15+ Best Overlay Brushes
Add a layer of complexity to your designs with our overlay brushes. These tools create various effects and textures on top of your artwork, adding depth, interest, and artistic flair to your creations.
Geometric Photoshop Overlays (Mask Effects)
This Photoshop overlays kit includes a different style of geometric-style effects. While they are not the best choice for enhancing regular photos, th...
50 Vintage Effect Photoshop Overlays
This bundle includes a collection of 50 creative Photoshop overlays to help transform your modern photos into vintage artwork. They add a simple vinta...
Sparkling Bokeh Photoshop Overlays Creator
Bokehs are the signature effect used in photos to make them look more romantic and magical. With this Photoshop overlay kit, you can create the same l...
Cloud Ultra Realistic Overlays for Photoshop
This is a collection of cloud overlays for Photoshop. It features realistic-looking clouds that you can easily add to your photos. While they are grea...
Realistic Snow Photoshop Overlays
It’s frustrating when you take photos in the Winter but there’s no snowing effect to make your photos look more wonderful. No need to be s...
30 Natural Falling Snowflakes Photoshop Overlays
The snowing effect in these Photoshop overlays features a different style of design with more realistic-looking snowflakes. They will help make your p...
50 Light Leaks Photo Overlays for Photoshop
Another collection of light leak overlay effects. This bundle includes 50 different styles of light leak effects for enhancing all kinds of outdoor ph...
Fog Ultra Realistic Overlays for Photoshop
It’s up for debate but we think with the right fog effect you can make any photo look cooler. If you want to test our theory, give this Photosho...
30 Dreamy Pastel Sky Overlays for Photoshop
If you want to make the skies in your photo backgrounds look more beautiful, this Photoshop overlay kit is for you. It features a set of colorful and ...
Cloudy Sky Photoshop Overlays
A cloudy sky is often the best way to add a dark and gloomy look to your photos. Of course, you can’t control the weather when taking photos. Th...
Film Grain Dust & Scratch Photoshop Overlays
Adding a vintage and nostalgic look to your photos will only take a few seconds when you have this set of Photoshop overlays. There are 30 different o...
Broken Glass Photoshop Overlay Effect
This is one of the coolest Photoshop overlay effects on our list. It features a realistic-looking broken glass effect that you can easily apply to you...
30 Vignette Professional Photoshop Overlays
With this Photoshop overlay kit, you get to choose from 30 different styles of subtle vignette effects to make your photos look even more stylish. The...
Realistic Bubble Overlays for Photoshop
There’s nothing more adorable than a cute baby or child photo. It’s the perfect way to capture the sweet memories of childhood. With these...
Realistic Smoke Overlays for Photoshop
There are so many different things you can do and amazing effects you can create with smoke overlays. So be sure to experiment with this set of Photos...
Firey Light Leak Kit Photoshop Overlays & Brushes
Light leaks used to be considered an annoying side effect but today it’s manually added to photos to make them look more natural. This bundle in...
FAQs About Overlay Brushes
What are Overlay Brushes?
Overlay brushes are specialized tools in digital art software used for adding texture, depth, or special effects to an image. They function by laying a pattern over the top of your artwork, hence the term "overlay". This can aid an artist in creating a realistic image or give a unique style to the piece.
The overlay brush works by blending the overlay pattern with the original image, taking into consideration the colors and contrast in the base. This blending enhances the texture and makes it seem as though the pattern is a part of the original image, not just a copied or stamped add-on.
How do I use Overlay Brushes?
To use overlay brushes, you'll need to first have a digital art software that supports them. Most digital art software, like Adobe Photoshop, Clip Studio Paint, or Procreate, have a variety of overlay brushes. Usually, you would select the overlay brush tool, choose the desired brush type and then paint over your artwork to apply the effect.
The intensity of the overlay effect can typically be controlled by adjusting the pressure you apply on your digital pen or by controlling opacity settings in the software. Remember, experiment with different brushes and opacities until you get your ideal result. It is all about discovering what works best for your artwork.
Can I create my own Overlay Brushes?
Yes, in many digital art software programs, you can create your own custom overlay brushes. This allows artists to create a specific texture or effect that may not be available in the software's default brush set. The process can vary from program to program, so you may need to look for specific instructions for your chosen software.
Generally, to create a custom overlay brush, you'll start by creating a new brush, then setting its blending mode to "overlay". From here, you can heavily customize it by altering the brush shape, texture, and behavior until you get the desired effect. Custom brushes can be saved for later use and even shared with others.
Are Overlay Brushes used in photo editing as well?
Yes, overlay brushes can be used for photo editing tasks as well. They can be a quick and efficient way to enhance the overall look of a photo, adding texture, altering color balance or providing special effects. For instance, they can be used to simulate rain, snow, fog, or even light leaks.
By changing the texture or pattern of the overlay brush, you can dramatically alter the final outcome of your image. For example, overlay brushes can also enhance the natural elements in a photo, such as making the water look more vibrant or the grass look more textured.
Can I use Overlay Brushes in vector software?
While the traditional use of overlay brushes is associated with bitmap or pixel-based software like Adobe Photoshop, some vector software like Adobe Illustrator also allow the use of them, though the functionality and control might vary. Vector-based software makes use of mathematical equations to create clean and scalable artwork, hence, overlay brushes in such software might not yield the same results as in pixel-based software.
However, achieving an overlay effect in vector software could involve using blend modes combined with texture swatches or patterns. It might require playing around with gradients, opacities, masks or pattern fills to get the desired textural effect.