How to Create Paint Liquid Drip Effect in Photoshop

Want to create a dripping paint effect for text or logos in Photoshop? This technique can give your designs a grungy, artistic look without the need for hand-painting. Instead, we will use filters and displacement maps to generate a realistic paint drip effect.

By the end of this tutorial, you’ll learn how to: ✅ Create realistic paint drips using Displace filters.
✅ Design a custom displacement map for smooth drips.
✅ Add wave distortions for a more organic look.
✅ Apply textures and blending modes for depth.

Now, let’s dive in! 🎨🔥

Step 1: Setting Up the Document

1. Create a New Photoshop Document:
   • Open Photoshop and go to File > New.
   • Set the resolution to 3840×2160 (4K resolution for more detail).
   • Set the background to black.
2. Add Text or Logo:
   • Select the Text Tool (T) and type your desired text.
   • Use a bold font like Retro Mentho (linked in the tutorial).
   • Center the text on the canvas.

This will be the base layer for our dripping effect.

Step 2: Creating the Displacement Map

To achieve realistic drips, we need to create a custom displacement map.

1. Create a New Document (File > New):
   • Set the size to match your main document (3840×2160).
   • Fill the background with 50% gray (Edit > Fill > 50% Gray).
2. Apply the Fibers Filter:
   • Set foreground and background colors to default (D key).
   • Go to Filter > Render > Fibers.
   • Adjust Variance = 15, **Strength = 5`.
3. Adjust Levels for Contrast:
   • Open Image > Adjustments > Levels (Ctrl + L).
   • Set White Input to 40.
   • Set White Output to 128 (50% gray).
4. Apply Blur for Smooth Drips:
   • Go to Filter > Blur > Gaussian Blur.
   • Set the Radius to 4 pixels.
   • Change the Blending Mode to Darken.
   • Apply another Gaussian Blur (2 pixels) without changing blending.
5. Save as a PSD File:
   • Name it “paint_drips_map.psd” and keep it handy.

This displacement map will define how the drips distort the text! 🖌️

Step 3: Applying the Displacement Effect

1. Duplicate the Text Layer:
   • Select the text layer, press Ctrl + J to duplicate.
   • Turn off the original layer (backup).
2. Apply the Displace Filter:
   • Go to Filter > Distort > Displace.
   • Set Horizontal Scale = 0, Vertical Scale = 100.
   • Click OK and select “paint_drips_map.psd” as the displacement map.
3. Repeat the Effect for Stronger Drips:
   • Use Ctrl + Alt + F to reapply the filter multiple times.
   • Watch as the drips extend downward.

🔥 Pro Tip: If the drips aren’t strong enough, increase the Vertical Scale in the Displace settings!

Step 4: Making the Drips More Natural

Now, the drips look straight down. Let’s add organic waviness:

1. Create a Selection of the Original Text:
   • Ctrl + Click on the original text layer thumbnail.
   • Shift + Ctrl + I to invert the selection.
2. Apply the Wave Filter:
   • Go to Filter > Distort > Wave.
   • Adjust:
     • Number of Generators: 5.
     • Wavelength Min/Max: 10 / 200.
     • Scale: 10 / 10.
   • Click OK to apply.

This adds natural movement to the paint drips! 🎨

Step 5: Adding Paint Textures

To make it even more realistic, let’s overlay some paint textures.

1. Import a Grunge Texture:
   • Download a paint texture from texturelabs.org.
   • Drag it into Photoshop and place it above the text layer.
   • Ctrl + Shift + U to desaturate.
2. Set Blending Mode:
   • Change blending mode to Multiply.
   • Reduce Opacity to 70%.
3. Add Paint Splatters:
   • Copy a paint splatter texture.
   • Paste it above the drips.
   • Change blending mode to Screen (for white splatters) or Multiply (for black splatters).

This step adds realism and texture to the effect! 🖌️

Step 6: Enhancing the Colors

Want to make the paint drips stand out? Try this:

1. Use a Gradient Overlay:
   • Double-click the text layer to open Layer Styles.
   • Select Gradient Overlay.
   • Choose a colorful gradient (blue, red, yellow, etc.).
   • Set Blend Mode to Overlay.
2. Adjust Shadows & Highlights:
   • Apply Image > Adjustments > Shadows/Highlights.
   • Increase Shadows to 20%.
   • Increase Highlights to 15%.

Now your drips will have more depth and realism! 🎨🔥

Step 7: Final Touches

1. Duplicate the Text for More Layers:
   • Ctrl + J to create a fainter duplicate.
   • Set the opacity to 50%.
   • Move it slightly to the right for a shadow effect.
2. Blur the Drips Slightly:
   • Apply Filter > Blur > Gaussian Blur.
   • Set Radius to 2 pixels.
3. Sharpen the Main Layer:
   • Go to Filter > Sharpen > Smart Sharpen.
   • Increase Amount to 70%.

🎨 Final Look: Now, your dripping paint effect looks bold, textured, and realistic!

Conclusion

🎉 Congratulations! You’ve created a dripping paint text effect using Photoshop!

Watch Complete Tutorial Here