Paint in Oils(Layer Masks, Impasto Effect, & Textures)

When it comes to traditional painting, perhaps the most fundamental difference between one painting medium and another is that of the actual surface quality. You only have to run your fingers over an oil painting to appreciate its unique properties, and that’s what we’re going to recreate here.

One of the mantras of traditional oils is ‘Darks thin, lights thick’. In

practical terms this means that darker areas in the painting are painted with thin, liquid paint, and lighter areas are applied thickly, allowing the paint to stand proud of the surface and creating and effect known as ‘impasto’ . You may select a photo of anyone for this project.

Step 1: FILLED LAYER Open the image by dragging it to your PS icon and add a new layer (Command / Shift / N). Select gray color 98928c for the Foreground and Edit > Fill, choosing the Foreground Color for Contents. Click on the background layer and duplicate it (Command J).

Step 2: GLOWING EDGES FILTERIn the Layers Palette, grab the background copy layer and drag it up the layer stack, dropping it above the filled layer. Now go to Filter > Stylize > Glowing Edges. Use these settings: Edge Width 4, Edge Brightness 12, Smoothness 11. Click OK to apply the filter.

Step 3: SKETCH LAYERGo to Image > Adjustments > Desaturate. Now invert this image via Image > Adjustments > Invert. In the Layers palette, set the blending mode for the layer to Soft Light. Now click on the original background layer and duplicate it again. Drag this layer to the top of the layer stack.

Step 4: SIMPLIFY THE DETAILTo simplify the detail in the image, go to Filter > Artistic > Palette Knife. Use these settings: Stroke Size 25(less stroke size if your image is smaller), Stroke Detail 3, Softness 9. Click OK. MAKE SURE YOU CAN STILL SEE THE DETAILS OF THE FACE. Now go to Image > Adjustments > Curves. With two points on the curve, create a shallow ‘S’.

Step 5: CANVAS TEXTUREGo to Layer > New Layer & Edit > Fill, your contents should be Pattern. Click in the Custom Pattern swatch and hit the small right-pointing arrow, choosing Artist Surfaces. From the Pattern swatches choose Canvas. In the Layers palette, set the blend mode for this layer to Linear Burn.

Canvas Texture –For added realism we’ve applied a canvas texture to the whole image via a simple Pattern layer. This layer sits at the top of

the layer stack so that it has an effect on every layer below it. You can adjust the visibility of this pattern simply by adjusting the Layers Opacity.

Step 6: LAYER MASK AND CHOOSE A BRUSHReturn to the image layer below (Background copy 2) and add a layer mask via Layer > Layer Mask > Hide All. Now choose the Brush tool. Click in the Brush Presets (In your Option Bar) and hit the small right-pointing arrow, choosing Wet Media Brushes. From the brush thumbnails choose Brush With Thick Flow Medium Tip (#28). Hit FN & F5 to display the Brush Window.

Painting with Layer Masks: Here we are applying a black filled mask to each image layer which completely hides it. The colour from the associated image layer is revealed through the brush strokes by painting onto the black layer mask with white.

Step 7: MODIFY THE BRUSHIn the Brush options click on the Texture category. Click in the Texture swatch and choose Dark Coarse Weave. Increase the Scale slider to 125%. Click on Shape Dynamics and set the Size Jitter Control to Pen Pressure. For Roundness Jitter enter 50%. Enter 30 for Angle Jitter and Minimum Diameter to 75%. Make sure that Color Dynamics is NOT checked.

Step 8: PAINT ON THE MASKClick directly on the layer mask thumbnail on this layer and ensure that the Foreground swatch is white. In the Options bar reduce the Brush Opacity to 50%. Now starting with a medium sized brush, start to paint over the face.

Brush Dabs – As you work, it’s important to think about the size and direction of your brush strokes. Use the brush at a smaller size and with shorter strokes in more detailed areas, and use broader strokes in less detailed areas around the center of interest.

Step 9: VARIED STROKES

Use short, loose strokes at various angles to start revealing some color in the image. Make sure to leave plenty of canvas showing through. In the outer areas such as the background use broad sketchy strokes, again leaving plenty of canvas visible. When you’re happy, right-click the Layer Mask thumbnail and choose Apply Layer Mask.

Step 10: A LITTLE SMUDGINGChoose the Smudge tool, and from the Brush Presets choose the Large Texture Stroke brush (#54). In the Options bar set the Strength to around 30%. Now use this tool to smudge areas here and there. You can soften some of the outlines by pulling and pushing them with this tool, adding realism to the brushed effect.

Step 11: ADD A LAYER STYLEClick on the original background layer and duplicate it (Command J). Again, drag this layer to the top of the layer stack. Go to Layer > Layer Style > Bevel and Emboss. In the Layer Style dialog, enter 3 for Depth and set Size and Soften to zero. Choose Inner Bevel for Style and Smooth for Technique. Click OK.

Impasto Effect – The effect of heavy paint, or impasto, is created by the use of a Bevel And Emboss layer style. This gives the colour on this layer a degree of relief, with raised edges to the marks made on the layer mask, giving the effect of the paint standing proud of the surface.

Step 12: PALETTE KNIFE FILTERGo to Filter > Artistic > Palette Knife and use these settings: Stroke Size 26, Stroke Detail 3, Softness 10. Click OK to apply the filter. Now go to Image > Adjustments > Levels. In Input Levels, enter 1.29 in the central box and 220 in the right-hand box. Add a layer mask to this layer via Layer > Layer Mask > Hide All.

Step 13: ANOTHER BRUSHChoose the Brush tool and hit the right-pointing arrow in the Brush Presets (in the Option Bar), choosing Thick Heavy Brushes. From the brush thumbnails choose the Rough Round Bristle brush. In the Brush options use the same settings as you used for the previous brush.

Step 14: IMPASTO BRUSH MARKSClick directly on the Layer Mask thumbnail attached to this layer. Now use this brush at various sizes, with white as the Foreground color, to start adding detail and impasto to the face. Use short strokes at different angles here, following the contours of the face. Make sure to use the brush at a small size over the key facial features in order to add detail.

Step 15: DARKS THIN, LIGHTS THICKKeep painting the rest of the neck and shoulders using various opacities. It’s best to use this brush at low opacity in the darker areas and higher opacity in the light areas, so that the paint appears thin in the darks and thicker in the lights as it would

in a traditional oil painting. The more you work with the brush on this layer mask, the more the painting will build up.

Vary the size of the brush as you work over the rest of the image, still using the brush at partial opacity so that you can slowly build up the thickness of the paint by overlaying strokes in different directions. It’s important to use plenty of movement in your strokes, especially around the outer areas of the painting.

Step 16: DUPLICATE AND HIDEOnce your painting is partially opaque colour over the majority of the subject but plenty of bare canvas still showing through, duplicate this layer (Command J). Click directly on the layer mask thumbnail for this duplicate layer and go to Edit > Fill, choosing Black for Contents.

Step 17: SMALLER MARKSUsing the Brush Window uncheck the Texture category. In the Options bar set the Brush Opacity to 100%. This is the layer where we’ll add most of the detail, so reduce to a small brush size and start carefully painting over the face with short strokes.

Step 18: ADDING DETAILWe want a broken feel here, so don’t paint solid areas of color but use lots of strokes in different directions. It’s important to use the brush at a small size over the eyes, nose, and mouth, as this is where the detail needs to be concentrated. Make your strokes roughly follow the contours of the face.

Step 19: BROKEN COLOURWe want the majority of the most opaque paint concentrated within the face, so in the chest area you can increase the size of the brush or reduce the Brush Opacity in the Options bar so the paint is more broken and less opaque here.

Step 20: GESTURAL STROKESWhen painting over the hair use the brush at 100% Opacity again and use more energetic, gestural strokes. It works well here to overlay strokes in opposite directions to one another. Here you can see the layer mask in isolation, which will give an indication of the brush strokes applied to this layer mask.

Step 21: PAINT LAYERWhen you’re happy, right-click the Layer Style entry for this layer and choose Copy Layer Style. Now add a new layer (Command / Shift / N), right click this layer in the Layers palette and choose Paste Layer Style. Reduce the brush to a very small size and choose white for the Foreground. Add a couple of white ticks in the eyes to intensify the catchlights.

Step 22: Submit project as “Your Name Oil Painting” and leave layers open (PSD).