Digital Distressing - Trick

18 February 2008, Photoshop

How to make your photos look more worn-out.

Blogged By:

Bryan

First things first. As always, I ask that you remember that good art is built layer by layer, section by section and so forth. In other words, don't use ANY filter or technique as a "solve for all". If you get to the point where you are using a "blanket filter" --as I see it-- every-time, you are getting lazy, and IT WILL SHOW, I promise. Treat filters like a powerful spice in a recipe, USE IT SPARINGLY, or you could ruin the whole dish.

Now, most of what I share with you has come from many long hours spent in PS. Not from any book or teacher. So all I ask in return is that you respect this technique, and its origin. ie: Don't go writing a book about it, or the "Tricks" stop:) Thank you.

A few years back I stumbled upon this little trick as I struggled to "age" an old TV and TV stand, that both looked way to nice for what I had envisioned. Its a quick trick, but will need tender care in making it look believable, so as I said earlier, don't rush it, and don't overdue it. This effect involves using the Magic Wand tool, feathering, and the Dodge and Burn tool, so with the right tools ready to go, lets get started.

First open the image you wish to apply the effect to.

Then select the Magic Wand Tool and click the area in which you want to "distress". Remember, you have the ability to adjust the tolerance, (which changes the amount of pixels its selects), so you will have to trial-and-error this part, and I often have to re-click other areas nearby the first spot I clicked, until I get the desired selection.

Once you get it how you like it, click Option+Command+D (MAC), or Alt+Control+D (PC), and the feather dialogue will appear. Feather it slightly, but again this will take lots of practice as each image area will be different, and each selection will also differ, as well as your desired outcome.

Once you have feathered it the way you want it, and with your selection still selected, change your tool to the Dodge and Burn tool. Once you have this new tool selected carefully begin to dodge or burn, (again the decision is yours), close to the edges of the selected area, and you will start to see the effect taking place.

Then once you have finished the inside of the selection click: Shift+Command+I, or Shift+Control+I. This will inverse your selection, and allow the next dodging or burning to take place outside the selected area. Again stay close to the boarder of the selection for best results.

If you want you can click Command or Control+H, and it will hide the selection, so you can see how it looks so far, and if it needs more lovin. Once you are satisfied with the results click Command or Control+D, to deselect and your done.

You can use this effect for whatever you like, but I use it all the time for water stains, rust, plastic corrosion, worn wood, and so on. Let me know how it works for you, infact, throw me an example at (contact@bryanniven.com), and I'll post the image where this effect was best used!

-Update

I will formally post this winning example of the use of digital distressing on a separate post, but for now here it is.

Example sent in by Inga Bowen

REPLIES

22 February 2008 - 23:21:58 - rhana

I like the filter spice analogy. It is an accurate one and I’m sure it will come to mind the next time I use a filter a little bit too lazily. I can’t believe the genius that is your mind. That application is excellent for distressing. Now that’s smart, I would have never thought of that!

17 June 2008 - 9:40:16 - Wordtoyermom

Great work. I love you site and your work. You are inspiration! One thing I love about PS is how we all use it differently and most of what we do was never imagined when the tools were created!

Keep up the good work!

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