

Start by bringing your photo into Photoshop, then duplicate the layer. Step 1: Open your photo and duplicate the layer Whatever approach you use, have this file ready when you decide to make your Photoshop watercolor effect. However, I found it easier to photograph a piece of watercolor paper and use that. You can download one from many online websites. You’ll also need a paper overlay to give your piece that authentic watercolor look. Then select the file you just downloaded and click OK. Then go back to Photoshop, open the Brushes panel menu again, and choose Import Brushes. Click Download on the Watercolor package and save it on your computer. This will launch the Adobe brushes websites.

Then click on the hamburger menu icon – on the Brush panel – to open the menu. To download the relevant brush, activate the Brush tool. For this tutorial, I’ve used the brushes offered by Adobe since they’re included in your Photoshop subscription and they’re easy to use. It gives great results, and it’s easy to follow and customize.īefore you can create a watercolor effect, you’ll need to download watercolor brushes. The process I explain below is the one I like most. However, if you want your watercolor effect to look its absolute best, you should probably invest a little more time. For instance, you could go to the Filter Gallery inside Photoshop and choose the Watercolor option. There are many ways to create a watercolor effect in Photoshop. You do it because you like how it looks! How to create a watercolor effect in Photoshop: step by step In summary, you don’t do the watercolor effect in Photoshop because it’ll help you achieve some other result down the line.

Or maybe you just want to create a cool, painterly effect. Perhaps you simply feel like experimenting with different techniques. Maybe you like watercolors but you don’t know how to paint.

You see, making your photograph look like watercolor paint is a personal choice. You should create a watercolor effect whenever you want! When is it useful to create a watercolor effect? 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. Not only is it safe, but it’s also easier than painting, and it’s very flexible. It’s a post-processing technique that lets you make your photographs look like they were created using watercolor paints. Now, unlike actual watercolor painting, the watercolor effect is done in Photoshop. This means that the paints are solid – until you rub a wet brush on the pigment block.) (Why? Because they’re blocks of pigments bound together by a water-soluble ingredient. Watercolors are often used by children because, unlike other types of paints, they’re not at risk of being drunk. Most of us have done a watercolor painting at some point in our lives.
