Using The Oil Paint Filter In Adobe Photoshop CS6

Image with the Photoshop CS6 Oil Paint and Topaz Labs filter

Original image.

The Pixel Bender Filter and Photoshop CS5

The Pixel Bender filter is a free filter that works with Adobe Photoshop CS5. The filter has several effects, but honestly, besides the Oil Paint filter, I didn’t see much use for the others. I love how the Oil Paint filter enhances details especially on plants and animal fur in a soft, undulating way. I usually added a Topaz Labs* filter to up the detail and contrast. (SeeCombining Textures And Filters In Photoshop For A Painterly Look.)

As much as I loved the filter, it had a few problems. The interface was finicky and the hardware processing needs were so demanding that I had a very difficult time running it on my 4 year old iMac (I’ve since upgraded my Mac.) It got to a point where I never used it because it was so much of a hassle. It was also difficult to see exactly what you were getting in the preview window.

The Photoshop CS6 Oil Paint Filter

When I upgraded to Adobe Photoshop CS6 over the weekend, I was thrilled to find that the Oil Paint filter is now a part of Photoshop! I’ve been playing around with it this week and here are my initial impressions. I’m now using the filter on a new, fast iMac so I can’t compare the processing needs exactly, but overall, it just seems more responsive and the preview is great. Photoshop has made some changes to the Oil Paint effects that I don’t much care for though.

The New Oil Paint Interface (right)

The first difference I noticed is in the Stylization setting. In Pixel Bender, it controlled how swirly the effect was. Now, it goes from a textured, pebbly effect to a swirly effect. I don’t much care for the pebbly effect, but I can see how some might like it. Cleanliness tends to mellow out the contrast and intensity of stylization. I usually set this pretty high because I like the swirly look of this filter, but not the pattern of it. The other settings mostly effect the intensity and scale of Stylization and Cleanliness. The Shine setting will give more contrast to the filter, but it will also emphasize the pebbly or swirly texture.

Example: Stylization low, Cleanliness fairly low, Some Shine

Even when I increase the Stylization and Cleanliness all the way up, if I add any Shine I get this unwanted pattern.

Stylization and Cleanliness at 10, Shine 1

If I put the Shine setting to 0, it takes out the pattern, but leaves some of the desired painterly feeling to the image. (The effect is easier to see in the images following this one.)

Stylization and Cleanliness 10, Shine 0

My Secret Sauce

To get the look of the Pixel Bender Oil Paint that I liked, I jack the Stylization and Cleanliness effects up all the way and completely turn off Shine.

Quick update: I’m finding that if I have Shine turned off, I can play with the Cleanliness setting to modify just how soft and swirly the effect is. Depending on the image, a much lower Cleanliness setting may be desirable. Try each extreme of the Cleanliness filter to see which direction works best for your image.

Tip: I’ve found I usually need to increase contrast with a levels adjustment after I run the Oil Paint Filter.

Stylization & Cleanliness 10, Shine 0, No Topaz Filter

You may find that the Oil Paint filter alone works well for your purposes. I love detail, so I usually add a Topaz Labs* Filter. I usually use Topaz Labs Detail 2* with the Creative Detail Accent preset. I’ve perhaps exaggerated the effect a little here for illustration purposes. You can play with the settings or the opacity of the layer to get the effect you want.