This document provides a tutorial to create a realistic break-apart effect in Photoshop. The tutorial uses debris brushes, a watercolor brush, layer blending, masks, and adjustments. Key steps include selecting the model, duplicating and masking layers to remove parts of the model, adding a black and white adjustment preserved with masking, using debris brushes on additional layers with masks to create the break apart effect, and painting a watercolor background. The final result is a realistic looking disintegrating effect on the model with a painted background.

1. Create a Realistic Break-Apart Effect
In this tutorial, I will show you an interesting technique I use to produce realistic
break-apart/disintegration effect in Photoshop by using debris brushes, with a
watercolour background attached. There are many tutorials on the web showing
techniques about break-aparts but, it never hurts to learn more
It will be a bit boring if the whole tut is just to break something apart, so I also
combined a bit of photo retouch techniques along side and hopefully they can be
useful to you as well. Together we will be using layer blending options, masking,
the pen tool, adjustment layers and of course, brushsets. Have a try!
Here is a preview of the final effect:
Alternative version:

2. OK let’s get started!
To complete this tutorial, you will need the following stocks:
Female stock
Debris Brush
Watercolor Brush
Step 1
Create a new document sized 3100px * 3600px with White background. Open
the “Female Stock” image in Photoshop, use Pen Tool (or whatever selection
method you prefer) to make a working path around the model:

5. If you chose to use Pen Tool, make sure to make a selection after you close the
path (by right-click inside the path with Pen Tool selected):

6. After clicking “Make Selection …”, keep the Feather radius to 0px and tick the
“Anti-aliased” checkbox as shown below:
If your selection isn’t perfact, you can hit Ctrl + Alt + R and bring up the refine
edge option and apply the following settings:

7. Then copy and paste the selection on our document and name this newly-created

8. layer as “model”, resize and position it as shown below:
Step 2
Duplicate the “model” layer twice. Then on the first duplicated layer, change the
blending option to “linear burn”:

9. Add a vector mask and grab a soft round brush, gently erase the portion as shown
below:

11. This is the effect after apply the layer mask, you can see the dask parts are now
gone:

12. Then on the second duplicated layer, change its blending mode to “Screen”, then
also grab a soft round brush and apply the following mask onto it:

14. Here is the effect so far:

15. Step 3
I decided to add some black and white adjustment to the model however preserve
the yellow and orange parts of the image.
So we can go to Layer > New adjustment Layer > Black and White and apply the
followng options:

16. On the mask of this adjustment layer, use the Eraser tool with a soft brush to
erase the following part of the image:

17. I also feel like to preserve the lip colour for the model, so I used the Eraser Tool
(with a opacity of 40%) to gently erase the lip part on the mask of this adjustment
layer:
And you will have the following effect:

18. We can adjust the lighting contrast a bit for the model. So go to Layer > New
adjustment layer > Curves and apply the following settings:

19. And here is the effect so far:

20. Step 4
Now we’re on the break-apart bit of the tutorial! Firstly load the “Debris Brush”
into Photoshop, then create a new layer called “break apart” on top of all other
layers:
Grab one of the brush in the “Debris Brush” set, use a colour match the

21. background colour (in this case it’s white), then use the lasso tool with 100px
feather to draw a selection in the area you would like to break apart, simply paint
over it:
Duplicate this “break apart” layer, hit Ctrl + I and invert the colour on the
duplicated layer:

22. Add a layer mask on the duplicated layer, this time use the Eraser tool with the
Debris Brush, eraser the area and reduce the density of the black part:

23. Also use the Warp Tool (Ctrl + T and right-click choose Warp) to add a bit of
motion:

24. Also tidy up the bits and pieces arund the hair with a soft eraser:

25. Here is the effect I have after apply the above steps:
Step 5
Now we can use the watercolour brush to add some background for this image.
Create a new layer just above the background layer, load the “Watercolor Brush”
into Photoshop and simply paint over it (great chance to use your creativity!)
Here is what I have after the painting:

26. We can futher add some colour onto our image. To do this, simple create a new
layer on top of all other layers, set its blending option to “overlay”, use a big soft
brush and paint over it.
Here is my effect so far:

27. Ok that’s it for this tutorial! You can of course add some of your own texture or
filter effect and see what the end results are!
Here is my final image for this tutorial: (I slightly adjusted the colour balance and
curves ) – Click to enlarge:

28. Alternative version:

29. Hope you enjoy it & learn something new from this tutorial.
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