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This tutorial demonstrates how to hand paint a watercolour by tracing over a photograph with the Pattern Stamp Tool. You will find the start images Here. Unzip the file and open it onto Photoshop’s workspace.
Note
I am demonstrating a simple watercolour painting - with experience, you can paint watercolours from intricate objects and portraits.
Undo and Navigation Steps
Two ways of undoing steps are from the top menu, Edit then Step Backwards. Alternatively, click a previous snapshot in the History Palette.
Navigate (zoom in and pan) your image using the Navigator Palette,
or the Zoom Tool. 
Activate The Hand Tool by tapping the Spacebar, keeping the Spacebar pressed, pan your image in the usual way. 
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Open your start image onto Photoshop’s workspace.
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Then from the top menu, choose Edit then choose Define Pattern. In the subsequent Pattern Name dialogue box, enter a name, then click OK.
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Press your keyboard’s D key to set the default Black and White, Foreground and Background colours.
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Then click the following Create a new layer icon, from the Layers palette.
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Press Ctrl then Backspace, and your new layer will be filled with White.
Now, reduce the white layer’s Opacity to around about 55 % - sufficient to see a trace of your image beneath. The white layer is now your tracing paper.
 
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From the toolbar, activate the Pattern Stamp Tool.
And in its Options bar, scroll down the pattern thumbnails and double-left-click to set the pattern you defined earlier - ensuring Aligned and Impressionist are both active.
To set the brush, click open your brush list and load the Wet Media Brushes, and click Append. Then double-left-click the Watercolour Light Opacity brush.
From the top-right menu of Photoshop, click Brushes, and ensure the following Brush Presets are active.
Note
I am painting with a Watercolour brush, however, you can apply an art media brush of your choice - there are many to choose from, and to experiment with later.
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Now, reduce the size of the Pattern Stamp Tool so the brush is small enough to fit inside the sunflower’s stem - I am setting mine to 5. Then left-click and very carefully paint over the stem with your Watercolour Light brush tip. If you make an error, retrace your steps with either, the History Brush or the Step Backwards command.
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Continue to paint ensuring you cover the stem’s edges, bearing in mind, the watercolour effect will build up (darken), according to the number of strokes you apply.
Tip: You may find this easier if you constantly left-click instead of dragging your cursor. Additionally, quickly change the size of the brush by pressing your keyboard’s right - or left, bracket key, with capitals turned OFF. With experience, you will develop a painting technique that works best for you.
When you have coloured the stalk, you are ready for the next step.
Note
You are looking to create an expressive effect, rather than photorealistic - additionally, your colour will behave exactly as water colour paints do, and will naturally bleed, and be darker in places. Play with the brush to see how it reacts with different photographs.
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Now, move up to the centre of the sunflower head, and with your right bracket key, increase the brush size. Then left-click, and in a sweeping circular movement, paint over the centre of the flower, until it is completely coloured. Stop before you touch the larger petals. For a darker watercolour effect, sweep over the same area twice.
 
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Now, press the left bracket key to slightly reduce the brush size, and beginning where the petals are close to the flower’s centre, (in a sweeping movement), colour the larger
petals, as illustrated below. You can see the colour is building up nicely, however, try not to over saturate areas - build up the colour slowly. It is important to remember, you are not looking for perfection!
Important
Apply your colour in the same direction, and reduce the brush size when applying paint to the very tips of the petals.
 
After you have painted the flower head and petals, you are ready for the next step.
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Now, prior to painting the blue background, from the Stamp Pattern Tool, change the brush tip to Watercolour Fat Tip.
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And with large, sweeping movements - paint over the background, being careful to avoid the flower and stem. Darken the background by applying a second watercolour application, if you wish, and add interest to the background using a different type of Wet Media brush.
 
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Now, reduce the brush tip’s size, then left-click, and carefully paint over the petal’s
edges - so they blend with the blue background - being careful not to over darken the edges.
Apply a second application if you wish to darken the effect. When you are happy with the result, from the top menu, choose Layer then choose Flatten Image. Congratulations you have created a hand painted watercolour.
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From the top menu, choose Filter then choose Texture, then choose
Texturiser, and play with the Canvas settings to produce an effect you like - I chose the following settings.
My lesson here demonstrates how to create and save texture.
Have fun finding photographs to hand paint, and remember to experiment with different art media brushes and see what can be created.
Wendi E M Scarth. Top of Page - Home.
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