String Art Assignment

Follow these steps to make your own Portrait String Art image in no time!
1. Take a portrait of someone else (or yourself)
2. Open your selfie image in Photoshop
a. Go to file >> open >> photos >> select your portrait
3. Convert the background layer to an unlocked layer
a. Right click on Background layer
b. Select layer from background
c. Name the layer portrait, click OK
4. Add a new transparent layer under selfie layer
a. Click the new layer button (circled in red) on the fill and
adjustment layers menu located at the bottom of the layers
panel (refer to Figure 1)

Figure 1. New Layer Icon

b. Click on the text in layer 1 and rename it background

c. Click on the layer and drag it below the portrait layer.
5. Remove the background
a. Select on the portrait layer
b. On Tools panel select Quick Selection Tool (4th icon down, verify
that the Quick Selection tool is selected and NOT the Magic
Wand, by holding down the mouse button on the tool until the
tool slection window opens displaying all the available tools)
c. Move tool around perimeter of image to select background, go
around both sides.
d. If you select portions you want to keep, you can correct his later
e. Once you have selected most of the background, you want to
remove STOP
f. Now go back and add back portions to your image that you
want to keep by switching to the quick selection tool with the
above its icon on the options bars refer to Figure 2 below

Figure 2. Options Bar

g. Alternate between the + and until you are satisfied with your
results.
h. Now press Backspace on your keyboard and you should now
see a checkerboard pattern around image

i. Deselect your image by going to the top menu bar and clicking
Select > Deselect
6. Add a color to your background layer
a. Select a color for the background, one that goes with your
image and paint it in using the paint bucket tool
7. Add layer mask
a. Select the portrait layer
b. Click on add layer mask (circled in blue), located at the bottom
of the layers panel (refer to Figure 1)
c. You will see a layer mask thumbnail (white box) appear next to
the image on the selfie layer (refer to Figure 3)
d. Make sure the black and white colors are selected as your
working colors, if not press D
on keyboard (with black on
top)
e. Select brush tool and begin
coloring in your selfie image,
it will appear that you are
erasing your image, when you
finish erasing look at the layer mask thumbnail, and you will
see a black silhouette of your
Figure 3. Layer Mask Thumbnail
image in the thumbnail
8. Start drawing in your String Art
a. Change your color to white
b. Change your brush size to a 5 or below, start drawing random
straight and wiggly lines on your selfie layer, slowly you will see
your image reappear
c. Keep drawing lines until you are satisfied with your image
9. Find a background image to place in the background of your
portrait.
a. Open the image in Photoshop and using the selection tool drag it
onto your string art portrait file.
b. Position the background image underneath your portrait layer,
and above the background color layer.
c. In the blending options (circled in red)
click on the arrows and play around
with the blending options and the
opacity (circled in blue) until the
background looks the way you want
it. You will see some of the color
through the background image layer.
d. Once you are happy with your String Portrait save it as a.jpg and
upload to Google classroom
Share and enjoy your String Art Portrait!