Reference: This web page contains steps of creating woodcut effect in photoshop.
Step 1 – Start with the basics
The client wanted me to create the image like an elaborate logo, an image that was self-contained. So I simply began with a circle. Firstly create a decent sized document A3, CMYK, 300dpi would do it. Create vertical and horizontal guides by using View>New guide>Then typing 50% vertical. Repeat this for horizontal.
Step 2 – Begin with a circle
Using the Elliptical Marquee tool, draw a circle as large as possible within your A3 document and fill with a medium grey colour. Print this out at A3 size, use two A4 sheets if you do not have an A3 printer and tape them together.
Step 3 – Create your border
The circle you create is used to help you draw an accurate circle by hand. This will act as the framework for the rest of the image that you are creating. Using tracing paper and a soft pencil (I used a 6B) draw around the edge of the circle, then draw a second circle inset by about 1.5 inches from the first.
Try to be accurate to a degree but slight wobbles add to the hand made feel of the artwork. In addition the soft pencil helps keep the line edges rough.
Step 4 – Time to scribble
Now fairly roughly (but not too rough) shade the area between the two circles with a solid fill.
Step 5 – Scan and tweak
Continue shading until the circle is completely filled. Don’t worry too much if you miss the odd little bit, this helps it to feel grainy and textured. Scan the image, and using Image>Adjustments>Levels, make the lightest areas white and the darkest areas black. Try to leave a tiny bit of graininess in the blacks.
Step 6 – Circles within circles
Using the Lasso tool draw small circles with the main black circle area you have just created (see the final art for reference). Once you have drawn all the circles, you can delete (using the Backspace key) these areas from the black shape.
Step 7 – Time to type
I used a simple font to type out the album title, I think it was Helvetica. The client had sent a very specific reference for the type that they wanted. First time round I didn’t draw it correctly so I had to make the angles a lot squarer on the final thing. Using a typeface, layout the title and make a print out. Then, adding to it in your own style, redraw the type in a straight line. It’s best to print the type out nice and big to make it easy to trace.
Scan the type, and using the Warp tool (Edit>Transform>Warp), curve it to fit the shape of the circle. When curved, invert the type layer to make the type white.
Step 8 – Use photos to help you out
When I need to draw things accurately and quickly (sometimes deadlines are tight) I use photographic mock ups, often made with a number of found photos. For the body and guitar in this piece I did exactly that. Find similar photos online and assemble them as shown. Some useful tools whilst doing this are the Lasso tool, Free transform and the Warp option within the Transform options. Once composed, print at A3.
Step 9 – Drawing with reference
Using a soft pencil again, I referenced portraits of some of the artists included on the compilation, and mixed their general appearance with the style of artwork that I had been asked to take influence from. Add swirly eyes to enhance the psychedelic element of the music and try to keep the rest very simple. Trace off the body shape in a simple manner then have a go at creating your own head for the character.
Step 10 – Add the foliage
The last bit of drawing is the foliage that encapsulates our guitar playing character. To do this I simply improvised looking at a lot of plant references. As the shapes are simple it was quite easy to draw some nice lines.
I kept in mind that I wanted the foliage to be reflected, so you only really need to draw half of it, and also I wanted them to almost wrap the character a bit to show he’s enclosed in the woods. This concept links into an element from the brief I was given.
Step 11 – Flip and reverse
Once you have drawn the foliage, scan it in. Clean the drawing up using the Levels palette (Cmd/Ctrl+L) and then duplicate the image layer if you only drew half of it and plan on reflecting it. Then go to Edit>Transform>Flip horizontal. Align the second layer to its reflection you can use the blend mode Multiply to help you line it up, then merge it with the first layer.
Step 12 – Fill in the gaps
Now, using the Magic Wand tool, select the areas that need to become the sky (use my final piece as a reference if you need to work out which bits these are). Once selected, invert the selection, Cmd/Ctrl+I. Invert rather than filling in with the Paint Bucket as it gives a slightly rougher effect.
Step 13 – Bring your layers together
Copy and paste your foliage layer into the main artwork PSD. Align the foliage layer with the character layer.
Step 14 – Character invert
You’re nearly done with creating the actual graphic, but first you must invert the character layer so it matches the foliage layer. Image>Adjustments>Invert.
Step 15 – Time to tidy
There may be a few areas that need tweaking where certain bits overlap or don’t line up. Use your designer’s eye to go in and edit these. The Marquee tool, delete and fill will be useful to tidy areas up.
Step 16 – Turning flat art into texture
Set up a new document 240mm wide by 310mm high. Find a wood texture (there are plenty available online) and copy and paste it into your new document. Using the Hue/Saturation palette, adjust the wood tone to the colour you would like it.
Step 17 – Bring your artwork in
Go to the file with the woodcut style artwork in, Select All (Cmd/Ctrl+A) and Copy All (Cmd/Ctrl+Shift+C). Return to your new final artwork file with the wood texture in it and paste the woodcut art into the document (Cmd/Ctrl+V).
Step 18 – Layer via Copy
Select your woodcut art layer (Cmd/Ctrl+Click on the layer in the Layers palette). Select the wood texture layer then Cmd/Ctrl-click on the canvas itself. This brings up an Options palette, select Layer via Copy.
Step 19 – Create a raised wood effect
Double click the new wood texture layer. Check the box titled Bevel and Emboss. Adjust the settings as shown in the screen shot. Make sure the drop down menus are set to Outer Bevel and Smooth, Chisel Hard also gives quite a good effect, though it’s a little harsher. Press OK. This process makes the design look as if it is raised from the woodblock.
Step 20 – Get transparent
Make sure the original solid black woodcut style art layer is turned on. Set this layer’s blending mode to Overlay.
Step 21 – Draw in some residue ink
Using the Pen tool, draw in some ink like shapes. The aim here is to make it look like someone has made a print from the woodcut and there is residue ink left smudged on the wood itself.
Step 22 – Duplicate duplicate
Duplicate the layer you have been working on a number of times, this strengthens the black colour up but because the layer is set to Overlay it allows the wood grain to show through from underneath.
Step 23 – Erase to create depth
Using the Eraser tool I rubbed away some of the extra ink areas I had added in with the Pen tool. This allowed the design to show more clearly and the residue ink to appear a little fainter, adding depth.
Step 24 – Add some final ink splats
You can create some ink splats from scratch or there are plenty free online. Open the file, and using Image>Adjustments>Threshold, create a solid black and white version of the splat. Copy and paste this into your artwork file. Double-click the splat layer.
At the bottom of the Layer Style palette, adjust the top slider bar using the right hand white slider, move it to the same position as shown in the screengrab. You will see the white is removed from the splat layer. Ok this.
Create a new layer and merge it with the splat layer.
Step 25 – Final tweaks
I added a few different splats to the composition, then a mild Gaussian Blur (Filter>Blur>Gaussian Blur) to all of the layers except the wood grain layer and the artwork wood grain layer. This just helps to soften any harsh, digital looking lines.
I then used the levels to re-adjust the wood grain texture (Cmd/Ctrl+L) just to lift it all a bit. Finally I created a new layer, filled it black. Then Selected all (Cmd/Ctrl+A) and went to Select>Transform selection, scaled down my selection and feathered this by 250 pixels.
I deleted from the black layer and set the layer to the Multiply blend mode. This gives a vignette effect – a nice final touch. Job done!
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