We’ve been on a tear lately with new content packs, releasing at least one brand-new effects pack for Pixlr Essentials and Pro members every month. It’s that time yet again, so please acquaint yourself with the new Artmodern overlay pack in both Pixlr for iOS and Android and Pixlr Desktop. (A reminder that if you’re not an Essentials member, you can sign up for free.)
This new pack contains 15 overlays that let you add splashes of paint, canvas-like patterns, and broad-brush looks to your photos. If you’re a serious long-time Pixlr user, you may recognize two of these overlays. We’ve included these fan favorites from a SketchBook pack that ran in the app for a brief few weeks way back when. Over time, we’ve actually had requests for these two specific overlays; we thought this was a great time to fit them back in the app.
As with any new pack, we encourage you to experiment. A few tips…
Dial it back — or double down
Every effect you use in Pixlr can be lowered by simply dragging the “Amount” slider. Each overlay looks different on dark photos than it does on bright photos. It all just depends, and you should always use the controls as part of your editing process. Sometimes, you’ll add an overlay and think, “This is good, but I wish it were stronger.” If that’s the case, simply double up and add the same overlay again. For the photo at the top of this blog post, we used the Splash overlay once at 100% and then again at 50%. We really wanted to go extra artsy on that photo because it felt like that big brick wall deserved it.
Don’t forget the History Brush
The History Brush (located in the Adjustments menu) is probably the most helpful tool you’ll ever use in Pixlr apps. Check out our photo of this dreamy book reader below. We started with a canvas effect and then added multiple Artmodern overlays. Each time we added an overlay, we used the History Brush to wipe the effect away from her figure. The end result is a heavily stylized artistic take on a portrait. (Incidentally, if you like this idea, check out the tutorial Make an Illustrated Portrait with the History Brush.)
Flipping rotate it
You always have the option of flipping your overlays horizontally or vertically, and you can turn them in 45 degree increments. Sometimes, a burst of color or effect in an overlay works so much better in a slightly different location. So turn it or flip it and try it out.
This week’s challenge: #artmodern
Whenever we release a new pack for our members, we want to see what you can do. This week’s challenge will be all about this new content pack. Edit your images and tag them #artmodern on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, Flickr, etc. If you’re not an Essentials or Pro member, please join in anyway with canvas overlays or any other painting-like effect. We’ll scour the Internet looking for the best images and share them on our social media channels, garnering you Internet fame and lots of artistic love.