Watch how you can create a digital portrait from a photograph. Let's combine a watercolor painting technique and a color pencil drawing effect (with different hatching options). Get inspired and watercolorize your photos!

In this tutorial, we mixed in AliveColors the AKVIS artistic effects using blend modes and transparency masks:

AKVIS Watercolor applies a watercolor painting technique.

AKVIS Sketch adds a pencil drawing effect. We used Maestro and Artistic styles.

For this video, you can display subtitles (captions) according to your language.

Follow the step-by-step tutorial:

Step 1. Duplicate the layers. Name them according to the effects - "Watercolor" and "Sketch" layers.

Step 2. On the "Watercolor" layer, call the AKVIS Watercolor plugin.

In AliveColors select Effects -> AKVIS -> Watercolor, in Photoshop: Filter -> AKVIS -> Watercolor.

Step 3. Choose the preset you like. The Watercolor plugin includes a wide range of presets. You can apply one of them or create a unique effect.

Add a paper texture (Decoration -> Canvas) and a dark vignette (Decoration -> Frame) for a better effect.

Adjust the parameters and apply the plugin.

Step 4. Select the "Sketch" layer and duplicate it two times. We will apply the pencil drawing effect with different parameters to these layers.

Step 5. Apply first the Sketch Artistic effect. Call the AKVIS Sketch plugin and select the Artistic style.

The AKVIS Default preset works well for this image. So we apply it to the layer.

Step 6. Select the Multiply blend mode.

Step 7. Use the transparency mask to leave only the necessary pencil strokes. Draw with a semi-transparent brush, adjusting its parameters. It's the perfect way to soften or remove the effect on selected areas.

Step 8. Select the "Sketch copy" layer and apply the Maestro effect in Sketch. Call the AKVIS Sketch plugin and switch to the Maestro style. Edit the effect parameters to keep only the contour lines. Apply the effect.

Step 9. Choose the Overlay blend mode for this layer.

Step 10. With the transparency mask, leave only the strokes that you need. Again, use a semi-transparent brush to fade or remove the effect.

Step 11. Select the "Sketch copy2" layer and apply the Artistic style of Sketch (Effects -> AKVIS -> Sketch -> Artistic). Edit the effect parameters to get soft pencil strokes. Apply the effect.

Step 12. Select the Soft Light mode for this layer.

Step 13. Remove the extra strokes using a transparency mask.

The drawing process is over!