Hey all... I'd like some input here.

I've been trying to fine tune a Photoshop 'effect' on some rodeo photos I took last year. I've edited several of them, and printed them out at a large-ish size (11"x14") to give away to a few people as gifts, and I'm doing another to donate to a silent auction at a family reunion next month.

The effect I've worked at is to create a somewhat "hand-drawn" look. Moving the photo away from looking like a photo, towards a 'photo-realistic' drawing, so to speak.

The ones I've done before have all been black and white... it just seems to fit the subject.

All the ones I've done before, I've gotten to the end in different ways. I follow the same basic steps, but each one is a bit different in what I do... which means the end result is always a little different. Some I like more than others... and of course, the very first one I did, is my favorite (which I gave to my dad) , and that's the one that I created the most haphazardly... just monkeying around... so it's essentially something I can't reproduce exactly. Doh!

So, anyway, I'm working on this new one... and I'm not done yet... but I'm liking what I've got so far.

Problem is, at the stage I'm at, I can't decide if I should stick with Black and White, or full colour, or a muted, desaturated colour.

That's where you guys come in.

I'd like you to look at the following three crops from the image, and tell me which one gives you the most hand-drawn look.

Remember that I'm not done yet, so there will be more monkeying around to get the final effect... but just at this step right now, which gives you the strongest impression of hand-drawn.

Please look at the images full-size. (click the images)

Much appreciated.

(1) Full Colour





(2) Muted Colour





(3) Greyscale