This time out, I would like to talk about a much underused PhotoShop filter – the Motion Blur. Along the way, we’ll find out how filters such as this one work so much better when used creatively in conjunction with other filters.
This filter is quite simple – it does a directional blur. First, you find it in the Filters pull-down, under Blur > Motion Blur. Then you set it to any direction (on a flat plane) that you like, and use Distance to control how far (in pixels) it will blur. Of course, it has an obvious use: making something look as though it’s moving, by blurring it in the direction of the movement. But, let’s be honest — that usually looks kind of phony, and it isn’t really that interesting. So there it sits, the Motion Blur filter. Lonely, unloved, unused, languishing in the dark corners of the Filters menu.
But wait! Champion of the downtrodden, I’m here to try to give Motion blur new life. It can be used to create natural effects, interesting textures, and more. It’s true! Just remember the first rule of ALL filters – if you use it alone, it will almost always appear blatant and “computery”; but use it with other filters, and it can look natural and cool.
Example: a grassy field
Here’s a quick example of a good use of Motion Blur. We’ll create a nice grassy field in a matter of minutes. Start with a quick color background – remember to create areas of light and dark, and change your values as you approach the foreground. I didn’t spend much time on this step, so it would definitely look better if you took a bit of care here:
(This picture was about 450 pixels wide, so all the values listed below would increase on a bigger picture).
Now, put some starting texture in your grassy area by selecting the green parts and using the Add Noise filter – about a 10 – 12 value, and click the “Gaussian” and “Monochromatic” options. Then use the “sharpen” filter to taste. It will look a bit like this:
