
All members that participate, can everyone PLEASE ensure that you read all the rules for this challenge
so that you can claim your challenge points. Thank you!

Hi everyone and welcome to the Creative Techniques challenge for September.
This month we are looking at applying a Photoshop's Sketch Filter to a photo to change the look of our photo and give it a more graphic/grungy look to it and then scrapping the photo using whatever theme you want.
Challenge Notes:
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Using Photoshop Sketch filters:
Notes about the type of photo to use:
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I used a stock photo from Pixabay for this tutorial and for my layout. To give you a rough idea how these filters will look, I have added some results below. Six different filters are shown applied to the same photo below, together with the filter settings I used for each filter.
TIP: The beauty of using filters is that you can apply the filter and use the photo as is, or, create some copies of the photo before you start and use a different filter on each photo copy. You can then use Photoshop to apply various blending modes and layer opacity to each copy and then merge the photo copies into one composite image! More on how to do below in Step 5 of the tutorial. |
Okay, so let's get started.
Using Sketch Filter/s in Photoshop Tutorial:
Step 1: Find your photo, check the contrast and use the Levels function to add more contrast if needed and open in Photoshop.
Step 2: Next, create several duplicate layers of the photo, you can always delete the ones you don't use.
Step 3: On the first duplicate photo layer, click on the Filter menu, then click the Filter Gallery Option.
If the photo is too large when this screen opens, just click on the minus sign in the bottom left hand corner to reduce the size of photo.
Step 4: Click on Sketch category.As you can see there a few options to try out, but keep in mind that one filter will not necessarily work the same for all photos. It all depends on the photo itself so always make sure you are starting out with proper high resolution, highly contrasted image.
Step 5: Begin by clicking on one of the filters. When you do that you will see the settings box appear on the right hand side of screen. Play around with the sliders until you find something you like. If you don't, then just click on another filter.If you are happy with just the one filter, go ahead and click the OK button to apply the filter to your photo and return to your photo in Photoshop and then carry on from Step 6 below to continue.
Or if you would like to create more than one filter to apply to your photo then continue reading.
Note: When you do click on another filter the one you just looked at will be replaced with the new one, however there is an option to Add another filter without discarding the first one. In the example below I added 6 filters to the photo I used for my layout. In the example they are all turned off at the moment, but as you click them on, the active filters will merge together to give you one result. This is not always very successful so the best way is to apply each filter to one photo at a time and then play with your photos in Photoshop using the blending modes. |
Applying each filter to each duplicated photo layer: g) when you are back in Photoshop, you will see that the filter has been applied to your photo. h) in your layers panel, turn the eye off for that duplicated photo layer i) click on the next duplicated photo layer then go >Filters>Filter Gallery>Sketch and you will be back on the same filter screen with the filters you just created. j) turn off the filter you just used, turn on a new one and click OK. k) continue with steps g) - j) until you have applied each filter to the same photo. |
Step 6: At this point your photo layers will look something like this IF you created several filters, but it's totally okay if you only want to use just one filter, in which case you would only have the original photo layer plus one filter layer:
Of the 6 filters I originally created, I ended up only using 4 of them to blend together and these are the blend mode and opacity levels I used and the final result:
Step 7: Whether you have one or a few filter layers, you need to now merge your layers if your program will allow it, rather than flatten all. In Photoshop (+ newer versions of PSE) you can use CTRL+ALT+SHIFT+E to merge all active/visible layers into one composite layer which will sit at the top of the Layers Panel.
Step 8: Once your layers are merged you can either just move this composite photo layer to a new PSD file to scrapping it, OR you can save it as a jpeg by CTRL clicking on the composite/merged layout image in the Layers panel to select it. Then use CTRL+C to copy it, go to the File menu and select the New option, make sure it reads "from Clipboard" in the Document Type box and when it opens use CTRL+V to paste. Now use CTRL+E to just merge the two layers together and go ahead and save it as a jpeg file.
Step 9: Now go and scrap your new photo!

While it seems like a lot of steps, once you start doing it, it doesn't take long at all. The doing is always quicker than the reading bit lol! So take your time, you have all month and of course as always, please ask if you have any questions, remember there are never any 'stupid or silly' questions!!!!
Here is my layout:
Credits are in the gallery.
CHALLENGE RULES:
- Use a Photoshop Sketchy Filter on a photo and then scrap a page with the photo using any theme.
- For non-Photoshop, use a sketchy-type filter using your own program, please let me know here what you used.
- Please read the Challenge Notes at the top of the post for more details.
- Please use 80% Oscraps products that are currently in the store.
- Non-Oscraps products or retired O designer products can be used whether the designer is selling elsewhere or not.
- You need to credit all the products used on your layout.
- You need to credit the source of any photo(s) as per the Gallery Guidelines.
- Your layout can not be used for more than one challenge.
- Your page must be posted in the Challenge 5 gallery by midnight PST September 30th 2025 and linked back to this thread (see below on how to add your linked layout).
- And do not forget to update the CURRENT MONTH'S TRACKING THREAD to be eligible for your coupon.
Adding a linked layout from the Gallery to a thread:
1. Upload your layout to the gallery first. In your forum post click the Gallery Embed icon (little camera).
2. This will open your gallery, simply click on the layout you require, then scroll down to the bottom of the screen and click the Continue button.
3. Your linked layout is now in your post, the image will appear once you have clicked the Post Reply button.
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