Watercolour Challenge 213: Scanning and Digitising your painting (Patreon)

Hi everyone, today's watercolour challenge is a walkthrough of my process to scan and digitise my work as well as turning our Scandi Huts painting into a repeat pattern. This video requires a basic knowledge of Photoshop 2024 and is not suitable for complete beginners with the software.

 I have outlined my process in this video below as an additional guide. I am sure there a numerous alternative ways but this is the process I have used for years and love the effect I get!

I used a Wacom Table and Stylus for all my photoshop work instead of a mouse. The stylus pen allows for really fantastic control.

My printer is the Epson WF-7840

Scan settings

Kind: Colour

Resolution 600ppi

Format JPEG

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Photoshop 2024 tips (here is a good overview of all the photoshop tools)

Open your file in Photoshop

Unlock the layer

Use the Rectangular Marquee Tool to select and delete any edges of the jpeg that feature the cardboard background.

What I call the ‘spotter tool’ is the ‘Spot Healing Brush tool’ (it quickly removes blemishes and other minor problem areas in an image. Use a brush size slightly larger than the blemish for best results. You can size it by changing the number in the top left hand corner of the screen.) Use to clean up any little any marks on the paper. 

Duplicate the layer: Layer > Duplicate

Then add a new layer: Layer > New Layer

Use the Paint bucket to fill the new layer with a dark colour. Move that layer to the bottom of the three.

Right click on the eraser tool to get the Magic Eraser Tool. 

Select the Second layer (the lower of the duplicated layers)

Define the range of colours to be erased by entering a Tolerance value in the top left hand corner, I use 30 for this.

If you select Contiguous you will erase only the pixels contiguous to the one you select

If you select Non Contiguous the eraser will erase across the whole page and anything faint will likely be rubbed out too but it’s a much more thorough rubbing out process

Select Non contiguous and click on an area of unpainted paper. This will delete all the background and the lighter painted colours on the lower layer.

Select the top scandi hut Layer

Select the Eraser tool, shrink the eraser size to approx 23 and choose ‘Hard Round Pressure Size’ and 100% Opacity.

Erase around the edge of every painted item. Erasing the edge of the top layer combined with the non contiguous erased bottom layer combines to make a perfect rubbed out watercolour painting that preserves the edges of the piece.

This bit can’t be rushed.

Once you have outlined everything with the eraser, select Magic Eraser Tool Contiguous and click the top layer. 

Merge the two top layers. There should now be one scandi hut layer and one black background layer.

Select Eraser tool to rub out any further blemishes on the top layer.

Select the Spot Healer tool clean any further blemishes or fill in any gaps on the paintings.

For larger areas Select the Lasso Tool to draw a freeform selection outline around a larger area of blemishes and click delete.

You have digitised your painting!

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To turn this into a pattern

Change the background colour to white and Merge Layers

View > Show Grid & Rulers

Select the Rectangular Marquee Tool. Press and hold as you drag to draw a selection (If you want a perfect square press shift as you drag the cursor)

The Grid view helps you identify the mid point of the piece. Select the left hand section > Cut > Paste and move to the right hand side of the image. Move the other piece to the left and line up in the box.

Merge Layers

Select the top half section > Cut > Paste and move to the bottom half of the image. Move the other piece to the top and line up in the box

Image > Canvas Size > enlarge canvas to twice the height and width of painting and move to top left hand corner. 

Copy and Paste Layer and line it up. Merge Layers.

Copy and Paste Layer and line it up. Merge Layers.