How to Copy A Painting or Drawing from a Photograph
Nearly every drawing or illustration software does allow the user to not only recreate a painting or drawing but also try to copy it directly. There are two main ways to do this, one involves using a high resolution camera and powerful photo editing software, while the other, for those who wish to recreate drawings digitally, involves using drawing or illustrating software and using the photo as a reference.
The first option is the simpler of the two as you do not have to learn any new software.
Things Required:
– Photo editing software such as Adobe Photoshop
– Illustration or drawing software, such as Sketchbook Pro, Adobe Photoshop
– A tablet and pen attachment
– A source, either a photo or drawing
– A DSLR or more powerful camera
Instructions
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1
For the first technique, simply load up the photograph onto to the desired photo editing software. We recommend Photoshop. This can be done by either taking a digital photo of the image or using a scanner to scan the photo and create a digital copy. If you do not have a scanner then there are number of resources one could turn to.
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2
Once the image has been loaded on to Photoshop, simply crop away the bits and areas that you do not require. Use the crop tool for the best results.
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3
The second technique is best for recreating drawings. Follow the first step but instead of cropping the image, it would be better, in the case of a drawing, to trace over it using either a pen or pencil tool.
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Add the image to the software and keep it as a background layer.
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5
Based on the software you are using, simply reduce the density of the background layer where the image has been placed.
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Add a new layer on top of the bottom layer.
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Select the pen tool or pencil tool and trace out the outline of the drawing on the newly created layer.
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Once this is done, you may be adding colour if there is any in the drawing. That is a tricky bit and we recommend using the first technique if the drawing has complicated colours and your skills aren’t well developed.
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When the outline is complete you may delete the bottom layer and will be left with a copy of the drawing itself.
