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description
Learn to use live previews for creating patterns in Photoshop. This tool allows you to preview how a pattern will repeat, allowing better patterns and making them is easier than ever.
Artist Credit
Special Thanks to the following artists for uploading their images and making them available for free for everyone to use.
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AFTER
BEFORE
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description
Removing footprints and other distractions in sand can be quite difficult, as sand has inherent underlying texture than can be easily destroyed by steps in the sand.
In order to remove footprints, you have to build the sand back in a way that makes it look like it has never been stepped on.
Learn how to use additional assets like stock photos to rebuild sand and make it appear as though it has the original sand texture.
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AFTER
BEFORE
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description
In the final episode of our object removal in Photoshop series, learn how to remove distractions when the background is busy and full of complex textures!
Click here to download the complete PSD file (139MB).
Free Object Removal Series
- A Tour of the Best Object Removal Tools in Photoshop
- Clean Up Simple Backgrounds in Photoshop
- Remove Objects Around Lines & Edges in Photoshop
- Remove Objects From Complex Textures in Photoshop (This Episode!)
If you’re ready to take these skills to the next level, be sure to check out our PHLEARN PRO series on object removal in Photoshop.
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Remove Object From Busy Backgrounds
Removing Distractions From Busy Backgrounds in Photoshop
In our first three episodes of this series, we covered all of the major object removal tools in Photoshop as well as some different situations and applications where you can use them. In this final episode, we’re going to put everything we’ve learned together to try and remove objects from a busy background that contains a lot of complex textures and structures.
If you’re feeling overwhelmed just looking at the image, don’t worry! You can always go back and revisit our previous examples, or check out our PHLEARN PRO series that goes even deeper into tools and techniques for object removal.
Using Every Tool
So what’s the big secret to removing objects from busy backgrounds? Well, there isn’t one. You just need to be ready to use every tool and technique that you’ve learned so far, combining them and switching them to fit the part of the image where you’re working.
For example, this image has a lot of lines and edges–structures of the building that need to be straight and continuous. When you’re removing objects around areas like that, stick to the Clone Stamp Tool which will help you quickly recreate large sections of a structure with near perfect detail.
Remember that since the Clone Stamp Tool is creating an exact copy of wherever you Sample, you may need to use another tool, like the Spot Healing Brush, to remove details that are noticeably repeating.
And, speaking of the Clone Stamp Tool, since the background is full of a lot of wonderful textures, the Clone Stamp Tool is the best way to make sure new textures look crisp and natural. Again, you’ll want to avoid any instances of obvious repeating details, but this is a great way to make sure newly added textures look as realistic as possible.
Save Time with the Spot Healing Brush
The more complicated the background, the more time you can expect to spend on cleaning up distractions in and around it. But that doesn’t mean that the Spot Healing Brush can’t be effective while still saving you some precious minutes.
Use the Spot Healing Brush over any relatively even and subtle textures. It will make quick work of most object removal in these areas while still providing a realistic result.
You can even use it in more complex areas, and then just clean up any textures, lines, or edges with the Clone Stamp.
Again, the more willing you are to switch tools on the fly, the more smoothly the process will go. And remember to also constantly create new Layers as you switch tools and switch to different parts of a photo. This will make it easier to go back and refine edits with other tools and Layer Masks.
We generally find that the Clone Stamp Tool and Spot Healing Brush can handle most objects in most situations. Occasionally, tools like the regular Healing Brush can help us split the difference when one or the other fail to get the job done right. Use the Healing Brush in areas where you want the textures and details to be more accurate, but with a similar ease of use as the Spot Healing Brush.
And lastly, there’s the Brush Tool. When you’re working in areas that are mostly just a solid color or a simple gradient, Sampling and painting with the Brush Tool is a great way to quickly cover up distractions while gaining more control over how the effect blends into the background elements.
As you work through this example, be sure to take your time and take breaks! Giving your eyes a rest can help you see issues you might not have seen before, allowing you to go back and refine your work.
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description
Learn how to turn a photographed texture into a custom Photoshop brush, and then use that brush to add subtle vintage textures to your own photos!
Looking for more Photoshop brush inspiration? Check out our collection of custom Photoshop brushes and effects!
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Add Custom Textures to Your Photos
Create Your Own Brushes in Photoshop
Some of the best effects you can create in Photoshop come from making your own custom brushes. Whether you want to make rain, snow, fog, or even hair, custom brushes are both powerful and versatile.
In this tutorial, we’re going to focus specifically on creating grunge and vintage effects using brushes made from real, photographed textures.
Let’s see how it’s done!
Preparing a Photographed Texture
To start, we’ll need a photograph of the texture that we want to convert to a custom brush. We’ll need to make several adjustments to increase contrast, remove color, and convert the texture into elements that are only pure white or pure black.
Hit CTRL or CMD + L to open the Levels dialog. Move both the highlight and shadows sliders inward.
This will increase the overall contrast of the image, pushing the middle tones to either light or dark.
Open the Image menu, select Adjustments, and then select Desaturate. This will remove color from the image, leaving us with only grayscale light and dark information.
We’re getting close! For a Brush Preset, you generally want the the texture areas to appear black on top of a pure white background. Right now, we have a mostly-black texture that would result in a muddy, low-detail brush.
Fortunately, this is simple to fix. Since we want the opposite effect, simply click on the image layer and hit CTRL or CMD + I to invert the image.
This is looking a lot more like a texture that we can use to create a brush. Create another Levels Adjustment to increase the contrast even further.
Then use the Brush Tool to remove some of the texture by painting with white along the edges. This will give the brush a more amorphous, organic feel once we start painting with it.
Depending on the size of the image you’re working with, it may be helpful to resize it if it’s large. We’re working with a fairly high-resolution image as our example, so we resized to 1500 pixels wide to make a little easier to process.
Creating a Brush & Adjusting Brush Settings
Now that our texture is ready, it’s time to convert it into a brush.
Open the Edit menu and select Define Brush Preset near the middle of the list.
You can name the brush, and then you’ll find it within the list of available brushes in Photoshop.
However, if you try to paint with it now, you’ll notice it doesn’t look or feel like a natural texture at all. We need to change some of the Brush Settings to add some much-needed randomness and variation to its appearance.
Open the Window menu and select the Brush Settings option. A dialog will open that contains a wide variety of options.
We’re only going to focus on a couple of the settings, but we encourage you to experiment with these using this brush and brushes of you’re own. Mastering these are the key to creating a wide variety of brushes and brush effects.
Check Shape Dynamics and push the Size Jitter and Angle Jitter sliders to 100%. Notice the effect it has on the brush in the preview window below.
Next, check the Scattering option and move the Scattering slider up, taking note of the effect it has in the preview window.
This is already looking a lot more natural! Only a couple more steps to go.
Lastly, click on the Brush Tip Shape option and increase the Spacing to about 50%.
Once the settings look good and you’ve tested the brush, click on the options icon in the top right corner of the Brush Settings dialog, and select New Brush Preset.
Give your brush a name that will help you remember what it does when you go back to use it later.
Adding Texture to Photos
Our texture is ready, now it’s time to see what it can do for our images.
We recommend using Curves Adjustment Layers for this particular kind of effect, as they’re non-destructive, can be adjusted at any time, and create a more subtle effect.
Create a Curves Adjustment Layer on top of the Layer Stack and pull the center of the line up into a gentle curve. Notice the entire image will get a little brighter.
Select the Layer Mask of the Curves Adjustment Layer and invert it by hitting CTRL or CMD + I. This will hide the entire Curves Adjustment.
Then, using the Brush Tool set to our newly-created texture brush, paint with white on the Layer Mask of the Curves Adjustment. This will make the Curves Adjustment only visible where we paint, and it will appear in the form of our texture brush!
You can hold ALT or OPTN while clicking on a Layer Mask to view the Layer Mask. This is a great way to see what’s happening ‘behind the scenes’ of the texture effect.
And if you find that the effect is too strong, or appearing too much over important elements of the image, you can switch the brush color to black (but still using the texture brush!) to paint over areas to make the effect less visible.
For more variety, you can create a second Curves Adjustment Layer, but this time pulling the line down to make a darker effect. Repeat the same steps as above to apply additional, darker texture elements to the image.
And remember that you can double-click on a Curves Adjustment Layer at any time to change the effect its having.
Have fun and experiment! You can use this brush to add grunge and vintage textures to any photograph, and use this process to create your very own textures and effects.
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SAMPLE PSD
Download the complete sample PSD (646 MB) for this tutorial!
description
Learn how to convert photos into textures using Blending Modes in Photoshop! Then, apply those textures to another image, using Hue/Saturation, Curves, Levels, and LUTs to dial in the perfect textured look.
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AFTER TEXTURES & COLOR GRADE
BEFORE
Create Textures from Photos
Finding & Adding Textures to Photos
Textures are a great way to add style and drama to a photograph. Better yet, they’re relatively easy to apply once you have the right ingredients.
First, you’ll need a photograph that would benefit from adding textures. Generally, a moody, dramatic, or stylish image tends to work best. (For our example, we chose a dark and moody image.)
Next, you’ll need some images that will function as textures. The most obvious type are close-up shots of various surfaces and materials (weathered paper, metal, fabric, etc). You can also get creative with these as well with images of clouds, or even birds-eye landscape photos.
We’re going to show you how to apply three different textures using a variety of tools and techniques to dial in the right look.
To get started, simply drag and drop the image you want to use as a texture over top of the photograph.
Once the texture is on top of the main image, it’s relatively easy to start blending it into the photograph below. The main tools that we’ll be using are Blending Modes. Blending Modes allow us to tell Photoshop how we want a Layer in the Layer Stack to interact with all of the Layers underneath it.
That may sound complicated (and if it does, we have an entire PRO course that goes over everything you could ever want to learn about Blending Modes), but you don’t need to know exactly how Blending Modes do what they do.
It’s easy enough to experiment with them to see what effects that create. In the image above, we’ve set the texture layer to the Soft Light Blending Mode. Doing so made a lot of the layer invisible, leaving behind only subtle traces of the texture we want.
Blending Modes can be changed or set back to Normal at any time, so cycle through each of them to see what you like. And, when in doubt, Soft Light and Overlay tend to be very reliable when applying most textures to another image.
Once you’ve found a Blending Mode that works, you can rotate and transform the texture layer so that it covers the background photo!
This is the basic way to extract a texture from an image and apply it to another photo.
Reduce Textures Over a Subject
Textures can add style, but we don’t want them to interfere too much with the subject. Texture effects on people can either be distracting or create an unflattering result.
It’s easy enough to reduce the effect the texture has on the subject. Make any texture layers invisible and select the background image with the subject. Then go to the Select Menu and choose the Subject option. This will create a rough selection of the subject in the photo.
Make the texture layer visible, and then, with the subject selection still active, add a Layer Mask to the texture layer. Select the Layer Mask icon and hit CTRL or CMD + I to invert it. This will make it so the texture does not appear at all over top of the subject.
We just want to reduce the texture over the subject, not remove it completely. You can change the Density of the Layer Mask by selecting the Mask and then raising the Density Slider within the Properties Menu. This will allow the texture layer to once again be visible over top of the subject, but with a much more subtle effect.
Clean Up Textures with Healing Tools
You can also remove any spots from the texture that are too obvious or distracting. Select the Clone Stamp Tool and set the Sample option in the top toolbar to Current Layer.
Hit ALT or OPTN and click on an area where the texture looks good. This will take a sample of that area that you can use to cover up spots you don’t want.
Then, simply paint over any spots or areas you want to cover up.
Texture Effects & Adjustment Layers
There are a variety of tools we can use alongside Blending Modes to affect how the texture layer appears in the image below.
Before trying any of these, be sure to right-click on the texture layer and select Convert to Smart Object. This will ensure that any adjustments we add can be changed or removed later.
Adjust Visibility with Levels
Some textures might need additional adjustments to help them blend more naturally into a photo.
This texture has a lot of dark, heavy lines that might just be too distracting for a simple Blending Mode change. We can adjust how the Blending Mode treats the texture by using a Levels Adjustment to dial-in a more subtle look.
With the texture layer selected, hit CTRL or CMD + L to open the Levels dialog. We made the darks darker by moving the black slider to the right. We then made the midtones darker by moving the middle gray slider to the right as well.
This should make the overall appearance of the texture less pronounced, but we’re not quite done yet!
Adjust Color with Hue/Saturation
In addition to making the texture more subtle, adjusting the color to match the rest of the photo can help it blend in more seamlessly.
You can do this by selecting the texture layer and hitting CTRL or CMD + U to open the Hue/Saturation dialog.
We checked the box for Colorize and then adjusted the sliders until the color of the texture started to match the color of the background.
Adjusting the color is an often-overlooked step of adding textures to photos and it can make a huge impact on the final result.
Adding Additional Effects
We’ve used some pretty standard textures up until now, but don’t forget that you can get creative with your texture choices.
This is an aerial shot of landscape that, at first glance, might not seem like it would work at all as a texture for our example photo.
But, if we set the Blending Mode to Lighten and use Levels to tone down the effect, we start to see a smoky texture that we might be able to use.
We can also change the red color that doesn’t match our image to cooler tones that do. Again, using the Hue/Saturation adjustment we demonstrated earlier.
In just a few short steps, we took something that didn’t look like it could work at all as a texture and transformed it into something that almost fits with our background image.
We’re getting close, but there’s a few more techniques that can help us get the perfect look.
Moving & Transforming Textures
Once you’ve locked in any Levels and Hue/Saturation Adjustments, it might help to rasterize the texture layer so that you can move it and transform it more freely.
To rasterize a Smart Object, right-click on the layer and select Rasterize Layer.
Now we can scale, rotate, and transform the texture and all of the adjustments we made will remain visible.
Positioning a texture is just as important as any blending or effects you apply to it. Take your time and experiment with a variety of sizes and positions until you find a spot that fits into the overall composition.
Depending on how you place the texture, you might end up with visible lines from the edge of the texture layer. Use a soft brush set to a low flow to paint black on the Layer Mask of the texture layer to remove any edges and to help the effect fade out naturally.
Guide the Eye with a Vignette
We said textures can be great, but they can be pretty distracting. Using textures effectively usually means finding the right balance between style and making sure the subject of the image stands out.
Vignettes are a great tool that can help draw more attention to the subject. To add a vignette, create a Curves Adjustment Layer and drag the middle of the curve down to darken the image.
Next, use the Elliptical Marquee Tool to create a large elliptical selection, select the Layer Mask of the Curves Adjustment Layer, and fill the selection with black.
Select the Curves Adjustment Layer and add a Gaussian Blur to create a soft and subtle vignette effect.
Tie Everything Together with LUTs
The best way to finish off a texture effect is with some additional color grading for the entire image. This will adjust the color of both the image and any added textures, creating a more photorealistic effect.
Create a Color Lookup Adjustment Layer on top of the layer stack. If you haven’t heard the term color lookup before, you might be more familiar with the common abbreviation: LUTs.
Photoshop comes with a variety of preloaded LUTs that can help make color-grading a breeze. If you want even more options, we have a large (and growing) library of LUTs that’s included with PHLEARN PRO!
Simply select a look that you like and that works for the image you’re working on. Remember that the main image, the textures you use, and the final coloring should all work and fit together.
Use these tools and techniques to add style and drama to your own photos!
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Download the final PSD from this tutorial here (1 GB).
description
Want to spice up your photos? Try adding textures and overlays to them in Photoshop! Follow along as we show you how to blend textures from another image into a portrait, adding bokeh, raindrops, and tying it all together with realistic lighting effects.
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Add Bokeh & Textures to Any Photo!
Choosing Images for Textures & Overlays
To pull this effect off, you’re going to need at least two images: one that will act as your primary image (like a portrait or landscape) and at least one that is the texture or effect you want to apply to the primary image (like raindrops or bokeh lighting). When you’re choosing an image to use a texture, make sure that the elements you want to add to the primary image are bright and that the background of the image is dark.
For example, we chose an image of out-of-focus lights and raindrops on glass. Notice that the brightest parts of the image are the lights and the highlights on the raindrops. The rest of the image is much darker, near black. This will make it much easier to remove the dark background and keep the elements we want.
Our primary image is a colorful portrait with a relatively simple background. Having an empty background will give us some room to work when adding effects from the other image.
Compositing with Blending Modes
Bring both images into Photoshop and make sure that the bokeh image is on top of the Layer Stack. Now we need to remove the dark areas of the bokeh image so that only the lighting and raindrops are visible, but how?
We could use a tool like Channels to select the highlighted areas and then load that selection into a Layer Mask. But that takes a lot work and will require a lot of refinement to get it to look right. Luckily, there’s an easier way!
If you’re not familiar with Blending Modes, now is great time to learn about one of the most powerful tools Photoshop has to offer. We even have a PRO course that takes an in-depth look at every single Blending Mode in the program.
So what do Blending Modes do? Like the name implies, they help us to blend Layers together in different ways. Let’s try it out: select the bokeh Layer, click on the Blending Mode drop-down box, and select Screen.
See? Compositing made easy! The Screen Blending Mode tells Photoshop that you only want the brighter areas of an image to be visible. So Photoshop then analyzes the image and removes any areas darker than a certain threshold. Now we’ve got bright bokeh lights and raindrops with our portrait image visible in the background.
Refining the Effect
Now we’ve got a pretty good idea of what the effect is going to look like, but we’ve still got some work to do. There are a few things that will keep the final composite from looking realistic. First, the in-focus and out-of-focus areas of the portrait and the bokeh image don’t match. When you composite multiple images together, it’s important that everything looks like it was photographed in the same scene, and that means things like lighting direction, depth-of-field, and perspective all need to match. Our photos are pretty forgiving when it comes to perspective and lighting, but we do need to create a realistic focus area for natural-looking depth-of-field.
We want the subject to be sharp and in-focus, so we can build the rest of the scene from there. If the subject is in focus, and if we were shooting with a shallow depth-of-field to get soft bokeh lighting, everything in front of and behind the subject should be blurry. The lights are creating a beautiful, soft bokeh effect, so they should work fine as-is. The raindrops are the main problem here. The raindrops are in front of the subject but, zooming in, you can see that they’re sharp and in-focus. We’ll need to add a blur to them to create the illusion of realistic depth.
Adding a Blur Effect in Photoshop
Blurs are a commonly used effect and they have a wide variety of applications. Here we just need to create a blur that looks like photorealistic depth-of-field. For this we recommend the Box Blur. But before applying Blurs (or any Filters in Photoshop for that matter), right-click on the Layer you’re editing and select Convert to Smart Object. Smart Objects are a great way to work non-destructively in Photoshop, allowing us to add, remove, and change Filters at any time.
With the bokeh image converted to a Smart Object, select it and click on the Filter menu, then on Blur, and then on Box Blur. Set the amount of Blur to a level that looks good to you, but keep a close eye on how it fits in with the rest of the image.
After adding the Box Blur, we noticed that the rain drops were still a little too prominent. Since that Layer is set to a Screen Blending Mode, it’s an easy fix. Just select the bokeh Layer, hit CTRL or CMD + L to open the Levels dialog (you’ll also notice a Levels setting added to the Smart Filters section under the Layer).
Click on the leftmost slider directly under the histogram, and drag it to the right. This will make the darks in the bokeh Layer even darker. Since the dark areas are also hidden by the Screen Blending Mode, the Levels will also help to hide more of that Layer and make it less prominent overall.
And remember, since we converted the bokeh Layer to a Smart Object, both the Box Blur and Levels can be adjusted or removed at any time without damaging the original photo.
Working with Color
The bokeh layer is looking good, but the colors don’t quite match with the lighting on our subject in the portrait image. Select the bokeh layer and hit CTRL or CMD + U to open the Hue/Saturation dialog.
Click the Colorize checkbox and then adjust the Hue slider until the light reflection in the raindrops matches the blues in the portrait image.
We’re almost there! We just need to add some of the magenta color from the original portrait image. Simply Duplicate the bokeh layer, and then double-click on the Hue Smart Filter option to adjust the color of the lighting to a magenta.
Now you can move and scale each of the bokeh Layers to create a compositing you like. You can also paint black on the Layer Masks of any of the bokeh Layers using a soft, round brush. This can help you blend them into the portrait image as well as hide any hard edges.
Once all the pieces are in place, zoom out and take a look at the final image!
These techniques are versatile and can be used on many different combinations of images. If you want to take the effect to the next level, Blending Modes are also great for creating beautiful double exposure effects.
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Sample PSD
Download the sample PSD for this tutorial!
description
Skin is one of the most difficult things to work with in photo retouching. With so much fine detail and naturally-occurring texture, it might sound impossible that you can recreate it from scratch.
But it’s not!
Learn how to create skin texture in Photoshop as we completely remove a tattoo from a person’s arm, and then use a combination of professional techniques and the included Photoshop Brushes to fill that area in with ultra-realistic skin texture.
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Create Realistic Skin Texture
Working with Skin in Photoshop
Skin is a delicate area with a lot of natural variation in both color and texture. One of the biggest challenges for new retouchers is removing distractions and blemishes from skin without leaving it blotchy or without detail. As you develop your skills, you might turn to advanced techniques like frequency separation, allowing you to work with both color and texture independently of one another so that you can worry less about the retouching of one damaging the other. But, sometimes even the advanced techniques need a little bit of support, and if you’re relatively new to retouching, you might need some techniques to repair skin that might have had some of the original texture removed.
In our example, we’re going to go through the process of removing a tattoo from a subject using the Brush Tool. The Brush Tool allows us to pretty easily fill an area with colors that match its surroundings but, while those areas will match color, highlight, and shadow, they will lack all of the original details of the person’s skin. This creates the perfect opportunity to recreate the original skin texture from scratch using just a couple of powerful Photoshop tools.
Creating Skin Texture from Back to Front
Whether you’re creating a detailed composite image or recreating skin texture, you should get used to the idea of building elements in a scene from the back to the front. As we make new skin texture, we’ll be doing just that. We’ll start with the color, highlight and shadow, then add texture, then add some freckles and spots, and then add some fine hairs. Working in this way will help each element appear more natural while also creating the depth necessary for it all to look realistic.
Removing a Tattoo with the Brush Tool
Our example image has a subject covered in tattoos. While tattoos are a perfectly normal thing to appear in a photo, and sometimes are what make a photo unique and interesting, we’re going to remove a tattoo to create a circumstance where we would need to recreate skin texture to fill in that area.
The process of removing a tattoo with the Brush Tool is relatively simple, especially since we’re not concerned with skin texture at the moment. First, create a new Layer. Then, select the Brush Tool and make sure that you have a large, soft brush set to a low Flow. This will make the blending process much, much easier. Once everything is set, begin Sampling colors from the subjects arm and begin painting over one of the tattoos.
The important thing to remember here is to follow the natural colors, highlights, and shadows that are visible around the area that you’re painting. In our example, there is a light source coming from camera-left creating shadows on the subject on camera-right side of their face and body. So painting will involve using brighter, highlighted skin tones along the left edge of the skin and darker tones along the right side.
As you paint, don’t worry about painting outside the area of the subject’s skin. If you do, just hide any unwanted paint using a Layer Mask once you’ve finished. You should end up with two Layers: the background Layer (the original image) and the Brush Layer which covers up a tattoo, matching the color and lighting from the rest of the arm.
Be sure to zoom out as you work and as you check your work! A zoomed out view will make it much easier to tell if the lighting and color is matching and blending correctly with the rest of the image.
A Note About Clipping Masks
Before we move on to creating the skin texture, it’s important to note that almost every new edit we add will be on a new Layer that is above and clipped to the Brush Layer we made in the first step. When a Layer is clipped to another Layer, it will only appear where that Layer appears. So every new edit we make will only appear where you painted. Make sure that the Brush Tool Layer is perfectly formed to the arm and doesn’t overlap any unwanted areas.
Create Skin Texture with Noise
Creating skin texture from scratch honestly isn’t that difficult if you’ve made it this far. In fact, we can use a relatively automated tool and some small adjustments to recreate skin details in just a few clicks.
First, create a New Layer and clip it to the skin color Layer. Grab the Rectangular Marquee Tool and create a selection around the part of the arm that you want to add texture to. Once the selection is active, go to Edit, then to Fill, and fill that area with 50% gray. (Noise can’t be applied to a blank Layer, so we need to fill the area with something first. We’ll be able to hide this gray in moment.)
After the selection is filled with gray, change the Blending Mode of the Layer to Soft Light. Soft Light will hide any values that are 50% gray. This gives us an area where we can apply noise without doing anything weird to the color of the subject’s skin.
Before going any further, right-click on the new Layer and select Convert to Smart Object. Smart Objects allow us to use Smart Filters, which are just Filters that can be changed and adjusted at any time (instead of being permanent). Noise is a Filter, so this will help us dial in the exact look we need without having to worry about starting over if we mess it up.
Now that we have Smart Object Layer where Noise can be applied, go to Filter, Noise, and Add Noise. You’ll get a live preview of what the Noise effect will look likeātry and get it close, but don’t worry about it being perfect yet. We have a couple more Filters to apply before we’ll be able to see the complete effect.
Next, go to Filter again, then to Stylize, and select Emboss. Emboss will add contrast to fine edges, giving the appearance of more texture and depth. Again, get it close, but it doesn’t have to be perfect yet.
Lastly, go to Filter, then to Blur, and choose Gaussian Blur. Apply enough of a blur so that the texture isn’t as harsh, and so that the texture starts to blend in with the photograph.
Now that these 3 elements are set, go back and dial each in until you get something that closely matches the natural skin texture from the surrounding areas.
Adding More Detail with Custom Brushes
We’re looking pretty good, but it doesn’t look like real skin just yet. Skin has spots, tiny imperfections, freckles, color variation, and hair. That’s a lot of detail that we’re missing. So where do we even start trying to recreate it?
Custom Photoshop Brushes are an amazing tool for creating randomness and variation when you need it. Included in the download for this tutorial are the three custom Brushes we created to complete this edit. Two of the brushes are for adding skin detail, like spot and freckles, and the other one is designed to create fine, realistic hair. Watch and follow along if you want to learn how to make them, but feel free to use them straight away if you want to save some time.
Use the Brushes to create spots, freckles, and color variations in the skin.
Then apply some fine hairs over top. Make sure to look at other similar areas of the subject’s skin so that you can match the density, color, and thickness of each feature as closely as possible.
We recommend watching the video above to get a complete rundown of all of the techniques you can use to create realistic textures and features with these brushes. Just be sure to always work on new Layers whenever you’re adding a new or different feature, sample colors from the surrounding skin, and use Blending Modes, Opacity, and different Brush sizes to work in as much variation as possible.
You did it! Sit back, zoom out, and take a nice long look at your work. If anything feels wrong or out of place, don’t hesitate to go back in and make changes. We’ve worked non-destructively, using Smart Objects and new Layers which makes it easy to change, add, or remove elements in a snap.
You can also add additional adjustments over the top of everything if you need the colors, highlights, and shadows to be dialed in even further. Some last minute changes to color can also help to tie each of the elements together, creating skin texture that looks unbelievably natural.
Download Sample Images
Click the link below to download the sample images and follow along with this tutorial.
DownloadTutorial Description
Give a wedding photo a romantic feel by adding a vintage, weathered look. Add some grit and grunge to an album cover by adding scuffs and scratches. Help a business stand out by adding some theme and character to their logo. Adding textures can often be a great finishing touch when creating memorable pictures and, in this tutorial, weāll show you how to do it. In addition to a sample image, weāve included two custom textures that you can start using to experiment with your own photos!
If you love those, try our exclusive Dust & Scratches Texture Pack!
Add Textures to Your Photos in Seconds!
Adding textures can give an image an entirely different feel. Itās up to you to decide when using a texture is appropriate but it can be done to almost any type of photo and there are countless types of textures to try!
Applying textures in Photoshop is incredibly easy! Once the texture is loaded as layer in a Photoshop document, simply change the Blending Mode to Screen. For further refinement, use the texture in combination with layer masks, clipping masks, and tools like Blend If to get the exact look that you want! You can even combine multiple textures in a photo to make it even more unique.
Step-by-Step Tutorial
Download the Sample Image and Textures
DownloadOpen the Sample Images and Textures in Photoshop
First place the Photo Scratches-1.jpg, Photo Scratches-2.jpg, and How To Add Textures Into Photoshop.jpg into Photoshop by going to File and Openā¦ or by dragging and dropping the files into the workspace.
To apply the texture to the main photo, select the Move Tool, which is located in the Tool Bar on the left side of the workspace. The Move Tool is the very first item in the Tool Bar and has four arrows pointing in different directions. Hold SHIFT and click and drag both textured images to the main image. The textured layers should appear as the top layers.
Add the Texture to Your Photo
While the main image is selected, hit F for Fullscreen on the keyboard to only view your main image with the textures.
If the textured images are larger than the main image, hit CMD or CTRL + T and hold SHIFT while clicking and dragging the mouse.
To maintain the aspect ratio while resizing, hold SHIFT + OPTN or ALT and click and drag the mouse until the layer is fitted.
Apply a Screen Blending Mode to the Texture Layer
Locate the Layers Panel on the right side of the workspace. In the Layers Panel, the Blending Mode is currently set to Normal. Change the Blending Mode from Normal to Screen to remove the dark background of the textured layer. When an object is light on a dark background, use the Screen Blending Mode, which makes the dark areas disappear and the light areas visible. In this instance, the dark background will disappear but the white textures will stay on the image.
To make adjustments to the textured layer, add Levels by hitting CMD or CRTL + L.
Notice the Levels window reveals how much light and dark aspects are in the image. Underneath the Input Levels graph are three small sliders, one located on the left, middle, and right side. By dragging the leftmost slider to the left or right, the textured layer will become darker or lighter. By doing this, the textured background becomes darker and the original image is easier to see. For this layer, move the left slider to the right to 17 and click OK.
Add a Second Texture for Variety
Now, apply the same steps for Layer 2 as you did with Layer 1. Locate Layer 2 in the Layers Tab and make the layer visible. Like before, change the Blending Mode from Normal to Screen.
To make any adjustment to the Layer 2, load a Levels Adjustment Layer by hitting CMD or CRTL + L.
Change left slider to 16 and click OK.
Apply a Layer Mask and Blend
Notice how Layer 2 has some scratches intersecting with the main focus of the image. To customize the layer, add a Layer Mask, which allows changes to the selected layer without completely deleting the information. To add a Layer Mask, locate the bottom of the Layers Panel and click on the rectangle with a circle in the middle. This symbol represents the Layer Mask. Be aware that with whichever layer is selected is the image that will have a layer mask added to it.
Once the Layer Mask is added to the selected layer, notice a white box appear next to Layer 2 in the Layers Panel.
To temporarily erase aspects of the selected layer, hit B on your keyboard to select the Brush Tool in the Tool Panel.
Now, to make sure you are painting on the Layer Mask, select the white box next to the image in the Layers Panel.
On the bottom of Tool Panel, notice how there are two colored boxes. The color on top represents the foreground color and the color behind it represents the background color.
To change the colors, double-click on either the foreground or background colored box. The Color Picker (Foreground Color) or the Color Picker (Background Color) window will appear depending upon which one was selected. Select black as the foreground color and white for the background color. Once you have selected the color for both the foreground and background, click OK.
With the Brush Tool activated, notice the different ways to customize the Brush Tool at the top of the workspace. In this case, set the Brush Mode to Normal and the Flow to 20%. Selecting a lower number for Flow is a great way to blend an effect.
To hide texture that is covering the subject in the image, paint while using black. To reveal texture that was hidden, hit X on the keyboard to switch colors and paint with white. Notice the Layer Mask reveal where black or white was painted.
Add Color to the Texture Layer
The provided textures are black and white but Hue/Saturation makes it possible to add color to your texture.
First, turn off Layer 2 in the Layers Panel and select Layer 1.
Hit CMD or CTRL + U on the keyboard to select Hue/Saturation. The Hue/Saturation window should appear with an array of different options to apply color to the selected layer.
In this case, make sure the Colorized box is checked in the bottom right corner of the window.
Try moving the slider under Hue and notice as the slider moves the color changes in the textured layer. To warm up the image, choose an orange tint or type in 27 next to Hue.
Bring the Saturation slider down to 18 and click OK.
To see a before and after of the textured layer, hit CTRL or CMD + C. By adding color, the texture blends more into the image.
Notice how the color blends in better in the image.
Add a Texture to a Logo in Photoshop
To add a textured layer to a logo, go to File and down to Openā¦.
Select Textures on Logo.tif and click Open in the bottom right corner of the window.
Now, transfer the textured layers to the logo layer by holding SHIFT and click and drag while using the Move Tool.
To resize the textured layer, hit CMD or CTRL + T and hold SHIFT and click and drag until the texture fits the image.
To maintain the aspect ratio, hold SHIFT + OPTN or SHIFT + ALT and click and drag to scale down.
Use a Clipping Mask to Apply the Texture to the Logo
To only apply the textured layer to the logo instead of the entire image, use a Clipping Mask.
Deselect the visibility on Layer 3 in the Layers Panel.
Right click on Layer 2 and select Create Clipping Mask. Notice how the textured layer is only visible on top of the center.
Now, make Layer 3 visible by clicking on the empty box on the left side of Layer 3.
To add a Clipping Mask to Layer 3, simply right click and select Create Clipping Mask.
Use the Move Tool to move the textured layer to the desired spot.
Change the Texture Blend Mode to Screen
Next, go to Blending Mode and change the Blending Mode from Normal to Screen for Layer 3 and Layer 2. Now the textured layer is on top of our vintage logo.
To resize the textured layer, hit CMD or CTRL + T and hold SHIFT and click and drag.
Adjust Levels to Change Visibility
To adjust the Levels, hit CMD or CRTL + L and slide the left slider in the Input Levels to 30 and click OK.
By doing this, the darks become darker and the layer becomes less visible.
Rotate a texture by hitting CMD or CRTL + T until satisfied.
Located the Layers Panel and lower the Opacity to 34%.
Download Sample Images
Click the link below to download the sample images and follow along with this tutorial.
DownloadTutorial Description
Learn how to convert any photo into a 3D Texture and apply it to Text and photos. This technique will allow you to change the lighting direction of any texture!
Create a Pattern from a Photo
The first step to apply a 3D Texture to a photo is to convert a photo into a “PATTERN” in Photoshop. To convert any photo into a pattern, open the image and select all by pressing CTRL/CMD+A then go to ‘Edit – Define Pattern.’ This Pattern is now stored in Photoshop’s library and can be accessed by going to ‘Edit – Presets – Preset Manager.’
After creating a pattern, it will be stored in Photoshop for future use.
Layer FX – Bevel and Emboss + Texture
To apply the pattern to Text or a photo, click on the desired layer and go to ‘Layer – Layer Style – Bevel and Emboss’ and select ‘Texture.’ Next, in the Pattern editor, select the pattern you just created, it will be on the bottom of the Pattern list.
Then in the properties make sure to click ‘Snap to Origin’ and select 100% Scale and Depth.
Layer FX – Pattern Overlay
After applying the Pattern to the Bevel and Emboss Layer FX, add a ‘Pattern Overlay’ by going to ‘Layer – Layer Style – Pattern Overlay.’ In this dialog, be sure to select the same pattern used in the Bevel and Emboss layer FX. Click ‘Snap to Origin’ and select 100% Scale.
Now, the Pattern Overlay and the Bevel And Emboss will be aligned and applied to the current layer.
To adjust the lighting on the pattern, go into the settings for the layer FX Bevel And Emboss, and change the ‘Shading Angle’ and ‘Shading Altitude.’ You will see a live preview of the lighting direction change on the pattern.
How to Use this Technique
This technique can be used to add realistic texture to any object in Photoshop. For instance, if you want to Add Texture to a wall, you will be able to adjust the direction of Light to make the effect seamless!
Download Sample Images
Click the link below to download the Photosop Action and follow along with this tutorial.
DownloadTutorial Description
Give skin beautiful tone and texture with this FREE Photoshop Action! Simply load the action and it will automatically separate the skin texture from the skin tone, allowing you to edit each independently. Use it to remove minor blemishes while avoiding obvious spots and blotches in skin color. Then smooth out any harsh transitions between highlights and shadows without damaging any of the natural, delicate skin texture.
Take your retouching skills to the next level with our PRO tutorial How to Master Frequency Separation Retouching in Photoshop. You’ll learn how to use frequency separation to get polished, professional results in any portrait.
And for even more practice, try Professional Beauty Retouching in Photoshop where we walk you through a complete, high-end retouch using professionally photographed RAW images.
Download Sample Images
Click the link below to download the sample images and follow along with this tutorial.
DownloadHow Textures can Enhance Your Images
In this tutorial you will learn a Simple Technique for adding textures to your images. We are using multiple textures combined together to create the final effect.
How we use the Textures
After loading the textures onto our portrait we group them and place a Layer Mask on the group. In this case we donāt want the Textures to effect the entire image so we mask out areas where we want left alone like the subjectās Face.
Next we change each layer blending mode to Soft Light and use Levels to adjust the Brightness of each layer until they blend in. You can also use Opacity to change how visible the textures are on your image.
Creating a Portfolio
Brooke Shaden has been using Textures to create exceptional images for years. Her work conveys a certain mood and she uses textures to help bring that mood to the viewer. She is an amazing artist and a wonderful person.
Tutorial Description
Adding some Texture back to the Skin of a model can help bring Depth and life back to their Face. Perfection often looks fake, and character and Texture adds personality to images.
Creating Custom Brushes
We start by quickly making a Brush designed to create random marks and specks. First we create the shape of the specks, then we use shape Dynamics like Size and Angle Jitter in the Brush dialog box to randomize the specks.
Making the texture look like skin.
The best way to find color that will look natural on the Skin, is to take a Color that already exists on the Skin! Here we grab a Shadow color from the nose to use for our speckle Color. Switch the Blend Mode to Soft Light and you’re all set! But don’t forget the Highlights! Using the same techniques paint more speckles with white to help balance the skin. Then a quick Layer Mask and we’re all done! Make sure to add your version of this image in the post below.
Create Your Own Skin Texture
Through a couple easy techniques, you can use Clipping Masks, Smart Objects, and Filters to create your very own skin textures. Add seamless skin texture to you projects.
Create Skin Texture Using Clipping Masks
After we’ve brushed over the Shadows underneath the eye, it’s important that Skin Texture we create is applied only to the brushed area. Using a Clipping Mask is a great way to achieve a seamless Transition between the original skin and our homemade skin.
Using Smart Objects & Filters
Using Smart Objects will allow you to treat your Filters such as Gaussian Blur almost like layers, letting you change the Opacity and visibility after they’ve been applied. To create a realistic Skin Texture, you can create a layer with 50% grey, Add Noise, and turn it into a Smart Object. using a combination of the Gaussian Blur and Emboss Filters will create a perfect Skin Texture over the brushed area.
Tutorial Description
Today we’re editing an amazing self portrait by Amelia Fletcher. Make sure to check out the rest of her work, she rules!
Blurring Hard Lines
The ghosts in this photo create some heard lines that become slightly distracting. By using the Smudge Tool to blur these lines, they look more ghostly and take away less attention from the focal points of the image. This is a destructive technique, so make sure to duplicate your layer before using the Smudge Tool!
Adding Atmosphere and Textures
By using parts of your original image to create Special Effects, you can create a unique and organic look. We take parts of the ghosts and use different layer blending modes, and even use part of the image to create the glow in the center. Using Textures is also a big part of creating an effect like this. Textures can be confusing, but you just have to take the time to figure out what looks good and experiment with different blending layers.
Before & After
Download Sample Image & Brushes
description
Help your photos shimmer, sparkle, glimmer, and glow with this stunning glitter effect in Photoshop! Learn how to use glitter textures with Layer Masks and some easy adjustments to make anything in a photo shine.
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MAKE YOUR PHOTOS SPARKLE & SHINE
BEFORE
Create a Stunning Glitter Effect
Create Popular Glitter Effects
This particular effect has been all the rage on social media lately, so we figured it’s a good time to show you how easy it is to create!
All you’ll need is a handful of sparkling textures (we’ve included 4, and you can find more on free stock image websites like Pexels and Unsplash), and some commonly used Photoshop tools.
Getting Started
It’s time to get into the sparkling specifics of this effect! Open up the image that you want to apply the glitter effect to in Photoshop.
Open the File menu and select Place Linked. Navigate to the folder that contains the glitter textures you want to use, select them, and hit Place.
This will add the textures to the Layer Stack above the background photo. We’ve included 4 textures, but feel free to find and use your own!
Choose the first texture you want to apply, and hide the rest. Select the visible texture and set the Blending Mode to Screen.
The key to this effect is choosing different objects in a photo, and applying a different glitter texture to each. This effect is popular with clothing, so let’s focus on that with our example image.
Use the Lasso Tool to make a rough selection around the clothing you want to make sparkle. You can hold SHIFT to add different areas of a photo to the same selection.
We chose to start with the white areas of each shirt. And don’t worry about make a precise selection, once we convert the selection to a Layer Mask, it’s extremely easy to clean it up.
Once the rough selection has been made, select the glitter texture layer and click on the Layer Mask icon near the bottom right of the screen.
Now the texture is only visible within the areas we selected!
Now we can easily clean up the Layer Mask by using the Brush Tool to paint with black over any areas that we don’t want the glitter texture to appear (like on the subject’s skin or in the background).
Make the Effect Pop
This is supposed to be an eye-catching style, so it’s okay to exaggerate the effect a bit. We want the sparkles to really pop, and the best way to do this is by making the rest of the image a little bit darker.
Create a Levels Adjustment Layer on top of the background image on the Layer Stack–and make sure it’s below the glitter textures.
Move the highlight slider to the left. This will make the background image darker, while not affecting the glitter textures above.
Speaking of the glitter textures, we can use Levels on those layers as well. But this time, we want to make the highlights brighter while adding a little bit of extra contrast.
Since the glitter textures are Smart Objects, you can hit CTRL or CMD + L to add a Levels Adjustment Smart Filter to the Layer. Move both the highlight and shadow sliders inward to dial up the contrast.
And that’s it! If you want to adjust the positioning of the glitter texture, you can do so by unlinking the Layer Mask from the Layer, and then using the Move Tool to move the layer around while the Layer Mask stays in position over the clothing.
Step & Repeat
Alright, so the main effect is done. If you really want the effect to stand out, we recommend using different glitter textures on different areas of the photo.
Hide the first texture we applied and choose another. Set the Blending Mode to Screen, and then choose an surface in the image that you want to apply it to.
We found that this effect works really well when you can match up the color of the glitter layer to the color of something in a photo. This texture is pink, so let’s use it to accent some of the pink areas in the image.
Use the Lasso Tool to make a rough selection of those areas.
Again, remember this can be a very rough selection, we’ll clean everything up once we turn it into a Layer Mask.
Load the selection as a Layer Mask.
Zoom in and use the Brush Tool to paint with black or white on the Layer Mask to make the texture invisible or visible where you want it.
While you’re zoomed in, it’s also helpful to look at the mask for the first texture and clean up any edges that you might have missed earlier.
And take some time to find any other areas or details where you think this new texture would work. Remember to try and match up colors!
Changing Colors
Since we mentioned that’s in nice to try and match up colors, there’s a chance that your textures might not match anything in the photo. Fortunately, it’s easy to change and adjust the colors as we need to.
We brought in our third texture, but noticed it didn’t really match any of the objects in the photo that we wanted to accent. For example, the blue number and stripes on the subject’s shirt.
To fix this, add a Hue/Saturation Adjustment to the glitter texture that you want to change the color of. Move the Hue slider to change the color, and the Saturation slider to change the intensity. If you’re following along, try and get it to match the blue accents in the subject’s clothing.
Perfect! Now just use the same steps we went through previously: make a rough selection around where you want to apply the texture, convert it to a Layer Mask, and then refine the mask.
Keep going and use any number of textures that you want. And get creative with all of the different places in a photo that you can apply them.
Adding Accents with Custom Brushes
Now that the main effect is complete, we can add some final accents to it in the form of larger sparkles.
First, we have a texture that already has some large sparkles that we can apply in the same fashion as the earlier textures.
And second, we’ve included a custom Photoshop Brush that allow us to paint in additional sparkle effects wherever we want!
Load the brush into your Brushes panel. Notice that we’ve included two different Glitter Sparkle Brushes.
One is more of a scattered effect that you can apply more generously over the image. And the other creates larger, more pronounced sparkles that work great for singular accents.
To use them, just create a new Layer, and use the Brush Tool to paint with white (or a sampled white color from the image) wherever you want to add a little extra shine.
And your done! Try finding more glitter textures, and try the effect on your own images to see what you can create!
Download Sample Images
description
Learn how to create a realistic crumpled paper effect in Photoshop!
Ready to learn more Photoshop? Check out The Beginner’s Guide to Photoshop and our comprehensive series of courses in our Photoshop Learning Path.
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ADD REAL PAPER TEXTURES
How to Create Patterns from Any Image! Plus Composite as Wallpapers and Textures.
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DifficultyMedium
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Length3 hours
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Videos6
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Software
Description
Learn how to remove objects from busy backgrounds in Photoshop! Recreate textures, patterns, buildings, plants, and other background elements to create a seamless, realistic final image.
OBJECT REMOVAL SERIES
- Simple Object Removal in Photoshop
- Intermediate Object Removal in Photoshop (this course)
- Advanced Object Removal in Photoshop
THIS COURSE INCLUDES
- 5 Sample Images
- 5 Sample PSDs
- 2 Photoshop Brushes
- 1 PDF Companion Guide
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Course Downloads
Recreate Backgrounds & Textures
Rebuilding Backgrounds
The bigger the objects are that you’re trying to remove, the more of the background you’re going to need to rebuild to complete the image. Learn how to rebuild background elements from scratch using everything from simple shapes to custom Photoshop brushes.
RECREATE TEXTURES IN PERPSECTIVE
ORIGINAL
Removing Objects in Photoshop
In Simple Object Removal in Photoshop we broke down the fundamentals of removing distractions from photographs. In this course, we’re taking those skills to the next level, removing objects from busier backgrounds and recreating complex background elements from scratch!
The Magic of the Brush Tool
Photoshop has plenty of automated tools for object removal, from Content-Aware Fill to the Spot Healing Brush. But, as powerful as those tools are, sometimes they’re not enough. That’s when we turn to the most versatile tool in Photoshop: the Brush Tool. Learn how to paint in background elements by hand with stunning results.
Recreate Patterns & Textures
Learn how to completely reconstruct patterns and textures from scratch in Photoshop. Use simple shapes to create the illusion of the side of a building or a tiled wall, and then blend those effect in seamlessly with the rest of the environment.
REMOVE LARGE OBJECTS
ORIGINAL
Content-Aware Fill
Photoshop has plenty of A.I.-powered tools to help make quick work of object removal, but few are as impressive as Content-Aware. Learn how to use this quick and easy tool to remove large objects in just a few clicks.
Healing Brush & Spot Healing Brush
The most common tools for object removal, the Healing Brush and Spot Healing Brush are built to tackle most situations wonderfully. Master these essential tools while learning their differences and their limitations.
The Clone Stamp Tool
When you need to preserve clean edges and crisp textures, the Clone Stamp Tool should be your go-to. Learn how to sample and duplicate complex areas for seamless object removal. And if you’re feeling a little out of your depth, try brushing up on the most important tools in Photoshop in The Beginner’s Guide to Photoshop.
Clean, Professional Results
PRESERVE COMPLEX DETAILS
ORIGINAL
Complex Textures & Details
Throughout this course, we’ll show you how to remove objects that are in front of highly-detailed backgrounds. Then we’ll show you how to recover those lost details using tools like the Clone Stamp Tool, the Brush Tool, Layer Masks, and more.
Work Non-Destructively
One of the most important aspects of object removal is making sure to not destroy information from the original photograph. Learn how to work using new Layers and non-destructive tools so that you can always undo or hide changes, or start over from the beginning.
Simplify Any Photo
Simplifying a photo can help guide the eyes of the viewer, and make sure that they more clearly understand the tone and purpose of the image. Learn how to analyze an image to determine what’s important, and what can be removed.
REMOVE CLUTTER
ORIGINAL
Remove Clutter
Sometimes an image just needs a little room to breathe. That’s why we show you how to completely transform a photograph’s compositing by removing any and all background distractions that don’t need to be there.
Recreate Bokeh & Lighting
Learn how to recreate lighting and bokeh effects for stunning effects and an ultra-realistic final result.
Sample PSDs Included
We don’t just provide the sample images for you to follow along with, we also set you up with the completed PSD files so you can reverse-engineer the process and experiment with the effects.
Aaron Nace
PHLEARN Founder – Class Instructor
Aaron Nace is a photographer, Photoshop artist and founder of PHLEARN. He is the #1 Photoshop instructor in the world with millions of YouTube subscribers.
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Download Sample Images
description
Follow along and learn how to create an embossed effect in Photoshop! Add realistic texture, depth, and dimension to any logo or icon using professional tools and techniques. This effect is perfect for mocking up your designs in real-world environments.
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Realistic Texture & Dimension
What Makes a Realistic Embossed Effect?
An embossed effect is a great way to integrate text, logos, and icons into real, photographed environments. Whether you want the design to look as if it was pressed into paper or cut from the stone, the process is more or less the same. While Photoshop Layer Styles make effects like this seem straight forward, there are some extra steps you’ll want to take in order to get the most realistic result possible.
When it comes to integrating designs into photographed surfaces, texture is the most important to analyze and try to replicate. In our example, we want to create a mockup of a restaurant menu, complete with an embossed logo at the top of the page. The paper in our sample photo has a nice and noticeable texture.
We’ll need to transfer this texture over to our icon if we want it to look as though it’s actually part of the scene.
Add Texture with the Filter Gallery
We can recreate the texture of the paper using some effects in the Filter Gallery. But before we can apply Filters to our icon, we need to create a solid white background behind it. Create a new Layer underneath the icon Layer, use the Rectangular Marquee Tool to create a rectangle around the icon, and then fill that rectangular selection with white. You’ll end up with the icon on top of a solid white rectangle.
Go ahead and Merge the icon Layer and the white rectangle Layer we just created, and then convert the newly merged Layer into a Smart Object. Smart Objects allow us to easily adjust or remove any Filters we apply without damaging the Layer itself.
Select the icon Layer and open up the Filter Gallery. To recreate paper textures we recommend using the Spatter Filter. Simply adjust the settings until the edges of a very subtle, paper-like texture.
Once the effect is applied, we need to remove that white background we created behind the icon.
Go to the Select menu, and then to Select Color Range. Choose black and adjust the settings until the icon has a clear selection around it that separates it from the white background. Hide the icon Layer, then create a new Layer and, with that selection still active, paint with black within the bounds of the icon selection.
You should end up with the icon in black, with a transparent background, and with all of the texture we created using the Spatter effect.
Layer Styles in Photoshop
With the icon and paper texture prepared, it’s time to add the embossed effect. Layer Styles make the rest of the process easy, allowing us to add the effect and refine it until we achieve a realistic look. Double-click on the icon Layer to open the Layer Styles window. The first thing we need to do is hide the black fill color from the icon. To do this, locate the Advanced Blending section of the Blending Options tab and set the Fill Opacity to 0%. This will hide the fill color of the Layer without hiding any of the Layer Styles we add to it.
Next, click on the Bevel & Emboss tab. Photoshop will immediately apply a Bevel & Emboss effect using the program’s default settings. We only need to adjust the settings so that the effect looks realistic within the background image. It’s important that the highlights and shadows within the emboss effect match the natural highlights and shadows in the photograph.
Set the Angle of the effect so that the highlights and shadows match the direction of the lighting in the photograph. Also, make sure that the colors of the highlights and shadows match as well. Simply double-click on each of the color options for Highlight Mode and Shadow Mode and use the Eyedropper to select the appropriate colors from the photo.
Continue to adjust the Bevel & Emboss settings until it fits more naturally in with the sample photograph. You can go back in and adjust these settings at any time.
Add a Drop Shadow
To further enhance the effect, let’s add a very small and subtle drop shadow to the icon. You can find the Drop Shadow options within the Layer Styles window.
Make sure that the drop shadow is cast in the same direction as the shadows in the image. And again, since we’re working with a paper effect, it’s important to keep these settings as small and subtle as possible.
Refining the Embossed Effect
The effect is looking good, but it still doesn’t quite fit in with the rest of the photographed image. Taking a closer look, the edges of the icon are too well-defined compared to the edges of some of the objects in the image. To give the icon edges a softer, more photographed look, add a very slight Gaussian Blur that matches the softness of other edges in the photo.
We can also add a bit more texture to the interior areas of the icon. Select the icon Layer and open up the Layer Styles window. Under the Bevel & Emboss tab, select the Texture option. We chose one of the pre-loaded textures that come with Photoshop (the Grass option).
Dial in the settings until the added texture closely matches the texture of the surrounding paper texture.
Add Additional Design Elements
The main effect is done! But the design work doesn’t have to stop here. Since we created the effect using Layer Styles, it’s easy to quickly add additional design elements that have the exact same settings. You can either add new shapes and objects to the same Layer that has all of the effects applied, or create a new Layer and copy all of the Layer Styles over (just remember to add the texture via the Filter Gallery to any new elements separately).
For example, we added some bars to the left and right of the icon by simply creating two rectangular marquee selections on the icon Layer and filling them black. Since all of the other settings are in place, we end up with two perfectly embossed bars on the paper.
This effect is a great way to display design mockups in real-world environments. So if you’re creating logos and branding for client or you’re just working on your own business cards, an embossed effect is any easy and effective way to see what the real printed results would look like.
Download Sample Images
description
If you’ve ever needed to remove facial hair from a portrait, you know how tricky the process can be. That’s why we’re breaking down our method that will save you time and make sure the people in your photos look their best!
Whether your subject has a full-on beard or just a 5 o’clock shadow, you’ll learn how to paint away facial hair with the Brush Tool, recreate skin texture using a second reference image, and then blend everything together with some professional tools and techniques.
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Remove Facial Hair & Preserve Skin Texture!
Working with Facial Hair & Skin in Photoshop
Facial hair is tricky to remove, but the reason why might not be obvious. Removing hair is easy enough. Tools like the Spot Healing Brush make short work of it in most cases. The problem with removing facial hair isn’t getting the hair out of the way, it’s making sure we don’t damage or remove the skin texture from the subject’s face.
Removing Hair with the Brush Tool
We just mentioned the Spot Healing Brush, which is a great automated tool for removing objects and distractions from surfaces without much detail. But since we’re working with skin, we need a tool that will give us more control and the ability to replicate the natural highlights and shadows that fall on our subject’s face.
Notice how the Spot Healing Brush creates blotchiness and discoloration? This is where the Brush Tool comes in.
The Brush Tool is equal parts powerful and versatile and, if you haven’t had the chance to take a deep-dive into what it can do, we recommend checking out our PRO course The Amazing Power of the Brush Tool in Photoshop.
Using the Brush Tool to remove facial hair is an advanced technique that will require a little extra time and care, especially the first few times you try it. Take your time and give yourself some space to get comfortable with the process. Once you master the Brush Tool for this application, it can save you a ton of time while helping you solve a wide variety of problems that might pop up during future edits.
Sample & Paint
As we said, this is an advanced technique, but the steps involved are actually very simple. Create a new, blank Layer above the image of the subject. Select the Brush Tool, set it to a low Flow (around 20% if you’re using a pressure-sensitive tablet, 2-5% if you’re using a mouse), hold ALT to sample an area of the subject’s skin near the facial hair, and then begin to carefully paint over the hair near that area.
More concisely: use the Brush Tool to sample colors from the subject’s skin, and then paint over the facial hair. It’s that easy! Well, sort of. If you stick with just a single color of skin tone, the subject’s face will end up looking flat and unrealistic. You’ll need to constantly sample new areas of skin, paying close attention to areas of highlight and shadow. Keep in mind that skin is going to have a wide range of tones, even within a similar area.
With this in mind, the process should feel more like this: sample, paint, sample, paint, sample, paint, and so on.
Take your time with this. It might also help to have a copy of the original area you’re painting over off to the side to use as a reference as you cover up the hair. This can help you make sure the skin tones, highlights, and shadows match as closely as possible.
Once you’re done, you’ll notice that the hair is gone, but the image doesn’t look anywhere close to natural. We took our time to make sure the skin tones and lighting were a close a match to the original as possible, but the subject’s skin texture is completely gone. We started off by saying that preserving skin texture is the make-or-break things to look out for during tasks like this. So how do we fix it? Let’s find out!
Recreating Skin Texture
You could call this step recreating skin texture, or you could call it borrowing skin texture. While everyone certainly has their own unique features, skin texture will be relatively similar from person to person. This means that we can find another image with a subject with similar skin and features, and then add the skin texture from that image over the area we just painted.
You could just sample skin texture from other areas of the subject’s face to fill in the areas of missing texture, but that normally doesn’t result in a natural-looking image. Skin texture changes depending on where it is on the body. So skin texture on your forehead will not look the same as skin texture on your cheeks and chin. Using a second image, with skin texture from a similar part of the body, is the best way to go.
If you need to find reference images, we recommend free resources like Pexels or Unsplash.
Once you’ve got a second image that works, bring it into your Photoshop project and try to align it as closely as possible over the original subject’s face. Again, people will have unique features and it won’t be a perfect match. You just need to get it close. Once it’s aligned, it’s time to extract the texture.
Extracting Skin Texture
We only want the skin texture from the second image, so any color or features that don’t match our original subject need to go. First, right-click on the new image and convert it to a Smart Object. This will allow us to dial-in the settings we need without damaging the original image.
Then, with the new image selected, go to Image, Adjustments, and then select Desaturate. This will remove all of the color from the new image so that we can focus on getting the texture extracted.
Next, set the Blending Mode of the new image to Overlay. It’s getting closer, but we’ve still got one more Filter to apply.
Go to Filter, Other, and select High Pass. High Pass allows us reduce a Layer down to only it’s textures, which is exactly what we want. Adjust the settings until you get something that looks natural.
Now we just need to get everything lines up perfectly, and Mask out the things we don’t need. You can use the Transform Tool and Split-Warp Tool to get the texture from the new image lined up as closely as possible with the original subject’s face and facial features.
Once it’s close, use a Layer Mask to remove any areas that we don’t want exposed from the second photograph.
Clean Up & Refine
We’re almost there! Now we just need to clean things up a bit. You can use the Spot Healing Brush and Clone Stamp Tools to remove any facial features like wrinkles, hair, and creases from the new image that we don’t want on our original subject. Also, double check that no other elements from the second image are visible around the edges or outside of the subject’s face.
Feel free to use a variety of tools to help blend the new texture in with the original image. With a little bit of detail work, you should end up with a facial-hair-free portrait with perfect, natural skin texture!
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Risograph art is a decades-old style of printing that creates spontaneous and unpredictable effects. Perfect for posters, ads, zines, and abstract work, it’s fun medium for anyone that has access to a Riso printer. Oh, you don’t have a Riso printer? Well, then let’s see what we can do in Photoshop!
Learn how to create a realistic Riso print effect in Photoshop. Complete with bold colors, paper textures, and the inconsistent print effects of the real thing. Download the sample textures and the complete PSD to follow along!
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Realistic Print Effects & Textures
What is Risograph?
In the mid-1980s the Riso Kagaku Corporation released a new model of digital duplicators to the public. Designed for office copying and administrative use, unexpectedly, their Riso digital duplicators became a wonderful new tool for artists to create and share their work at low costs and with a look that couldn’t be achieved through any other medium.
Defined by bold and vibrant colors and slightly inaccurate and imperfect prints, risograph art became a style all its own. Perfect for ads, zines, posters, and abstract artwork, it’s a look that’s sure to turn heads.
If you don’t have access to a Riso digital duplicator, don’t worry! We’re going to show you how to recreate the distinct look of the Riso style in Photoshop.
Risograph Effects in Photoshop
As we mentioned, risograph prints are often defined by their imperfections. Off-kilter print alignment, color inconsistencies, ink bleed, and rough textures are all characteristics that might sound undesirable, but they can lead to some beautiful and unpredictable results when you’re looking to get creative.
To get things started in Photoshop, we need elements that are well-suited for a riso-style effect. We recommend sticking with shapes and text since those elements are the easiest to work with in this format, and are a perfect fit for posters, zines, and ads.
Creating Abstract Shapes
We’re going to focus on creating some unusual shapes for our print effect. And since risographs are all about imperfections, we want to make sure our shapes are a little unusual as well. Rather than using the typical shape tools, we recommend using the Polygonal Lasso Tool to create your own. Create a new Layer and then click on the canvas with the Polygonal Lasso Tool to create the corners and edges of your design.
Once you’ve created a unique shape you like, just hit SHIFT + DEL to fill that selected area with black.
Go ahead and create a variety of shapes for the risograph effect (Make sure to place each on its own Layer!) And feel free to get creative! Try and use a few different tools to create interesting designs and unusual geometric figures.
Create Irregular Textures & Edges
With the shapes ready, we can start creating our riso print effect. The first thing we want to do is make the shapes look a little more irregular, as if they were painted by hand rather than drawn with an ultra-precise Photoshop tool.
In order to do this, we’ll need to select all of the shapes so we can apply any effects to them all at once. To do this, hold CTRL or CMD and then click on one of the shape Layers. This will create a selection of everything on that Layer. Then, hold SHIFT + CTRL or CMD and click on the remaining shape Layers. This will add selections of the other shapes to the original selection we made.
We end up with several selections, each of one of the different shapes in our project. With everything selected, we can use a tool like Select and Mask to add some smoothing and feathering to the edges of the shapes.
Increase the Smooth and Feather sliders and, once those are set, increase the Contrast slider to bring back some of the original definition. Now we have all of our shapes with the sharp points and edges removed.
Locate the Output To drop-down in the bottom-right corner of the dialog and choose Selection. Hit OK. Create a new Layer and hit SHIFT + DEL to fill our new selection with black.
Hide the original shapes and then create a white Solid-Color Fill Layer underneath the new shape Layer. Then, merge the white background with the shape Layer.
Adding Details with the Filter Gallery
Now we want to add some imperfections and textures to the shapes to make them look they came out of an imprecise printer. Go to the Filter menu and select the Filter Gallery.
We chose to add some texture with the Rough Pastels Filter, the Diffuse Glow Filter, the Spatter Filter, and the Torn Edges Filter (make sure Diffuse Glow is on top).
There are no rules for this, so experiment with a bunch of different textures and effects!
Now that our shapes have some beautiful textures and imperfection, we can start to duplicate them, add color, and create an overlapped printing effect.
Coloring the Shapes
We’ve got some irregular shapes with textures that make them look like they were printed. Now we need to make another selection so that we can edit each of them. Since we’re working with softer edges and finer details, Channels is the best tool for the job.
Click on the Channels Tab, then hold CTRL or CMD and click on the RGB preview thumbnail. This will create a selection of all of the lighter areas of the canvas. With the selection active, head back to the Layers Panel and create a new Solid-Color Fill Layer and Photoshop will automatically load the selection into the Layer Mask.
We’re almost there, but we have the opposite effect of what we want. The background is filled with color and the shapes are transparent. To fix this, simply click on the Layer Mask of the Solid-Color Fill Layer and hit CTRL or CMD + I to Invert the Mask.
We’re left with our shapes, now in color, and with all of the texture and detail we created. Create a new Solid-Color Fill Layer to create a background.
Completing the Effect
We’re almost done! The rest is fun and up to you to decide on the effect. We have our shapes available to Duplicate and edit however we want. Changing the color is as easy as double-clicking on the Solid-Color Fill Layer icon.
We decided to Duplicate our shape Layer, change the colors of each, and then set the Blending Mode of the shapes on top to Multiply. This creates a cool overlapping color effect that you might see on a printer that’s way out of alignment.
Now go and play with the position of the shapes and their colors! Remember that you can use the Layer Masks to hide or show any of the shapes at any time.
Adding Paper Textures
It wouldn’t be a convincing print effect without some realistic paper textures. And the best way to get a realistic paper texture is to use a photograph of paper. We’ve included a couple of paper samples in the download above, but you can find your own with an easy web search.
Drop a paper texture into the Layers Panel above all of your shapes. Set the Blending Mode to Screen, and use a Levels Adjustment Layer (clipped to the paper texture) to dial-in the visibility. We only want the highlights of the paper texture to show up so that our shapes are still bright and defined. You can also lower the Opacity of the paper texture to fine-tune the effect.
You can try multiple paper textures with different Blending Modes for a different effect.
We’re done! Once you’ve completed all of the major steps, it’s pretty easy to go back and make adjustments to the shapes, color, and composition of your project as a whole. That means you can keep on experimenting until you get an effect you love!
How to Create Patterns from Any Image! Plus Composite as Wallpapers and Textures.
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No matter what kind of images you create, being able to integrate text into your work is an important skill. Whether you want to make eye-catching posters or advertisements for a client, or you want to share a powerful message with your personal work, this course is all about using letters, words, and typography to make it happen.
Learn how to add textures, shadows, and lighting effects, integrate type into photographs, and even create text in stunning 3D. From old-school vintage styles to clean, modern looks, if you want to get creative with type, then this is the course for you!
THIS COURSE INCLUDES
- 3 Sample Images
- 8 Sample PSDs
- 4 Textures
- 1 Photoshop Brush
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Colors, Textures, Patterns, Pop!
Create Text Effects in Photoshop
Creating text can be an important part of the job for any visual artist or image creator. Whether you need to create a banner for a website, an ad for a billboard, or a poster for a big event, adding dynamic type can take your work to the next level. Join as we show you how to transform type from basic text boxes and fonts to eye-catching works of art.
Textures & Lighting Effects
Make text glow like a neon sign or give it a real paper texture and feel. We take you through a wide variety of awesome effects that add colors, textures, patterns, and pop to any type. And once you finish this course, try combining these techniques with some other spectacular effects like a sketch effect or a watercolor effect.
Integrate Text Into Photos
One of the easiest and most effective ways to add type to an image is to make it look like it lives in the rest of the scene. We show you how to use the tools Photoshop is known for to make it happen.
Add Shapes & Patterns to Text
One quick and effective way to give any text a little flare is to add simple, colorful patterns. Learn how to create your own patterns, lay them over any type, and layer them to add extra depth and dimension.
Create Your Own Styles
Once you learn the tools that help you transform text into something special, it’s easy to start experimenting with your own looks and styles. With a wide variety of colors, patterns, textures, and tools, this course is designed to spark your imagination and inspire you to create something that’s uniquely you.
Colorful Pop Art Text Effects
We don’t just show you basic effects. We show how to create themes and styles that can help your messages stand out. Learn how to layer different effects, create color palettes, and design looks that are sure to grab people’s attention.
Drop Shadows
Stylized drop shadows are a popular effect that can be hard to pull off the right way. We show you how to create bold and dramatic shadows that add emphasis to any text in Photoshop.
Posters, Banners & Ads
The effects in this course are designed to help type stand out. Perfect for any images where you need to grab attention and send a message, these looks are perfect for posters, banners, and advertisements for the web, social media, and print.
Neon Text Effects
Learn how to use the Pen Tool to create custom type with a the look and shine of a neon sign! Create your own custom shapes, text, and lighting effects in Photoshop.
Perfect Styles for Posters & Ads
Fun With Color
Like with a lot of photo-editing techniques, sometimes type just needs a little bit of color to get things going. We show you how to create beautiful color palettes and then integrate those colors into text to help it stand out and to help it fit a particular theme.
Blending Modes & Layer Masks
Photoshop is all about Layers and how they interact with one another. It’s no surprise then that mastering Layers, Layer Masks, and Blending Modes is key to getting the most out of working with text effects. We break down these fundamental tools and show you how to use them to create simple, yet powerful, effects.
Create Vintage Text
Old-school looks are still all the rage. Learn how to create popular vintage text effects in Photoshop! Learn how to use colors, textures, and font choices to create the perfect retro theme.
The Type Tool
Text wouldn’t be possible without the Type Tool in Photoshop. We show you the ins-and-outs of this common tool before teaching you how to transform simple words and letters into something extraordinary.
Beautiful Details
Learn how to add realistic details to basic type in Photoshop. Adding texture is a powerful way to integrate words and phrases into an image and can also help any type match a particular client’s brand or aesthetic.
Photoshop & Type
Photoshop may not be the first program people think of when it comes to working with type. After all, Illustrator is designed specifically for jobs like this. But Photoshop has some advantages over its vector-based friend! Learn how to use the strengths of Photoshop to create text effects that impress.
Bevel & Emboss
Learn how to add subtle shape and dimension with the Bevel & Emboss tools in Photoshop. Layer Styles are powerful and easy-to-use tools in Photoshop that often fly under the radar. We show you how to take advantage of many of Photoshop’s Layer Effects. And if you want to learn more, check out our PRO course where we cover every single Layer Style and their best applications!
3D Text in Photoshop
3D can really help text pop off the screen. We show you some of the 3D tools in Photoshop and how you can apply them to type to create bold messages with depth and weight.
Effects for Any Font
The best part about these effects is that they’ll work with almost any font you choose! That means you can quickly and easily customize a look to fit whatever project you’re working on.
Aaron Nace
PHLEARN Founder – Class Instructor
Aaron Nace is a photographer, Photoshop artist and founder of PHLEARN. He is the #1 Photoshop instructor in the world with millions of YouTube subscribers.
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How to Create Patterns from Any Image! Plus Composite as Wallpapers and Textures.
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DifficultyAdvanced
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Length5 hours
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Use Photoshop to turn any photo into a work of art! Join us and learn how to recreate an image using the bright colors, subtle details, and natural variations of a watercolor painting. Create realistic paper textures and an authentic painterly look with our one-of-kind technique and workflow.
THIS COURSE INCLUDES
- 5 Sample Images
- 1 Sample PSD
- 3 Photoshop Brushes
- 1 Photoshop Action
- 1 PDF Help Guide
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Beautiful Watercolor Images
Watercolor Effect in Photoshop
This is the most realistic watercolor effect out there! We show you how to use a combination of brushes, blurs, and filters to create soft, watercolor brush strokes and natural-looking paper textures. Create your own works of art in Photoshop!
Included Watercolor Paint Brushes
We include 6 custom Watercolor Photoshop Brushes that will help you create a hand-painted look. From soft edges to subtle details, these brushes provide all the variation you’ll need to create a convincing painterly effect. Learn more about everything that the Brush Tool can do in The Amazing Power of the Brush Tool.
Create Custom Paper Textures
Since watercolor paints are thin and translucent, the texture of the underlying paper plays a big part in the overall look. Rather than using a stock image of paper, we show you how to use Filters to create custom paper textures from scratch!
Recreate Any Image
These techniques are designed to work on any photograph. Whether it’s a photo of the family dog, a studio portrait, or an epic landscape, we’ll show you how to turn it into beautiful watercolor art.
Cut Out Subjects & Remove Backgrounds
Watercolor art will often have a subject painted over a relatively simple background. To recreate this style in Photoshop, we show you how to make quick cutouts of people, plants, and animals. Learn how to use the Pen Tool, Lasso Tool, Select Subject, Select Color, and more to quickly remove a background and replace it with watercolor patterns.
Landscapes, Still Life & Portraits
We take you through 5 examples that cover some of the most common styles of watercolor art. Learn how to create soft and flowing landscapes, colorful still-life, and stunningly detailed portraits, all with natural brush strokes and textures.
Realistic Painterly Effects
Included PSD
We include a sample layered file that will show you exactly how this watercolor effect is assembled in Photoshop. See every adjustment and Layer in action!
Smudge Tool & Blurs
Learn how to use the Smudge Tool and Blurs in combination with the included Photoshop Brushes to create the look of soft paintbrushes and watercolor paint.
Painterly Effect
Creating a believable painterly effect in Photoshop is tough. We spent countless hours designing our own workflow and original techniques to make the most authentic paint effects possible. And now they’re yours!
Natural Variation
Getting a realistic watercolor effect is all about recreating the natural imperfections and variations that occur when we paint by hand. Using a combination of Photoshop tools and hand-painting with the Brush Tool, you’ll learn how to create an organic, original piece of art that’s all your own.
Layers & Layer Masks
As with most Photoshop techniques, this effect relies on careful use of Layers and Layer Masks to hide and show parts of a photo, paint with precision, and seamlessly combine multiple elements. Learn more about how Layers work with our PRO course: How to Master Layers & Groups in Photoshop!
Filters & Filter Gallery
Learn how to use Filters or create realistic paper textures from scratch! We take you through the Filter Gallery, using Filters like Texturizer and Dry Brush to recreate the look of paper for a natural and tactile watercolor feel.
Aaron Nace
PHLEARN Founder – Class Instructor
Aaron Nace is a photographer, Photoshop artist and founder of PHLEARN. He is the #1 Photoshop instructor in the world with millions of YouTube subscribers.
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How to Create Patterns from Any Image! Plus Composite as Wallpapers and Textures.
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DifficultyMedium
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Length3.25 hours
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With so much rich texture and subtle variation, it’s hard to match the feel of a hand-drawn image.
But we can come close!
Follow along as we show you how to transform any photo into a sketch in Photoshop! Learn how to recreate the natural highlights and shadows in a photo using our custom pencil stroke brushes and real paper textures. And, best of all, our exclusive Sketch Photoshop Actions make creating beautiful effects easier than ever!
THIS COURSE INCLUDES
- 8 Sample Images
- 2 Photoshop Actions
- 22 Photoshop Brushes
- 13 Custom Textures
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01 - What You'll Learn1:16m
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02 - How to Install Actions, Brushes & Textures3:35m
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Create a Sketch from Any Photo
Sketch Effects in Photoshop
There are a lot of sketch effects out there. That’s why we set out to make out the most stunning effect possible with a workflow that’s quick and easy. Using real paper textures and pencil strokes photographed in our studio, along with two custom-made Photoshop Actions, we think this is the fastest and most realistic sketch effect you’ll find!
Realistic Shading & Texture
A drawing gets its character from all of the subtle variations in texture and shading. To recreate that natural feel, we created 22 custom Photoshop Brushes that each simulate different pencil strokes and levels of pressure.
Save Time with Actions & Brushes
Not only do we show you how to create your own sketch effects from scratch, we provide several tools to help you get it done fast! The included Photoshop Actions, Photoshop Brushes, and custom textures will guarantee a quick workflow and beautiful results.
22 Custom Photoshop Brushes
We created over twenty Photoshop Brushes designed to simulate different weights and patterns of pencil markings. Follow along and learn how to use real, photographed textures to turn your photos into sketches.
2 Photoshop Actions
Creating a realistic sketch out of a photo can be a complicated process. That’s why we created a set of Photoshop Actions that will help you get through it fast, but with all the control you’ll need for a polished, professional look. Spend less time clicking through menus, and more time creating.
Artistic Looks
If you want a softer and more artistic look for a poster, flyer, or advertisement, our sketch effects are a great option. Create eye-catching images with a rich, natural feel.
Portraits & Landscapes
It doesn’t matter what kind of photo it is, you can transform it into a sketch in a matter of minutes! We walk you through 8 different examples, covering everything from soft portraits to detailed landscapes.
Sketch with Color
For those of you that love color, we didn’t forget about you! If you don’t like the monochrome graphite look, we show you how to use the colors in a photo to create a realistic colored pencil effect.
Step-by-Step Instruction
We give you the tools you’ll need to create your own stunning sketch effects and we also walk you through several examples step-by-step, covering a variety of different styles, situations, and applications.
Realistic Pencil & Paper Textures
Simple Portraits, Complex Environments
We set out to create the most versatile sketch effect out there. So whether you’re working with a simple portrait on a plain background, or an epic landscape with complex details, you can turn it into a sketch in just a few clicks!
Natural, Hand-drawn Look
From thick lines to soft shading, we include everything you’ll need to recreate the all the natural variation and subtle markings you would see in a hand-drawn sketch.
Monochrome, Sepia & Color
Whether you want that classic monochrome look, an aged sepia-tone effect, or you just want a little splash of color, we walk you through a variety of effects, styles, and color options.
Customizable Sketch Effects
Once you’ve finished the course, the tools are yours to keep forever. Try them on your own photos, and combine them your own ideas to create something unique.
Natural Highlights & Shadows
Much like a great photograph, the best drawings use highlight and shadow to tell the story. Our sketch effect tools are designed to use the original light information from a photo to create natural transitions from dark to light for a realistic drawing effect.
Pencil & Paper Textures
How do you get the most realistic textures possible? By photographing them! We photographed real paper and pencil marks and then converted them into custom brushes for you to use! They’re the closest thing you can get to drawing with a pencil in Photoshop.
Automated Tools for a Handcrafted Look
Not only did we try to make the most realistic drawing effect possible, we also packed the process into two custom Photoshop Actions. Skip the busy work and get right into creating beautiful sketches.
Transform Any Photo in a Sketch
Our sketch effect workflow is flexible and can work for nearly any photograph! What might look like an ordinary photo of glass on a table can be instantly transformed into a beautiful still life-style sketch.
From Ordinary to Extraordinary
Some photos just need a little something extra to take them to the next level. These sketch effects are the perfect option if you’re looking ways to create new and interesting images to share.
Realistic Drawing in Photoshop
Not everyone has the ability to pick up a pencil and draw an amazing image from scratch. But if you’re a photographer or Photoshop guru, now you can get a similar effect in a matter of minutes.
Aaron Nace
PHLEARN Founder – Class Instructor
Aaron Nace is a photographer, Photoshop artist and founder of PHLEARN. He is the #1 Photoshop instructor in the world with millions of YouTube subscribers.
Reviews
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Really great step-by-step tutorials! Nice examples of adding artistic effects beyond just photoshopping. Having the already made brushes and backgrounds saves so much time while also giving us the flexibility to individualize an artistic piece. Just takes practice. Great feedback from PHLEARN’s support when I had some questions.
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I am having a hard time with the actions as it is not allowing me to shade it is stuck on gray color. I have checked the mode layer and it is listed as RGB but I am still unable to use these actions because of this.
How to Create Patterns from Any Image! Plus Composite as Wallpapers and Textures.
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Digital distortion. VHS vibes. One of the most powerful and popular special effects, join us as we show you how to create your own glitch effects in Photoshop!
Learn how to add pixelation, distorted lines, 3D fades, digital noise, and even create dynamic glitch animations! And to make it even easier, we include exclusive Actions, Brushes, and textures that you can use to make your own extraordinary glitch effects from scratch.
THIS COURSE INCLUDES
- 8 Sample Images
- 15 Photoshop Brushes
- 1 Photoshop Action
- 7 Custom Textures
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Table of Contents
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01 - What You'll Learn1:10m
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02 - Installing Actions2:44m
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03 - Installing Brushes7:50m
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04 - How to Use Textures7:40m
Course Downloads
Dynamic Glitch Effects
Glitch Effects in Photoshop
Glitch effects are one of the most popular types of special effects for both photos and video. In this course, we break down the tools and techniques to make your own custom glitch effects from scratch in Photoshop. If you’re looking to create eye-catching images with a retro VHS feel, a futuristic theme, or a truly unique look, then you’ve come to the right place!
Stunning Special Effects
Special effects are some of the most fun you can have in Photoshop, and this course is designed to help you make your own stunning glitch effects from scratch. With 2 hours of step-by-step instruction, 15 custom Brushes, 7 textures, and a Photoshop Action, we give you everything you need to get creative today.
Create Glitch Animations
Take your images to the next level with dynamic glitch animations. Learn how to use the video timelines in Photoshop to create and export your own custom videos and animations to share on the web and social media.
Enhance Action
Glitch effects can give action and athletic images a more kinetic feel. Try combining these glitch effects with images from other PHLEARN tutorials like How to Photograph & Retouch Athletes oand Photo Editing 101-301!
Scan Lines & Distortion
Make your images look like a screen from an ’80s science fiction movie. Add flickering, static, and distorted lines for a glitched-out, sci-fi feel.
Custom Photoshop Brushes
Create scan lines, pixelation, noise, and distortion with our custom-made collection of Glitch Photoshop Brushes! We walk you through the process of installing the including Photoshop Brushes, as well as how to use them to make an endless variety of glitch and distortion effects.
Halftone Effect
Halftone is a technique where an image is recreated using tiny dots of color and tone. Learn how to create your own halftone style images in Photoshop for a look and feel that is truly unique.
Posters & Advertisements
Glitch effects are all about drawing attention. Perfect for event posters and advertisements, we walk you through 6 different looks that are bound to catch people’s eye.
Unique Style
Once you’ve finished the course, you’ll have everything you need to start creating your own out-of-this-world glitch effects. Follow along with the course and practice on the sample images, and then take what you’ve learned and glitch out your own photos!
3D Glitch Effect
If you remember the days of those red and blue tinted 3D glasses, then you’re going to love this effect! Learn how to create a retro 3D image look in Photoshop, and add some vintage charm to your glitched out photos.
Glitch Photoshop Action
We show you how to make your own glitch effects from scratch, but we make it even easier with the included Glitch Photoshop Action. Now you can create powerful looks in just a few clicks.
Modern Effects
Digital and analog distortion effects are the perfect way to add some modern style to your photos. Whether you’re going all out for a tech theme, or you just feel like a photo needs a little something extra, add these special effects to your Photoshop toolbox.
Portraits & Landscapes
No matter what kind of photos you have, these glitch effects can add some style and pop. Follow along as we add retro and digital glitch effects to a wide variety of portraits and landscapes.
Double Exposure
Learn how to combine glitch effects with a powerful double exposure effect, creating an extraordinary image with drama and style. If you want to learn more about creating double exposure effects, check out How to Master Double Exposure in Photoshop!
Custom Textures
Learn how to integrate custom textures into your photos for a more tactile feel. We include 7 custom-made textures photographed in our studio that are yours to keep and use forever!
Multiple Applications
We cover a broad range of glitch effects and photo types. Whether you want to make sci-fi portraits, a dystopian cityscape, or a retro VHS look, these dynamic glitch styles will help you get there.
Professional Techniques
Special effects can be easy to overdo. We show you how to combine popular effects with professional Photoshop techniques, giving your images just the right balance of style and substance.
Photoshop Special Effects
Photoshop is the go-to software for making the impossible come to life. If you love creating out-of-this-world effects and surreal images, try creating unreal composite images on your phone, learning the basics of Photoshop compositing, and making an epic sci-fi composite!
Aaron Nace
PHLEARN Founder – Class Instructor
Aaron Nace is a photographer, Photoshop artist and founder of PHLEARN. He is the #1 Photoshop instructor in the world with millions of YouTube subscribers.
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Download Sample Images
Click the link below to download the sample images and follow along with this tutorial.
DownloadTutorial Description
The Patch Tool is one of the best ways to remove large objects from a photo in Photoshop. Learn how to select distractions and replace them with textures that blend in seamlessly with the rest of an image.
Using the Patch Tool in combination with the Healing Brush, Spot Healing Brush, and Clone Stamp Tool, you’ll be able to quickly remove almost anything from an image. Help your portraits by removing background distractions and clean up any landscape for a picture-perfect look!
Learn more about removing objects and distractions in our PRO tutorial How to Remove Anything in Photoshop!
Less is More
The goal of removing objects from an image is to reduce distractions and to help your primary subject stand out. With a wide variety of tools and techniques, Photoshop makes this process easier than ever before!
The Patch Tool is one of the most efficient tools at removing objects, allowing you to make a selection (using any selection tool) and replace the contents of that selection with any texture from elsewhere in the image.
Why use the Patch Tool?
With so many options of object removal tools, when and why should you think about trying the Patch Tool? Tools like the Healing Brush and Spot Healing Brush are powerful, but they tend to work best on smaller areas and smaller distractions. The Patch Tool excels at removing large objects from images and, best of all, it can be used with any selection tool for even more flexibility.
Working Non-Destructively
As with any edits we make in Photoshop, it’s important to work in a way that won’t permanently change our original image. We have a couple of workflow options with the Patch Tool to preserve the original information in our background layer.
The first method is to create a new layer above your background layer and, with the Patch Tool selected, select the Content-Aware option in the tool options. This allows you to hide distractions using a blank layer while sampling the information from all of the layers below. This method is a bit easier than the alternative, but we find that not using the Content-Aware option yields better results recreating textures.
To use the Patch Tool in Normal Mode, we’ll need to work directly on a layer where all of the photo information is present. So how do we do this without affecting our original background layer? Easy! Simply create a new layer then go to the Image menu and select Apply Image. This will place a snapshot of all visible layers into the new blank layer. You can then use the Patch Tool to remove any and all distractions on the new snapshot layer. If you ever need to go back, all of your edits and your original image still exist underneath!
Source & Destination
The Patch Tool has two main options for filling in areas. The Source option allows you to select an area you want to remove, then click and drag around your image to find a texture to replace it. The Destination option allows you to select an object, then click and drag to clone and reposition it in the photo.
Using these Patch Tool options, along with powerful tools like the Spot Healing Brush and Clone Stamp, you’re on you way to being able to remove anything from any photo!
great!!
Another amazing class from Aaron Nace! You do need to complete the Beginner Object Removal class first, as Aaron states, before taking this class. Not did I learn some new techniques, but I actually painted a background that worked. I am finally beginner to work with more than just round brushes. Thanks Again!
You move way too fast during the tutorial. It’s as if you’re working on a project in your own time and we’re just watching, but we’re trying to follow on and keep up. I would like it if you also explained why you are doing thiings. You just create a new layer and start working without explaining why you’re doing it.
Nailed it. Now I’m ready to practice.
Aaron’s teaching style is engaging and the course content is cleverly laid out to be progressive giving the student confidence in the skills needed to master more difficult selections in the next level. I’ve discovered amazing new ways to use ‘old’ tools that has made my work more polished and professional. This is the best PS learning subscription I have discovered that provides me a solid grounding to understanding complex techniques and a resource I often go back to for a refresher on solutions I don’t often use.
As someone who worked in software development and support for many years, it’s great to watch someone use a complex piece of software and really make it respond to what he’s trying to achieve. The power of the brush tool, masking, and tranformation really come through. As always, Aaron doesn’t just tell you what he’s doing but why he’s doing it.
outstanding tutorial. Funny i was just looking at some of my images from a vacation trip and wondering how to fix some of them, then bam. Aaron must of been reading my mind. The simple techniques to help in removal is awesome. Must practice this ones. Making brushes seems so much easier now. You rock
Greatly appreciate the pacing in this tutorial to not spend too much time on the basics. Makes it so much more enjoyable to watch.
I so enjoy watching Aaron’s courses on all topics. This particular course has a LOT of good information about removing objects from an image and creating new objects to help with the process. He also goes over the whole process. What he is thinking when he makes various choices.
Smashing it Aaron!! As always!!
Just another great tutorial
Iād really like to learn those techniques that you are showing in your preview video. But Iām noticing some mistakes on those sample images. You went too far when you removed the button hole on the guys orange shirt and the top part of the womans hat, which is making it look fake.
Another excellent tutorial, with Aaron’s hallmark attention to detail.
A very useful series. And useful to watch a master work. Thanks Aaron
Very easy to follow the step & able to achieve the desired result. Thank you Aaron
OUSTANDING TUTORIAL!!!!! Object removal is such a “MUST SKILL” to have when working in Photoshop. Would love to see more tutorials like this. I would be very interested in seeing a more in depth look at the Lens Blur filter. Thank you so much to Aaron and staff for making another out of the park tutorial.
So the first Phlearn video I ever saw was “How to remove anything from a photo in photoshop” and I was sure it was clickbait. But I bit. And Aaron is THE REAL DEAL. 7 years later he is still taking everyone to school on how it’s done. It’s amazing. He’s amazing. Bravo!