Unleash Your Inner Artist with This Mind-Blowing Tree-Making Tutorial in Photoshop!

Are you an artist wanting to add more realism to your digital artwork? Do you want to make trees that look like they were plucked straight from the forest? If so, then you’re in luck! In this tutorial, we’ll show you how to create stunning organic-looking trees in Photoshop. So, read on unleash your inner artist.

Step 1: Create a new document

Start by creating a new document in Photoshop. You can do this by going to File > New or by pressing Ctrl + N. Choose your desired size and resolution, and make sure the background is set to transparent.

Step 2: Draw the trunk

Select the Brush tool (B) and choose a brown color. Draw a few straight lines to create the trunk of the tree. To make the trunk narrower at the top, use the Liquify filter (Filter > Liquify) to push and pull the pixels until you’re happy with the shape.

Step 3: Add branches

Create a new layer and name it “Branches”. Select the Brush tool again and choose a lighter brown color. Draw a few lines branching out from the trunk. Vary the thickness and length of the lines to create a more natural look. Use the “Transform” tool (Ctrl + T) to rotate and resize the branches.

Step 4: Create the leaves

Create another new layer and name it “Leaves”. Select the Brush tool once again and choose a bright green color. Use a soft brush with a low opacity to paint small dots all over the branches. Then, switch to a larger brush and add more dots. Vary the size and spacing of the dots to create a more realistic look.

Step 5: Blur the leaves

To make the leaves appear more natural, we’ll need to blur them. First, select the “Leaves” layer and go to Filter > Blur > Gaussian Blur. Adjust the slider until the edges of the dots are slightly blurred. This will give the leaves a softer look.

Step 6: Add shading

Select the “Trunk” layer and go to Layer > Layer Style > Drop Shadow. Adjust the settings to add some depth to the trunk. Next, select the “Branches” layer and add a Drop Shadow as well. This will help the branches stand out. Lastly, select the “Leaves” layer and add a Gradient Overlay. Choose a gradient that goes from bright green to dark green. This will add shading to the leaves.

Step 7: Finish with final touches

Lastly, add some finishing touches to make the tree look more realistic. You can add some highlights to the trunk and branches with a white brush. You can also add some texture to the leaves with a custom brush. Play around with different brushes and settings until you’re happy with the result.

And that’s it! You’ve created a stunning tree in Photoshop. With this tutorial, you can now add beautifully crafted trees to your digital artwork, paintings, and designs. So, let your creativity run wild and see what you can create. Happy creating!

This article explains how to make a tree in Photoshop, including how to further manipulate it and create autumn foliage.

What to Know

  • In a new Photoshop document, add a layer named Tree. Select Choose Filters > Render > Tree.Make adjustments using the Tree Filter Dialog box. Select OK when finished.You can further manipulate your tree using Smart Objects.

How to Create a Tree in Photoshop

  • Create a new Photoshop document and add a Layer named Tree. This ensures you can manipulate your tree once it is created.
  • With the Tree layer selected, choose Filters > Render >Tree to open the Tree Filter Dialog box.
  • When it opens, the Tree filter dialog box can be intimidating, but you’ll need to make selections in most areas. Here’s what you see in the dialog box:
  • Base Tree Type: This selection lists 34 tree types you can choose from. Each item contains a small image of the tree. Choose Oak Tree. Light Direction: This slider sets the direction, in degrees, of the light hitting the tree.Leaves Amount: You can go for a winter look with 0 leaves or to full bushiness by setting the value to 100. The default is 70.Leaves Size: This slider lets you go from buds at 0 to full summer foliage at 200 by moving the slider or entering a value. This example uses 100.Branches Height: This slider determines how far up the tree trunk the branches start. A value of 70 starts the branches close to the ground and a maximum of 300 puts them at the crown of the tree. This example uses the value of 124.Branches Thickness: This slider lets you have some fun. A value of 0 results in a tree with no trunk and the maximum value of 200 results in a rather stately old oak. This example uses a value of 150.Default Leaves: Deselect this to create a custom tree using one of the 16 Leaf Types in a pop-up menu.
  • When you are happy with your choices, select OK.

How to Manipulate Your Photoshop Tree

Now that you have a tree, what next? If your plan is to create a grove or even forest of trees, your next step is to convert your tree to a Smart Object.

Create a new Photoshop document and add a Layer named Tree. This ensures you can manipulate your tree once it is created.

With the Tree layer selected, choose Filters > Render >Tree to open the Tree Filter Dialog box.

When it opens, the Tree filter dialog box can be intimidating, but you’ll need to make selections in most areas. Here’s what you see in the dialog box:

  • Base Tree Type: This selection lists 34 tree types you can choose from. Each item contains a small image of the tree. Choose Oak Tree. Light Direction: This slider sets the direction, in degrees, of the light hitting the tree.Leaves Amount: You can go for a winter look with 0 leaves or to full bushiness by setting the value to 100. The default is 70.Leaves Size: This slider lets you go from buds at 0 to full summer foliage at 200 by moving the slider or entering a value. This example uses 100.Branches Height: This slider determines how far up the tree trunk the branches start. A value of 70 starts the branches close to the ground and a maximum of 300 puts them at the crown of the tree. This example uses the value of 124.Branches Thickness: This slider lets you have some fun. A value of 0 results in a tree with no trunk and the maximum value of 200 results in a rather stately old oak. This example uses a value of 150.Default Leaves: Deselect this to create a custom tree using one of the 16 Leaf Types in a pop-up menu.

When you are happy with your choices, select OK.

Smart Objects allow for nondestructive editing in Photoshop. For example, if you were to scale your tree down, accept the change and then scale the object up to a slightly larger size, your tree will sprout jagged pixels and turn fuzzy because all you did was to make the pixels larger. Here’s how to turn the tree into a Smart Object:

  • Open the Layers panel and right click on your Tree layer and select Convert To Smart Object in the resulting context menu.
  • When you do that your layer now sports a small Smart Object icon in the thumbnail. If you double click on that icon the Tree opens in a separate document with the .psb extension. This is the Smart Object.
  • If you opened the Smart Object, close the .psb file to return to the main .psd file. 
  • Scale, duplicate, and move your tree(s) around.

How to Create Autumn Foliage Using the Photoshop Tree Filter

When you think about it, creating autumn foliage is much like autumn itself, the leaves change color. This example uses a maple tree.

Open the Layers panel and right click on your Tree layer and select Convert To Smart Object in the resulting context menu.

When you do that your layer now sports a small Smart Object icon in the thumbnail. If you double click on that icon the Tree opens in a separate document with the .psb extension. This is the Smart Object.

If you opened the Smart Object, close the .psb file to return to the main .psd file. 

Scale, duplicate, and move your tree(s) around.

  • Create a new tree filter by going to Filters > Render >Tree to open the Tree Filter Dialog box.
  • Under the Basic tab of the Tree filter dialogue, select your desired settings for the base tree.
  • Select the Advanced tab of the Tree filter dialogue.
  • Select Use Custom Color for Leaves.
  • Under Use Custom Color for Leaves, select the colored box next to Custom Color for Leaves to activate the color palette.
  • Select a fall foliage color such as orange and select OK.
  • If you are a purist, open an image containing trees sporting their fall foliage and sample a color that catches your attention instead.
  • Enjoy your fall colored tree.

Create a new tree filter by going to Filters > Render >Tree to open the Tree Filter Dialog box.

Under the Basic tab of the Tree filter dialogue, select your desired settings for the base tree.

Select the Advanced tab of the Tree filter dialogue.

Select Use Custom Color for Leaves.

Under Use Custom Color for Leaves, select the colored box next to Custom Color for Leaves to activate the color palette.

Select a fall foliage color such as orange and select OK.

If you are a purist, open an image containing trees sporting their fall foliage and sample a color that catches your attention instead.

Enjoy your fall colored tree.

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