Brush-Manager Blur

In the photographic blur effects are used for changing details in Light, Hue or the whole picture, so that the picture gets a smooth character. During taking the picture, photographs achieve this effect by putting a fine layer of vaseline over the lens or they breathe on it. During the development of a picture you can get this effect by using a nylon tissue with the zoom-lens. It is normaly used with Portraits. ArtEffect can create similar effects with the Blur filter and with the layer. Have a view on it - it is really simple.

---

1. Layer copy Please load the left handside picture into ArtEffect. Click on the button "Pic.->" in the Brush-Manager and change the cycle-gadget in the Tool settings (function key F2) to Matte and Opacity to 100%. Create a new layer with the NEW button in the layer requester. Call the new layer Blur. Try to make an exact copy of the picture Background with the brush.

You will get better results with Blur, if you use it in low strength several times instead of using it once strong. For comparison look at the two following pictures. Blur with strength 1 used three times. Blur with strength 3 used once.

2. Blur Open the Filter BLUR:Blur. Change strength to 1 and use it three times on the layer Blur. After this it is only a matter of the layers opacity. Choose a value you like. We took opacity 60 for the layer Blur. Try this lesson again, but this time using other Blur filter like Gaussian, Smooth or Radial Blur. If you like you can use the filter only on parts of the picture by using the stencil. The last thing you should try is using the brush (s. above Part 1). When you move it only a few pixel or millimeter beside the right position you will get similar results. It is amazing how many effects you will get with this simple methods.