Step 1: Duplicate The Background Layer

As is often the case with many of our Photoshop tutorials (and also a good habit to get into), the
first thing we want to do in creating this effect is duplicate our Background layer. Photoshop's
Layers palette is currently showing us that we hae only one layer, the !Background! layer, which
contains our original image"
Photoshop #utorials" #he Layers palette showing the original image on the Background layer.
Let's duplicate the layer using the keyboard shortcut Ctrl+J ($in) % Command+J (&ac). $hen '
look in my Layers palette now, ' can see that Photoshop has copied my Background layer and
has named the copy !Layer (!. #he copy is also aboe the original Background layer"
Photoshop #utorials" Press !)trl*+! ($in) % !)ommand*+! (&ac) to duplicate the Background layer.
Step 2: Set The Color You Want To Colorie The !mage With "# Your
$oreground Color
$e're going to use a !,ue%-aturation! ad.ustment layer to colori/e the image in a moment, but to
make things easier, let's choose the color we're going to use first by setting it as our 0oreground
color. #his way, we won't hae to fumble around with any sliders in the ,ue%-aturation dialog bo1
trying to find the color we want. #o do that, click on the $oreground color #%atch in the #ools
palette"
Photoshop #utorials" )lick on the 0oreground color swatch near the bottom of the #ools palette.
$hen you click on it, Photoshop's Color &icker will appear. 2ou're of course free to use
whicheer color you want for your effect. ''e gone ahead and sampled a color directly from the
moie poster, so if you want to use the same color ''ll be using, look on the bottom right side of
the )olor Picker for the '(B options and enter )* for the ' alue (which stands for 3ed), +) for
the ( alue (4reen), and 11, for the B alue (Blue)"
Photoshop #utorials" 5se the )olor Picker to choose the color you want to colori/e the image with.
)lick 67 when you're done to e1it out of the dialog bo1.
Step -: Colorie The !mage With " .ue/Saturation "d0u#tment Layer
8ow that we'e selected the color we're going to use to colori/e the image, this ne1t step is going
to be easy. )lick on the 1e% "d0u#tment Layer icon at the bottom of the Layers palette"
Photoshop #utorials" )lick on the !8ew Ad.ustment Layer! icon.
#hen choose .ue/Saturation from the list that appears"
Photoshop #utorials" )hoose !,ue%-aturation! from the list.
#his will bring up Photoshop's ,ue%-aturation dialog bo1. -ince we'e already chosen the color
we want to colori/e the image with, all we need to do here is select the Colorie option in the
bottom right corner of the dialog bo1"
Photoshop #utorials" )heck the !)olori/e! option.
As soon as you check the option, Photoshop goes ahead and colori/es the image using our
chosen 0oreground color"
Photoshop #utorials" Photoshop colori/es the image with our chosen 0oreground color.
)lick 67 to e1it out of the ,ue%-aturation dialog bo1.
Step ): Select Your Bru#h Tool
'n the moie poster for the !Bourne 5ltimatum!, the entire image is colori/ed e1cept for &att
9amon's face and hands, which hae some of his original flesh tone showing through, and we
can do the same thing with our image ery easily. 0irst, we need the Bru#h Tool, so either select
it from the #ools palette or press B on your keyboard"
Photoshop :ffects" -elect the Brush #ool.
Step 2: Set Your $oreground Color To Black
'n order to bring back some of the color from the original image, we're going to use our brush to
paint with black on the ,ue%-aturation ad.ustment layer's layer mask. Anywhere we paint with
black is going to hide the effects of the ad.ustment layer and bring back our original color. 'n order
to paint with black, we need black as our 0oreground color, and we can get that easily by
pressing D on the keyboard, which resets Photoshop's 0oreground and Background colors,
making black our new 0oreground color (white becomes the Background color). $e can see this
if we look at the 0oreground and Background color swatches in the #ools palette"
Photoshop :ffects" 3eset the 0oreground color to black by pressing !9! on your keyboard.
Step ,: Lo%er The 3pacity 34 The Bru#h To "5out -67
$e only want to bring back a subtle amount of color, so we need to lower the opacity of our brush
before we begin painting. #o do that, with the Brush #ool selected, go up to the 3pacity option in
the 6ptions Bar at the top of the screen and lower the opacity of the brush to around ;<="
Photoshop :ffects" Lower the opacity of your brush to around ;<=.
#his way we'll only be bringing back ;<= of the original color rather than the full amount.
Step 8: Select The .ue/Saturation "d0u#tment Layer9# Layer :a#k
As ' mentioned, we're going to paint with black on the ,ue%-aturation ad.ustment layer's layer
mask, rather than on the image itself, so let's select the layer mask by clicking on the layer mask
thumbnail in the Layers palette"
Photoshop :ffects" -elect the layer mask by clicking on its thumbnail in the Layers palette.
2ou'll know that the layer mask is selected because it will hae a white highlight border around
the thumbnail, as we can see in the image aboe.
Step *: &aint 3n The !mage To Bring Back Some 34 The Skin Tone
$e hae our Brush #ool with our 0oreground color set to black, we'e lowered the opacity of the
brush to ;<=, and we'e selected the layer mask for the ,ue%-aturation ad.ustment layer in the
Layers palette. All we need to do now is paint oer any areas where we want to bring back some
of the color from the original image. ' want to bring back some color in the skin tones of both
people in my image, so ''m going to paint oer their faces and hands to bring back some skin
color. #o resi/e my brush as needed, ''ll use the le4t and right 5racket key# on my keyboard.
#he left bracket key makes the brush smaller and the right bracket key makes it larger. ,ere' ''m
painting oer the guy's face and you can see that his skin tone is showing through"
Photoshop :ffects" Paint with black to reeal some of the original skin tone.
'f you accidentally paint oer an area you didn't mean to paint oer, simply press ; on your
keyboard to switch your 0oreground color to white and paint oer the mistake, then press ; again
to switch back to black and continue painting.
Photoshop :ffects" #he image after bringing back some of the skin tones.
At this point, we're done colori/ing our image. 8e1t, we're going to add the motion blur effect.
Step +: "pply The :otion Blur $ilter To The Background Copy Layer
<=Layer 1=>
$e're going to add our motion blur effect to the image, and we'll use Photoshop's classic and
appropriately named !&otion Blur! filter to do it. $e want to apply the motion blur to the copy of
the Background layer that we created back at the beginning of this tutorial, so click on !Layer (! in
the Layers palette to select it. 2ou'll know it's selected because it will appear highlighted in blue"
Photoshop #utorials" )lick on !Layer (! in the Layers palette to select it.
8ow that we hae the correct layer selected, let's go up to the $ilter menu at the top of the
screen, choose Blur, and then choose :otion Blur. #his will bring up the &otion Blur filter's
dialog bo1. -et your "ngle to around ?)6@. #hen drag the slider at the bottom to ad.ust the
Di#tance of the motion blur. #he alue you set this to is going to depend a lot on the si/e of your
image. ''m using a small image for this tutorial, and for me, a alue of about ;> pi1els gies me
roughly the same effect used in the Bourne 5ltimatum moie poster"
Photoshop #utorials" -et the !Angle! to ?@<A, then ad.ust the blur distance with the slider at the bottom.
'f you're using a large, high resolution image, you'll want to set your 9istance alue higher. 5se
my image below as a guide for the blur distance you're aiming for"
Photoshop #utorials" #he image after applying the &otion Blur filter.
Step 16: "dd " Layer :a#k To The :otion Blur Layer
$hat ''m going to do ne1t is allow the two people in the image to show through the motion blur
effect, and ''m going to once again use a layer mask for that. $ith !Layer (! still selected, ''m
going to click on the Layer :a#k icon at the bottom of the Layers palette"
Photoshop #utorials" )lick the !Layer &ask! icon.
#his adds a layer mask to our motion blurred layer, and it also adds a layer mask thumbnail in the
Layers palette. ' can tell from the white highlight border around the thumbnail that the layer mask
is already selected for me"
Photoshop #utorials" #he Layers palette now showing the layer mask thumbnail on !Layer (!.
' can now use this layer mask to hide the motion blur from in front of the two people in my image,
which ''ll do ne1t.
Step 11: &aint With Black 3n The Layer :a#k To .ide The :otion Blur
$ith black still as my 0oreground color and the layer mask on !Layer (! selected, ''m going to use
my Brush #ool again to paint oer the areas in the image where ' want to hide the motion blur,
which in my case is in front of the two people. ' want to use a soft?edged brush for this, so ''m
going to hold down my Shi4t key and press the le4t 5racket key on my keyboard a few times,
which will gie me a nice soft edge for my brush. Before ' begin painting, ''m going to go back up
to the 6ptions Bar and set the opacity of my brush back up to (<<="
Photoshop #utorials" -et the opacity of the Brush #ool back to a full (<<= in the 6ptions Bar.
6nce again, ''m going to resi/e my brush as needed using the left and right bracket keys, and ''m
simply going to paint with black oer the two people in my image, allowing them to show through
the motion blur. As ' approach the edges of the people, ''m going to keep my brush .ust inside the
edge to gie me a nice blend between the people and the motion blur around them. 'f ' make a
mistake and accidentally paint oer an area ' didn't mean to, ' can simply press ; on my keyboard
to switch my 0oreground color to white, .ust as ' did when painting on the ,ue%-aturation layer
mask, and paint oer the mistake. #hen ''d press ; again to switch back to black and continue
painting away the motion blur"
Photoshop #utorials" Paint with black oer areas to hide the motion blur.
''m going to continue painting oer the guy until ''e remoed all of the motion blur in front of him,
leaing a nice effect around the edges"
Photoshop #utorials" #he image after painting away the motion blur effect in front of the guy.
And here's my image after painting away the motion blur effect in front of the woman behind him
as well"
Photoshop #utorials" Both people are now showing through the motion blur.
Step 12: "dd " 1e% Layer "t The Top 34 The Layer# &alette
At this point, our effect is pretty much complete. $e'e colori/ed the image, brought back some of
the original skin tone, added our motion blur, and then painted away the motion blur in front of the
two people. Let's finish things off by adding a little grunge to the image. 0irst, click on the
,ue%-aturation layer in the Layers palette to select it so we can add a new blank layer aboe it.
#hen click on the 1e% Layer icon at the bottom of the Layers palette"
Photoshop #utorials" -elect the ,ue%-aturation layer in the Layers palette, then click on the !8ew Layer! icon.
Photoshop will add a new blank layer at the top of the Layers palette, and will name it !Layer B!"
Photoshop #utorials" A new blank layer is added to the top of the Layers palette.
Step 1-: $ill The 1e% Layer With White
$e need to fill this new layer with white, and since white is currently our Background color, we
can use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl+Back#pace ($in) % Command+Delete (&ac), which tells
Photoshop to fill the layer with the Background color. #he image will now appear completely filled
with white.
' won't bother showing a screenshot, since a white image on a white background wouldn't look
ery interesting.
Step 1): "pply &hoto#hop9# ="dd 1oi#e= $ilter To The Layer
4o up to the $ilter menu at the top of the screen, choose 1oi#e, and then choose "dd 1oi#e.
#his brings up the !Add 8oise! filter's dialog bo1. ''m going to use the slider to set my "mount
alue to around (<<= or so, giing me Cuite a bit of noise. 2ou may want to set yours een higher
if you're using a high resolution image. Also, make sure that the (au##ian and :onochromatic
options are both selected at the bottom of the dialog bo1"
Photoshop #utorials" 4o to 0ilter D 8oise D Add 8oise to bring up the Add 8oise dialog bo1.
)lick 67 when you're done to e1it out of the dialog bo1. 2our image will now be filled with noise"
Photoshop #utorials" #he image after filling the top layer with noise.
Step 12: Change The Blend :ode 34 The 1oi#e Layer To =Color Burn=
6ur image is filled completely with noise, which isn't what we want. Let's blend the noise in with
the image by first changing the 5lend mode of the noise layer. 4o up to the blend mode options
in the top left corner of the Layers palette, click on the down?pointing arrow to the right of the
word !8ormal! and change the blend mode to Color Burn"
Photoshop #utorials" )hange the blend mode of the noise layer to !)olor Burn!.
Step 1,: Lo%er The 3pacity 34 The 1oi#e Layer To 167 3r Le##
#he noise is now blending in with the image but it's much too intense. #o fi1 that and complete our
effect, go oer to the 3pacity option in the top right of the Layers palette (directly beside the
blend mode option) and lower the opacity of the layer all the way down to (<= or less. ''m going
to set mine to E=, leaing the noise barely isible but enough to add a little !dirt! to the image"
Photoshop #utorials" Lower the opacity of the noise layer to (<= or less so the noise is .ust barely isible.
6nce you'e blended in your noise with the image, you're doneF
,ere, for comparison, is my original image once again"
Photoshop #utorials" #he original image once again.
And here is the final !Bourne 5ltimatum moie poster! color and motion blur effect"
Photoshop #utorials" #he final effect.