Do you want to turn your photos into amazing art? This is where Photoshop actions magic comes to the rescue.
Simply click once, and you will use a special playback of instructions to get cool drawing and sketching styles in an instant.
In this tutorial, we will walk you through the 30 best Photoshop actions for producing amazing sketch effects.
We will discuss all of it, from classic pencil sketching to cutting-edge digital painting.
We will also show you how to make use of them for automating your creativity for increased productivity.
What Are Photoshop Actions and Why Should You Use Them?
Photoshop action is a saved file (called an .atn file) that records all the steps of an edit. When you play the action, it does all those steps for you, automatically.
This makes complex photo effects super easy.
They give your photos a consistent look. If you want all the pictures on your blog or social media to have the same style, actions make it simple.
You get the same professional result every single time.
Finally, you get amazing results right away. You do not need to be a Photoshop genius to create beautiful color grading or sketch art.
These actions are often made by pros, so you get to use their skills with just one click.
While actions are amazing for style, for a clean start, a professional background removal service can make your main subject pop.
How to Install and Use Photoshop Actions
Before we go over the recommendations, let us walk through the setup. This process is very simple.
Step 1: Download your Action
To start, find an action that you like, and download it. It will usually download as a .zip file, so open the zip file, inside will be a file that ends in “.atn” – this will be your actions file.
Step 2: Open the Actions panel
Next, open Photoshop. Once the program has launched, go to the top menu and click on “Window”, find “Actions”, and click it.
A new box called the Actions panel will open on your screen.
Step 3: Load the Action
In the Actions panel in the corner, you will see a little menu icon (which will look like three little lines).
Clicking on this will pop up a menu. Choose Load Actions and find the .atn file you downloaded earlier.
Step 4: Run your action
From there, you will see your action in the panel, and you will just need to click on the + and hit the little Play button at the bottom of the panel.
Watch it happen! You can see how easy it is to start your image manipulation.
The 15 Best FREE Photoshop Actions for Drawing & Sketch Effects
Eager to start creating without spending a penny? These free Actions are amazing, powerful, and fun to use!
1: Pencil Sketch PS Action
This action makes your images look like they were originally drawn in pencil by hand.
Perfect for portrait work, it generates a warm feeling and takes your images to a more artistic space. The pencil lines are soft and very realistic.
2: SketchBook Action
Want your photo to look like it was sketched in a sketchbook?
This is the one! It adds a fun sketchbook paper texture to the background for a creative finish.
3: Unspoken Action
This action creates soft and moody sketch stylized effects.
It looks amazing for emotional portraits or landscape photos. It adds drama and allows shadows to pop in the dark areas of the image.
4. Comics Photoshop Action
Transform your photographs into a comic-book page.
This action will add bold lines and bright colors – perfect for a social media post or for a different type of profile picture.
5. Blue Sketch Action
This is super cool and unique! This action turns your image into a drawing that looks like a blueprint.
It all uses shades of cool blues like an architect’s plan. This works really well with images of buildings and cars
6. Vintage Sketch Action
The old-fashioned artist will love this one.
This action gives your photos an aged, faded look – as if they were drawn a long time ago. There is a warm, yellowish shade with soft lines.
7. Lomo Sketch Action
This action combines a cool sketch effect with a popular photo filter.
It makes your images look a bit more artistic and a lot more edgy, with bright colors and sharp detail.
8. Colored Pencil Effect
Why go with grey when you can add color?
This action transforms your image into a colored pencil drawing. It retains the original colors of your image but adds a nice, textured, hand-drawn appearance.
9. Cross Hatching Action
Cross-hatching is a drawing style where you create shading using crossed lines.
This action does it for you automatically. It adds a significant amount of texture and detail in your images.
10. Engraved Illustration Effect
This will make your photo look like an old engraving in a storybook.
The lines are very fine and detailed. This effect works great for images where there is a lot of texture, such as trees or older buildings.
11. Washed Out Sketch
This action gives your work a very light, subtle sketch effect.
It will look as if the drawing has faded slightly. This is great for developing a delicate, dream-like appearance for your portrait photography.
12. Digital Sketch Action
This one gives you a clean, modern sketch look.
The lines are sharp and clear, which gives it the appearance that it was drawn on a computer or tablet. It works great on tech-oriented images or product images.
13. Gritty Sketch Action
If you like the look of messy, sketchy lines, try this action.
It adds a lot of texture and a bit of smudge, like a real charcoal sketch. It is great for a powerful and dramatic look.
14. Simple Sketch Action
Sometimes less is more. This action provides a clean, basic sketch look.
It’s not too complicated, but it does an excellent job at outlining your main subject while giving it a hand-drawn look without the extra fuss.
15. Draftum Action
This action takes your original photos and blends them into a sketch and watercolor paint look.
It is very artistic and colorful. It leaves part of the sketch visible while the watercolor look adds soft washes for color.
The 15 Best PREMIUM Photoshop Actions for Unmatched Quality
For projects that need a truly professional touch, these premium Photoshop actions are worth every penny.
16. Architecto – Advanced Sketch Action
This action is incredibly detailed. It creates multiple types of sketches, from pencil to watercolor.
It is designed for artists who want full control, as it creates many organized layers that you can edit yourself.
17. Real Paint FX
This action does more than just create a sketch; it processes your photo as if it were painted by a real artist.
It utilizes unique brushes and overlays to create an impressive, textural finish that can be applied to many styles.
18. Da Vinci Sketch Action
Based on the famous artist Leonardo da Vinci, this action transforms your photos into old-world masterpieces.
It creates notes, scribbles, and texture to give the effect of a page from one of his journals.
19. Sketch Art Photoshop Action
This is even more powerful than the rest. It will create a highly detailed sketch with fantastic shadings and light effects that make it appear so realistic, you will think you hand-drew it.
It works great with close-up portraits as well.
20. ModernArt 3 Photoshop Action
If your images need a new, more modern style, this action is for you.
It combines sketch lines with geometric shapes and bright colors. This is a fantastic way to create abstract and eye-popping art.
21. Pen & Watercolor Action
This action beautifully replicates the appearance of a pen outline filled with soft watercolor shading.
It has a lovely effect for photos of flowers, landscapes, and structures. The colors are vibrant and blend nicely.
22. Ultra Detailed Sketch Action
As the name suggests, this action emphasizes detailing.
It creates extremely fine lines that present every little detail in your photo. This is perfect for photos that are ultra high-res, as you want to capture each eyelash or leaf.
23. Architecture Sketch Art
This action is designed specifically for photos of buildings.
It turns the photo into a professional architectural sketch. It makes lines straighter and adds sketch lines to make them look more like a professional blueprint design.
24. Canvas 2 Photoshop Action
This action doesn’t just create a sketch of your photo. It gives it a realistic canvas background to suggest a canvas.
You can see the texture of the canvas in the image, creating a deep, rich perspective. It is a complete solution for creating digital art.
25. Scribble Art Photoshop Action
This is a really fun and dynamic action.
It turns your photo into a messy, energetic scribbled drawing. It is messy and full of life! Great for pictures of sports, dancing, or kids playing.
26. Pro Sketch & Painting Action
This is an all-in-one tool for artists to create the products of sketches, paintings, and mixed media art.
It is versatile and allows for options to create a unique-looking piece every time!
27. Technical Sketch Action
This action will create a very clean sketch that is precise and textbook-like. It is ideal for product shots or technical illustration purposes.
It adds a professional touch that makes all photographs look much sharper and cleaner.
A detailed sketch starts with a detailed photograph (If fine items — such as jewelry — this [jewelry photo retouching] does the heavy lifting for you).
28. Realistic Charcoal Sketch
This action generates a very deep, rich, charcoal drawing effect that presents a deep, dark black.
The texture feels very much like a charcoal drawing on actual paper. This is fantastic for rendering a dramatic and/or emotional portrait.
29. Pop Art Sketch Action
Inspired by artists like Andy Warhol, the action generates bright and bold pop art with your photos.
The action combines drawing/sketch lines with bright blocks of color. It is a great way to make your images pop.
30. Impasto Oil Sketch FX
This action is unique. It makes your photo look like an oil painting that was drawn or sketched over.
You can see the texture of the paint strokes. It is simply a beautiful way to create fine art with your images.
Tips for Getting the Best Results from Your Photoshop Actions
It is easy to use an action, but these tips will take your end image to the next level. With these expert hints, your image will dazzle.
First, always begin with a great photo. Actions will yield the best results if they start with a well-exposed, clear image. Higher-quality photos will always result in a higher-quality image.
Next, analyze the layers. When you run an action, it creates many new layers in the Layers panel.
Click on them, turn them on and off, and explore the new layers. This is how you do non-destructive editing – you alter the effect without losing what was in the original.
Conclusion:
As you can see, Photoshop actions are an extremely useful tool for creators who want to gain speedy critiques and/or develop creative outputs.
Actions allow you to create wonderful drawing and sketch effects without much effort. They save you time and facilitate experimentation with your styles.
Although these actions are perfect for adding amazing styles, there are still tasks that require a person’s skill set.
For instance, perfect cutouts or skilled aesthetic enhancement for the e-commerce photography crew at UK Clipping Path are sure to complement your photography style.
Please get your free quote today!
FAQs:
Is it safe to download various actions for Photoshop?
Yes, actions are safe to download from reputable websites. They are just files that give instructions and end with “.atn”
Will applying an action damage my original photo?
No! A good action will not damage your original photo because it simply creates new layers on top of your image. This means you can easily undo any effects or delete the layers that the actions create on your original photo without affecting the original picture.
Why doesn’t my action run or complete as intended?
At times, actions will have certain requirements for your image to be in a certain mode (for example, RGB Color). It is always good to refer to the original instructions provided with the action. Also, be sure your image is in a layer called “background.”
Can I edit an action I have captured after I have run it?
Yes. A good action will have created several different layers. You can then select those layers within the “Layers” tab. From those layers, you can then either change the opacity or change the color and get the effect just right for your image.
Are free Photoshop actions just as effective as the paid ones?
Free actions are beneficial for testing new styles. However, typically paid (premium) actions will give you more detail, quality, and organization, which increases the ability to control the appearance of the final look and feel.
What types of photos will work well with sketch actions?
Photos that are clean, bright, and have contrast work well. Portraits, buildings, or nature will work well. Having a simpler background will make the sketch effect stand out even more.
Will these actions work on my phone?
No, these are for the desktop version of Adobe Photoshop for a computer. It will not work on Photoshop on a phone or your phone apps. You need the full version to run properly.
Can an action add color to a black and white photo?
Some special actions can colorize; however, sketch actions typically do the opposite and turn your color photo into a drawing. In order to add color to a photo, you would want a different type of action.
