A few years back I created a Rain Tutorial: Ronin but I wasn’t convinced with the final result and wanted to create a better-looking effect. After some research and using: noise, motion blur, custom brushes and blending modes we can create a realistic rain effect and the final result is surprisingly easy to achieve.
Stock photo: Wet.
http://www.sxc.hu/photo/900177
Brushes
Rain Splashes:
http://photoshop-brushes.blogspot.com/2007/09/water-splash-brushes.html
Rain:
By: http://amorphisss.deviantart.com/
http://www.deviantart.com/download/159876877/Rain_Brushes_by_amorphisss.abr
Step 1 Selecting the correct image
It is very important to select an adequate image for your work. If the image is convincing, the final result will be too.
Step 2 Splashes
The rain needs to react with the subject, especially in a close-up, like this one.
- Download and install the splash brushes.
- Use the new brush set, select white color and paint some splashes. Each splash placed in a different layer so you can easily control the size and the rotation.
- The brush numbers used in this tutorial: 127, 293, 130
- Use brushes so the splashes appear logical to the subject.
Step 3 first rain shower
- Create a New Layer
- Select a rain brush and start painting some raindrops with a white color
- Apply some Gaussian blur
- Create a new layer
- Paint another rain shower.
Step 4 Heavy rain shower
- Create a new layer and paint it with black
- Add Noise: Filter > Noise > Add Noise
- Apply motion Blur: Filter > Blur > Motion Blur. Set the angle so it matches the first rain shower
- Set the blending mode to color dodge
- Duplicate the heavy rain layer and set the blending mode to color dodge at 37%
Step 5 Create a Vignette
- Create a new layer
- Paint it with white color
- Create an oval, invert it and paint it with black
- Apply Gaussian blur
- Set the blending mode to multiply at 67%