Image Processing Apparatus Watercolor Effect Generation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing image processing methods struggle to authentically depict the rough line drawing and color bleeding effects of watercolor paintings while maintaining the atmosphere of the input image, as they either lose color information or fuse boundaries, making it difficult to express the desired artistic effects.
Innovation Solution
An image processing apparatus and method that mix an edge component extracted from the input image with a gradated blurring component, using a combination of small and large blurring images and gradation correction to retain natural gradation and low-frequency components, allowing for the reproduction of watercolor-like effects with the input image's color as a basic color.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If all color information is lost before coloring to express watercolor taste with small number of colors, then the watercolor painting taste is expressed, but the atmosphere of the input image cannot be retained
Solution Approach 1:
The image processing is divided into multiple stages: edge component extraction, blurring image generation with different radii, and selective color application. This segmentation allows different parts of the image to be processed differently, preserving atmospheric information while achieving watercolor effects through controlled color loss in specific regions
Solution Approach 2:
Different blur radii are applied to different regions based on edge detection results. Edge portions use smaller blur radii to preserve sharpness and atmospheric information, while non-edge portions use larger blur radii to achieve watercolor bleeding effects. This local quality approach ensures color information is selectively retained where needed
2Ease of manufacture
If color subtraction is performed in spatially grouped images to express limited paint taste, then the watercolor painting taste is expressed, but boundaries between groups are fused making it difficult to express rough line drawing effect
Solution Approach 1:
The blur radius is dynamically adjusted based on the local edge strength detected in the image. Regions with strong edges maintain sharper boundaries with smaller blur radii, while regions with weak edges allow more blending with larger blur radii. This dynamic adjustment preserves the rough line drawing effect while achieving watercolor painting taste
Solution Approach 2:
The blur radius parameter is changed according to the spatial location and edge characteristics of different image regions. By varying this parameter dynamically, the system achieves different levels of boundary sharpness in different areas, allowing both rough line drawings and watercolor effects to coexist
3Ease of manufacture
If colored area is moved in random direction to express color bleeding feeling, then the color bleeding feeling is expressed, but the atmosphere of the input image is lost due to color difference
Solution Approach 1:
A blurring operation with controlled radius acts as an intermediary between the original color information and the final watercolor effect. This intermediary process allows color to spread and bleed in a controlled manner while preserving the underlying atmospheric information from the input image, avoiding the harsh color replacement approach
Data Source
Figure 1A
Figure 1B
Figure 2A~2G
AI summary
An image processing apparatus (1) uses an edge component of an input image in which a little low-frequency component of a dark part is retained as a luminance signal, synthesizes a large blurring component generated from the input image as a color component, and realizes a taste of natural watercolor paintings in which gradation is not inverted from a bright part to the dark part when a color is placed on a rough line drawing in watercolor-like processing.