Creating one of these 'sketches' involves roughly 200 steps using Photoshop. It's a process I have been developing for over 7 years now. A good bit of it is done by hand.
It involves a multitude of effects, blurs, diffusers, ansotropic filters, and some artistic stroke patterns as well.
It's knowing when to use what...and how much. And in what particular order. I spend on avg. 10-12 hrs (or more!) a day on the computer, and so far it's taken me 7 years to get where I am. I still have a long way to go.....
funny....guy in the backround (Dodge coat) played on my Sunday team in 8 ball league. If I woulda been there I wouldn't have let him wear that BU (Bradley University) hat with as bad as they are playing lately. LOL
nice work, I'll have to have him look at this....he's just as dorky looking in your "sketch" as he is in person