Digital Camera World - UK (2020-03)

ou may be familiar with the basics
of the Brush Tool and mostly use
it as a basic round shape – but it’s
capable of so much more! Here
I’m going to show you how to
create your own bespoke creative splatter effect
using layers, Layer Masks and the Brush Tool.
A Layer Mask is a great way to perform a
non-destructive edit (a change you can undo at
any time) on your image. It essentially acts like
an invisible mask you can add or remove. You
use a black paint brush to hide the mask and
a white brush to bring back selected areas.
Go to Layer > Layer Mask to add your Layer
Mask. Two of the options you’ll see there are
Reveal All, which adds a white layer mask that
shows all of that layer; and Hide All, which adds
a black layer mask which hides all of that layer.
Just choose the one that involves less painting!
Alternatively, click on the Add Layer Mask
icon (a small white box with a black circle inside)
at the bottom of the Layers Panel. This adds
a white Layer Mask: if you want it black, click
Ctrl+I (Cmd+I in macOS) to invert.

Y

Brush effects

Claire Gillo shares her top

tips for getting creative

photo effects with the

Brush Tool in Photoshop

4 | PHOTOSHOP

1

The right colour

Open your starting image and

add a new layer. Navigate to the

Eyedropper Tool and select a light yellow

from the avocado in the image. Go to the

Brush Tool; in the top toolbar, click on the

arrow to bring out the brush menu and

navigate to the Special Effects brushes

at the bottom. I selected ‘Kyle’s Spatter

Brushes – Supreme Spatter & Texture’

from the menu.

2

Get splattering!

Click all over the image to make

splats, adjusting the size of the

brush as you go. Once you’re happy with

your splats, you now need to remove

them from the avocado using a layer

mask. Add a white Layer Mask, then

get a black soft brush and paint over

and around the edge of the avocado.

You can also adjust the opacity of

the brush to blend the edges.

3

Layer the effect

Finally add a new layer. Go to

Edit > Fill; from the Contents

dropdown menu, select Color. Select the

same yellow colour as before and click

OK. To see the splatter effects below,

reduce the opacity of this top layer to

70%. Add a white Layer Mask. Use a soft

black brush to paint over the avocado

again. Use the Spatter brush to add

some splats on the Layer Mask.

After

Before

Cla

ire

Gi

llo