CREATE PAINT SPLASH PORTRAITS
Apply a filter
Open the portrait into Photoshop and duplicate the ‘Background’
layer with Cmd/Ctrl+J. Right-click the copy in the Layers panel
and ‘Convert to Smart Object’. Hit D to reset colours then go to
Filter>Filter Gallery. Go to Sketch>Torn Edges and set Balance 32,
Smoothness 13, Contrast 15, then hit OK.
Make a sketch
Duplicate the layer, right-click the mask and ‘Delete Layer Mask’,
then double-click Filter Gallery. This time go to Sketch>Photocopy
and set Detail 9, Darkness 1. Hit OK then go to the Layers panel and
change the blend mode from Normal to Multiply. This gives us a
subtle sketch effect. Next highlight the layer below.
Load paint brushes
Next we’ll make paint extra splashes. Go to
the Brush panel (Window>Brushes, click the
menu icon and choose ‘Get More Brushes’.
This takes you to an Adobe web page.
Download the Scatter and Watercolor sets.
Once done, right-click the ABR file and
‘Open with Photoshop CC’ to load the set.
Copy and mask
Duplicate the layer with Cmd/Ctrl+J – we’ll apply weaker settings,
then blend the two. Double-click the ‘Filter Gallery’ Smart Filter, set
Balance 21, then hit OK. Click the Add Layer Mask icon then grab
the Brush tool. Paint black to hide the over-bright area at the
bottom, revealing the darker layer below.Blend the paint
Open a watercolour photo (download one from http://www.pixabay.com).
Grab the Move tool and drag the paint image into the portrait image.
Change the blend mode to Screen, then hit Cmd/Ctrl+T and use the
bounding box to resize or rotate the image to fit over the portrait.Add splashes
Click the New Layer icon in the Layers
panel then grab the Brush tool, set colour
to white and choose a scatter brush. Dab
over the image to rough up the edges of
the subject. Continue painting, using other
brushes and colours, if you like, to build up
the colours and scattered paint effect.1
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Expert Tip
The Filter Gallery houses a massive
array of filter effects for you to make
use of. It’s found under Filter>Filter
Gallery (note that it’s only enabled
with 8-bit images, so if you need to
convert, go to Image>Mode>8-Bit
first). As well as selecting from those
filters on offer, you can also combine
several effects into one by clicking
the New Filter Layer icon at the
bottom right. This allows you to
stack different filters to create
unique looks and take your filter
effects beyond the ordinary range
that are on offer.2
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