Non-MD - advice/help with image editing request

[Maebius]

Note: Posted in off-topic since this is unrelated to MD, but I know there are some awesome and amazing artists out there who may be able to help me with a project faster than "learn to photoshop via google".

 

ALSO note:  I am willing to discuss monetary "commission" for help with this project, if completed in a timely manner.

 

I am attempting to make a "composite" image from a series of photographs, and turn it into a line-drawing/Woodblock print style image. 

Think of taking a nice photo, and making it into a page in a coloring book for the kids, but a bit nicer with more fine details.

 

I spent three hours so far in GIMP, and am not much further ahead than when I started.  Mostly because I'm having difficulty getting thresholds and selections correct to convert "realistic" images into "lines".  Perhaps I need to fiddle with contrasts?   Here's where a "Proper Artist" with knowledge of the techniques and software might be able to easily say  "oh, do _xyz_ first, then _abc".   ;)

I could use random royalty-free clipart for most elements in the final product, but the important factor is that the figures in the final image look like the persons I have the photo of.  Not a random drawing.  Thus, using a photo as a starting point.

 That, and I have a couple neat images on the camera that I'd like to use, so it's "real stuff".  

 

 

Essentially, I'm assuming I can crop my images,  use the "Find Edges" filter to make portions of them into the black&white 'drawings', then fiddle with layers to copy/paste them together into a pretty picture suitable for my hanging.

 

Any advice?

Edited March 17, 2014 by Maebius

[Blackthorn]

send me a copy of the picture... jedewin@gmx.com    If/when I have the time I will draw it for you.

[Maebius]

Thanks Blackthorn.  The issue I have with jsut filtering a picture is the "final image"  is a composite of many other pictures.  

A cool tree in one photo.    A friend in a second photo,  one pic with a neat stool, but too much other stuff around it, etc...   so it's definitely not a quick-sketch sort of thing.   I'll keep fiddling in GIMP for a bit and email you the images tomorrow if you want to see what I mean :)

[Blackthorn]

well if you can email me the pictures and describe what in each you want kept and what can be discarded...much like what you just did...I'm Game if you are.

[Maebius]

As soon as I find the SD card reader thingy (since my laptop doesnt' have a SD slot to just pop in)  I will pull the original images off the camera and edit them.   I'd been using other 'clipart' stock photos to get the hang of the tools, to make things easier once I got the actual project done. 

Sort of "Learn the process" in a sense, which is why I described the original post as I did.  ... but your offer to sketch things is still appreciated!!! and in-mind for the near future. Hopefulyl I'll get the place cleaned up this weekend, and locate the cables.   :rolleyes: