Watercolor paint has always been a fascination of mine. But I don't use it as most painters do. I create splatters and textures for use in my digital artwork. That doesn't mean that I can't create stunning works of art with watercolor though. I like to keep things simple, so I've chosen just a few resources for this project. You can use your own textures and brushes over these, if you like. This is simply a technique, and the process is not dependent on these specific resources.
Setting up the document and preparing the subject
First up, create a new document in Photoshop. It should be 8x10 inches at 300 dpi. Now, add the photo of the jaguar. Use whatever method you prefer to remove the background (green areas). Then duplicate the jaguar layer, and turn the visibility of the duplicate layer off. Select the original copy again and apply a Watercolor filter effect by clicking on Filter | Artistic | Watercolor.
Choosing and using brushes for watercolor layering
Before we start adding watercolor effects, let's take a look at our selection of brushes. The brushes highlighted in blue (blob brushes) are used for layering color. The brushes highlighted in red (drip brushes) contain a good variety of drips at the same angle. These are great for adding a running, dripping look. One other item to note… If the default angle of these brushes is not quite right when you're applying paint, you can always change the angle from the brush panel.
Initial painting on the layered document
On a layer below the jaguar layers, using various blob brushes, begin painting the jaguars black spots. You will most likely change sizes and brush angles several times while doing so. In this step will begin applying some heavy watercolor on layers below the jaguar photo layers. There is no hard rules or methodology here. It's a matter of placing blobs of paint where it feels right to you. Choose colors from the jaguar's fur in the original photo, and/or colors that match the mood of the painting.
Adding contrast and drips
Next, let's add some contrast with darker paint. Add some new layers above the jaguar photo layers and set their blend modes to "Overlay". Using the drip brushes, begin applying drips around large blobs of color. You want to find areas of the painting that looks like it has heavy color that might drip or run down the canvas. Note: It's easy to get too crazy with the drips. I'm really happy with how this is turning out.
Texture, paper, and tonal adjustments
First up, let's duplicate that bottom paper texture layer, and drag it to the top of our layer stack. Add a Gradient Map adjustment layer using the following gradient. This helps unify the color palette and enhance the watercolor look. There is no single right gradient-experiment to match the mood of the piece. I hope this tutorial has inspired you to try your own digital watercolor paintings. It's easy, fun and provides room for lots of experimentation.
From photo to watercolor: a multi-filter approach
In this Photoshop effects tutorial, we'll learn how to easily make a photo look more like a watercolor painting. Creating the effect is as simple as duplicating some layers, applying a few filters, and using a few different layer blend modes, and the whole thing takes only a couple of minutes from start to finish. Please note that this tutorial was written for Photoshop CS5 and earlier. For a video of this tutorial, check out our Photoshop Watercolor Painting Effect on YouTube.
Layer duplication and smart objects for flexibility
We need to create three copies of the Background layer, so use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl+J (Win) / Command+J (Mac) three times to duplicate the Background layer three times. On the far left of each layer in the Layers palette, you'll see a small eyeball icon. This is the Layer Visibility icon, and it determines whether or not the layer is currently visible in the Photoshop document. When the eyeball icon is visible, it means the layer itself is visible. Click on the icon for the top two layers in the Layers palette to temporarily hide them from view inside the document. Hide the top two layers in the document by clicking on their Layer Visibility (eyeball) icons.
Simplifying and texturing with filters
With the top two layers temporarily hidden from view, click on "Layer 1" in the Layers palette to select it. The first thing we're going to do is simplify our image, and we can do that using Photoshop's "Cutout" filter. With "Layer 1" still selected, go up to the Blend Mode options in the top left of the Layers palette. By default, layers are set to the "Normal" blend mode. Still in the Layers palette, click inside the empty square where the eyeball icon used to be on the layer directly above "Layer 1" ("Layer 1 copy") to turn that layer back on, so it's visible again inside the document. We're going to add some texture to our image at this point. With "Layer 1 copy" selected and visible once again inside the document, go back up to the Filter menu at the top of the screen, choose Artistic once again, and this time, choose Dry Brush. Just as we did with "Layer 1 copy" a moment ago, click inside the empty square where the eyeball icon used to be on the top layer in the Layers palette ("Layer 1 copy 2") to turn the layer back on and make it visible once again inside the document. With the top layer selected and visible again inside the document, go back up to the Filter menu at the top of the screen, this time choose Noise, and then choose Median. The Median filter will remove even more detail from the image, and the nice thing about it is that it does so without blurring the image so edges remain well defined. And there we have it! That's how to turn a photo into a watercolor painting with Photoshop!
Using actions and overlays for efficiency
That's right. In this article, I’ll explain how it works (in simple language that even a Photoshop beginner can understand). I’ll also show you how to use a Photoshop action to create the effect, so you can do it with just a few quick clicks. Ready to make your photos look like watercolors? Most of us have done a watercolor painting at some point in our lives. Watercolors are often used by children because, unlike other types of paints, they’re not at risk of being drunk. (Why? Because they’re blocks of pigments bound together by a water-soluble ingredient.) Now, unlike actual watercolor painting, the watercolor effect is done in Photoshop. It’s a post-processing technique that lets you make your photographs look like they were created using watercolor paints. Not only is it safe, but it’s also easier than painting, and it’s very flexible. You can take full control over the results by proceeding through the steps I share below, or you can use an action, which is basically a preset that lets you automate the process.
There are many ways to create a watercolor effect in Photoshop. For instance, you could go to the Filter Gallery inside Photoshop and choose the Watercolor option. That’s an easy and quick solution. However, if you want your watercolor effect to look its absolute best, you should probably invest a little more time. The process I explain below is the one I like most. It gives great results, and it’s easy to follow and customize. Before you can create a watercolor effect, you’ll need to download watercolor brushes. To download the relevant brush, activate the Brush tool. Then click on the hamburger menu icon - on the Brush panel - to open the menu. Click Download on the Watercolor package and save it on your computer. Then go back to Photoshop, open the Brushes panel menu again, and choose Import Brushes. You’ll also need a paper overlay to give your piece that authentic watercolor look. However, I found it easier to photograph a piece of watercolor paper and use that. Start by bringing your photo into Photoshop, then duplicate the layer. This isn’t a step that changes the outcome of the watercolor effect, but I always like to do this so that I have an original version to revert back to if anything goes wrong. You can do this by tapping Ctrl/Cmd + J. You can duplicate your layer - or revert back to the original layer - at any time. You can also turn the background layer on whenever you want. To do this, just right-click on the layer and select Convert to Smart Object.
As I mentioned earlier in this article, you can technically create a watercolor effect by choosing Filters>Filter Gallery>Artistic>Watercolor. So in the menu, select Filters>Filter Gallery>Artistic>Dry Brush. Then move the slider until you like the result. Remember that, because you turned the layer into a Smart Object, you can always go back to adjust the sliders later on. So if you’re not sure you like the look you created, don’t worry! The next filter you need to apply is called Cutout. To do this, you’ll need to go back to the Filter Gallery, so select Filters>Filter Gallery. Don’t worry if your image looks weird - you’ll need to change the blend mode to get the effect we’re after. Now you can double-click the Filter Gallery layer to customize the filter if you want. Next, you’ll need to create a blur effect. This won’t be found in the Filter gallery; instead, simply go to Filter>Blur>Smart Blur. Now change the blending mode to Screen. You’ll be able to open the relevant dialog box just like you did the last time: by clicking the icon next to the filter. The final filter is called Find Edges, which will mimic pencil traces that show through the watercolor. Now you’ll need to add a paper texture to make your watercolor effect more realistic. You can add your paper overlay by choosing File>Place>Embedded. Whichever technique you used, the paper photo should now appear as the top layer of your watercolor image. Be sure to adjust the size of the canvas so that the paper covers the entire image. Go back to the layer with your watercolor image. At this point, you’ll only see the paper. That’s because the black layer mask is hiding the image. So grab the Brush tool from the toolbox or enable it by hitting the B key on the keyboard. Go to the Options bar and choose one of the Watercolor brushes you downloaded at the beginning of this tutorial. Start painting on the layer mask to reveal the image. Make sure you change the brush size often (you can also change the brush tip after a while). This will make the watercolor effect in Photoshop look more real (plus, it’ll look different every time!).
Automating with actions and final tips
As I explained above, an action is a way to automate a Photoshop process, very much like a preset. There are already many Watercolor Effect actions available for Photoshop, and they’re very easy to use. Of course, you won’t get much control over the final result. That said, some Photoshop actions do let you customize the effect slightly. It depends on the action. In case you want to try creating the effect using an action, I’ll quickly share a step-by-step explanation of how they work. First, install the action. To do this, go to the Actions panel. Open the hamburger menu, and choose Load Action. Once the action is loaded, you’ll find it listed in the Actions panel. If you’re using Adobe’s watercolor action, you’ll see it as a folder because it has two steps. To use the Adobe action, open the folder and select the first step, called Setup. Select the subject as instructed. I’ll be using the Lasso tool, but feel free to use the tool of your choice. And that’s it! Your image should now look like a watercolor. As you can see, applying a watercolor effect in Photoshop is not very difficult. You can use a filter, a handful of filters, or even an action - and once you’re done, all your favorite photos with look like gorgeous watercolor art. You can also print the photos on watercolor paper and hang them around the house! So pick a few photos, then test out the watercolor effect.
Practical considerations and closing thoughts
Do you have any Photoshop tips for achieving amazing watercolor effects? Do you have any images using the technique that you’d like to share? Watercolor is one of my favorite non-photography art mediums. It has texture, and blended colors, and it’s overall it’s just a beautiful form of art. And the best part is, it’s easy to create a watercolor effect in a photograph! Photoshop CC allows you to create endless types of styles and effects in your photos. This tutorial will walk you through the exact steps to convert any photograph into a watercolor painting.
First, open a photo in Photoshop. Then, convert the image layer into a Smart Object. To do this, right-click over the layer (in the black space and NOT over the thumbnail or layer name) and select Convert to Smart Object. Note: Another thing you might need to do here is to convert the image mode to 8-bit depth. You can do this by going to Image > Mode and selecting the 8 Bits/Channel option. Go to Filter > Filter Gallery and add the Dry Brush filter (located in the “Artistic” section at the top). Go to Filter > Filter Gallery and add the Cutout filter (located in the “Artistic” section at the top). Now, double-click the small icon to the right of the top-most Filter Gallery filter in the Smart Filters in the Layers panel. Go to Image > Adjustments > Curves. Click in the upper-right quadrant to create a new point and drag upwards. Click in the lower-left quadrant to create a new point and drag slightly downwards. Click the point on the lower-left corner of the curve graph and drag it up vertically along the left side of the graph.
Illustration Masterclass - Watercolors in Photoshop
Bonus: If you would like to download a REAL watercolor paper overlay, click here (or scroll down). Begin by selecting the image layer in your Layers panel. Then, press and hold the Opt (Mac) or Alt (Win) key and click the Add Layer Mask icon. Next, open the Brushes panel (go to Window > Brushes). Make sure that the brush is set to a larger size (the exact size will depend on your overall image resolution).
Watercolor is one of my favorite non-photography art mediums. It has texture, and blended colors, and it’s overall it’s just a beautiful form of art. And the best part is, it’s easy to create a watercolor effect in a photograph!
tags: #photoshop #watercolor #techniques