How to Create a Snow Effect in DesignScape

We are going to show you a cool way to create a snow effect in DesignScape. Adding snow to your images can change the scene completely and create more impact. We will be customizing a brush and using some filters to achieve the effect. DesignScape is available to Gold Plus Members. Want to give DesignScape a try but not a member yet? Then sign up for a free 30 Day Trial of the Gold Plus Membership today!

The photo we will be using today is this girl playing in snow, but we have more photos with people to choose from.

We have a great tutorial on using overlays in DesignScape if you prefer a quicker way of adding snow.

Step 1 - Create the Snow Brush

If you want to use a ready made brush, be sure to check out our tutorial on using Photoshop brushes in DesignScape.

Begin by either dragging + dropping the image into DesignScape, or clicking File > Open. We want to create a new layer by going to the bottom of the Layers Panel on the right. Click on the New Layer icon to add a layer. Double click on the layer name and change to First Snow.

Select the Brush Tool

Now click on the Brush Tool on the left hand side. If needed, click + hold over the current tool to open the options then select the Brush Tool.

At the top toolbar, click on the brush Size to open the settings. Change the Size to around 30px, and the Hardness to 100%.

Select White from the Foreground and Background color boxes.

With the Brush Tool selected, go over to the right hand side and click on the Brush Settings Panel. Here you will be able to customize your brush.

Edit the Brush Settings

We need to make changes in this window before moving onto the Tip and Scatter Dynamics.

We used the following settings:

Size: 30 px

Angle: 0

Roundess: 100%

Hardness: 100%

Spacing: 900%

Now, when moving the Spacing slider, the highest it will go is 300%. To get a higher value, you will need to input that value like we did below. We used a value of 900%.

Change the Tip Dynamics

With the Brush Settings Panel open, click on the Tip Dynamics. DesignScape will automatically tick the box.

We used the following settings but you can change this as needed:

Size Jitter: 100%

Minimal Diameter: 0%

Angle Jitter: 100%

Control: Off

Roundness Jitter: 100%

Minimal Roundness: 50%

Edit the Scatter Settings for Brush

Click on the Scatter settings to select. The following settings were used for our brush:

Position Jitter: 1000%

Count: 1

Counter Jitter: 0%

To go back to the initial settings and make further adjustments, click on Tip Shape. Also check your brush Size is still 30 px.

Step 2 - Create First Snow Effect

You can close out of the panel by clicking on the Brush Settings Panel icon. We can now add our first snow to the image and then use filters to create realism.

Use the Snow Brush

Be sure that the First Snow layer is selected. In the top toolbar, click on the icon that says Stylus Pressure controls Opacity. This will help to alter the opacity for better looking snow.

Now, start painting over where you want the snow to be. Keep in mind that this is just the first layer, so we don’t need to add a large amount of snow.

Add a Gaussian Blur Filter

Next, we are going to add a Gaussian Blur filter. Note: this will be adding a destructive action. The only way to edit it is to Undo the action and reapply it.

Make sure that the First Snow layer is selected then go to Filter > Blur > Gaussian Blur. In the Gaussian Blur window, input a value of about 4 px.

Step 3 - Build Up the Snow Effect

Let us add two more snow layers to build up the snow effect.

Create Second Snow Layer

Create the second layer and rename it Second Snow. Follow Step 2 to create the snow effect but this time use a slightly larger brush. When applying the Gaussian Blur, increase the value to 8 px.

As the focus is on the girl, who is further away, the snow closer to the camera will be more out of focus.

We used a Brush size of 60 px.



Apply a Third Layer of Snow

Create a third snow layer and rename it Third Snow. We used a Brush Size of 90 px. This time, when painting, add a little less but paint some on the girl. Use a Gaussian Blur of 10 px

Step 4 - Add Movement to the Snow Effect

This step will depend on the snow effect you are going for. There will be some movement when taking a photo of a snowfall. But the speed will depend on whether you want it to fall slowly or fast.

For this tutorial we are going to add a little bit of movement to our snow layers. Again, please note that this is a destructive action so be sure you are happy with your work so far.

Click on the First Snow layer then go to Filters > Blur > Motion Blur. In the window, set the Angle value to -60 and the Distance to 15 px.

Apply a Motion Blur to the remaining Second Snow and Third Snow layers but change the settings as follows:

Second Snow Layer:

Angle: -60

Distance: 30 px

Third Snow Layer:

Angle: -60

Distance: 60 px

Here is how our image looks with the snow effect applied.

Step 5 - Edit Placement of Snow Effect Layers

You can carry on to add as many snow layers as you want and build up your Snow Effect further. You can also adjust the scale and placement of the snow on each layer.

Click on the Move Tool left side toolbar and make sure the box for Transform controls is ticked. Select a layer you want to edit.

Now click + drag the box to reposition the snow effect layer.

You can further enhance your image by using a Photoshop action in DesignScape. Once you are completely happy with the result, you can then save the image in a file format of your choice.

Below is the final result with a closer crop.

Well done on creating a snow effect in DesignScape.

You can add this to a Smart Object Mockup and share with family and friends. With the techniques in this tutorial, you can add snow to your images and create a wonderland. We hope that this tutorial was fun to follow and taught you something new about what DesignScape has to offer.