In this broken screen effect Photoshop tutorial, we'll learn how to envelop a model in shards of shattered glass, thus developing a surreal fashion-forward image! We'll be masking fur, painting using only default brushes, and tapping into the full potential of Blending Modes and textures in this advanced-level tutorial.
But what if you're strapped for time and you're looking for a faster solution to recreate this look? Envato Elements is a fantastic option! Discover hundreds of amazing Photoshop actions that will help you create eye-catching designs in less time, just like this example below:
Do you prefer video tutorials instead of a detailed written guide? The Envato Tuts+ YouTube channel is the place for you! Follow this tutorial by watching my new video on how to create a broken glass effect in Photoshop:
What You'll Learn in This Broken Screen Effect Photoshop Tutorial
- How to create a basic background
- How to extract a subject using the Pen Tool
- How to create glass shards
- How to add light flares and particle effects
- How to add reflections in the glass
- How to color correct the composition
What You'll Need
To create a shattered glass background, we'll need the following resources from Envato Elements:
- Woman Dancing in the Studio (original model no longer available)
- Broken Glass Texture
1. How to Create a Basic Background
First, we will be creating our own basic background!
Step 1
Create a New Document with a size of 2000 x 3130 pixels.
Next, create a Color Fill layer and set it to a dark purple #080609.
Create another New Layer, fill it with pure black #000000 using the Paint Bucket tool, and set the Layer Mode to Screen.
Add a small amount of noise to the layer by going to Filter > Noise > Add Noise. This is a good trick to prevent things like color banding!
Step 2
Next, we are going to add light to the background by creating a New Layer and setting its Layer Mode to Soft Light.
Using a large soft Brush, with a Flow of 5%, let's paint blobs of white #ffffff in the middle of the canvas to create a light source.
Step 3
Create a New Layer and set it to Screen.
Using the same brush as before, paint pale purple #130c17 blobs of light on top of the white ones we just created. This will not only add more light but will also bring more color to our backlight.
Step 4
Next, create a New Layer and set it to Soft Light.
Once again, paint white blobs to add even more light to our background. Use varying brush sizes to give a smoke or fog-like effect. If you have a smoke or fog brush, you could also use that, but a basic soft, round brush will work just as well!
Create a New Group, group all the current layers together, and name it "Background."
Below is approximately what our background should look like so far, along with our current layers. Don't worry about being exact—always feel free to experiment and innovate!
2. How to Extract a Subject Using the Pen Tool
Next, we will be placing the model onto our background, which means extracting her from her original background. There are multiple ways to do this; however, today we will be using the Pen Tool.
Step 1
Place the Model Image in the middle of the canvas.
Use the Pen Tool to create a path around the hard edges of the model. Basically, anything with a smooth edge. On this model, it's everything but her furry jacket.
Step 2
Add a Layer Mask to the woman and Right Click > Fill Path.
Invert the layer mask by pressing Control-I.
Step 3
Now, that her body and head are both extracted, we will be moving on to her fur jacket!
Using the Quick Selection Tool, select the rest of the model's original background around her jacket. It doesn't have to be perfect, just a rough selection!
Step 4
Add a Layer Mask to the model and invert it by hitting Control-I.
Double Click the Layer Mask or hit Control-Alt-R to open up Refine Edge. Set the settings as follows: Radius 6 px with Smart Radius checked and Feather 0.5 px.
With the Quick Selection Tool active, brush around the edges of the model's fur coat. More and more fur will become selected.
If too much fur or some of the background becomes selected, press Alt and the brush will then subtract from the selection instead. Change the size of the brush as needed. You can always Control-Alt-Z to Undo a selection or deselection.
Keep running the brush over the edges of the fur, paying attention to how the fur comes and goes, until you are satisfied.
Step 5
Finally, with a hard round Brush set to black, mask out any unwanted edges or leftover background. You can also mask back in some of the longer fur strands if you'd like by using a very small, semi-hard round Brush!
Step 6
Next, we are going to add some shading and contrast.
Create a New Layer and clip it to the "Model" layer. Set it to Overlay.
Using a soft, round Brush with a Flow of 10%, paint white on the model's highlights and black on her shadows to increase her contrast. Use varying brush sizes depending on where you are painting. Setting the Brush Tool to a low Flow Rate helps to build up the shadows and highlights slowly.
Step 7
Create another New Layer and clip it to the model. Set it to Soft Light.
With a large, soft, round Brush, paint white on the edges of the model's coat and hair.
Step 8
Create a New Layer below the "Model" layer. Keep it set to Normal.
Using a medium, soft, round Brush, paint white back-lighting behind the model's jacket and hair. This will give her a soft glow.
Create a New Group, name it "Model", and place all of our newly created layers into it. Below is our current progress, along with the current layers!
3. How to Create Glass Shards
Now, on to the starring effect of this tutorial: the glass!
Step 1
First, size and place the Broken Glass Texture in the middle of the canvas behind the model. Set it to Screen.
Create and clip a black and white Gradient Map Adjustment Layer to convert the image to black and white. You can remove the color using any method you prefer; I prefer a gradient map as it adds some extra contrast.
Merge the glass texture and gradient map layer together. Reset the now black and white glass texture to Screen.
Step 2
Next, we are going to individually cut out the shards of glass using the Magnetic Lasso Tool!
Hide the "Model" group, for now, so all you see is the shattered glass texture.
Set the Magnetic Lasso Tool to Width 5 px, Contrast 10%, and Frequency 57.
Find a good-looking section of glass and drag the Lasso Tool around that section of glass to select it.
Edit > Copy and Edit > Paste. It will paste as a new layer. We want all our pieces of glass to be on their own separate layers so we can rearrange them easily later.
Step 3
Keep the newly cut glass shard layer set to Normal, for now, so we can keep track of them and see them while we are extracting our other pieces.
You can also temporarily hide the shattered glass layer to get a clearer look at the shards.
Do this over and over until you have several glass shards. Remember to keep all of the shards on separate layers.
You want to have a good amount of shards in varying shapes and sizes. The more you make, the better your result will be! I ended up with about 19, as seen below.
Step 4
Unhide the "Model" group.
Now, we want to arrange the glass shards in a diagonal line going from the top-left corner of the canvas to the bottom-right corner.
Flip, rotate, and resize the shards as needed. We want it to flow naturally, with a mix of very tiny pieces of glass and larger pieces.
Also, you can duplicate, flip, resize, and rotate some of the glass shards to fill in any empty spots. You don't want it to look as if you have a lot of repeating/copied glass, however.
Step 5
Create a New Group and group together all of the glass layers. Name the group "Glass" and set the group to Screen.
Duplicate the "Glass" group, place it below the original glass group, and merge "Glass Copy" together.
Add a Color Overlay layer style to the glass copy and fill it with a dark purple #0b030b. Set the Opacity to 70%. This is to make the glass less transparent, and also to give it a tint of color.
Step 6
Create a New Layer and clip it to the "Glass" group. Keep it set to Normal.
With a small, hard Brush, paint white on some of the glass shard edges, but not all. Look at the already existing white lines in the cracked glass—that is what we are replicating.
Step 7
Create another New Layer and clip it to the "Model" layer. Keep it set to Normal.
With a very large, soft, round Brush, paint white on the glass coming from the left side of the canvas.
Set the layer Opacity to 40%. This is to add a light glare to the upper glass pieces.
Step 8
Create and clip a New Layer to the "Model" layer. Set it to Overlay.
Using a medium, soft round Brush with a Flow of 5%, paint high points white and low points black. This is to add contrast and shading. You don't have to be precise! Most of the white will fall on the left side of the glass, and the black will be largely behind the model and to the bottom right.
Group all of the glass layers together in a New Group and name it "Large Glass."
Step 9
Before we finish up, let's go back to our "Glass" group and duplicate some of the smaller glass shard layers.
Bring these duplicated layers above the model, and arrange them around the model's legs and body to give the effect that there are glass shards both in front of and behind her.
Group those layers together and name the group "Small Glass." See our current layers below:
4. How to Add Light Flares and Particle Effects
To start, we are going to add some smoke and tiny particles of glass to make our shards more dynamic. We will be using the default Photoshop CC brushes for the particles, although there are countless alternatives! Anything that makes dust, specks, or dots will work.
Step 1
Create a New Layer. Using "Kyle's Splatter Brushes", located in the "Special Effect Paint Brushes" folder in the default Brush panel, paint very small white specks around the edges of the glass shards.
Step 2
Next, we are going to create our own smoke brush using only the Brush Settings panel. The settings are as follows:
1. Brush Tip Shape
- Hardness: 0%
- Spacing: 42%
2. Shape Dynamics
- Size Jitter: 100%
- Roundness Jitter: 45%
3. Scattering
- Scatter: 44%
- Count: 2
Set the Brush Flow Rate all the way down to 1%. You will be changing the size of the Brush Tool manually as you paint.
Step 3
Create a New Layer and paint white smoke, using the new smoke brush we just created, all around the glass shards. Build the fog up slowly from top-left to bottom-right, changing the brush size as you go.
Group the smoke and particle layers together, and name the group "Smoke and Particles".
Step 4
Next, we will be adding some light reflections to our glass by using the Pen Tool's Stroke Path function.
Create a New Layer and bring it on top of the "Large Glass" group. Set the layer to Screen.
Create small line paths on the edges of the glass shards. We don't want to add a path to every glass shard, only a few. And only place the paths on the left side of the glass as that is where the light is shining from.
Step 5
Go to the Brush Tool and set it to a small, soft, round Brush, and set the color to a pale blue #8484c3.
Go back to the Pen Tool and Right Click > Stoke Path. Set Tool to Brush, make sure Simulate Pressure is Checked, and then press OK. This will add a glowing line everywhere you placed a path.
Step 6
To intensify the glow, create a New Layer and keep it set to Normal.
Select the Brush Tool, make it smaller, and set the color to white.
Go back to the layer you just created and once again Right Click > Stroke Path. This will create a soft, white line to help make the glow seem more intense and help blend it into the edges of the glass shards.
Right Click > Delete Path to get rid of your paths.
Step 7
Next, we will be adding some final light flares to finish up our glass. Create a New Layer and keep it set to Normal.
Paint a simple six-point star using a small, soft, round Brush set to white and a Flow of 1%. You can also find premade brushes of these all over—any star will do!
Duplicate and place these stars on the edges of the shards that have a glowing edge. Flip, rotate, and resize them to make them look more varied.
Group all the shine and glow layers you just created together and rename the group "Light".
5. How to Add Reflections in the Glass
To finish up our glass, we are going to be adding a reflection of our model in the glass behind her.
Step 1
Duplicate the "Model" group and merge the new "Model Copy" group together. Rename this layer "Reflection".
Bring the "Reflection" layer down above our "Large Glass" group and clip it to the group.
Set the "Reflection" layer to Lighten with a 60% Opacity.
Step 2
Now, place the reflection slightly to the left of the original model so that you can see some of the coat showing in the glass behind her.
Duplicate the "Reflection" layer, and place it to the right similarly.
You can duplicate it one more time and drag it down lower to add a bit of a leg reflection as well.
6. How to Color Correct the Composition
To finish off our image, we are going to do some final color correcting which will bring the whole image together!
Step 1
First, create a New Layer above all of the current layers.
Using a combination of a very large soft round Brush and the newly created smoke brush from step 4, paint white starting in the upper left-hand corner and going down about halfway through to the middle of the image.
Step 2
Lastly, we are going to add our final color correction layers. These layers consist of six Adjustment Layers and are in order from last to first. So each new Adjustment Layer will go on top of the most recent. They are also numbered below.
- Create a Color Lookup Layer. Settings: (3dLUT File) Crisp Warm and 20% Opacity.
- Create a Color Lookup Layer. Settings: (3dLUT File) Crisp Winter and 24% Opacity.
- Create a Color Lookup Layer. Settings: (3dLUT File) EdgyAmber and 10% Opacity.
- Create a Color Lookup Layer. Settings: (3dLUT File) FoggyNight and 25% Opacity.
- Create a Color Lookup Layer. Settings: (3dLUT File) HorrorBlue and 29% Opacity.
- Create a Curves Adjustment Layer with the settings below:
Group all the adjustment layers and your light layer together in a New Group and name it "CC" or "Color Correction".
You've Done It!
Your shattered glass background design is complete. You have conquered layer modes and masks, the Pen Tool, and textures. Remember, always try to experiment. There is more than one way to do everything, and none of them are wrong, so have fun and follow your artistic instinct!
5 Top Broken Glass Effects From Envato Elements
Are you a heavy Photoshop user? Do you love playing with new actions and presets? Are you a graphic designer with multiple clients?
Envato Elements has an unbeatable offer: for a flat monthly fee, you'll access an unlimited library of thousands of digital creative assets. Download as many Photoshop actions as you need! Along with unlimited brushes, layer styles, graphics, stock images, and more!
Here are just a few of the best broken glass effect Photoshop actions for your next design:
1. Smashed Glass Effect for Posters (PSD)
If you want to design a really powerful poster, a broken glass effect can be the touch you need to bring it to the next level. This broken screen effect Photoshop add-on features a realistic and high-quality effect you can easily add to any design.
2. Shattered Glass Effect Photoshop Action (ATN)
Do you want to easily recreate a shattered glass texture in PSD? This shattered glass effect is waiting for you! And here's a bonus: you can make animated GIFs with this action. This shattered glass effect also includes a video tutorial in case you need extra help. Give it a go today.
3. Dimension Photoshop Action (ABR, ATN, PAT)
Looking for a different broken glass filter for Photoshop? This action will create a unique broken glass background around your subject.
This broken glass filter for Photoshop comes with eight different glass patterns that can be scaled up or down, so the possibilities are endless!
4. Broken Glass Effect Photoshop (PSD)
Get this broken glass effect for Photoshop if you want a realistic result. The broken screen effect Photoshop overlay is super easy to use, and it comes in high definition.
5. Shattered Glass Photoshop Action (ATN, PNG)
Make really cool shattered glass backgrounds with this action. Or you could give your subject a unique shattered glass texture halo. Many things are possible with this broken glass background PSD action, so start playing with it today!
Discover More Amazing Photoshop Tutorials and Resources
I hope you like this tutorial to create a broken glass background in Photoshop. If you're hungry for more Photoshop tutorials and resources, we've got you covered:
How to Make a Rorschach Inkblot Effect in Photoshop
How to Create a Dog General Painting in Photoshop
How to Make Yourself a Vampire in Photoshop
How to Add a Rainbow to a Photo
40 Free Photoshop Actions for Black and White Photography (And How to Make Your Own)
22 Best Photo to Pencil Drawing Effect Actions for Photoshop
30 Cool Photoshop Photo Effects to Add Style & Wow
10 Best Photo Effects to Create Blurs, Cracks, and Shattered Glass in Photoshop
Editorial Note: This post has been updated with contributions from Maria Villanueva. Maria is the Associate Editor of the Tuts+ Design channel.
