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How can I achieve this kind of background effect in Photoshop?

enter image description here

I tried some tips using textures or noise filter, but I can’t get close.

I like that the noise on the picture has gradients and unevenness – it looks natural and close to paper and chalk or something (especially the window light).

I tried to paint the picture using paint bucket and gradients first and then applied noise filter above all. Also tried to apply noise using masks on painted layers to get a gradient grain effect.

All looks very rough and computer-made:

enter image description here

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  • Can you show your efforts and elaborate why they were unsatisfactory? Also, what aspects of the noise do you want to reproduce? (Please edit your question to clarify.)
    – Wrzlprmft
    Jul 1, 2017 at 9:02
  • Couldn`t attach more images, but they are similar..
    – ritz_as
    Jul 1, 2017 at 10:13
  • Related if not a direct duplicate: graphicdesign.stackexchange.com/questions/9481/…
    – Scott
    Jul 1, 2017 at 16:38

3 Answers 3

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  1. Add a new layer above the artwork layers, and click Edit > Fill - choose 50% grey.

  2. Click Filter > Noise > Add noise. Set it to something like 16%, uniform, monochromatic.

  3. Set the layer mode in the layers panel to Overlay - reduce the opacity slider until you get the effect you want.

  4. If you think the effect is too harsh, you can apply some Gaussian blur to the noise layer, radius 0.5px.

Example showing noise layer

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  • Thank you! I've tried this (attached file higher) - but it doesn't look that cool as the example image( seems very pixelated and monotonous.
    – ritz_as
    Jul 1, 2017 at 10:23
  • Then find a real film grain texture on google instead, or do as I said and add a very slight blur.
    – Billy Kerr
    Jul 1, 2017 at 11:00
  • You can also try the gaussian noise option in the noise filter, but set it at a very low amount.
    – Billy Kerr
    Jul 1, 2017 at 11:09
  • 1
    Another option is to get the (now free) google nik collection of plugins to add film-like grain effects to your images. Or if you have Photoshop CC you can turn your artwork into a Smart Object, and use the Camera RAW filter to apply film grain. So many different options!
    – Billy Kerr
    Jul 1, 2017 at 11:22
  • Google Nik Anolog Efex Pro 2 example here: imgur.com/qMqJLeT
    – Billy Kerr
    Jul 1, 2017 at 11:53
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First off, really nice work. Curious - all Illustrator or did you 3D model that?

As for the noise, it looks to me like some manual work went into the top one which is what gives it quite a bit more character than yours. I would look into Kyle Brushes probably the Photocopy line but Watercolors may have been used as well.

You're going to want to have the color shift ever so slightly between presses. Then I would probably also use it as a Mask but I'm not a painter and think those that are usually wouldn't mask; they would just pick a lighter color and continue brushing.

Start with your noise as you did, I don't think you need to do it all manually but definitely could use a bit of hand-done texture to get the same type of effect as the top one.

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  • Thanks! I'll try to mix all that stuff. This is a 3d model originally.
    – ritz_as
    Jul 1, 2017 at 16:05
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Here's one:

enter image description here

Actually only 2 topmost layers are visible.

At first the image was turned to black and white. Then made a copy that got grained texture (Filter > Texture > Grain, 50% contrast, 100% intensity). The grain filter made colored grain, so the result was desaturated.

The grained BW image was duplicated twice. One copy was colorized to blue and another to Orange. That was made in Image > Adjustments > Hue&Saturation > Colorize

A duotone simulation was created by adding the non-grained BW image to the layer mask of the Orange+Grain version. The contrast of the mask was increased until the separation between orange and blue was sharp enough.

The result is very different, if the layer mask of the orange is also grainy. Global color saturation and contrast suffers, but it was partially compensated by adding contrast and the saturation of blue after combining the layers to one.

enter image description here

Totally artificial look needs artificial looking original image.

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