Photoshop Brushed Metal Tutorial

Years ago I gave this same tutorial on my YouTube channel (video), and I want to give it in a blog post form because the video was surprisingly popular. It's great, too, because it's easy and takes just a few minutes if you know what you're doing. If you want to learn how to use Photoshop effectively (and you're a beginner), this is the tutorial for you, as it exposes you to many useful effects.

1. Start by making a new Photoshop file. The size can be whatever you want, but I used 350 by 250 pixels


2. Go to the gradient tool and drag the "Copper" (included with Photoshop) gradient out across the page. It can be any way you like. Tip for newbies: Hold "Shift" to lock your cursor to a 45 degree angle.


3. Go to "Filter < Noise < Add Noise..."
   
   Set the amount anywhere from 17-25%. It will be how many "grains" you see in the image. Set the distribution to uniform, and make sure it is monochromatic.


4. Now go to "Filter < Blur < Motion Blur..."
   
   Be sure the angle is set to 0 degrees, and set the distance as you wish. The distance will also affect how many grains you have. Greater distance will give less grain throughout the image, while less distance will give more.


5. Finally, go to "Image < Adjustments < Hue/Saturation...". In order to achieve a gray, you should bring the saturation down, and if you want any other colors, change the hue. This is a setting that you will have to play with to get exactly right.

You now have your brushed metal effect.