How to Create a Watercolor Effect in Photoshop – with Aaron Nace

Use Photoshop to turn any photo into a work of art! Join us and learn how to recreate an image using the bright colors, subtle details, and natural variations of a watercolor painting. Create realistic paper textures and an authentic painterly look with our one-of-kind technique and workflow.

This course includes:

5 Sample Images

3 Photoshop Brushes

1 Photoshop Action

1 Sample PSD

1 PDF How-To Guide

Watercolor Effect in Photoshop This is the most realistic watercolor effect out there! We show you how to use a combination of brushes, blurs, and filters to create soft, watercolor brush strokes and natural-looking paper textures. Create your own works of art in Photoshop!

Included Watercolor Paint Brushes We include 6 custom Watercolor Photoshop Brushes that will help you create a hand-painted look. From soft edges to subtle details, these brushes provide all the variation you’ll need to create a convincing painterly effect. Learn more about everything that the Brush Tool can do in The Amazing Power of the Brush Tool.

Create Custom Paper Textures Since watercolor paints are thin and translucent, the texture of the underlying paper plays a big part in the overall look. Rather than using a stock image of paper, we show you how to use Filters to create custom paper textures from scratch!

Recreate Any Image These techniques are designed to work on any photograph. Whether it’s a photo of the family dog, a studio portrait, or an epic landscape, we’ll show you how to turn it into beautiful watercolor art.

Cut Out Subjects & Remove Backgrounds Watercolor art will often have a subject painted over a relatively simple background. To recreate this style in Photoshop, we show you how to make quick cutouts of people, plants, and animals. Learn how to use the Pen Tool, Lasso Tool, Select Subject, Select Color, and more to quickly remove a background and replace it with watercolor patterns.

Landscapes, Still Life & Portraits We take you through 5 examples that cover some of the most common styles of watercolor art. Learn how to create soft and flowing landscapes, colorful still-life, and stunningly detailed portraits, all with natural brush strokes and textures.

Hand-Painted Landscapes Landscapes are one of the most popular types of watercolor paintings, and we show you how to transform your landscape photographs into soft brush strokes, flowing colors, and subtle textures.

Included PSD We include a sample layered file that will show you exactly how this watercolor effect is assembled in Photoshop. See every adjustment and Layer in action!

Smudge Tool & Blurs Learn how to use the Smudge Tool and Blurs in combination with the included Photoshop Brushes to create the look of soft paintbrushes and watercolor paint.

Painterly Effect Creating a believable painterly effect in Photoshop is tough. We spent countless hours designing our own workflow and original techniques to make the most authentic paint effects possible. And now they’re yours!

Natural Variation Getting a realistic watercolor effect is all about recreating the natural imperfections and variations that occur when we paint by hand. Using a combination of Photoshop tools and hand-painting with the Brush Tool, you’ll learn how to create an organic, original piece of art that’s all your own.

Layers & Layer Masks As with most Photoshop techniques, this effect relies on careful use of Layers and Layer Masks to hide and show parts of a photo, paint with precision, and seamlessly combine multiple elements. Learn more about how Layers work with our PRO course: How to Master Layers & Groups in Photoshop!

Filters & Filter Gallery Learn how to use Filters or create realistic paper textures from scratch! We take you through the Filter Gallery, using Filters like Texturizer and Dry Brush to recreate the look of paper for a natural and tactile watercolor feel.