How to create a unique watercolor text effect
by Sebastiano on 04/06/09 at 2:03 pm
Hi guys! This time I want to show how to create in a simple way a cool watercolor text effect. For our purpose we will use selection techniques and a nice watercolor brush set. Let’s start!
Final Image Preview:
Step 1 – The background
Open a 600×400 canvas and fill it with a light brown #cfc6b1. Now download a metal texture, paste it into the canvas, desaturate it (Image>Adjustments>Desaturate), switch the layer blend mode to overlay with opacity 90%. The background is ok. Maybe you would like to increase the contrast of the texture: in this case you simply have to select Image>Adjustments>Brightness/contrast…
Step 2 – Circle
Use the Ellipse tool to drawn a dark brown circle (#2f1602). In the following screenshot you can observe that I have added more circles…just because I think they are nice;-)
Step 3 – Watercolor Brush Set
I have used this watercolor brush set to paint some colored decoration on a new layer. It’s important to cover the center of the canvas; try to obtain an effect similar to the one showed in the screenshot:
Step 4 – Text
Let’s add the text. I have used a super cool free font: MOD. It’s perfect for the effect we want to achieve. So download this font or a similar square large font.
Step 5 – The effect
Ctrl+click on the text layer to select its pixel. Now hide this layer and select the one where you have painted with the watercolor brushes. Go to Select>Inverse and press delete. This is what you should obtain:
Step 6 – Path
Hide the last layer created. The text effect we want to create consists of three parts. The path, the watercolored text, and the white text. How to create the path: we have to work on the first (white) text layer created. Select the Horizontal type tool and right-click on the text>Create Work Path. If you hide this layer you should obtain something like this:
Now we have to choose the brush that will cover the edges of the path. So select a white brush of 1 px. Then create a new layer, select the pen tool, right-click on the path>Stroke path. OK. Now right-click again>Delete path. And this is the result:
Step 7 – The text effect is ready
Now we can make visible the three text layer: the path on the top, the watercolored in the middle and the with above the other two. The next step is to move the layers so that they won’t be aligned.
Step 8 – Finished!
To complite the work we can paint again with watercolor brushes. I have also added some colored circles, and this is the final result:
I hope you like this. In this case I’d appreciate if you could tweet the tutorial;-)
Download PSD File (263)
ilike2photoshop
Jun 5th, 2009
nice effect.
mump
Jun 5th, 2009
not very good imo. nice idea though
shaun
Jun 6th, 2009
wen you say Go to “Select>Inverse and press canc” on step 5,
what do you meen by press “canc”?
plz help
Sebastiano
Jun 6th, 2009
Hi shaun, sorry for the inconvenience but I have used an italian expression.
I mean the delete keybord button.
Otherwise you can select Edit>Cut
Rasmus
Jun 6th, 2009
Hi
I think that your picture is very cool, but i don’t know who to add a front.
Sebastiano
Jun 7th, 2009
Hi Rasmus!
You can read this brief explanation on how to install a font:
http://www.urbanfonts.com/faqs.php
Rasmus
Jun 7th, 2009
Thank you so much.
Rasmus
Jun 7th, 2009
But what if the front is a .eps file?
shaun
Jun 8th, 2009
cheers
Cool Pic btw
shaun
Jun 8th, 2009
hi, me again lol
you no the white lines you got in the background
can you plz explain how to do them
cheers
Sebastiano
Jun 8th, 2009
Hi Shaun,
In this tutorial
http://bestphotoshoptutorials.net/2009/05/17/how-to-create-a-stylish-mad-lady-in-photoshop/
I explain how to simply create these lines in illustrator
T-Law
Jun 24th, 2009
Awesome tutorial. Thanks.