Ink Wash is a very old and fascinating painting tecnique...
The most know artwork come are ancient Japanese paints but a similar technique was, and is still used also in the West and from long time

The technique is not so complex to explain ...just brushing with more or less dilute black ink on a wet or humid paper
(for more see http://www.mmwindowtoart.com/drawing/inkwash.html and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ink_and_wash_painting )


But if is a technique simple to describe is hard to master, i made many experiments in the past to find a digital equivalent , and now i automatized the process with a new gmic plugin

first some before/after examples :

DEFAULT

1

Gmic-" Ink Wash" test DEFAULT by PhotoComiX, on Flickr

2

Gmic-" Ink Wash" test-DEFAULT by PhotoComiX, on Flickr

From
1

Dragon by wili_hybrid, on Flickr
2

CSA-2005-10-14-091208x by MATEUS_27:24&25, on Flickr

here the filter interface



Before get scared you should know that more then half of the controls are optional , as default the 4 sliders at the bottom are disabled:
the result i show on top are with the default (with " Stretch Contrast " set on "NO",and so half of controls disabled )

There are other 2 options :
1 is "AUTOMATIC" and obviously don't require any effort, the change is quite strong as you may see here

1

Gmic-" Ink Wash" test by PhotoComiX, on Flickr

2

Gmic-" Ink Wash" test by PhotoComiX, on Flickr

Only the third option "Manual Controls" activate the slider to allow full control

Now some more example...as usual i forced myself to avoid any other edit, i only used the filter


Gmic-" Ink Wash" test by PhotoComiX, on Flickr

BEFORE


MILITARY-POLICE_060524-F-1178W-140 by MATEUS_27:24&25, on Flickr



BEFORE


@SNIPER_CSA-2006-02-09-093100x by MATEUS_27:24&25, on Flickr


DEFAULT


Gmic-" Ink Wash" test -DEFAULT by PhotoComiX, on Flickr

"AUTOMATIC" Contrast Stretch Option


Gmic-" Ink Wash" test by PhotoComiX, on Flickr

ORIGINAL


The King by chris.merwe, on Flickr

NEXT
How to install, how to use at best...and the code
(it was everything ready but i just get an idea on how to make more intuitive the control of the final result...but i will be soon back

Very nice PC.......

HOW TO

the interface is modular see this screenshoot :



The first 2 sliders are for the "Ink" part of the Ink Wash :
you may use to get the contours and the detail of the image more clear and neat possible
They control 1 of the best "artistic" filter of Gmic "BW pencil

the SKIP all other steps has only 1 function:
you may check it to get visual control on this very first step
Note that is not needed and that YOU MUST Uncheck the box to proceed .

Below that box are the controls for the " Wash" part of Ink Wash, they control "GREYCstoration"( that now in gmic is called anisotropic smoothing)
The lower slider controls the amount of smoothing
that in the middle is very important , force to respect the image structure and the edges when smoothing
and the iteration of those 2 is the most important
that on top.. preserve the sharpness, you will not want much sharpness, and usually for artistic result will be better compensate more smoothing with more anisotropy , but may be needed to compensate the effect of the other 2


THIS IS THE ESSENTIAL, very often Ink Wash is used for delicate and not too contrasted effect

The OPTIONAL PART is for stretching the contrast:
Default is do not stretch
"Automatic" do NOT call some magick function but use a preset
"Manual Controls" is the ONLY of the 3 options that activate the last 4 sliders, and as the name says offer you the complete manual control

HERE THE CODE


############INK#WASH##############################
#@gimp Ink Wash : ink_wash, ink_wash(0)

#@gimp : note = note (""Ink Wash" controls")
#@gimp : Size = float(0.14,0,4)
#@gimp : Amplitude = float(23,0,200)
#@gimp : sep = separator ()
#@gimp : note = note ("Check if you wish visual control on this step )
#@gimp : SKIP all other steps = bool (false)
#@gimp : note = note ("UNcheck to reactivate the other controls ")
#@gimp : sep = separator ()
#@gimp : Smoother Sharpness = float(0.5,0,2)
#@gimp : Smoother Edge Protection = float(0.54,0,1)
#@gimp : Smoother Softness = float(2.25,0,10)

#@gimp :sep = separator ()

#@gimp : Stretch Contrast ? = choice ( NO, Automatic, Manual Controls )
#@gimp : note = note ("To activate the sliders below chose "Manual Controls"")

#@gimp :sep = separator ()
#@gimp : LN Amplititude = float(2,0,60)
#@gimp : LN Size = float(6,0,64)
#@gimp : LN Neightborhood-Smoothness = float(5,0,40)
#@gimp : LN Average-Smoothness = float(20,0,40)

ink_wash :
-gimp_pencilbw[-1] $1,$2,0,0,0
-if {$3==1} -return
-elif {$3==0} -gimp_anisotropic_smoothing 60,$4,$5,$6,1.1,0.8,30,2,0,1,1,0,1,0 -endif
-if {$7==0} -gimp_do_nothing
-elif {$7==1} -normalize_local 2,6,5,24,1,0,255
-elif {$7==2} -gimp_normalize_local $8,$9,$10,$11,1,3,0 -endif

###################END##########END###########END#################

That is very nice, PhotoComix. You come up with some really cool stuff. I particularly like the two soldier ones.

I still don't have a clue as how to use your code though.

Do you use Fedora, correct ?
Works for Frdora as any other Linux flavour: look the screenshoot of my Home directory



Do you see the file called .gmic ?
OOPSS not the green one , the other on the top left

That is it:
paste the code in a text editor save as .gmic (note the dot before the name)
That just for the first time, if you wish add more codes, you may just open your gmic file and past how much new codes you wish separate by a blanck space

Almost the same for XP the only difference is that in case the place is C:\Documents and Settings\Your name\Application Data
here the screenshot



In xp the Application Data is a hidden folder, but to see it is just needed to go in the file browser preference >Option for file and folder>
and there check "Show system and hidden files"

I can't help for 7 because i seldom use 7 , but even there should be not difficult find the right folder;
it is the same where is a gmic_def.1470 file

Last for Windows user: to save a file with the name starting with a dot, the easiest way is get notepad++ that is also a excellent replacement for the MS notepad

So it is really easy...maybe even easier then install a script fu

I don't have a folder named .gmic anywhere on my hard drive. I looked in my home folder and none there, then did a complete search of my hard drive ... nope.

I have the gmic plugin in .gimp-2.6 / plug-ins

You should save the code as .gmic = you should create a .gmic file (NOT a folder !!) in your home directory.

After you have saved the first code, i mean once you create that .gmic file, you may paste on the same file (again same file , should NOT be a folder) more codes , just separated by a blanc line.

In linux all files and folders with name starting with a dot are as default invisible
But in the View menu of your file browser there is the option "show hidden files".

so is really simple.... literally save the code as .gmic in your home directory

(again do NOT save as Ink Wash.gmic or something similar...save simply as .gmic)

So what do you do when there's another one? Do you add the code to the one that's already there?

Thanks!

Original image here.

Yes O; you concatenate the code in the same .gmic file. Now this one looks cool PC. Thanks for the new toy.

YES !
here a part of my .gmic file as example



the #### are not necessary ...are there just to help me to find the different filters



Nice Owls i like both

In the beginning i tought to add some color effect as you did on the second Owl
but then i preferred made the filter more simple and straightforwarded possible

Anyway i explored a lot different combinations (i even posted here some) for add color my favorite till now are

1) the original as BG layer,
the Ink Wash layer above in Value mode
, a dup of the original on top in Overlay mode

2 Ink Wash layer as BG
Original in the middle in Overlay mode
a dup of the original on top in Multiply mode BUT with low or very low opacity