How do you create a photo that looks like it is being painted?

Question

I came across a photo that looks like it is being painted. I like the look and would like to replicate it with one of my pictures, the question is how is this done or created? I am using Photoshop CS6.

Here is the image:

Answer 1

There are many settings you can play with to get the effect you want, so take the following as a starting point. Experiment and have fun.

• Start with a complete image, put it on its own layer and add a white background underneath.

• Mask off the area you want to become "blank canvas". Since you don't need a smooth, geometrically perfect area, use the Lasso tool.

• Select a bristle brush (new in CS5).

• Adjust the brush settings until you have a "dry brush" look. (I'm using CS6, which is why the UI looks darker than you're used to.)

• Make white your foreground color and brush in the edges on the mask (not the canvas!) using short strokes. So as not to spoil the illusion, be sure you don't leave any hard edges from your original mask.

The paintbrush image you'd add in after the fact. Eyedropper a color near where the brush tip sits, and use that to color the paint on the tip of the brush.