Photo to Painting

Resources:

Castle Image from sxc

Cloud Brushes by JavierZhX from deviantart.com

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This is the original and the final result:

Click on the image to view full size end result

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Open the castle picture

Image>Image Size – set the width to 1000, auto height

Select>All

Edit>Copy

Open a new file 1000 x 667, 72px resolution

Edit>Paste

Image>Adjustments>Levels – apply the following settings:

Duplicate the layer

Image>Adjustments>Desaturate

Duplicate the layer

Image>Adjustments>Invert

Change the layer mode to Color Dodge – you will now see very little on the screen apart from white!

Filter>Blur>Gaussian Blur – set to 1.8, click OK

Hold down the shift key and select the top 2 layers

Right click, click on Merge Layers

Change the layer mode to Luminosity

Filter>Filter Gallery>Stylize>Glowing Edges – apply the following settings:

Click on the new effect layer at the bottom of the screen:

Brush Strokes>Angled Strokes – apply the following settings:

Create a new effect layer

Brush Strokes>Sprayed Strokes – apply the following settings:

Click OK to accept the effect layers

Edit>Fade Filter Gallery – apply the following settings:

Select the Eraser tool, and a hard round brush and erase all of the sky area, including the white that extends beyond the outline of the castle and the grass

Select the original picture layer and duplicate it

Select the Brush tool and Cloud brushes

Set the foreground colour to brown #7F4909

Create a new layer

Place some different clouds over the whiter parts of the existing clouds:

Set the layer mode to Color Burn

Hold down the shift key and select this layer and the one below it

Right click and click Merge Layers

Filter>Filter Gallery – apply the following Dry Brush, Angled Strokes and Sprayed Strokes effect layers:

Edit>Fade Filter Gallery – set to 80%

Select the Eraser tool and a soft round brush and delete around the edges of the castle

Reduce the eraser opacity to 25% and with a large soft brush, brush over most of the yellow parts of the sky – erase again over the darker parts until you have the desired effect

The finished project. Click on the image for full size view