Photoshop
Tutorial - Watercolour Effect
1.
Introduction
Having
tried many variations of the watercolour effect, here's
my version. Once you've achieved the effect, why not experiment
with your own settings. I tend to go for the more subtle
effect by reducing the opacities.
2.
The Effect
3.1
File>Open – Navigate to the folder holding
the image to be processed and open it.
3.2
Check that the default colours in the toolbox are set
for black and white as the foreground and background respectively.
3.3
Copy the 'background' layer and rename it 'Poster'
3.4
Image>Filter>Artisitc>Poster Edges (set, edge
thickness=2, edge intensity=3, posterization=2)
3.5
Create an Adjustment Layer>Threshold (move the slider
to the left to reduce the black pixels, to suit taste)
3.6
Set Blending Mode to Darken
3.7
Create an Adjustment Layer>Curves (push the curve towards
the top left hand corner to lighten the image)
3.8
Create a new layer and name it 'Merged Poster'
3.9
Merge
visible……holding down Alt key, layer>merge
visible
3.10
Switch off the Poster layer, Adjustment Layer Threshold
and Adjustment Layer Curves
3.11
Reduce the Opacity to 40%
3.12
Create
an Adjustment Layer>Hue/Saturation (adjust the saturation
and lightness values to suit taste)
3.13
Create a new Layer and name it 'Merged Hue/Saturation
3.14
Merge visible……holding down Alt key, layer>merge
visible
3.15
Switch off the Adjustment Layer Hue/Satuartion, Merged
Poster and Background Layers
3.16
Copy the Merged Hue/Saturation Layer and name it 'Gaussian
Blurr'
3.17
Filter>Blurr>Gaussian Blurr (10pixels)
3.18
Set Blending Mode to Darken
3.19
Reduce the Opacity to 50%
3.20
Create a new Layer and name 'Merged'
3.21
Merge visible……holding down Alt key, layer>merge
visible
3.22
Switch off the Merged Hue/Saturation and Gaussian Blurr
layers
3.23
Switch on the Background Layer
3.24
Reduce the Opacity to suit taste (75% for this effect)
3.25
File>Save As - Navigate to the desired folder and save
the image.
