Adobe Create Action WaterColor Effect

Creative Team Member, Viv Halliwell, shares her Adobe Create Action WaterColor Effect Tutorial.

Adobe Create Action WaterColor Effect

Download and install the Adobe Create magazine free watercolour Action to use with this tutorial.

Select a Photo

I chose a bright contrasty photo as my base, then cropped it to a square format.

It’s advisable to do this as the effect will look much better on a square layout, mainly because there are paper layers and a white base to contend with in the action and I wanted a quick win!

• Resize you photo to 12×12 inch at 300 dpi.
• Run the free action on your photo.
• Follow the guidelines here on how to run the action and customize the results.

Merge the Layers

After the action had finished rendering I preferred to create a merged layer whilst still keeping the original layers.

• Select the layers you want to merge, then press Ctrl+Alt+E (Win) / Command+Option+E (Mac).

Create Your Layout Foundation

Choose a coordinating ArtPlay Palette and supporting elements.

• Turn off all the layers except for the newly merged layer.
• Open a coordinating solid paper.
• Drag the merged layer onto the paper.

Note: I chose a paper from ArtPlay Palette Narcissus.

Blend & Embellish

• To erase some of the sketched flowers, I used a blending brush from AnnaBlendz Artsy No. 8 to brush (erase) out most of the sketch then applied the Overlay Blending Mode.
• I duplicated the layer added a Linear Burn Blending Mode at 77%.
• By clicking on the mask of the first photograph layer I used the option (alt) key and dragged the duplicated mask layer onto the duplicated photograph.
• Finally I added Transfers, Overlays, WordART and Embellishments from the Narcissus Collection.

Note: Below are the supplies used in this layout.

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