How to Create a Scribble Sketch Effect Action in Adobe Photoshop

In this tutorial you will learn how to create an amazing, scribble sketch effect. I will try to explain everything in so much detail that everyone can create it, even those who have just opened Photoshop for the first time.

The effect shown above is the one I will show you how to create in this tutorial. If you would like to create the even more advanced scribble sketch effects shown below, or a typography sketch, then check out my Typography Sketch Photoshop Action.

What You'll Need

To recreate the design above, you will need the following photo:

• Stock Image
• Texture
  

1. Let's Get Started

Step 1

First, open the photo that you want to work with. To open your photo, go to File > Open, choose your photo, and click Open. Now, before we get started, just check a couple of things:

1. Your photo should be in RGB Color mode, 8 Bits/Channel. To check this, go to Image > Mode.
2. For best results, your photo size should be 1500–4000 px wide/high. To check this, go to Image > Image Size.
3. Your photo should be the Background layer. If it is not, go to Layer > New > Background from Layer.

Step 2

Now we need to expand the canvas a little bit on the top so we have more space around the subject on this side. Go to Image > Canvas Size and use the settings below:

Step 3

We are going to do the same thing for the left and right sides of the canvas. Go to Image > Canvas Size and use the settings below:

2. How to Create Brushes

Step 1

In this section, we are going to create a few sketch brushes we'll need. Take a pencil and paper and draw three scribbles. Then scan the scribbles that you drew. 

If you have drawn each scribble on a separate sheet of paper then you should have three scanned scribble files now. If not, then using some of the selection tools in Photoshop, select each scribble, and move it to a separate file so you have three files. Here are the scribbles that I drew.

Step 2

You don't have to replicate my scribbles, of course—draw them uniquely. But scribbles should be drawn sharply and have similar density to the scribbles I drew. As you'll draw unique scribbles, there will be a density difference, but if you draw them so they are noticeably drawn much thicker or more sparsely, your sketch effect may appear too thick or the reverse. 

Now open the first scribble scan, go to Edit > Define Brush to define this scribble as a brush, and name it Temp Brush 1.

Step 3

Open the second scribble scan, go to Edit > Define Brush to define this scribble as a brush, and name it Temp Brush 2.

Step 4

Now open the latest scribble scan, go to Edit > Define Brush to define this scribble as a brush, and name it Temp Brush 3.

Step 5

Now that we have defined our brushes, we need to adjust their settings and then define them again as new brushes. Press B on your keyboard, Right-click anywhere inside the canvas, select the Temp Brush 1 brush, and hit Enter. Then go to Window > Brush and in the Brush window use the settings below:

Step 6

To define this brush with new settings as a new brush, click on the top right icon in the bottom right corner of the Brush panel, and name it Scribble_Brush_1.

Step 7

Now press B on your keyboard, Right-click anywhere inside the canvas, select the Temp Brush 2 brush, and hit Enter. Then go to Window > Brush and in the Brush window use the settings below:

Step 8

To define this brush with new settings as a new brush, click on the top right icon in the bottom right corner of the Brush panel, and name it Sketch_Brush_2.

Step 9

Now press B on your keyboard, Right-click anywhere inside the canvas, select the Temp Brush 3 brush, and hit Enter. Then go to Window > Brush and in the Brush window use the settings below:

Step 10

To define this brush with new settings as a new brush, click on the top right icon in the bottom right corner of the Brush panel, and name it Sketch_Brush_3.

Step 11

Now we have our brushes ready. If you want, you can delete all temporary brushes we defined by Alt-Clicking on each of them.

3. How to Create the Base

Step 1

In this section we are going to create the base that determines the subject in our photo, and we will also create the background. Go to Layer > New > Layer to create a new layer and name it Base.

Step 2

While the Base layer is selected, fill your subject with a color. You can do it in various ways. For example, you can create a selection of your subject using the Pen Tool (P), Magic Wand Tool (W), Lasso Tool (L) or some other tool, and then just fill the selection with a color. Or you can choose the Brush Tool (B) and brush over your photo using a hard or soft brush. It doesn't matter what color you use.

Step 3

Select the Background layer and go to Layer > New Fill Layer > Solid Color to create a new solid color fill layer. Name it Background Color, and set the color to #000000 as shown below:

4. How to Create a Subject Sketch

Step 1

In this section we are going to create a sketch from our subject using the scribble brushes that we made at the beginning of the tutorial. Select the Base layer, go to Layer > New > Layer to create a new layer and name it Scribble_Sketch_1.

Step 2

Now set the foreground color to #000000 and choose the Brush Tool (B). Then, pick the Scribble_Brush_1, and brush over the color fill area of the Base layer as well as over the edges of the color fill. Feel free to use different brush sizes.

Step 3

Select the Base layer, go to Layer > New > Layer to create a new layer, and name it Scribble_Sketch_2.

Step 4

Now set the foreground color to #000000 and choose the Brush Tool (B). Then, pick the Scribble_Brush_2, and brush over the area where you want to have more details. Feel free to use different brush sizes again.

Step 5

Select the Base layer, go to Layer > New > Layer to create a new layer, and name it Scribble_Sketch_3.

Step 6

Now set the foreground color to #000000 and choose the Brush Tool (B). Then, pick the Scribble_Brush_3, and brush over the area where you want to have more details. Feel free to use different brush sizes again.

Step 7

Set the Opacity of this layer to 78%.

Step 8

Now select the Base layer, hide it, and drag it to the top of the layers in the Layers panel.

5. How to Reveal Subject Details

Step 1

In this section we are going to reveal subject details. Control-click on the Base layer thumbnail to make a selection of this layer. Then, select the Background layer and go to Layer > New > Layer Via Copy to create a new layer via copy.

Step 2

Now drag this layer just above the Scribble_Sketch_1 layer in the Layers panel and name it Subject_Details_1.

Step 3

Press Control-Shift-U on your keyboard to desaturate this layer. Then change its Blending Mode to Soft Light and set the Opacity to 59%.

Step 4

Now press Control-J on your keyboard to duplicate this layer, and name this new layer Subject_Details_2.

Step 5

Drag this layer just below the Subject_Details_2 layer. Then, change the Blending Mode of this layer to Normal and set the Opacity to 25%.

6. How to Add Texture

Step 1

In this section we are going to place a texture over the sketch. Go to File > Place Embedded andchoose the texture from the link. Then set Width and Height of the texture to 29.48% as shown below and name this layer Texture.

Step 2

Change the Blending Mode of this layer to Soft Light.

7. How to Make a Final Adjustments

Step 1

In this section we are going to make some final adjustments to the design. Select the Subject_Details_1 layer, go to Layer > New Adjustment Layer > Curves to create a new curves adjustment layer and name it Overall Brightness.

Step 2

Now Double-click on this layer thumbnail, and in the Properties panel use the settings below:

Step 3

Double-click on the Background Color layer thumbnail and set the color to #767676 as shown below:

Step 4

Now select the Overall Brightness layer and hide the Texture layer. Then, press Control-Alt-Shift-E on your keyboard to make a screenshot.

Step 5

Go to Filter > Other > High Pass and set the Radius to 2 px as shown below:

Step 6

Now show the Texture layer again. Then, change the Blending Mode of this layer to Overlay and name it Overall Sharpening.

You Made It!

Congratulations, you have succeeded! Here is our final result:

If you would like to create the even more advanced scribble sketch effects shown below, or a typography sketch, then check out my Typography Sketch Photoshop Action.

The action works so you just brush over your photo and play the action. It's really that simple! The action will do everything for you, giving you fully layered and customizable results. You can choose from three different scribble sketch styles, and you can also create a typography sketch.

The action comes with a detailed video tutorial that demonstrates how to use and customize the results to get the most out of the effect.