Enhance a poster with texture and light
Create an abstract photo effect with a custom Photoshop filter.
Published
Today, we're diving into the captivating world of surreal poster designs in Adobe Photoshop where abstract visual effects and lighting take center stage.
We'll transform ordinary portraits into extraordinary works of art using Photoshop's powerful tools.
Hi everyone!
My name is Cyn Lagos.
I am a visual mentor, passionate about pushing the boundaries of design, photo and video.
Get ready to mesmerize your audience with powerful, thought-provoking imagery.
First, select the portrait layer in the Layers panel and right-click it to choose Convert to Smart Object.
This clever trick preserves your original image while you edit, so you can always go back to remove or continue to experiment with your effects later.
Next, I will add a dreamlike effect using a hidden menu in the Filter Gallery.
Go to Filter, Filter Gallery... and select Distort.
From here, navigate to the dropdown menu where you will find an assortment of texture options, select Glass.
Now you might notice a new hidden menu.
Here let's upload the pattern in PSD format to create a unique glass dreamlike texture on your portrait photo.
Remember, the reference image does not have to be black and white, but the glass effect will work best with images of strong light and dark contrast values.
Pro tip: reduce the Scaling to 100% to see your reference image and increase the Scaling to find different expressive variations.
When you're done choosing your filter, click the OK button to close the Filter Gallery window.
Looking in your Layers panel, you'll see a new layer called Filter.
Click the little Eye icon next to it to hide and show the Filter effect.
This is a great way to compare your image before and after the filter.
Remember to save.
It's a good idea to save your work as a Photoshop file, PSD.
This way you can always go back later and try a different filter or tweak the settings.
And that's it.
With a bit of Photoshop magic, we've infused an ordinary portrait with abstract light and texture effects for a surreal expression of your photographic portraits.
Thanks for learning with me today.
Make sure to check out more videos to level up your skills.
Keep dreaming and keep creating in Adobe Photoshop.
