Create Realistic Puddles in Photoshop

Summary by Krater

This video tutorial demonstrates how to create realistic and reflective puddles in Adobe Photoshop using a 3D puddle map, a vanishing point plane, and adjustment layers for brightness and color grading.

From the video

Answers: How do you create realistic reflective puddles in Photoshop?

• Photoshop reflection effects
• Creating puddles in Photoshop
• Using 3D puddle maps
• Vanishing Point tool in Photoshop
• Color grading reflections

What it concludes

• A 3D puddle map combined with the Vanishing Point tool creates realistic perspective-correct puddles in Photoshop.
• Applying an alpha mask from the RGB channels helps isolate bright areas for the puddle mapping.
• Flipping the duplicate background vertically and unlinking the mask creates a convincing reflection.
• Path blur is preferred over motion blur for adding a realistic directional blur to the reflection.
• Reducing the gradient map opacity and adding a vibrance adjustment layer blends the reflection colors naturally with the environment.