How to Make Smoke on Adobe Photoshop

One of the most useful tricks in Photoshop is creating smoke. The smoke effect is a necessary component in adding dimension and interest to any photo. Smoke is most often used to emphasize heat, but feel free to use your imagination when it comes to digital art. Although Photoshop is notoriously difficult for beginners, following these steps will have you feeling like a pro in no time. Just remember, it takes a bit of trial and error, and a lot of patience to get the perfect, most realistic look.

Things You'll Need

• Computer
• Adobe Photoshop
• Base image

Instructions

1. Open your base image in Photoshop by going to "File" from the menu bar, and selecting "Open."

2. 

   Create a new layer by clicking on the layer icon in the layer box. In the toolbar, change the background color from white to gray (#747474). Leave the foreground color as black. Go to "Filter" from the menu bar and select "Render," then "Clouds."

3. 

   Adjust the layer's fill to 50 percent in the layer box.

4. 

   Create a new layer. Select the brush toolbar from the upper right corner of the screen. Select the "Hard Round" brush. Check "Scattering" and change percentage to 500 percent scatter and 100 percent count jitter. Check "Dual Brush" and change diameter to 100 pixels and spacing to 80 percent. Make sure the count is at 2. Check the "Other Dynamics" box and change opacity jitter and flow jitter to 100 percent.

5. 

   Use the paintbrush to paint a bokeh effect. Bokeh is a Japanese word that means dizziness or fuzziness. It creates an ember-like effect in this digital composition.

6. 

   Create a new layer. Reset the brush by unchecking all the previous brush adjustments from step 4.

7. 

   Select the hard round brush and paint over image with a gray foreground color (#9E9E9E). Mimic the shape a cloud of smoke would naturally form.

8. 

   Go to "Filter" from the menu bar and select "Blur," then "Gaussian Blur." Increase the radius pixels until the paint blurs into a smoky mist.

9. 

   Right-click on the layer and select "Blending Options." Check the drop shadow and inner shadow options. There is no need to tweak the individual options.

10. Save your work. You're done.

1. 

Tips & Warnings

• Play around with the shape of your smoke cloud. The most realistic smoke is hand-drawn.

• Save often to avoid prematurely losing your work.

• Take your time to create the best image possible. When you rush in Photoshop, it's very noticeable in your work. Pay attention to the small details.