Bring 2D Images to Life

As an illustrator, I often use digital photos as my basic raw material, so I am always after ways to get that extra inch of narrative from the scenes I create.

Photoshop's Blur tools are great for doing just that. By creating the illusion of motion, or by playing with the depth-of-field to emphasise certain elements within the scene, it is possible to tease new life from previously 'flat' pictures.

While Gaussian Blur, Motion Blur and Zoom Blur have long been familiar terms to Photoshop users, it's often easy to be a bit heavy-handed with these and other blurring filters. Their effects can quite easily end up looking too recognisable and obvious, and so often these very useful tools are overlooked altogether.

In this quick tutorial you will work on a photo-montage in its 'flat' state, and, by applying a subtle mix of Motion, Radial, Lens, Gaussian and Smart blurs, will give the montage a much stronger sense of action than it had previously.

The emphasis will be on using Photoshop's Blur tools in more creative ways - using techniques that improve your illustrations, rather than trying to accurately mimic real photography.

Click here to download the tutorial for free

Thank you for reading 5 articles this month* Join now for unlimited access

Enjoy your first month for just £1 / $1 / €1

*Read 5 free articles per month without a subscription

Join now for unlimited access

Try first month for just £1 / $1 / €1

The Creative Bloq team is made up of a group of design fans, and has changed and evolved since Creative Bloq began back in 2012. The current website team consists of seven full-time members of staff: Editor Georgia Coggan, Deputy Editor Rosie Hilder, Deals Editor Beren Neale, Senior News Editor Daniel Piper, Digital Arts and Design Editor Ian Dean, Tech Reviews Editor Erlingur Einarsson and Ecommerce Writer Abi Le Guilcher, as well as a roster of freelancers from around the world. The 3D World and ImagineFX magazine teams also pitch in, ensuring that content from 3D World and ImagineFX is represented on Creative Bloq.