How to use Smudge Tool in photo editing

Are you a heavy Smudge Tool user? If yes, then here’s a chance for you to know more about this handy tool. With the advent of the mobile era, the Smartphones have come up with the simplest of the tools in hand, the Smudge Tool, which is easy to use and easy to learn. This handy tool is a fantastic addition in the Smartphone’s small arsenal of editing and manipulating tools. Do you know that there are five steps to create a decent smudge effect in an image? In this article, we will give you a short tutorial about the Smudge Tool.
Smudge tool is a popular tool among the professionals in the world of photography. You might also have come across its different uses in the ‘Learn Photoshop’ course from the Adobe. If you haven’t, then you can now learn it. The Smudge Tool’s primary job is to edit the color and tone of the image.

What is a Smudge Tool?

It is a line tool that is used to modify the image by editing the color and tone of the image. A line tool is mainly used to make ‘distinctions’ or to ‘smudge’ in an image. With the help of this tool, it is easy to create some interesting effects in the image.
Let’s understand the various stages of creating a Smudge Effect.

  • Step 1: Lasso Tool
  • Step 2: Hold the Control key
  • Step 3: Click on the canvas (region) you want to apply a stroke on the photo
  • Step 4: Now drag the Smudge Tool (Nib) to the beginning and end of the new ‘line’
  • Step 5: Now click on the main Smart rectangle (path) of the beginning and end
  • Step 6: Now drag the Smudge Tool (Nib) to the beginning and end of the new line (arrow)
  • Step 7: Click on the Add button
  • Step 8: When the Add button is clicked on, a color appears on the path
  • Step 9: Drag the Color value of the Color Palette to that location
  • Step 10: Now press the Merge button
  • Step 11: Click on the Attach button. The Smudge Tool (Nib) is now attached to the main path of the background
  • Step 12: Check the ‘Merge line after stroke’ box and then click the OK button

In the end, you will see a stroke on the Smudge Tool (Nib). You can hold the Control key to make a good quality stroke. Click on the End button to make a soft and dull stroke.

You can repeat this procedure to complete all the strokes, by holding the Control key for the line tool.

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