Painting Effect in Photoshop
If you recall, Adobe removed the Oil Painting filter effect from Photoshop within the last couple of versions. Don’t fret, because you can create a painting effect in Photoshop with just a few easy steps. You can start with any image. Depending on the pixel information, you may have to slightly adjust the values for the best results. In this tutorial, you’ll learn how to create a simple painting effect in Photoshop.
This is a neat trick that is easy and creates a subtle painterly effect with just two filters. First, find an image and open it inside of Photoshop. Then, hit Command +J (Ctrl + J on the PC) to duplicate your background layer. Do this twice, because we are going to use 2 filters to create our painted effect.
On the top layer, change the blending mode to soft light via the layers panel. The go to Filter>Other>High Pass. Normally, this will sharpen your images, but now, Hit Command + I (Ctrl +I for PC) to invert the layer. This will give it a soft glow. The stronger the High Pass effect is, the stronger your soft glow effect will be when you invert it.
On the middle layer, the one in between the top and the background layer, choose Filter> Other>Minimum. This spreads the dark area of an image into the lighter areas. This filter is really powerful, so it is a good idea not to push it up to any more than 2 or 3 pixels. Combined, these filters create a softly blended painterly effect. Lower the opacity of the layer that we used the minimum filter on if your image is too dark or blocky.
Conclusion
How did your painting effect in Photoshop turn out? Did you achieve the painting style you wanted? This effect will give you the look of a Monet painting with very little effort. You don’t need a dedicated painting filter to get these types of effects. You can always create your own. Feel free to share your results in the comments section, or post them on Creative Beacon’s Facebook page.
