How to Make a Photoshop Action to Create a Portrait Photo Effect




Photoshop actions allow you to add special photo effects to your pictures with a single click. You can create unique portraits by applying Photoshop filters and effects.
In this tutorial, I'll show you how to create such a photo effect for a portrait in the form of a Photoshop action. We're going to turn a photo into a ballpoint pen drawing! And because it's an action, you'll be able to use the same effect for other photos later.
Follow along with us over on our Envato Tuts+ YouTube Channel:
Looking for a different kind of Photoshop portrait action? There's a huge range out there, so check out the selection in this post for more ideas:
How to Make a Photo Effect Photoshop Action for Portraits
Step 1
Open your photo. It should be about 2500 px wide. Create a New Layer and name it Mask.



Step 2
Use a soft brush to paint the area that you want to be modified by the action. In portrait actions like this, we usually want to select the person to cut the image out from the background.



Step 3
Make sure that the first layer is called Background. If not, go to Layer > New > Background from Layer.



Step 4
Open the Actions panel and click the white card icon to Create a New Action. Give it a name and click Record.



Step 5
The action is being recorded now, but there's no hurry. Only your actions are being recorded, not the time between them. Hold Control and click the thumbnail of the Mask layer to set the selection. Then go to the Background layer and press Control-J to copy the selected part.



Step 6
Go back to the Background layer and Create a New Layer. Go to Edit > Fill and fill it with white. Hide the Mask layer.



Step 7
Go to Layer 1 and duplicate it by pressing Control-J. Add a Black&White Adjustment Layer to remove the colors.



Step 8
Add an Exposure Adjustment Layer. Change the Exposure and Offset to make the photo brighter and less contrasting. This will fit the style of a drawing better.






Step 9
Select the layer with its adjustments, and then Right-click and select Merge Layers. Duplicate the copied layer and hide the new copy.



Step 10
Select layer Exposure 1 and go to Filter > Filter Gallery. Go to the Sketch tab and select Graphic Pen. Drag the sliders to the maximum and select Right Diagonal for the Stroke Direction. Click OK.



Step 11
Show the copy, select it, and go to Filter Gallery again. Use the same settings, except this time use Horizontal for the Direction.



Step 12
Add a new Layer Mask to the layer.



Step 13
With the mask selected, go to Filter > Render > Clouds. This mask will add the strokes of a different direction in random areas, making the effect more natural.



Step 14
Show Layer 1 again and move it to the top. Go to Filter > Blur > Smart Blur. Change the Mode to Edge Only, Quality to High, and adjust the settings to create some sharp outlines without too many details.



Step 15
Go to Image > Adjustments > Invert.



Step 16
Change the Blend Mode to Multiply.



Step 17
Add a Hue/Saturation layer. Check Colorize and change the color to something resembling a blue pen.



Step 18
Create a New Layer and fill it with any color. Double-click it and fill it with a pattern that looks like a sheet of a notebook. Adjust the scale.



Step 19
Right-click the layer and select Rasterize Layer Style. Then change the Blend Mode to Multiply.



Step 20
Add a Hue/Saturation layer. Clip it to the layer below, and then change the color of the grid to something more subtle.



Step 21
Finally, click Stop Recording to save the action.



The action is now ready to be used for any other photo with a single click! Just remember to use a similar size to keep the effect as you planned it.









Photoshop Portrait Effects
Magical Photo Effect
But this was a very simple photo effect. Photoshop offers much more! If you want to save time, you can use actions created by other people on Envato Elements. For example, this action creates a nice soft focus and studio lights. The effect is eye-catching, magical, and gives unique results in every photo.



Snow Photo Effect
This action adds a snow effect to your photo. It's subtle, very realistic, and it can be used for a variety of photos, not only for portraits. It doesn't only add snow, but also creates special color effects for pictures.



Retro Black and White Photo Effect
This is a whole set of actions, each creating a unique retro effect. Your photo is converted to black and white, and a special texture is added to give an impression of an old photo. Each action works like an advanced Photoshop filter!



Duotone Photo Effect
Duotones are very trendy, and this set contains 66 actions that will help you achieve such an effect in any colors you wish. After the action is applied, you can still customize it, or combine it with other photo effects.



Good Job!
Now
you know how to create a Photoshop action with photo effects, and how
to use actions to create eye-catching portraits. If you're interested in portrait photo effects, you may also enjoy these tutorials:
- How to Create a Creepy Photo With a Zombie Halloween Photoshop ActionMarko Kožokar03 Apr 2022
- How to Create an Evil Photo Effect With an Adobe Photoshop ActionMarko Kožokar30 Aug 2018
- How to Create a Pastel Photo Effect Action in Adobe PhotoshopMarko Kožokar13 Sep 2018
- How to Create a GTA V Photo Effect Action in Adobe PhotoshopMarko Kožokar04 Aug 2018
- How to Create a Fun Heart Crown Photo Filter Effect in Adobe PhotoshopMelody Nieves04 Jan 2019



