Turning a digital photo into digital art - Part 1

NOTE: I use Adobe Photoshop CS2. Similar effects can be accomplished with other image editing applications.

For quite some time, I have "artified" my and others' images in a digital imaging forum. The photo above is one that I took in a neighbor's yard. Although it stands well on its own, I decided to use it in an "Artify" thread in this forum.

There are a few basic things that I tend to do when I "artify" an image. First, I generally adjust levels to increase the contrast of the image without losing detail. Which level I adjust first depends on the overall brightness of the image. If the image is slightly dark, I generally adjust the highlights and/or midtones first. If the image is slightly bright, I usually adjust the shadows first. Once adjusting the highlights or the shadows, you can usual tell whether you need to increase or decrease the midtones. Next, I often use selective color to change the mood of the image to the type of mood I want to portray. There is no single method for this. You just have to experiment. I can say that using grays, dark purples, and black tends to make an eerie image. However, other moods are more difficult to pinpoint. Now that the modifications have been made to set the mood, other filters and effects can be applied to create your own style. In this case, I borrowed an idea from Roger Dean. I did a search for cat tracks and found a simple set. So, I strategically placed them within the image. Then, I added a couple of painting effects. Finally, I added a ripple effect. You can see the end result below.