Best way to create line drawing from photo?

[darkel]

Hi there all,

I was asked to create a line drawing from a photo. The sample I was shown is very clean, simple, crisp.

But I am not good at drawing freehand, nor do I have a artistic eye. I have tried filters in Photoshop and Illustrator CS5, but nothing gives me that clean, classic line drawing, without having to draw freehanded.

If I had my way, I would use photos over line drawings any day. A picture is worth a thousand words!

Any ideas?

Thanks,
darkel

[phoenix]

Sometimes the automatic functions are far from what you need for a good result. My opinion would be to do it the 'long-hand method' to get the best result trace over the image using the pen tool in Illustrtor and then use shading and line thicknesses to get the result result - cleaner, smaller file size, more professional.

Of course, it takes a bucket longer to do, and if you've got 100 to do for a catalogue then you may have to look at outsourcing to an illustrator or junior designer (after clear instructions of course) in order to maximise your time / efficiency.

Just one opinion of course!

[darkel]

thank you phoenix!

i was afraid you were going to say that. well it turns out there are around 300 that will need redrawn. wow!

well when i tried a sample, my version was...in my opionion...crap! compared to the sample the client provided. does it just take practice, or do i need actual art knowledge?

here is a sample of what i did. Let me know what you think...you can be harsh...i can take it! lol

my problem is...i don't know what to draw in, to make it look like something.

darkel

[darkel]

thanks everyone! i am just going to have to send it out to someone else, plus i really don't have enough time to do them.


thanks again
darkel

[Ets80]

I have been researching the same topic. If you go to filters then sketch, you can make a sketch and then trace it with the pen tool. I do this for logo designs.

[nancyfromafrica]

Check this tutorial ifyou have photoshop installed http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ceVSg0LWCqY