How to Turn Photos into Funky Art using Photoshop

Photograph with the Find Edges filter over it

Creating beautiful artwork is no longer just a feat for the talented and skilled artisans working in oil or watercolor paints. The average computer geek can create stunning artwork out of personal photographs that will leave the viewers scratching their heads trying to figure out how it was done. Make a photo gift more special by tweaking it in Adobe Photoshop.

Things You'll Need

• Photo paper
• Inkjet printer

Instructions

1. Locate a photograph you'd like to turn into art. Select simple face shots of friends or your own scenic images.

2. Open Adobe Photoshop.

3. Open the photo file you want to work with.

4. Go to the "Filter" menu and select an art filter, such as "Sumi-e," "find edges" or "watercolor art filters." Once selected, you can view the photograph with the filter. If you don't like the change, go to the "Edit" drop-down menu and select "Undo."

5. Use the magnetic lasso tool and select areas in the photo that you do not want the filter to apply over. Select your filter option to apply to the other parts of the photo.

6. Save the file using a different name and print onto photo paper for the best quality image.

Tips & Warnings

• Always save your new artwork to a different file name so that you don't lose your original photograph.