
• Vertical texture is a medium shadow.
• Angled texture is a nighttime shadow.

I began to define these areas by duplicating the "Apartment" layer. I renamed this layer "Shadow," and created the four areas of calorie-free and shadow listed in a higher place. I kept each area perfectly flat, using the Lasso Tool (L) and Paint Bucket (G).

As yous can come across, I relocated the core shadow from its normal position (most the direct light), to the opposite side of the form (closer to where the reflected light would normally announced). I found that this produced the best results due to the fact that there was no blending between areas of shading. I also bankrupt the rules of light and shadow wherever I felt an expanse needed emphasis.

Footstep 7

I began to selectively remove parts of the textures. It was really heady seeing the epitome come together!

With the Magic Wand Tool, I selected the areas of direct calorie-free (the whitest parts) on the "Shadow" layer. I inverted the choice (Select > Inverse) then went to the "Horiz." layer and created a Layer Mask from that selection. This revealed the texture on all parts of the class other than the whitest value.

Next, on the "Shadow" layer, I selected both the areas of direct light, and the areas of lightest shadow (the ii lightest values). I inverted the pick, chose the "Vert." layer, and I masked that layer.

Finally, while on the "Shadow" layer, I selected the very darkest value. I moved focus to the "Angle" layer, and created a Layer Mask from that selection.

At this point, I adapted each layer'due south opacity until the values were well-balanced. Also, I readjusted the "Shadow" layer.

Footstep 8

To complete the analogy, I created a background using the three engraving textures. I selected the "Flat" layer, then masked this background with the selection. Underneath these layers, I used the Castor Tool (B) with a low Flow percentage and the Style set to "Dissolve." I sprayed some random greyness and maroon tones over a flat gray groundwork.

Decision

Finally, my illustration was finished! This tutorial shows how the wait of engraving tin can be reproduced in Photoshop. Past using different patterns, yous could mimic the look of a woodcut, crosshatch, stipple, or almost any other classic technique. Your imagination is the only limit!

Let's accept a expect at the final image. It looks pretty darned adept, if I exercise say and then, myself!

Did you notice this post useful?

I'm a comic artist and graphic designer living and working in San Diego, CA. I've ever loved drawing, and so Photoshop and my trusty Wacom tablet are my favorite tools of the trade. I am always searching for new and exciting means to create cute artwork.

Source: https://design.tutsplus.com/tutorials/create-the-classic-look-of-an-engraving-in-photoshop--psd-289

Posted by: ellisardeculd.blogspot.com

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