Terms of Use

If you find these free digital backgrounds useful, please leave your comments below and share a link with any work you have created with them.

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  PIP Free Digital Background Winter Blue 001

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  PIP Free Digital Background Painted Winter Blue 002

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  PIP Free Digital Background Winter Blue 003

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  PIP Free Digital Background Painted Winter Blue 004

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  PIP Free Digital Background Painted Purple & Gold 005

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The image we are going to use can be found at Dreamstime.com.

Original image from Dreamstime

Step 1

Open your image and go to Layer > New Adjustment Layer > Black & White and enter the values I have shown in the image below.

Black & White Layer Adjustment

Step 2

Select the Brush Tool (B) and choose a round brush and set the Hardness to 33%.

Set Hardness to 33%

Step 3

Select Quick Mask Mode by pressing (Q) and using black (#000000) as your foreground color begin to paint over the iris. If you accidentally paint over the whites of the eye, simply paint them back with white (#ffffff) to remove the mask.

Quick Mask Mode

Step 4

Exit Quick Mask Mode by pressing the (Q) key again and invert the selection by going to Select > Inverse. Next go to Select > Modify >Feather and enter a radius of 2 pixels.

Feather Radius 2 Pixels

Step 5

With Black (#000000) still set as your foreground color, select the Black & White Adjustment Layer Mask and press ALT + Backspace to fill your selection with Black (#000000). Press CTRL + D to get rid of the selection. You should have something that looks like the image below.

Fill Selection with Black

Step 6

Next we will boost the saturation to bring out our models eyes by going to Layer > New Adjustment Layer > Hue/Saturation and set Saturation to +36.

Boost Saturation

Final

Anything to Share?

I would love to see your examples below. Do you have any favorite tools, tips, tutorials or techniques you would like to share? Leave your comments below. There can never be too much of a good thing.

• Textures in web design– In web design, textures are so versatile because they can be used in all elements of CSS and layout design. Depending on your audience and mission, you can use textures in all aspects of header, footer, sidebar, content and background design.
  Textures In Modern Web Design (Smashing Magazine)
• Textures in photography– By adding a texture to a photograph using an image editing program like Photoshop, you can easily give your image a “vintage” or completely distressed look. Be careful not to go overboard with your textures, not every image will benefit, but a little goes a long way and can add big impact to your photography work.
  The Inspiring Textures Gallery (Flickr)
• Textures as brushes– Most every image editing software allows you to create your own custom brush set. Making your own set of brushes out of textures will grantee your work Will have a unique style.
  Free High Res Photoshop Brushes: Grungy Texture (Bittbox)
• Textures in textures– By using multiple textures and different blend modes in Photoshop, you are able to create a limitless library of textures to use in any of your projects. There are many advantages to creating your own textures, like speeding up your production work.
  36 Cool Free Textures (Abduzeedo)
• Textures as patterns– Photoshop patterns are versatile and powerful. They can be used as seamless pixel fills, as a pattern stamp tool, fill layers, and layer styles to name a few. Seamless patterns are by far the most sought after due to the skill required to create them. Web designers love seamless patterns because they can be placed as a background element and not display the dreaded and very distracting seam.
  Textures and Patterns Design Showcase (Smashing Magazine)
• Textures in typography– Textures in your typography, graphic and logo design can change the mood of your work and even the way people read the design.
  Watercolor Typography in Photoshop (Texture Lovers)
• Textures in abstract designs– By using a variety of textures, filters, brushes and lighting effects, you can create some beautiful abstract designs and wallpapers simply with textures alone.
  Tuesday Total Textures #12 (Abduzeedo)
• Textures in backgrounds– As a digital painter, I use a lot of textures in my backgrounds and have both sold and given away a few. Removing a subject from a distracting background is a great way to place the emphasis where it belongs–the main subject.
  Digital Backgrounds (Photo Into Painting)
• Textures as papers — The ability to create papers from textures is one of my favorite features in Corel Painter. Just like in traditional media, your choice in substrate can greatly enhance your Corel Painter projects.
  Wood Grain Paper Textures For Corel Painter (Photo Into Painting)
• Textures in digital scrapbooking– Another big community that uses high res textures are digital scrapbookers. I’ve seen them used as full page layouts, edging effects, paper creation, and accenting photographs, to name a few.
  Scrapbook (flickr)

By no means is this an exhaustive list. There are countless ways in which high res textures can be used and created. As an element of design, texture can add impact and your bring designs to life through variation and relief. They are fun to create and even more fun to use. Please share your thoughts on how else you use high res textures.

Feel free to check out some of my design freebies here. Besides designing freebies, I also offer custom digital paintings to the public and provide special services for photographers.

Feel free to let me know what you think about the free textures below. Also, share some of your favorite places on the web you like to find design goodies! Help start a killer resource page to share with the community.

Terms of Use

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  PIP High Res Rock Textures 001

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  PIP High Res Rock Textures 002

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  PIP High Res Rock Textures 003

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  PIP High Res Rock Textures 004

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  PIP High Res Rock Textures 005

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  PIP High Res Rock Textures 006

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  PIP High Res Rock Textures 007

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  PIP High Res Rock Textures 008

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  PIP High Res Rock Textures 009

The above work is a recent example of a hand painted digital watercolor portrait that you can offer to your clients.

It’s great to be busy, but I haven’t had much time to post any design freebies in awhile. I know, I know, bad designer/blogger, I should be posting something at least every few days, but don’t fret, I was able to squeeze in some time and will be posting some new textures in the next few days. If you haven’t done so already, and you would like to be the first to know when new stuff is available please subscribe either by email or RSS.

If you find these free digital backgrounds useful, please leave your comments below and share a link with any work you have created with them. I would love to see what you have used them for! Each of these Digital backgrounds are sized at 8×10 @300 ppi. Download them below! Have Fun!

Terms of Use

If you find these free digital backgrounds useful, please leave your comments below and share a link with any work you have created with them. I would love to see what you have used them for! Each of these Digital backgrounds are sized at 8×10 @300 ppi. Download them below! Have Fun!

Terms of Use

• 

  Free Digital Background Blue Green 005

• 

  Free Digital Background Blue Green 004

• 

  Free Digital Background Blue Green 003

• 

  Free Digital Background Blue Green 002

If you find these digital background downloads useful please leave your comments below and help me spread the word.

Terms of Use

• 

  Blue Cross Hatch Digital Background

• 

  Magenta Cross Hatch Digital Background

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  Soft Magenta Cross Hatch Digital Background

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  Pink Cross Hatch Digital Background

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  Greeen Cross Hatch Digital Background