How to Use the Blur Tool in Photoshop

Setting Up the Blur Tool on a New Layer

The Blur Tool is the water-drop icon nested under the Eraser. Create a new layer, then turn on Sample All Layers in the options bar; without it the tool has nothing to read on an empty layer and does nothing. Set Strength to 100 for the strongest effect per stroke, and use a soft round brush.

Blur Tool Basics: Blur the Background, Not the Subject

Paint small circles with the Blur Tool over the background around your subject. Eyes are drawn to sharp areas and skip over soft ones, so adding a little blur where the photo is already slightly out of focus deepens the sense of shallow depth of field and makes the subject stand out. Toggle the layer off and on to judge how far you’ve gone.

A Note on Skin

The Blur Tool can knock back blemishes, but it erases skin texture along with them. On a close-up portrait that reads as plastic, so save it for subjects far enough from the camera that texture isn’t visible, and use proper retouching tools up close.

Blur Tool Options

Any brush shape works with the Blur Tool, though a soft round brush suits nearly every job. Strength controls how much blur each pass adds. The tablet pressure toggle for size is off in Aaron’s setup; a mouse or trackpad works perfectly well with this tool.

Field Blur as an Alternative

Duplicate the Background layer and go to Filter > Blur Gallery > Field Blur. Click to drop a pin anywhere and set its blur amount with the ring or the panel: a pin on the background at a high value, and another on the subject set to 0, blurs the surroundings while keeping the subject sharp. It gives you a stronger, smoother blur than the Blur Tool, with the trade-off of working on a duplicated layer rather than by hand.

Blur Tool Quick Reference

• New layer + Sample All Layers before you paint.
• Strength 100 and a soft round brush for most work.
• Blur the background to draw the eye to the subject.
• Avoid close-up skin — blurring removes texture.
• Filter > Blur Gallery > Field Blur for a stronger, pin-based version.