There are many ways to create a rough canvas on which to begin building an abstract Photoshop creation in Nair’s style. Nair started with a radial gradient layer; he used the Gradient Editor dialog box to experiment until he had a gradient he liked, consisting of two tones of reddish tan. (If you’re new to the Gradient Editor, check out this primer.) He then duplicated this layer, set the duplicate’s opacity to 15%, and changed the layer’s blending mode to Color Burn.

Using a simple brush, Nair added some flow lines to the composition, plotting out where he would paint and add details later.

Then he used an uneven abstract brush to paint random sketch-like strokes on the face, creating highlights. (He used a dark color and set the layer’s blending mode to Hue at 41%.)

The next step, says Nair, is where the fun really begins for him. He used one of Kyle T. Webster’s watercolor brushes (at a very large size) on a new layer with its blending mode set to Difference. He chose a vibrant color and painted a stroke. Then, on the same layer, he used another watercolor brush and another vibrant color to paint on the edges of his previous stroke—this created interesting blended color effects within the stroke. (Learn more about using Kyle T. Webster’s brushes in your creations.)

With the watercolor layer still active, Nair opened the Liquify filter (Filter > Liquify) and experimented with brush sizes and other tools to create interesting painted effects.

When he was happy with the results of his Liquify experimentation, he adjusted levels in his image—Nair paid close attention the green channel and played with input levels to create a vibrant, highlighted feel.

Then, using the Move tool, he adjusted the placement of his watercolor stroke.

Nair used the Lasso tool to make abstract shapes in his composition (hold down the shift key while using the Lasso tool to create multiple lasso shapes); then he painted within them with a watercolor brush. With the layer’s blending mode set to Difference, he changed the color to a more bluish tone. At this stage of his process, Nair usually does a lot of experimenting—his goal is to create variations in color and depth.

Then he went back to the Liquify filter and chose the Forward Warp tool and the Twirl Clockwise tool. Applying very light pressure, he distorted his paints and colors. After that, he used a watercolor brush as an eraser (with light pressure and an 80% opacity) to smooth any sharp edges in his shapes.

Nair then used a different brush to paint on the portrait with the same color (still with the blending mode set to Difference), painting over it multiple times to create more texture. He also added more colors, again using the Liquify filter to create interesting variations.

At this point, Nair rotated and scaled the brush strokes created in the previous step until he was satisfied with their placement (Edit > Transform). He paid close attention to making the elements harmonious, since they are so abstract. 

Nair also played with colors, using levels and different channels to bring out a play of colors, as well as highlights and shadows within those colors. Then he repeated previous steps, adding more textures and elements to the image, until he was satisfied with what he had created.

Nair downloaded a photograph of a parrot from Adobe Stock, intending to use just the bird’s wings in his image. He used the Magic Wand tool to delete the white background, inverted the selection (control-shift-I), chose the Lasso tool, and then chose Select And Mask.

First, he used the Lasso tool to select the leaf and cut it out. Next, he created a new document and pasted the cut image as a new layer. He used the Magic Wand tool to remove the white background; then he disabled the background layer, so the cut-out leaf would have a transparent background.

Nair uses Nik Collection plugins—for this image, he used the analog Effex Pro 2 filter, and then he applied the Classic Camera 7 filter, which enhances the image’s overall tones quite a bit. You can use any other plugins you like (or simply use layer adjustments). Nair also set the layer’s blending mode to Soft Light 25%.

To do so, select all the layers (control-shift-click) and then click on Create Layer Mask in the Layer toolbox. Nair played around with the blending modes and opacity to create an interesting texture over his image, using the Hard Light blending mode and playing with opacity until he was happy with the result. Then he grouped both of the texture layers and created another layer mask. He also painted over the mask with black, to mask out any hard edges and create more texture around the paints.

Nair then duplicated one of the texture layers and set the blending mode to Vivid Light—he says that it’s important to play with duplicating layers, in order to create more depth and intensity.

Then, using a watercolor brush and a light cream color, he painted over the face, with the layer’s blending mode set to Screen at 65% opacity, adding more depth and visual interest to the image.

Then it was simply a matter of adding finishing touches. Nair created a new Gradient Map layer with a range from vibrant green to fuchsia, set the blending mode to Saturation and the opacity to 34%, and masked out the image’s center, to create a subtle difference between the main portrait and the background. At this point in his process, he might also choose to sharpen (Filter > Sharpen) the final image or even add another texture.