THE MISSION
Use the Mixer Brush Tool and Watercolor brush set to turn pics into paintings
Time needed
45 minutes
Skill level
Intermediate
Kit needed
Photoshop CC
This is a fun project to try out on a photo from your image library – you could pick an outdoor scene like ours, or why not try a different genre? Perhaps portraiture, still life or abstract. We’ll use the Mixer Brush Tool to give the photo the look of an impressionist painting.
If you’ve ever looked through the Photoshop Filter Gallery you’ll know that there are several filters within that can be used to create a painterly look. But they are all blunt and universal. The great thing about using the Mixer Brush Tool is that it creates painterly strokes based on the details and colours in the image. So you can tailor the effect, rather than applying a generic filter. However, this involves a bit more work.
We have to push and pull the colours around with the brush to create our strokes, following along with the lines and shapes in the shot with short, sharp strokes. We can also enhance the effect with other brushes, including a free Watercolor set from Adobe.
Using several layers allows us to gradually build up the effect. Just as a painter might, we can start by using broad strokes, then go on to add finer details in later. It may take a little while to do, but it’s a relaxing and rewarding task, and makes even the most ham-fisted scrawler feel as if they are really painting.
This story is from the June 2020 edition of PhotoPlus : The Canon Magazine.
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This story is from the June 2020 edition of PhotoPlus : The Canon Magazine.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
The Art of Copying Art - James Paterson shows you how to use your Canon gear to capture artwork and paintings the right way with simple camera and lighting skills
Whether you want to capture a painting like the above, digitise old prints or reproduce any kind of canvas, there's real skill in capturing artwork with your camera. Not only do you need the colours to be accurate, you also need to master the spread, angle and quality of the light to minimise glare and show the work at its best.This painting by the artist Bryan Hanlon has a wonderfully subtle colour palette. To reproduce the painting in print and digital form, it needs to be captured in the right way.
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