How to turn a photo into a painting in Photoshop

By using three different Photoshop smart filters and blending modes we can turn any photo into an aquarelle looking painting.

Open an image you want to turn into a painting.

Using  Google image search I found this colorful photo of an elephant taken in India.

Duplicate the layer by clicking Layer and choosing Duplicate Layer...

Click OK to confirm the new layer.

Right-click the duplicated layer and choose Convert to Smart Object.
With tuning the layer into the smart object you enabled the possibility of changing layer filters at any given time and  not only once.

Duplicate the layer two more times (see picture).

In the menu click Layer and choose Duplicate Layer...

Now click the the first duplicated layer and hide the upper two layers (see picture).

To hide a layer, simply click the eye icon next to the layer.

In the menu click Filter, Artistic and choose Cutout...

Choose the similar settings as I did and click OK.

Choose the layer's Blending Mode to Luminosity (see picture).

This is about how it should look like by now.

Now select the layer above and make it visible again (see picture).

In the menu click Filter, Artistic and choose Dry Brush...

Choose the similar settings as I did and click OK.

Choose the layer's Blending Mode to Screen (see picture).

This is about how it should look like by now.

Select the upper most layer and make it visible again (see picture).

In the menu click Filter, Noise and choose Median...

Choose the similar settings as I did and click OK.

Choose the layer's Blending Mode to Soft Light (see picture).

Poin of this so called Smart Filters is you can change their settings any time you want (see picture).

We are done, this is how my aquarelle painting ended looking like.

And a view from far.