Apply a nice saturated paint effect to your photos in Photoshop

Apply a nice saturated paint effect to your photos in Photoshop

Converting photographs into artistic paintings becomes straightforward when you combine basic adjustment layers with built-in filters. This beginner-friendly technique uses vibrance adjustments, pixelate effects, and artistic filters to create convincing painted effects from any image.

The method works particularly well for landscapes and portraits, transforming them into stylized artwork that maintains the original composition while adding painterly qualities and reduced detail.

Watch the Video

Video by Photoshop Retouching. Any links or downloads mentioned by the creator are available only on YouTube

Practical Tips

Follow these key techniques to achieve the best painting effect:

  • Duplicate your background layer before applying any effects to preserve the original image
  • Set both vibrance and saturation to around 50 to enhance colors before applying filters
  • Convert layers to smart objects before filtering to maintain editability and non-destructive workflow
  • Keep pixelate cell size between 5-8 for optimal balance between detail reduction and recognizable features
  • Try colored pencil filter for soft pastel effects or dry brush filter for more textured oil painting styles

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