Each week we ask you to make something, and each week you do not disappoint! We think this week’s challenge is going to be a good one. It uses the Stylize feature, which has been in our iOS and Android and PC and Mac apps for some time. Stylize — if you’re not familiar with it — is a set of effects located in the Adjustments menu that turn your photos into sketches, watercolors, lithographs (to name a few). You can really turn a photo into art with the Stylize effects.
Last week’s iOS update added something new to Stylize for iPhone users: opacity control. It’s been that way in Android for a long time, but in the past, iOS users didn’t have much control over how strong the Stylize effect would be. It was just 100% for all of the options. So, your photo turned into a sketch really looked like a sketch. But sometimes you don’t want an effect to be all or nothing. The more control you have over the strength, the more you can make a particular effect work with the light and dark and color in the photo. In fact, sometimes adding just a touch of an effect to a photo can make your image quite unique. Witness this photo of the Statue of Liberty:
Adding 100% takes away so much of the realism that it’s a lot less compelling. But adding just 35% of the Sketch effect and bumping up the saturation gives it a postcard-like look. That’s some serious style.
One other neat detail about Stylize are the actual details in the effect. By controlling how strong the effect appears you can give your image a very cool texture. For example, check out this smiling visage that we ran though the Lithograph effect at 35%:
This lithograph effect is especially beautiful in the areas of gradation. And the way that it works in these sunglasses is unexpected — but very welcome.
Your challenge this week: Subtle use of #pixlrstylize
Your turn. Take your photos and turn them into something pretty using the Stylize effect. But one thing to keep in mind: This week’s challenge is about subtlety. We want to see your use of the opacity controls in Stylize. We want images that are enhanced but not overwhelmed by these options. Tag your photos #pixlrstylize, and we will find them. Make a really neat one, and we’ll feature it. The crowd will go wild, you’ll feel like a million bucks, and the world will be enhanced by art. World peace will surely follow.
