So, my husband's stepmother's sister (or as I like to call her, my friend Kristy) bought me this amazing book called
Photojojo for my birthday one year full of amazing ideas on what to do with your photos; along with photography tips!
So, I fell in love with all the projects in this book and decided to find them online and I immediately subscribed to their newsletter. Then, I spent the next few hours looking through their archives where I found a couple of projects that I thought would be quick and easy! The following is pasted directly from their website. Click on the title to check it out on their page.
THE INGREDIENTS
- An Etch A Sketch
- Some photo paper and a printer
- Strong glue like Goop or Gorilla Glue
- A picture frame hook or easel, stolen from an old frame
- A photo-editing program (We’ll use Photoshop CS2, but you can use the photo editing program of your choice.)
STEP 1: PICK YOUR PHOTO
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You’ll want your image to be 7″ x 5″, keeping in mind that a little bit of the edge will be hidden under the red plastic frame.
For this technique, images with strong foreground elements and less background details / textures work best. Also, look for photos with high contrast and simple lines.
STEP 2: GIVE YOUR PHOTO THE ETCH-A-SKETCH LOOK
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You’ll be using some Photoshop filters and techniques to turn your image into a line drawing that mimics the Etch-A-Sketch look.
The first step is to make your photo black and white. Click “Image” –> “Mode” –> “Greyscale” from the menubar to get rid of the color.
Now lets make it sketchy. Select “Filter” –> “Filter Gallery” from the menubar. In the
window that pops up, select the “Sketch” filters and look for the one called “Photocopy”. For the settings, we used Detail: 4 and Darkness: 10.
Now you need to give the image a gray tint to mimic the aluminum powder. Create a new layer by selecting “Layer” –> “New” –> “Layer…” form the menubar. Fill that layer with a medium gray (we used #999999) using the Paint Bucket tool. In the
layers window, change the Overlay setting for your new gray layer to “Multiply” and then adjust the Opacity until it looks Etch-A-Sketchy grey (we found 30% looked about right.)
The last step is to take away the shades of gray by applying a threshold to your photo. Click “Image” –> “Adjustments” –> “Threshold…” from the menubar. We used a Threshold value of 128.
That’s it! Now just print your image, cut it to 7″x5″, and you’re ready for the next step!
STEP 3: SLIDE THE PHOTO IN
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Now that your photo’s ready, it’s time to mount it in the Etch A Sketch. The red plastic frame can be pried up slightly to allow you to slide your photograph in. (Try a screwdriver or a dull knife.)
Work the image in a little bit at a time and be gentle so you don’t wrinkle your photo.
STEP 4: FRAME IT!
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If you want to hang your new Etch A Sketch masterpiece, use a strong epoxy such as
Goopor
Gorilla Glue to attach a picture frame hook. You can purchase these clips, or do as we did and pry one off a tabletop frame that you aren’t hanging on the wall.
Alternatively, use the easel stand from a tabletop frame and attach it using glue or tape so that the Etch A Sketch can stand on its own as in the picture at right.
Wait for your glue to set, hang, stand, and enjoy!
WHAT NEXT?
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Switch up the photo in the frame every so often, and let your friends think you create new Etch A Sketch masterpieces whenever you’re bored.
You can also try printing your final photo onto a transparency at a copy shop instead of photo paper. That way, you’ll still be able to use the etch a sketch to add real lines to your photo using, you know, the knobs.
Here is how mine turned out:
The photo was one of our engagement photos and the photographer, who was a family friend, actually did this in photoshop for us.
Side view of the frame