In a previous tutorial we saw how to convert our photographs into something very similar to a watercolour painting, such as an artist would paint. This tutorial is going to show you a variation on that tutorial - one that will give softer edges and a different, but pleasing look.

1. Open the photograph titled, riverscene.jpg into Photoshop.

2. First of all, duplicate the current Background layer by simply dragging it down to the Create New Layer icon, while holding down the ALT key. You can now rename this layer to 'Find Edges'.

3. 
   After Find Edges

   With the Find Edges layer active, run the FIND EDGES filters by selecting it from the FILTER... STYLIZE menu.

4. Bring up Levels Command Dialogue Box by pressing CTRL+L together. In the INPUT values, enter '0' in the far left box, and enter a number between '200-208' in the far right box. What this does is bring more of the white out on this level, removing some unwanted picture data.

5. Now remove all colour from the layer by either pressing CTRL+ALT+U or by selecting the IMAGE... ADJUST... DESATURATE command.

6. 
   Move placing layers

   Once again, duplicate the original Background Layer. In the Layers Palette, move the duplicate so it sits on top of the Original Background layer. Rename this layer to 'Paint Brush'.

7. With the Paint Brush layer active run the Median filter by selecting Filter ' NOISE ' MEDIAN. When the dialogue box appears, enter a value of 2 and click on OK.

   
   Run the Median Filter What this has done is 'soften' the image, reducing the harshness of the brickwork.

8. Bring up the Levels Command box once more (CTRL+L) and enter a value of '21' in the first Input Range field (far left), and enter a value of '255' in the last box of the Input Range field (far right). Click OK to apply the new settings.

   Ok, so now we are at the halfway stage. You should have on your screen, an image that is looking a little darker and slightly blurred. Don't worry that you can't see the layers beneath - that is still to come.

   Our next stage is to add the actual paint effect:

9. With the Paint Brush layer still active, run the Fresco filter via Filter 'Artistic ' Fresco. When the dialogue box appears, enter these values: Brush Size = 10, Brush Detail = 2, Texture = 1. Click OK to apply the new settings.

10. Once the Fresco filter has been applied, change the Blend Mode of the Paint Brush Layer to Soft Light. Simply do this by clicking on the Black arrow that is just under the word 'Layer' on the Layers Palette. Select Soft Light from the sub menu.

11. Click on the 'Find Edges' layer in the Layer Palette to activate it. Change its Blend Mode to Soft Light

12. Click on and drag the 'Paint Brush' layer on the Create New Layer icon in the Layers Palette to duplicate it.

13. Remove all colour from the duplicate layer by running the Desaturate command from the Image ' Adjust menu, or by pressing the key combination Shift+CTRL+U.

14. Run the Find Edges filter from the Filter ' Stylize menu.

15. When the filter has been applied, change the Opacity of this layer to somewhere around 63%.

16. Final part now. Bring up the Curves dialogue box. When it appears, alter the diagonal line until it looks something similar to the one provided here:

Change curves to something like this

Optional: You don't have to stop there. Why not add a canvas to the painting to give it a little more texture? Flatten the painting image, and then rename the Background layer to Painting. Change the foreground colour to #EAC578, and then run the Texturizer command (Filter menu, Texture... Texturizer). Change the opacity of the layer to about 63% and the blend mode to Soft Light.

Add more effect by running a program such as Extensis Photoframes to add a border around your image, or create one yourself.