In this lesson you will learn how to create an amazing artistic effect that drips of paint. I will try to explain everything in such detail that everyone can create it, even those who opened Photoshop for the first time.
Editor’s Note. The author uses in the lesson the finished image with the effect of a pencil drawing. If you want to know how this effect is created, then look at the lessons on our website:
- Create a pencil drawing from a photo in Photoshop
- Stylize the photo in pencil drawing in Adobe Photoshop
- Turn the photo into a pencil drawing in Photoshop
Download the archive with materials for the lesson
1. Let’s get started
Step 1
First, open the photo you want to work with. To open a photo, go to menu File (File) – Open (Open), select a photo and click Open (Open). Now, before you get started, check out a few things:
Your photo must be in RGB mode, 8 bit / channel (bits / channel). To check this, go to menu Picture (Image) – Mode (Mode).
For best results, your photo size should be 1500-4000 points in width / height. To check this, go – Picture (Image) – Image size (Size Image).
Your photo should be a Background layer. If not, go to Layers (Layer) – New (New) – Layer Background (Background From Layer).
Step 2
If you use your image to work, you must first create a sketch effect, following the directions in this lesson (https://design.tutsplus.com/tutorials/unfinished-coloured-pencil-sketch-effect–cms-29451). Then, merge all the layers of this work into one layer called Sketch and apply it to our work, following the directions below.
If you use the same photo as me, go to File (File) – Place embedded (Place Embedded), select the Sketch file and place it on the canvas as shown below:
2. How to create brushes
Step 1
In this section, we will create brushes that we need for this effect. Go to menu File (File) – Create (New) To create a new file, name it Drip Brushes and use the following settings:
Step 2
Go to the main menu – Layers (Layer) – New (New) – Layer (Layer) to create a new layer and name it Brush_1. Then, when this layer is selected, select Tool Pen
(Pen Tool) (P), select tool mode Figure (Shape), install fill (Fill) with color # 000000 and draw a drop shape. If you prefer some other drawing tools, feel free to use them.
Step 3
Now go to Editing (Edit) – Define brush (Define Brush Preset) to define this shape as a brush, and name it Dripping Brush_1.
Step 4
Go to the main menu – Layers (Layer) – New (New) – Layer (Layer) to create a new layer and name it Brush_2. Then, when this layer is selected, draw another drop shape in the same way and hide the Brush_1 layer.
Step 5
Now go to Editing (Edit) – Define brush (Define Brush Preset) to define this shape as a brush, and name it Dripping Brush_2.
Step 6
Go to the main menu – Layers (Layer) – New (New) – Layer (Layer) to create a new layer and name it Brush_3. Then, when this layer is selected, draw another drop shape in the same way and hide the Brush_2 layer.
Step 7
Now go to Editing (Edit) – Define brush (Define Brush Preset) to define this shape as a brush, and name it Dripping Brush_3.
Step 8
Go to the main menu – Layers (Layer) –New (New) – Layer (Layer) to create a new layer, and name it Brush_4. Then, when this layer is selected, draw another drop shape in the same way and hide the Brush_3 layer.
Step 9
Now go to Editing (Edit) – Define brush (Define Brush Preset) to define this shape as a brush, and name it Dripping Brush_4.
Step 10
Go to the main menu – Layers (Layer) – New (New) – Layer (Layer) to create a new layer and name it Brush_5. Then, when this layer is selected, draw another drop shape in the same way and hide the Brush_4 layer.
Step 11
Now go to Editing (Edit) – Define brush (Define Brush Preset) to define this shape as a brush and name it Dripping Brush_5. After that, you can close the Drops Brush file window.
3. How to create a painting effect
Step 1
In this section, we will create image effects on specific areas of a photo. Go to the main menu – Layers (Layer) – New (New) – Layer (Layer) to create a new layer and name it Picture.
Step 2
Now hide the Sketch layer, activate the Drawing layer, select Tool Brush
(Brush Tool) (B) and paint over the areas that you want to include in the picture.
Step 3
Hold down the Ctrl key and click on the layer thumbnail to highlight the painted silhouette. Then hide this layer by clicking on the Eye icon next to the thumbnail, select the background layer and press Ctrl + J on the keyboard to create a new layer using the selection. Turn on the visibility of the Sketch layer and drag the new layer by positioning it above the Sketch layer.
Step 4
Now name this layer Object, go to Picture (Image) – Correction (Adjustments) – Shadows / Lights (Shadows / Highlights) and set the parameters: Shadow (Shadows) by 20% and Sveta (Highlights) up to 5%, as shown below:
Step 5
Press Control-J on the keyboard to duplicate the Object layer, and while on the Copy Object layer, go to Filter (Filter) – Sharpening (Sharpen) – Sharpness (Sharpen) and then go to Filter (Filter) – Other (Other) –Colour contrast (High Pass) and install radius (Radius) up to 2 pixels, as shown in the image below:
Step 6
Go to Filter (Filter) – Sharpening (Sharpen) – Sharpness (Sharpen), and then press Control-Shift-U on the keyboard to discolor this layer. After that, change the blending mode of this layer to Soft light (Soft Light). Hold down the Ctrl key, click on the Object layer to select both layers at the same time (Object and Copy of the Object layer), and press Ctrl + E on the keyboard, merging these two layers into one.
Step 7
Now go to Filter (Filter) – Sharpening (Sharpen) – Contour sharpness (Unsharp Mask) and install Effect (Amount) at 100%, Radius (Radius) up to 2.5 pixels and Isogelium (Threshold) to Level 1, as shown below:
Step 8
Go to Filter (Filter) – Stylization (Stylize) – Diffusion (Diffuse) and select Anisotropic mode (Anisotropic), as shown below. Then go to Editing (Edit) – Transformation (Transform) – Turn on90 ° clockwise (Rotate 90 ° CW) to rotate this layer 90 ° clockwise.
Step 9
Now repeat the previous steps again: go to Filter (Filter) – Stylization (Stylize) – Diffusion (Diffuse) and select Anisotropic mode (Anisotropic). Then go to Editing (Edit) –Transformation (Transform) – Turn on90 ° clockwise (Rotate 90 ° CW) to rotate this layer 90 ° clockwise again. After that, go to Filter (Filter) – Stylization (Stylize) – Diffusion (Diffuse) and select Anisotropic mode (Anisotropic) one last time and then go to Editing (Edit) – Transformation (Transform) – 180 turn ° (Rotate 180 °) to rotate this layer and return it to its original position.
Step 10
Name this layer An object, and then go to Filter (Filter) – Noise (Noise) – Reduce noise (Reduce Noise) and use the settings as in the image below:
Step 11
Now we are going to add contrast to this layer. Press D on the keyboard to reset color swatches, and then go to Layers (Layers) – New Adjustment Layer (New adjustment layer) – Gradient map (Gradient Map) to create a new adjustment layer and name it Contrast.
Step 12
Apply it as a clipping mask by clicking the thin line between the layers in the layers panel, holding down the Alt key, or pressing Ctrl-Alt-G on the keyboard, and then change the blending mode of this layer to Soft light (Soft Light), and set opacity (Opacity) by 35%.
Step 13
Go to: Layers (Layers) – New Adjustment Layer (New adjustment layer) – Color tone / Saturation (Hue / saturation), and name it Saturation.
Step 14
Apply it as a clipping mask by clicking a thin line between the layers in the layers panel, holding down the Alt key, or pressing Ctrl-Alt-G on the keyboard, and then on the panel Properties (Properties) set the following settings:
Step 15
Now turn: in Layers (Layers) –New Adjustment Layer (New adjustment layer) – Levels (Levels) to create a new adjustment layer and name it Brightness.
Step 16
Apply it as a clipping mask by clicking a thin line between the layers in the layers panel, holding down the Alt key, or pressing Ctrl-Alt-G on the keyboard, and then on the panel Properties (Properties) set the following settings:
Step 17
Now select the Object layer, then hold down the Alt key and drag this layer above the Brightness layer. You see that the Object layer has been duplicated and is above all visible layers. Then go to Filter (Filter) -Other (Other) – Colour contrast (High Pass) and install radius (Radius) up to 5 pixels as shown below:
Step 18
Apply it as a clipping mask by clicking the thin line between the layers in the layers panel, holding the Alt key, or pressing Ctrl-Alt-G on the keyboard, and then pressing Ctrl + Shift + U to discolor this layer. After that, change the blending mode of this layer to Hard light (Hard Light) and name the layer Gain.
4. How to create paint drops
Step 1
In this section, we will create drops of paint using the brushes we created at the beginning of the lesson. Create a new layer: main menu –Layers (Layer) – New (New) – Layer (Layer) and call it Paint Drops.
Step 2
Now you have to decide where you are going to place the first drip of paint. After that, using the tool Pipette
(Eyedropper Tool) (I), click on the area of the shape where the drop will take its beginning to set the foreground color, then select Tool Brush (Brush Tool) (B), from created by us earlier, and draw a drip of paint.
Step 3
Repeat the same process to create more ink drops. Keep changing the brushes and their sizes to get a different effect. Here is my result:
Step 4
Now go to Layer (Layer) – Layer Mask (Layer Mask) – Show all (Reveal All) to create an empty layer mask. Then press D on the keyboard to reset the color swatches, and then X to invert the colors. After that, choose soft Brush (Brush Tool) (B), and paint over black in places where the paint begins to flow from the girl’s figure in order to better mix it with the original source.
5. How to create a vignette
Step 1
In this section we will create a vignette effect. Go to the main menu – Layers (Layer) – New (New) – Layer (Layer) to create a new layer and name it Vignette.
Step 2
Press D on the keyboard to reset color swatches, go to Editing (Edit) – Run Fill (Fill) and install Content (Contents) on foreground color (Foreground Color), blending mode Normal (Normal) and Opacity (Opacity) at 100%, as shown below:
Step 3
Now press Ctrl + A on the keyboard to create a canvas selection, and go to Layer (Layer) – Layer Mask (Layer Mask) – Hide selected area (Hide Selection) to create a layer mask that hides the selected area of the layer. Then click on the link icon between the layer mask and the layer thumbnail to separate them.
Step 4
Activate the layer mask icon and press Control-T on the keyboard to convert it, set the width and height to 85%, as shown below:
Step 5
Now go to Filter (Filter) – Blur (Blur) – Gaussian blur (Gaussian Blur) and set radius (Radius) 100 pixels as shown below:
Step 6
Install opacity (Opacity) of this layer to 20%.
6. How to create a colorful appearance
Step 1
In this section, we will create a colored appearance. Go to: Layers (Layers) – New Adjustment Layer (New adjustment layer) – Curves (Curves) to create a new curve adjustment layer and name it Color.
Step 2
Now set the following settings for this adjustment layer:
You did it!
Congratulations, you have succeeded! Here is the final result:
If you would like to create an even more advanced effect, as shown below, a sketch with dripping paint and a 3D Volumetric effect using just one click, look at my work here with Wet Paint Photoshop Action.
Posted by: Marko Kozokar
