Photo to Sketch in GIMP (like my avatar)

1. Load the photo you want to convert in the GIMP

*img146.imageshack.us/img146/2589/fig01zx1.th.jpg

2. Click on Image->Mode->Grayscale to discard the colour info

*img357.imageshack.us/img357/6796/fig02sn1.th.jpg

*img406.imageshack.us/img406/9294/fig03so3.th.jpg

3. Click on Duplicate layer (button that is circled in the picture below)

*img237.imageshack.us/img237/363/fig04fh9.th.jpg

4. Click on Filters->Blur->Gaussian Blur

*img261.imageshack.us/img261/9527/fig05wl7.th.jpg

5. Select the X and Y radius as 8.0, and click ok

*img237.imageshack.us/img237/4994/fig06vy8.th.jpg

This is how it will look

*img409.imageshack.us/img409/7227/fig07nu1.th.jpg

6. In the Layers Dock on the right of your GIMP, click on the drop down list against mode: and select Divide

*img530.imageshack.us/img530/9175/fig08up9.th.jpg

This is how it will look

*img444.imageshack.us/img444/8065/fig09ri7.th.jpg

7. Click on Image->Flatten Image

*img72.imageshack.us/img72/9004/fig10ib0.th.jpg

8. Click on Filters->Artistic->Cartoon

*img72.imageshack.us/img72/4937/fig11sy8.th.jpg

9. In the dialog ox that opens, adjust the mask radius and percent black that you want in your sketch, I have shown the settings I used in the picture below. Play with the sliders to study their effects.

*img169.imageshack.us/img169/2141/fig12ax2.th.jpg

This is what you will get

*img169.imageshack.us/img169/103/fig13dt3.th.jpg

10. Now to make a decorative border for our picture. Click on Script-Fu->Decor->Fuzzy Border

*img503.imageshack.us/img503/1846/fig14fp0.th.jpg

I just saw that the colour of the border was white, that's the one I wanted for this picture, so I leave it as it is. And click ok
*img503.imageshack.us/img503/6231/fig15rh5.th.jpg

Final Result!
*img261.imageshack.us/img261/4773/fig16av1.th.jpg

Other tutorials:
Make Passport size photos

Very nice tutorial.But i can do it in Photoshop without using filters
through vector painting.

Thank you
This works good if the background is plain, as in photographs shot in a studio. Too much detail in the background may mess up the work

Good tutor... keep it up

Thanks, you may also skip step 2 and see what happens, gives a colour sketch

gaurav_indian said:
Very nice tutorial.But i can do it in Photoshop without using filters
through vector painting.

I see, I am not a professional, been using GIMP for a year now. I have seen many pages of tutorials on this forum for Adobe Photoshop. Nice, but how many people actually own the original software. Not many I'm sure. But then the pirate version is so easily available

I hope to be writing now and then on my experiences with the GIMP, lets see how far I go.

was that bush

nice tut

nice tutorial
gimp ...>is wannabe replacement for adobe photoshop.give it a try!it is OSS and crossplatform too.

NucleusKore said:
Thanks, you may also skip step 2 and see what happens, gives a colour sketch

I see, I am not a professional, been using GIMP for a year now. I have seen many pages of tutorials on this forum for Adobe Photoshop. Nice, but how many people actually own the original software. Not many I'm sure. But then the pirate version is so easily available
I hope to be writing now and then on my experiences with the GIMP, lets see how far I go.

Yeah you are right lol.Waiting for more tutorials.

Excellent tut .. thanks a lot doc.