Easy Photo Grunge Effect
In this tutorial, we’re going to explore some non-destructive image editing. With these techniques, you can bring out the best in an image, or absolutely destroy the graphic, but still keep the original photo intact.
So to begin, find a photo that you’d like to make dirty. Something that might feel bland as is, and could use more of a grungy feel. Here is what I’ll be using:
Crank the Colors
Now, we want to increase the contrast and the intensify colors of the photo, but do it in a non-destructive way (by non-destructive, I simply mean we do not want to lose the data from the original image as we modify the appearance of our graphic). How do we do this? We use layers, of course.
First, Duplicate the Layer. Then, go to the layer’s blend modes and select Hard Light. This setting will multiply any color darker than 50% grey and screen any color lighter. In this case, since both the base layer and the blend layer are identical, the light colors become lighter and the dark colors become darker, with no quality lost.
As you can see, we’ve increased the image’s sharpness as well as its saturation.
High Pass for Sharpness
The High Pass filter gives a photo that refined, sharp look that is hard to obtain using only a camera. Once again, this is a non-destructive way of adding more life to your photos.
Make a new duplicate of the original layer. For now, you can make the first duplicate invisible. Set the new duplicate’s blend to Hard Light as well.
Now, Go to Filters > Other > High Pass.
The High Pass filter sets it’s source image to 50% grey, and as you increase the amount on the slider, it reveals more of the image, in higher contrast areas at first, such as edges or lines.
The amount you should use of the filters varies. Too little causes no effect. To much, and the image gets halo’s and uneven blotches of more intense color. The the amount you should use really just depends on the kind of results you desire.
Mix and Match
Right now, in your layers panel, you should have three layers: the original as the background, the high pass layer, and then the direct duplicate. Both additional layers, if you haven’t tried by now, can be turned visible and invisible. Depending on your personal preference, you can choose one of these methods or the other, or even repeat a method, and combine these layers for different results. I just stuck to one of each layer for this image.
Tint and Grain
Now that our photo is more defined and sharper, we can add the finishing touches to really grunge it up.
Create a new layer and set its blend mode to Overlayd. Pick two similar colors, one light and one dark to paint as a gradient. For this photo, I picked two browns, to give the image an earthen tone.
Fill the blank layer with the gradient. It can be vertical, horizontal, radial, whatever you find looks good. For this I chose a nice horizontal fade. If the color is a bit stronger than what you wanted, just lower the Fill amount to the point you’d like.
Now, the image is tinted, and looking fantastic. It’s time to mess it up a little. Go to Filter > Noise > Add noise. Make the noise monochromatic, and set it so somewhere around 30%.
The resulting grain looks good, but it’s a bit too unnatural. A Guassian Blur (Filter > Blur > Gaussian Blur) at about 2 pixels smooths it all out, and viola!
We have a natural, sharp, dirty photo, and with very little effort!
85 Comments
Thanks for this tutorial ! Excellent :)
At the end you say “and viola!”… you met “and voilà”… because what you wrote means “and rapped”…
Flag as inappropriateWow that is a cool effect. I am going to try that on my next project. Thanks for making this tutorial.
Flag as inappropriateYou stuff is tight my man! Keep this stuff comming!
Flag as inappropriateThanks for this effect – I’ve been looking for something quite like it for a long time now!
Flag as inappropriateThanks Adeolu, have thoroughly enjoyed using this tutorial!
Flag as inappropriateEasy to follow and great results – thanks for teaching me yet another simple yet stunning technique :)
Flag as inappropriateits a nice approach towards image processing
Flag as inappropriateBRAVO! FANTASTIC TUTORIAL
Flag as inappropriateHow do you fill the blank layer with the gardient? I can only fill it with back/foreground color, history, pattern, white, black.
Flag as inappropriate??
Well explained :)
Flag as inappropriateThank you very much Adeolu.
Cheers,
Luis
Great way to improve the photo. Thanks for taking the time to post. I will try this out
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Flag as inappropriateoops.
Flag as inappropriateHERE’s what i got.
http://instant-human.deviantart.com/art/Perks-161560277
Simple et très Jolie, ca permet de gagner du temps tout en realisant de belles productions, merci beaucoup pour ton effort ;)
Flag as inappropriatethank you so much,i’m blind about this edit n stuff,and this is so much helpfull.
thank’s a lot.
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Flag as inappropriateDude you Rock!. That was the simplest way to make a dull photo look Great. I have all night to work on this and will be putting this to good use. Thanks Again for the straight forward tutorial.
Flag as inappropriateGreat tutorial. I am going to do this to my tshirts.
Flag as inappropriateGreat reading! Thanks for sharing137
Flag as inappropriateGreat reading! Thanks for sharing130
Flag as inappropriateGreat reading! Thanks for sharing125
Flag as inappropriateThanks a bunch for the tutorial, really interesting stuff in here.
Flag as inappropriatea looking for that
thank u
Flag as inappropriateGreat post very informative!
Flag as inappropriategreat and very helpful tutorial..thx
Flag as inappropriateThe result is so good. I’ve also found this while looking for grunge effect: http://www.befunky.com/create/photo-effects/Grunge
Flag as inappropriateNot as customizable as this but easy
Nice grunge photography tutorial! Thanks for sharing!
Flag as inappropriateThanx learned so much from this site. Hi five!!!
Flag as inappropriateVery nice tutorial!
Flag as inappropriateThanks for sharing, simple but effective.
Flag as inappropriateIm so lost, I can’t find the download link…Is this one downloadable?
Flag as inappropriateThx for the tutorial
Flag as inappropriateExtreame Work
Flag as inappropriateI’m just learning PS and this is great lesson.
Flag as inappropriatenice
Flag as inappropriateTerrific tutorial and written to be easily understood! Great job!!!
Flag as inappropriateWow great grunge tutorial!
Flag as inappropriateReally simple, but the results are slick! It’s given me an idea for something. Thanks!
Flag as inappropriatesimple`great. thanks so much“
Flag as inappropriateIncredible, just incredible. Very simple steps that end up in a completely different, more lively, picture.
Thanks for this, I’ll reproduce it as soon as I can.
Flag as inappropriate@justin
Yeah, I definitely can see some Nissan family in it I’d have to agree, I’m leaning towards CA18 too, which is kinda cool cause of it being a less-popular engine usually
Flag as inappropriateI must say, this is a wonderful tutuorial. It has helped me with my design work, and my website banner. take a look at My result PEACE!
Flag as inappropriateThanks for this great tutorial!
Flag as inappropriate@aaron
I said the same exact thing! At a glance I thought it was an RB25 from a Nissan Skyline but now I’m leaning more towards a CA18 or something smaller.
Flag as inappropriatehey, that engine looks familiar… what is that from?
Flag as inappropriateWow. I’m amazed.
Flag as inappropriateFantastic. With a little bit of fiddling around i managed to apply this to a person and.. Well it looks awesome. Thank you.
Flag as inappropriateهمي اصلي خوس قسنگتره
Flag as inappropriateThis tutorial is fantastic!
I have finished just now to try it. It’s great!
Flag as inappropriateAWESOME TRICK
Flag as inappropriateNice effects using layers! I like it.
Flag as inappropriateAdeolu,
Nice and simple effect.
Please write another tutorial on the other types of grunge effects you usually see in background designs, using brushes I think.
Thanks for this one.
Flag as inappropriateWonderful! Now I can have some techniques to touch up my not to great camera.
Flag as inappropriateIndeed simple, with a great result.
Flag as inappropriateSimple, subtle, great look.
Flag as inappropriateHi, This is great!
Flag as inappropriateEasy, but so useful tutorial. Thanks for posting.
Flag as inappropriate