My BigGirl requested this project several times over the past couple of weeks. She likes coloring herself, especially if she can add special effects like castles in the background or fanciful skin colors. Be prepared, Grandparents, those blue things really are lips!
Here is the original picture of our latest project:
OLYMPUS EVOLT 500
And here is the coloring sheet we made:
Coloring Sheet Made in Photoshop Elements
Photoshop Elements Tutorial
This method works best on pictures with high contrast and without a lot of detail.
- Open the picture your child wants to convert to a coloring sheet.
- Desaturate the picture to remove color. Control-Shift-U is the shortcut for desaturating.
- Try either of these filters: Filter Menu/Stylize/Find Edges or Filter Menu/Brush Strokes/Ink Outlines. Use them alone, in combination, or use one more than once until you get the best result.
- Add a Levels Adjustment Layer. (Hit the button on the Layers Palette that is a half-black half-white circle.) Move the right input levels slider to the left to reduce noise on areas that should be white. Move the left input levels slider to the right to darken lines.
- Sometimes a brightness/contrast adjustment layer can help also.
This method is not exact and varies for each picture. Play with the filters and adjustments until the picture is recognizable and colorable. For this picture, I used the Find Edges filter once and added a levels adjustment layer. That’s all it took!
Coloring Sheet Ideas
We’ve used the coloring sheet just for fun. And a picture of two friends playing makes a great thank you for a playdate. Last night, BigGirl colored her pictures and we wrote notes on the back side to send to out-of-town family. I’m sure there are lots of other great ideas! What would you guys use these coloring sheets for?
As with everything in Photoshop, there are lots of methods to produce any one effect. How do other people do this?
I’d love to see your coloring sheets! If you’d like to show them off, post them in the Digital Photography for Moms Flickr group.
One more keeping-kids-busy tip. My BigGirl loves going to the printer and waiting for the coloring sheets to print out. I have a slow printer and usually print 3 or 4 sheets at once. That gives me at least 5 minutes to work on my own Photoshop projects while she waits at the printer. YAY!
