How to Create a Shatter Effect in Photoshop

In this tutorial, you will learn how to create an amazing shatter effect.
The effect shown above is the one I’ll show you how to create in this tutorial. If you want to create a more advanced shatter effect like the one below with just one click in a few minutes, then check out ShatterPoly Photoshop Action.

What You Need:

To recreate the design above, you will need the following:

• Stock Image

1. Let’s Get Started.

First, open the photo you want to work with. To open your photo, go to File> Open, choose your photo and click Open. Now, before we get started, we need to check a few things:
1. Your photo should be in RGB Color, 8 Bits/Channel mode. To check this, go to Image> Mode.
2. For best results, your photo size should be 2000–4000 px wide/high. To check this, go to Image> Image Size.
3. Your photo should be the Background layer. If it isn’t, go to Layer> New> Background from Layer.
 

2. How to Create the Shatter Brush

Step 1

In this section, we’ll create the brush we’ll need for this effect. Go to File> New to create a new file, name it Shatter Brush and use the settings below:

Step 2

Now go to Layer> New> Layer to create a new layer and name it SP_1.

Step 3

Choose the Pen Tool (P), set the Tool Mode to Path and draw a shatter piece. Then, right-click anywhere inside the canvas and choose Make Selection.

Step 4

Now press D on your keyboard to reset the color swatches, go to Edit> Fill, and set Contents to Foreground Color, Blending to Normal, and Opacity to 100% as shown below:

Step 5

Press Control-D on your keyboard to deselect. Then, right-click this layer, choose Blending Options, select Inner Shadow and enter the settings below:

Step 6

Now change the Fill of this layer to 90%.

Step 7

Repeat this method to create as many shatter pieces as you want. Here are a few tips:

• Draw the shatter pieces in many different shapes and sizes.
• To quickly create more shatter pieces, select any layer you have and press Control-J on your keyboard to duplicate it.
• To move any shatter piece, select that piece’s layer, choose the Move Tool (V) and click and drag anywhere inside the canvas to position it as you like.
• To transform any shatter piece, select the piece’s layer, press Control-T on your keyboard and adjust the transform settings to transform it as you like.
• To blur any shatter piece, select the piece’s layer, go to Filter> Blur> Gaussian Blur, and adjust the Radius as you like.
• Use different Inner Shadow layer style settings.
• Use a layer Fill.

Then, press Control-Shift-E on your keyboard to merge all the layers.

Step 8

Now go to Edit> Define Brush Preset to define these shatter pieces as a new Brush and name it Temp.

Step 9

Press B on your keyboard, right-click anywhere inside the canvas, choose the Temp icon and press Enter. Then go to Window> Brush and in the Brush window, use the settings below:

Step 10 

To define this brush with the new settings as a new brush, click the icon in the bottom-right corner of the Brush panel and name it Shatter. Then you can close the file named Shatter Brush.

3. How to Create the Shatter Pieces

Step 1

In this section, we’ll create the shatter pieces. Go to Layer> New> Layer to create a new layer and name it SP_Small.

Step 2

Set the foreground color to #000000, choose the Brush Tool (B), choose the Brush Shatter, set the Diameter of the brush to about 250 px, and brush as shown below:

Step 3

Go to Layer> New> Layer to create a new layer and name it SP_Medium.

Step 4 

Set the foreground color to #000000, choose the Brush Tool (B), choose the Brush Shatter, set the Diameter of the brush to about 500 px, and brush as shown below:

Step 5

Go to Layer> New> Layer to create a new layer and name it SP_Large.

Step 6

Set the foreground color to #000000, choose the Brush Tool (B), choose the Brush Shatter, set the Diameter of the brush to about 750 px and brush as shown below:

Step 7

Go to Layer> New> Layer to create a new layer and name it SP_Very_Large.

Step 8

Set the foreground color to #000000, choose the Brush Tool (B), choose the Brush Shatter, set the Diameter to about 1400 px, and brush as shown below:

Step 9

Shift-click the SP_Small layer to select all the layers in between. Then, go to Layer> New> Group from Layers to create a new group from the selected layers and name it Shatter Parts.

Step 10

Go to Layer> Layer Mask> Reveal All to add a layer mask that reveals the whole group. Then, set the foreground color to #000000, choose the Brush Tool (B), pick a soft brush and brush over the areas where you want to remove the pieces.

4. How to Adjust the Color and Tone of the Shatter Pieces.

Step 1

Adjust the color and tone of the shatter pieces. Go to Layer> New> Layer to create a new layer and name it Temp. Then, drag this layer to the top of the Layers panel.

Step 2

Hide the Shatter Parts group and fill the subject with a color.
You can do this in many different ways. For example, you can make a selection of your subject using the  Pen Tool (P), Magic Wand Tool (W), Lasso Tool (L)  or some other tool, and then just fill the selection. Or you can choose the Brush Tool (B) and brush over your photo using a hard or soft brush. It doesn’t matter what color you use.
Then, show the group Shatter Parts

Step 3
Control-click this layer to make a selection of it. Then, hide this layer, select the Background layer and press Control-J on your keyboard to create a new layer. Then, drag this new layer just below the Temp layer in the Layers.

Step 4

Go to Filter > Blur > Gaussian Blur and set the Radius to 50 px as shown below:

Step 5

Press Control-J on your keyboard nine times to duplicate this layer nine times. Then, Shift-click on Temp 2 to select all the layers in between, and press Control-E to merge them into one layer.

Step 6

Go to Filter> Blur> Gaussian Blur and set the Radius to 50 px as shown below:

Step 7

Press Control-J on your keyboard nine times to duplicate this layer nine times. Then Shift-click on Temp 2 copy 9 to select all the layers in between and press Control-E to merge them into one layer. Then, go to Filter >Blur> Gaussian Blur and set the Radius to 50 px as shown below:

Step 8

Press Control-J on your keyboard nine times to duplicate this layer nine times. Then Shift-click on Temp 2 copy 18 to select all the layers in between and press Control-E to merge them into one layer. Then, go to Filter> Blur> Gaussian Blur and set the Radius to 50 px as shown below:

Step 9

Press Control-J on your keyboard nine times to duplicate this layer nine times. Then Shift-click on Temp 2 copy 27 to select all the layers in between and press Control-E to merge them into one layer. Then, go to Filter> Blur> Gaussian Blur and set the Radius to 50 px as shown below:

Step 10

Press Control-J on your keyboard nine times to duplicate this layer nine times. Then Shift-click on Temp 2 copy 36 to select all the layers in between, and press Control-E to merge them into one layer. Then, go to Filter> Blur> Gaussian Blur and set the Radius to 50 px as shown below:

Step 11

Press Control-J on your keyboard nine times to duplicate this layer nine times. Then, Shift-click on Temp 2 copy 45 to select all the layers in between, and press Control-E to merge them into one layer. Then, go to Filter> Blur> Gaussian Blur and set the Radius to 25 px as shown below:

Step 11

Drag this layer just above the SP_Small layer in the Layers panel. Then, press Control-Alt-G on your keyboard to create a clipping mask and name this layer SP_Small_Color.

Step 13

Press Control-J on your keyboard to duplicate this layer and drag it above the SP_Medium layer in the Layers panel. Then, press Control-Alt-G on your keyboard to create a clipping mask and name this layer SP_Medium_Color.

Step 14

Press Control-J on your keyboard to duplicate this layer and drag it above the SP_Large layer in the Layers panel. Then, press Control-Alt-G on your keyboard to create a clipping mask and name this layer SP_Large_Color.

Step 15

Press Control-J on your keyboard to duplicate this layer and drag it above the SP_Very_Large layer in the Layers panel. Then, press Control-Alt-G on your keyboard to create a clipping mask and name this layer SP_Very_Large_Color.

Step 16

Press D on your keyboard to reset the color swatches. Then, go to Layer> New Adjustment Layer> Gradient Map to create a new gradient map adjustment layer and name it SP_Contrast.

Step 17

Change the Blending Mode of this layer to Soft Light and set the Opacity to 55%.

Step 18

Select the Shatter Parts group and change its Blending Mode to Normal.

5. Final Adjustments

Step 1

In this section, we’ll make the final adjustments to the design. Go to Layer> New Adjustment Layer> Curves to create a new curves adjustment layer and name it Color Look. Then, drag this layer just below the Temp layer in the Layers.

Step 2

Double-click this layer’s thumbnail and, in the Properties panel, enter the settings below:

Step 3

Press D on your keyboard to reset the color swatches. Then go to Layer > New Adjustment Layer > Gradient Map to create a new gradient map adjustment layer and name it Overall Contrast.

Step 4

Change the Blending Mode of this layer to Soft Light and set the Opacity to 10%.

Step 5

Go to Layer > New Adjustment Layer > Vibrance to create a new adjustment layer and name it Overall Vibrance/Saturation.

Step 6

 Double-click on this layer’s thumbnail and in the Properties panel, set Vibrance +27 and Saturation +22 as shown below:

Step 7

Go to Layer > New Adjustment Layer > Levels to create a new levels adjustment layer and name it Overall Brightness.

Step 8

Double-click this layer’s thumbnail and in the Properties panel, enter the settings below:

Step 9

Press Control-Alt-Shift-E on your keyboard to make a screenshot, then press Control-Shift-U to desaturate this layer. Then go to Filter > Other > High Pass and set the Radius 2 px as shown below:

Step 10

Change the Blending Mode of this layer to Hard Light and name it Overall Sharpening.

If you want to create a more advanced shatter effect like the one below with just one click in just a few minutes, check out my ShatterPoly Photoshop Action.