Vector Cartooning Photoshop

Objective

• Pick your favorite photograph you took this year with a person in it
• Cartoon a section of your photograph in Photoshop.
  • Do NOT cartoon any part of skin.
    • Only  clothes and other objects a person is holding should be changed

Step 1:

• Open your image in Photoshop
• Click on the + sign at the bottom on the layers pallet
  • This will create a new layer.
    • Name the layer Lines

Step 2:

• Pick the brush tool
  • Make sure the paint color is black
    •  Brush Size
      •  Brush between 6-10
        • General Brushes
          • Hard Round Brush

Step 3a:

• Make sure you are on the layer named Lines
  • Decide what part of the clothes and Objects you want to cartoon
    • You will NOT be outlining around the skin or hair

Step 3b:

• Zoom in close so you can see the details of the clothing
• Draw lines around the clothing outside of the clothing and/or Objects
  • Do NOT draw in the folds of the clothes.  This will come later.

Step 4

• When you are done outlining all the clothing and objects, you will be checking to make sure you did not miss any areas
  • If there are any unconnected lines the next step will not work
    • Click off the eye on your background layer.
      • You will now just see the outlined areas

Step 5:

• Find the areas you missed outlining
• Every section must be connected 
  • There can not be ANY spaces

Step 6:

• Click the eye on the background layer to see the photo again
  • Click on the Lines Layer
    • Finish drawing the areas you missed

Step 7:

• Click off the eye on your background layer again to check that all areas are connected
  • Turn the eye back on when you are done checking

Step 8:

• Click on the + sign at the bottom on the layers pallet
  • This will create another new layer.
    • Name the layer Details

Step 9:

• Make sure you are on the Details layer
  • Change your brush size between 1- 3
    • The lines will be much thinner than your main outline
• Zoom in close
  • Draw in the folds of the clothing/item
    • Make sure you get the little details

Step 10:

• When you have finished drawing in all the details
  • Click on the Lines Layer

Step 11:

• Select the Magic Wand Tool
  • If you can not find it, right click on the Quick Selection Tool
    • Make sure Anti-Alias & Contiguousare checked
      • Tolerance is at 15

Step 12:

• We are now going to be changing small areas of color at a time.
  • You are not changing the color everything in the photo at one time
• With the Magic Wand Tool
  • Click the colored section of either the clothing or object you outlined
    • This will select just that colored area (I did the boxing gloves)

Step 13:

• On the Layers Pallet, click the black/white circle
  • Pick Solid Color

Step 14:

• The Color Picker will show up
  • Pick any color you want
    • This color does NOT have to be the same color that it is in the photo

Example: 

• The shorts are Blue in the photo but I want them to be a different color. I picked Red.
• You can pick any color you want for any section of your photo

Step 15:

• You will now have 4 layers
• Click on the Lines Layer
  • Pick the Magic Wand Tool
    • Select another area of your photo you want to color in

Step 16:

• On the Layers Pallet, click the black/white circle
  • Pick Solid Color
    • Choose the color you would like for this new section

Step 17a:

• Continue Steps 10-14 for the different clothing and object sections
  • When you are finished coloring all sections you should have 3 or more colored layers, depending on your photo
    • The more sections of color you do, the better the photo will turn out

Step 17b:

• Highlight all the Layers that are Color Filled layers
  • To highlight all of them click on layer Color Fill 1
    • Hold the Shift Key and click on the last Color Fill layer
      • This will lighlight all the layers

Step 18:

• When they are highlighted
  • Right Click
    • Group from Layers
      • All the colors will now be in one folder called Group 1

Step 19:

• Drag  Group 1 Layer BELOW the Lines Layer
  • Your layers should now be in the following order
    • Background
    • Group 1
    • Lines
    • Details

Step 19:

• Click on the Group 1 Layer
  • Click on the + at the bottom of the Layers Pallet
    • This will create a new layer.
      • Name it Shadows
        • The Shadows Layer will be Below Lines Layer and above the Group 1 Layer

Step 20:

• Right Click on the Shadows Layer
  • Create Clipping Mask

Step 21:

• Stay on Shadows Layer
  • Change the opacity to 23-33%
    • Choose a black paint brush

Step 22:

•  Turn the Eye off on Group 1 Layer
• Notice where the Shadows fall on the object and clothing
  • This is going to be were we paint on the shadows
    • If you forget where to put the shadows you can turn the eye off and on again to see the original photo

Step 23:

• Turn back on the Eye on Group 1 Layer,
  • Stay on the Shadows Layer
    • Carefully paint in the shadow areas.
• You want this to look natural
  • If the shadows are to dark pull down the opacity.
    • If the shadows are to light pull up the opacity

Step 24:  

• Create a new layer and name it Extra

Step 25: 

• Select the paint brush tool
• Pick the color you would like
  • I suggest starting with white
    • You may Change the color as you go or keep it all the same
      • You can also use the shape tool to add premade shapes
        • Have fun drawing on the image