Innographx Abstract Drawing Tutorial

Posted on Jan 12, 2014 | 0 comments

Phyllis Stewart used to run a wonderful forum for Photo Art called The Inn at Innographx. It’s gone now but I did manage to save some of the tutorials I liked and this is one of my favorites. It was called Abstract Drawings and works very nicely on architectural subjects and foliage. The example here is a bridge in Sacramento, California that has both elements.

Here are the steps:

1. Use the Basic Outline method described in the Basic Outline Tutorial. In this case you may want to use a higher level of blur and get more than just outlines. Every subject is different so experiment here.
2. Duplicate the result of Step 1 so that you can go back later, if necessary. (Layer A)
3. Apply Image|Adjustments|Equalize to Layer A.
4. Apply Filter|Stylize|Diffuse|Anisotropic to Layer A.
5. Optional: Rotate the image 90%, reapply Step 4 and rotate the image back. A lot of artists do this with Anisotropic. I think it evens it out a bit.
6. Apply Filter|Artistic|Cutout set to medium values to Layer A. Again, experiment with these settings to get the look you want.
7. Blend Layer A with the original. Start with Vivid Light but you may find that one of the other modes looks better.
8. Touch up areas that have too much of the effect, if necessary.

Feel free to apply textures or brush on effects such as dodge and burn in areas to get a different look. I like to boost the saturation sometime to the point slightly distorting the colors.

Enjoy!