Turn Photo Into Sketch in GIMP

Here is a tutorial on how to turn a photo into a hand sketch drawing using the free photo editing software, GIMP. Make sure you have already backup your photo. 

Firstly, duplicate the layer then change its blend mode from normal to Dodge. Invert the picture's color by going to Colors>Invert command. The next step is applying the value propagate filter for two or three times until you get the desired effect of hand sketch. 

Final result.

Video: Turn Photo Into Sketch Using GIMP.

Video: GIMP Sketch Effect.

Watch the video for detailed instructions and use the written steps for quick reference. If you liked my tutorials, please subscribe to my YouTube channel - JTSGraph.

Step 1: Open Image

Use File>Open... (or Ctrl+O) to open your image. For this GIMP tutorial, I'll use this image, man-3373869.

Step 2: Duplicate Layer

Use Layer> Duplicate Layer (or Shift+Ctrl+D). A new layer which is a nearly identical copy of the active layer added to the image. 

Now select the duplicate layer on the Layers Dialog and change its blend mode from normal to Dodge.

Step 3: Invert Color

Select the duplicate layer on the Layers Dialog then invert its color by going to Colors>Invert.

Step 4: Apply Value Propagate Filter

The final step is to apply the Value Propagate filter. Go to Filters>Distorts>Value Propagate in the top menu. In the “Value Propagate” pop-up window, select the “More black (smaller value)” radio button by clicking on it. Click OK when you are done.

Step 5: Repeat Step 4 Until You are Happy with the result

If you're still not happy with the result, try applying the value propagate filter again for two or three times. You can use keyboard shortcut Ctrl + F to repeat the last step (in this case, the value propagate filter is our last step).

Step 6: Desaturate Both Layer

If you'd like a black & white sketch effect, then apply the Desaturate command for both layers. Use Colors>Desaturate>Desaturate. In the Desaturate dialog box, you can just leave the default settings and click OK.

Desaturate both layers.

Step 7: Save Your Work

Use File>Save (or Ctrl+S) to save your project file. In the Save Image dialog box, navigate to the folder where you want to store your project file. Type a name in the Name text box and leave the default GIMP (*.XCF) format. XCF is GIMP's native format and is useful because it stores everything about your image and will allow you to later edit your image in GIMP, in case you notice a problem. Click Save to store the project file.

Once you have finished, you will probably also want to export the image in a more widely used format, such as JPEG, PNG, TIFF, etc.

And here is the result! Turn photo into sketch/hand drawing in GIMP.

More on GIMP Tutorials:

• Sharpen an Image in GIMP (High Pass Filter)
• Using GIMP to put an image inside text
• How to sharpen image with GIMP
• Creating photo border in GIMP