What is the best brush for painting clouds? The one that you create yourself, of course! In this tutorial, I’ll show you how to make a cloud brush in Photoshop using a photo, and how to create your own cloud brush set.
And if you want a quicker solution, scroll down for some amazing resources available on Envato Elements.
Follow along with us over on our Envato Tuts+ YouTube channel:
What You'll Learn in This Cloud Brush Tutorial
- How to make a cloud brush in Photoshop
- What brush to use to paint clouds
- How to select a cloud without its background
- How to create a cloud brush set
What You'll Need
The following resources were used in this tutorial:
How to Make a Cloud Brush in Photoshop
Step 1
First, you need to find a photo of a cloud. If you want to create brushes with separate clouds, the cloud in the photo should be separated from the others.
Step 2
Use the Crop Tool (C) to quickly remove the rest of the image.
Step 3
Photoshop brushes are saved in grayscale, so we need to get rid of the colors and focus on the contrast instead. To do this, add a Black & White adjustment layer.
Step 4
By default, the sky will turn gray. This isn’t enough for us! Drag the Blues and Cyans sliders to the left to make these colors darker, until the sky is completely black. Be careful not to make the cloud too dark in the process!
Step 5
We removed the sky from our brush, but the cloud looks pretty gray at the moment. To fix this, add a Brightness/Contrast adjustment layer.
Step 6
Drag the Brightness slider to the right. Leave a couple of gray areas in the cloud, but make most of it pure white.
Step 7
Right-click the layer stack and select Flatten Image. Then press Control-I to invert the colors.
Step 8
Go to Edit > Define Brush Preset. Give it a name and press OK.
Step 9
The brush is ready to use! Just open the image with the clear sky, set the color to white, adjust the size with the [ and ] keys, and click to add the cloud.
Step 10
If you want to adjust the behavior of this brush, press F5 to open the Brush Settings panel. If you want to paint multiple clouds with one stroke, for example, you can adjust the settings in the following way:
Increase the Spacing...
Step 11
... add the Size Jitter...
Step 12
... and the Opacity Jitter.
Step 13
To create a realistic effect of a cloudy sky, it’s better to use a couple of brushes with different cloud shapes. You can create them using the same method. Sometimes, though, the clouds in your photo will not be so nicely separated from the other ones. In this case, just paint over the redundant areas using your individual cloud brush. This way, you’ll remove them without compromising the edges of the cloud you’re trying to select
Step 14
If you want to create your own cloud brush set, open the Brushes panel and click Create a New Group. Give it a name.
Step 15
Then simply drag your cloud brushes into the group.
Good Job!
Now you know how to make a cloud brush in Photoshop!
Cloud Brush Photoshop Actions and Effects
Do you need some clouds ASAP? Try these great resources:
Cloud Brush Set (ABR)
This set contains 30 realistic cloud brushes, so if you're looking for the best brush to paint clouds, you're likely to find it here! They work for both the older and newer versions of Photoshop.
Rain Clouds Photoshop Action (ATN)
If you need to add a dramatic effect to your photo, this action will let you add stormy clouds and heavy rain to any image. You can use different color effects and different directions of rain.
Cloud Text Photoshop Action (ABR, ATN, PDF, PSD)
If you've ever wanted to see your name written on the sky, this action will allow you to write your text with clouds! It comes with the background, as well as the images of the plane for extra realism.
Cloud Photoshop Action (ATN, ABR)
Add some dramatic clouds of smoke to your photo with this powerful action! Choose from different colors to create the effect you need.
Fantasy Clouds Photoshop Action (ABR, ATN)
Add trendy, gradient colors to your photo and fill its background with clouds to create a stunning fantasy effect. This action also includes a light leak effect!
More Photoshop Brush Tutorials
Do you want to learn more about creating Photoshop brushes? Try these tutorials as well:
BrushesHow to Create a Leaf Brush in Photoshop
BrushesPhotoshop Brush Tool: A Basic Guide
WatercolorHow to Create Realistic Watercolor Photoshop Brushes From Scratch
BrushesHow to Create a Sakura Petals Brush in Photoshop
BrushesHow to Create a Custom Smoke Brush in Adobe Photoshop
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