What is this Photoshop 'broken glass' portrait effect called, and how can I create it?
Asked 3/5/2015
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2 answers
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I’m trying to identify the effect where parts of a portrait appear to break apart or shatter like glass. What is this effect commonly called, and what’s the basic way to create it in Photoshop? Tutorials or technique pointers would be helpful.
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
11y ago
2 Answers
3
This is called Dispersion Effect and is most commonly done using Splatter effects. There are thousands of tutorials on how to achieve it.
The basic method is to duplicate your subject layer, transform / move it in some way, apply a Layer Mask, invert that layer mask so none of the new subject is showing, then use stylized brushes to "paint" the subject back in.
Originally by user27243. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user27243
10y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
This effect is commonly called a dispersion effect. In portraits, it’s often created with splatter-style brushes and layer masks rather than by actually simulating real broken glass.
A typical workflow is:
- Duplicate the subject layer.
- Transform or slightly move the duplicate so the “broken apart” pieces will separate from the original.
- Add a layer mask to the duplicate and invert it so the layer is hidden.
- Use stylized or splatter brushes to paint parts of the subject back in on the mask, creating the scattered/shattered look.
Another way is to duplicate the image, divide that duplicate into pieces using masks, and move those pieces apart. You can also place a broken-glass texture over the image and experiment with blending modes for extra detail.
If you search for Photoshop dispersion effect tutorials, you’ll find many step-by-step examples using these methods.
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