Photoshop Tutorial: Add Smoke to a Photo to create a Moody Effect

Adding smoke to a photo is a great way to create a moody or atmospheric effect. It can be used to add a sense of mystery, suspense, or danger to an image. In this tutorial, we will show you how to add smoke to a photo in Photoshop using a layer mask.

Step 1: Open the image in Photoshop

Open the image in Photoshop that you want to add smoke to.

Step 2: Create a new layer for the smoke

Click on the Create a new layer button at the bottom of the Layers panel. This will create a new layer for the smoke.

Step 3: Add a smoke brush

Download and install a smoke brush pack. Once the brush pack is installed, go to Edit > Preset Manager > Brushes and select the smoke brush that you want to use.

Step 4: Paint the smoke

Select the Brush Tool (B) and paint the smoke onto the canvas. You can use different brush sizes and colors to create different effects.

Step 5: Add a layer mask

Click on the Add Layer Mask button at the bottom of the Layers panel. This will add a layer mask to the smoke layer.

Step 6: Paint on the layer mask

Use a black brush to paint on the layer mask to hide the parts of the smoke that you don’t want to be visible. Use a white brush to paint on the layer mask to reveal the parts of the smoke that you want to be visible.

You can use a variety of brush tools and settings to create different effects. For example, you can use a soft brush to create a soft blend between the smoke and the image, or you can use a hard brush to create a sharp edge.

Step 7: Adjust the opacity (optional)

You can use the opacity slider at the top of the Layers panel to adjust the opacity of the smoke layer. This can be useful for blending the smoke into the image more naturally.

Step 8: Save the image

Once you are happy with the results, save the image. You can save the image as a JPEG, PNG, or TIFF file.

Tips

Here are a few tips for adding smoke to a photo in Photoshop:

• Use a smoke brush pack that has a variety of different brush sizes and shapes. This will give you more flexibility in creating different smoke effects.
• Experiment with different brush sizes and colors to create different effects.
• Use a layer mask to control which parts of the smoke are visible. This will help you to blend the smoke into the image more naturally.
• Adjust the opacity of the smoke layer to blend the smoke into the image more naturally.

Conclusion

Adding smoke to a photo in Photoshop is a great way to create a moody or atmospheric effect. By following the steps in this tutorial, you can learn how to add smoke to a photo in Photoshop using a layer mask.