Hi. This is Marty from Blue Lightning TV.
I'm going to show you how to create the look of watercolor paintings from photos.
I provided this watercolor paper texture that you can download.
Its link is in my video's description or project files.
Before we begin, if you want to know as soon as I upload new Photoshop tutorials, smash
that "Subscribe" button and please remember to click "Like" if you like this video.
Open a photo that you'd like to use for this project.
I downloaded this one from Shutterstock.
It's important to know that the filter setting amounts I'll be using is for an image whose resolution is 72 pixels per inch.
If your photo has a higher resolution, some of the filter settings would need to be adjusted.
To check your photo's size and resolution, go to Image and Image Size.
The first step is to make a copy of your photo by pressing Ctrl or Cmd + J.
We'll convert the copy into a Smart Object, so we can modify it non-destructively.
To do this, click the icon at the upper, right and click "Convert to Smart Object".
Open the watercolor paper texture I provided.
We'll make it into a pattern, so it'll fill any shape or any size of our watercolor painting.
Go to Edit and Define Pattern.
Then click OK.
Open back your photo.
Click the New Layer icon to make a new layer.
In this layer, we'll create the paper background.
To make it into a pattern, we first need to fill it with a color, but before we do, check
your foreground and background colors.
If they're not black and white respectively, press "D" on your keyboard.
To fill it with the foreground color, press Alt or Option + Delete.
To fill it with the background color, press Ctrl or Cmd + Delete.
Double-click the layer to open its Layer Style window.
Click "Pattern Overlay".
If the background doesn't fill with the paper pattern, open the pattern presets and at the
bottom, click the last thumbnail.
Its scale can be any amount.
I'll make it 17% based on the size of my document.
We'll change the paper texture's Blend Mode, but before we do, click the New Layer icon to make a new layer.
We'll merge it with the pattern background by Shift-clicking the pattern to make it active
as well and pressing Ctrl or Cmd + E.
Change its Blend Mode to Multiply.
Make Layer 1 active.
Go to Filter and Filter Gallery.
Open the Artistic folder and click "Dry Brush".
Make the Brush Size and Brush Detail: 10, and the Texture: 1.
Keep in mind, we can always adjust the setting amounts for any of these filters at any time
because they're affecting a Smart Object.
Go back to Filter and Filter Gallery.
Click Cutout".
The number of Levels is 8, the Edge Simplicity is 0, and the Edge Fidelity is 1.
Double- click the Blending Options icon next to the top smart filter and change its Blend Mode to "Pin Light".
Go back to Filter, Blur, and Smart Blur.
The Radius determines the size of the area sampled for the blur, while the Threshold
determines how different the pixels must be before they're blurred.
Make the Radius: 25, the Threshold: 100 and the Quality: High.
Double-click the Blending Options of the Smart Blur and change its Blend Mode to "Screen".
Reduce its opacity to 50%.
Go back to Filter, Stylize and "Find Edges".
Change its Blend Mode to "Soft Light".
Click the Blending Options icon next to Find Edges.
Change its Blend Mode to Soft Light and its opacity to 70%.
Click the Adjustment Layer icon and click "Levels".
Make the Input Shadows: 34 and the input mid-tones: point 87.
Open the Adjustments panel.
If you don't see it, go to Window and Adjustments.
Click the Vibrance icon.
Drag the vibrance all the way to the right and make the Saturation: 40.
The main difference between Vibrance and Saturation is that Saturation affects all colors equally.
Vibrance only affects the less saturated colors.
Hide the original photo and make the copy active.
We'll make an inverted layer mask next to it by Alt or Option-clicking the Layer Mask icon.
This hides our painting because in Layer Masks, white reveals and black conceals.
Open your Brush Tool and make sure your foreground color is white.
Open the Brush Picker and click the gear icon.
Make sure "Brush Name" and "Brush Tip" are checked.
Click "Legacy Brushes".
Scroll down and when you see the Legacy Brushes folder, open it.
Scroll down and open the "Wet Media Brushes" folder.
Scroll down again to the watercolor brushes.
I'll use the "Watercolor Textured Surface" brush, but feel free to try the others.
At the top, make its opacity and flow 100% for now.
To adjust the size of your brush, make sure the CapsLock key is off and press the right
or left bracket key on your keyboard.
To reveal the painting through the layer mask, brush over your document without releasing
your mouse or pen.
Then, release.
Continue to brush over areas, which makes it look as if we're adding more paint on top
of the other brush strokes.
This intensifies the colors and deepens the contrast.
Reduce the Brush's opacity and brush over some or most edges.
If you want to reveal back some of the paper under the painting,
press "x" to invert the foreground and background colors.
This places black on your brush.
Brush over those areas of the paper you want to reveal back.
Remember, we can adjust the transparency of the brush by adjusting its opacity at the top.
This is Marty from Blue Lightning TV. Thanks for watching!