Create abstract art in Photoshop

Published on January 27, 2023

Gradient abstract art in Photoshop

In this blog I will show you how to create gradient abstract art with the brush tool in Adobe Photoshop.

Rather watch the video with instructions? Then click here or scroll down to the end of this page.

Step 1: Abstract art

First create a new file with a white background. It doesn’t matter what size your file is.

Then select the brush tool. Use a soft round brush with a hardness of 0%, opacity 100%. Change the mode to difference.

Make the foreground color white and the background color black. Then start brushing back and forth to create this effect. Make sure you release your mouse button after creating a brush stroke. Otherwise it won’t work and the entire surface will just turn black.

Use different brush sizes to create different effects. You can use your [ and ] keys to adjust the brush size.

Step 2: Add gradient

If you’re happy with the effect, you can add some color. Create a gradient map layer to do that.

Click on the gradient to adjust it. You can use one of the presets or you can create your own gradient.

When you’re happy with the color combination, click OK.

Optional: Adjust effect

If you want to adjust the effect that you’ve created with the brush tool, you have to select the background layer. Then select the brush tool again. Make sure the settings are still correct:

Soft round brush
Opacity 100%
Mode: Difference
Foreground color: White
Background color: Black

Then brush over your artwork again to adjust the effect!