Whether you’re designing a unique website background, a poster, sketch, or creating an artistic photo composition, using a watercolor Photoshop action can make your design stand out from the crowd.
A watercolor effect it’s not an easy effect to master when created from scratch. It takes a lot of work, time, and skill to achieve a realistic watercolor effect in Photoshop. The good news is that using a watercolor Photoshop action can help you skip the learning curve and experiment with a watercolor effect in just a few clicks!
In this collection, we’re featuring some of the best watercolor Photoshop actions you can use to turn your photos into watercolor art, craft amazing backgrounds, and do much more.
We’ve also collected a set of tips for choosing watercolor Photoshop actions to help you make a decision on what type of action you need.
Top Pick
This is a unique Photoshop action you can use to create an animated effect using your photos. The action adds a stylish watercolor-themed flowing ink animation to create a stunning visual.
The action is fairly easy to use and comes with a video tutorial to teach you how to apply the effect. It’s ideal for making animated GIF and videos for Instagram as well. You can preview the effect here.
Why This Is A Top Pick
While there are many creative watercolor Photoshop actions on our list, this action deserves more attention as it features an animated effect that’ll make your designs stand out from the crowd.
This is a high-quality watercolor photo effect for Photoshop that enables users to generate stunning, high-quality images with just a few clicks. Offering Smart Object layers, this template offers customizable ease and versatility. By replacing the placeholder, you can add your unique graphics and refine the final composition with adjustment features.
Another watercolor photo effect designed to transform your images into exciting paintings. It offers specific functionalities such as easily editable adjustments, smart object layers, and much more. The effect works best on photos ranging from 1000px to 3000px resolution.
A high-quality, vintage-style watercolor photo effect for Photoshop. With the ease of smart-object layers, you can transform your graphics magically with only a few clicks. Alongside two PSD files (4500 x 3000 px and 3000 x 4500 px, both 300 dpi), this creative template includes a helpful guide for additional tweaks and finer adjustments.
Explore the world of visual arts with this watercolor photo effect for Photoshop. With this PSD template, you can easily transform your images into high-quality, mesmerizing artwork featuring the unique flair of watercolor splashes. From altering the smart object layers to adjusting the final settings, you get to control every aspect of your design.
A dynamic watercolor photo effect for Photoshop for instantly transforming photos. It converts your regular photos into lively caricature effects, adding an energy-filled, oily painting appearance. It’s ideal for photos with a resolution between 1000px and 3000px, and adds a creative touch to various photos.
This is a creative watercolor photo effect that transforms your photos into vibrant, oil-style caricatures. It provides a range of effects including energetic, glamour, portrait, and cartoon styles. Ideal for fashion, lifestyle, or product photos with resolutions between 1000 – 3000 px, it includes a PSD file and help file.
A highly useful watercolor-themed Photoshop action designed for photographers and graphic designers. It’s compatible with all photoshop CC versions and greater, offering users an simple way to bring an aesthetic, watercolor look to their photographs with just a click.
This is a stunning watercolor photo effect for Photoshop. In this template, you’ll gain access to a unique, glamorous and realistic watercolor effect that can be applied to any photo or graphic instantly. Provided with clean, well-organized layers and compatibility with 300 DPI projects, it’s extremely user-friendly.
An exceptional Photoshop template that transforms your ordinary photos into beautiful, classic painting-like images in just a few easy clicks. With Smart Object layers for full customization, 2 high-quality PSD files, versatile dimensions, and simple adjustment features to fine-tune your composition, crafting breathtaking designs has never been easier.
This Photoshop template artfully transforms your ordinary pictures into stunning watercolor paintings. Ideal for photos with resolutions from 1000px – 3000px, its filters add a realistic watercolor-themed effect to various image types.
This Photoshop action transforms photos into paintings with a realistic watercolor effect. The action works instantly with just a few clicks. And it comes bundled with brushes and patterns necessary for creating the effect as well.
Once you apply this Photoshop action, you’ll have a hard time telling whether your photo is actually a painting or not. This effect works great for making outdoor landscape photos look like watercolor paintings. It’s compatible with Photoshop CS3 and higher.
If you’re looking for a watercolor effect to add to your portrait photos, this PS action will come in handy. It features a realistic watercolor effect that’s been specially optimized for portrait photos. It comes in 9 different color variations as well.
This is a PSD template you can use to easily apply a watercolor effect to your photos and graphics. The effect is already prepared in the organized layers, all you have to do is replace the photo. No need to apply or configure a PS action.
A free Photoshop action for adding a subtle watercolor effect to your photos. This watercolor effect is simple and most suitable for fashion and wedding photography.
With this Photoshop PSD template, you can add a watercolor effect to any photo with just a few clicks. It comes with organized layers and with smart object layers. It’s simple, easy, and works instantly.
If you want to create abstract art-style watercolor effects for your graphic design projects, this Photoshop action is a must-have for you. It allows you to apply a colorful watercolor effect with only a few clicks.
This watercolor effect features a subtle and clean look that gives a minimalist painting look to your photos. It’ll work best for interior design, furniture, and modern art-style photography.
This Photoshop action allows you to convert your portrait photos into paintings. It features a fully editable painting effect you can adjust and customize to match your photos to even create a cartoon effect.
Another free Photoshop action that creates a brush drawing effect. It’s great for giving a watercolor painting-like effect to your portrait photos.
This is a convenient, one-click PS template that allows you to effortlessly apply a watercolor effect to your photos, saving time with quick results. Compatible with all Photoshop Versions cc and higher, and every language, all you need to do is replace the smart object with your subject in the provided PSD file.
This PSD template can make your pictures look like amazing caricatures. This action provides a range of effects such as energetic, oily, painting oil, glamour oil, portrait oil, oil retouch, and cartoon. It’s recommended for photos with 1000px-3000px resolution and can enhance images from fashion, lifestyle, and blogging to moody product shots.
This is a versatile PSD template providing a gorgeous watercolor aesthetic for your photos with just a simple click. It includes a PSD file (3000*2000 px) and a PDF help file and offers easy photo replacement using the smart object feature.
A professional, versatile Photoshop action ideal for photographers and graphic designers. Compatible with all CC Photoshop versions and higher, it effortlessly enhances your photo posts or everyday shots with a simple click to achieve a beautiful aesthetic watercolor look. The pack comes with a .ATN action file, .PAT pattern file, and a helpful .txt file.
This is a high-quality watercolor photo effect that comes with a resolution of 5,000 x 3,000 pixels. It’s user-friendly due to easy customization via Smart Object Layers. The background is editable and the PSD file is well-organized with named layers.
This PSD template instantly adds a glamorous watercolor effect to your photos or logos. Adjustable to your preference, it works perfectly with 300 DPI projects and even on print. Neatly categorized across layers, it’s user-friendly and easy to navigate.
This is an ingenious PSD template designed to revolutionize your photos with an awe-inspiring watercolor painting effect. It works best with images ranging from 1000 px – 3000 px resolution and adapts well to diverse styles including fashion, lifestyle, blogging, and product shots, ensuring dynamism and flair for your visual content.
This PSD template will help you craft energetic, oily, and glamorous painting effects for retouching portraits or creating cartoon renditions of your photos. Ideal for photos with 1000 px – 3000 px resolution, it works wonders on a variety of photos, from fashion and lifestyle to moody product shots.
This is a creative PSD template designed to revolutionize your photos with its uniquely energetic, caricature, and watercolor painting effects. Especially effective in high-resolution photos, it’s immensely versatile and suitable for various themes including fashion, lifestyle, and product photography.
This is an easy-to-use, fully editable Photoshop action created for Photoshop CC 2023+. The PS action features a customizable effect that instantly transforms your photos and designs with a stylish watercolor painting look and feel.
This simple watercolor painting effect works beautifully with portrait photos. It will allow you to easily transform your photos with a realistic watercolor look and feel. The PS action is compatible with all Photoshop CC versions.
If you want to change the pace from watercolor designs and add an oil painting look, this PS action is for you. It features a smooth oil painting effect that will make your photos look like a masterpiece.
With this Photoshop template, you can instantly add a watercolor look to your photos with just a few clicks. It comes as a PSD template with organized layers. All you have to do is place your photo using the smart objects to apply the watercolor effect.
If you prefer to experiment with effects and craft your own unique watercolor effects, this Photoshop plugin will come in handy. It has all the tools you need to craft different styles of watercolor effects for various types of photos.
This free Photoshop action is ideal for applying simple watercolor effects to your everyday photos. It works best with portrait photos but you can try using it with other photos as well.
This is one of the most authentic watercolor Photoshop actions on our list. It allows you to create a watercolor effect in your own photos that will make them look just like a real-life watercolor painting. It works best with landscape photos as well as photos of structures, buildings, and nature.
Transform your photos into realistic watercolor artworks in the drop of a hat with our next photoshop action. The action is specifically designed for absolute beginners, is super simple and fun to use, and allows you to create 30 preset color looks. Creating watercolor photo effects has never been easier.
Perfect for creating artworks including, posters, ad campaigns, flyers, and social media posts, our next photoshop watercolor action has something for every purpose under the sun. It’s fully layered which allows you a lot of creative control plus it’s interesting experimenting with all the layers.
Wanting to achieve that grungy, messy and distressed watercolor look in your pictures? Look no further than the Aquarelle Photoshop action. No professional skills required to create attractive and eye-catching images. Truly a gold standard in the world of watercolor photo effects.
With the vintage watercolor photoshop effect, you no longer have to wait years and decades for your photographs to achieve that rough worn-out look. Experiement with the stains, unclear edges and water splatters as you see fit and obtain that retro watercolor-like photograph in a couple of minutes.
Transform your images into red watercolor sketch drawings using this unique photoshop action without spending a penny. Get your hands on this freebie, use this filter on your pictures and get ready to receive compliments from friends, family, clients and whosoever sees your beautiful artwork.
If you’re looking for a smooth and creative watercolor effect for your portrait photos, this Photoshop action is perfect for you. It features a realistic watercolor effect that uses its own brushes and patterns to create the watercolor look and feel. It includes a video tutorial as well.
Even though this is not a watercolor effect, it actually creates a watercolor-inspired abstract art effect. This action is most suitable for improving portrait photos and selfies. The action uses the Photoshop oil paint filter to create the effect.
This Photoshop action is ideal for turning your landscape and nature photos into works of art. It allows you to create a watercolor-themed painting effect using your photos. The Photoshop action also lets you choose from 30 different color schemes of the effect.
Jazzman is a free watercolor Photoshop action that features a creative effect that transforms your photos. The effect this action creates is fully customizable. You can adjust and edit the effect using its layers.
Inspired by traditional painting styles, this Photoshop action comes with a stylish effect that converts your photos into paintings. The effect uses watercolor-themed brush strokes. The effect can be customized to your preference as well.
This Photoshop action allows you to create a watercolor-inspired modern art effect. It will be most useful to designers who work with flyers, posters, and banner designs for adding colorful effects to artworks.
You can use this Photoshop action to create a realistic watercolor effect for portrait photos. It features an effect that makes it look like a half-done painting. The action is compatible with Photoshop CS3 and higher.
Another unique Photoshop action that allows you to create an animated effect. This action features an oil-painting inspired effect. You can use it to even animate your photos to create video clips and GIFs.
This is a collection of 3 creative watercolor Photoshop actions. Each action is designed for enhancing portrait photos and they feature different styles of watercolor effects. All three actions are free to download.
Even though oil painting and watercolor are two separate mediums, you can still use this professional Photoshop action to create a unique watercolor-like effect with your photos and graphics. It includes 10 different effects with various painting-themed designs.
Another high-quality Photoshop action you can use to create an authentic painting effect. This action can be applied with just one-click and also allows you to customize the effect to your preference. The action works with Photoshop CS3 and higher.
This is a unique Photoshop action featuring an effect that makes your photos and graphics look as if they were drawn with real-paint. The bundle comes with the effect in multiple formats, including patterns and textures.
If you’re a fan of acrylic painting effects, this Photoshop action will allow you to apply that same look and feel to your own photos. The action is fully customizable and comes with a set of brushes as well.
Concepter is a unique Photoshop action that completely transforms your photos into outdoor painting-style sketches (plein air). The effect includes 20 color options to choose from, brushes, and patterns as well. The action works with Photoshop CC 2015 or higher.
This creative Photoshop action allows you to add a vintage painting effect to your photos and images. The action creates an editable effect with organized layers and comes with an additional patterns file as well.
A creative Photoshop action that’s ideal for making digital art effects to stylize your photos and illustrations. The action comes with 15 different color styles for you to experiment with and it works with Photoshop CS5 and higher.
This is a collection of free Photoshop actions that includes 6 unique oil painting effects. The actions are designed to create various styles of effects including digital painting, drawing on canvas, paint strokes, and more.
A set of creative oil painting Photoshop actions you can use with your creative and commercial projects. This action is most suitable for adding an oil painting effect to your portrait photos.
Mix Art is a creative Photoshop action that combines several different styles such as sketch, painting, and watercolor to create a unique effect. This action is perfect for giving an artistic look to your poster and banner designs.
If you want to add a truly natural watercolor look to your designs and images, this action will come in handy. It features an authentic watercolor effect that’ll make it hard to tell whether it’s a digital image or a real painting.
This Photoshop action allows you to create a stylish watercolor effect to make your photos look more creative. It’s especially more suitable for designing photo albums and wedding albums. The action works with Photoshop CS3 and higher.
Another high-quality Photoshop action featuring a natural watercolor effect. This action creates an amazing watercolor effect by using its own patterns and brushes. It’ll make your photos and graphics look like real-life paintings.
Painterly is an amazing watercolor painting Photoshop action that allows you to transform your images with just one click. This action is unlike any other action on our list and it’s free to download and use.
Want to give a classic old-school look to your modern photos? Then this action is for you. It allows you to add a vintage look to your photos with just one-click by adding a washed out watercolor effect.
Sensation is a stylish watercolor Photoshop action that features a modern art-style effect. This action creates an effect using natural brush strokes to make your photos look like real paintings.
This Photoshop action is designed for transforming landscape and scenery photos into watercolor paintings. The action comes with 20 different presets for enhancing many different types of outdoor photos featuring nature and urban scenes.
Color sketch is a creative Photoshop action that gives your photos an artistic look. It features an effect featuring a mixed design of sketching and watercolor brush strokes. It’s perfect for portraits and poster designs.
Here we have a set of modern Photoshop actions that allows you to convert your digital photographs into authentic watercolor artworks. These are ideal for a wide range of creative applications.
This is a creative Photoshop action that allows you to create authentic watercolor effects with your photos and graphics. The action is easily customizable and works with Photoshop CS3 and higher.
A modern watercolor Photoshop action you can use to add a little bit of artistic touch to your photos. This action will be quite useful in enhancing your portrait photos.
If you’re looking for a simple Photoshop action to transform your ordinary photos into paintings, then this action will help you get the job done. It creates a fully layered painting effect, which you can easily adjust and customize to your preference.
Plasticum is a unique Photoshop action that creates an artistic effect with polygonal shapes. With a few customizations and color adjustments, you can use this action to create an attractive watercolor effect as well.
Another professional Photoshop action featuring an acrylic painting effect. This action is most suitable for adding an additional effect to your portraits. It works with Photoshop CS3 and higher.
This free Photoshop action creates a unique glass painting effect. It includes 2 different actions that create non-destructive and editable effects.
Another set of Photoshop actions featuring oil painting effects. This pack also includes creative Photoshop actions you can use to add a realistic painting effect to your photos.
This is a bundle of 5 different Photoshop actions that includes different actions for transforming many types of images, graphics, and designs into artworks. The actions feature unique effects that will make your design look like watercolor and hand-drawn paintings.
This is another unique watercolor Photoshop action that blends the effects of a painting with your real-life photos for achieving the perfectly artistic look. Getting this effect to work is as simple as brushing over the areas for applying the effect and playing the action.
One of the most attractive features of the watercolor effect is how it adds more vibrance and color to your designs and photos. This Photoshop action helps you achieve that with its colorful one-click process. It also includes a video tutorial on how to customize the effect as well.
Miniaturum is another professional Photoshop action that creates a realistic watercolor sketch effect. This action is best used with your landscape and outdoor photos. But it will also work well with portraits as well. The best part is this action is that it’s compatible with Photoshop CS3 and above.
This Photoshop action is designed specifically for modern portraits and street photos. The effect adds a watercolor effect with a slightly modern touch for giving your photos a mixed look full of both artistic and modern elements.
When it comes to watercolor effects, most Photoshop actions try to make your designs look too much like a painting. This effect, however, is not one of those PS actions. This effect gives an authentic look to your artworks and designs to make them look like true watercolor and pencil art. The effect is also customizable and features 20 color presets and options.
A bundle of watercolor effects. This pack comes with 8 different Photoshop actions featuring watercolor effects and acrylic painting effects. It includes textures made with real watercolor paintings. Each action creates effects with non-destructive layers so you can easily edit the effect to your preference.
This creative watercolor Photoshop action comes with 5 different color options for using with different types of your designs and artworks. The effects mix watercolor and photo effects to give a unique look to your images. The actions are compatible with Photoshop CS3 and above.
An accurately designed Photoshop action that allows you to transform your portrait photos and designs into pieces of art. This action has been crafted by a professional designer to make it as authentic as possible. The effect will give your photos an artistic watercolor painting look like none other.
This is a watercolor Photoshop action that will work with almost any type of an image or design. It simply adds a basic watercolor effect to your designs to specific areas of your preference. All you have to do is brush over the areas you want to apply the effect and play the action.
Modernum Photoshop action creates a unique watercolor effect full of color and vibrance. The effect features a modern design and even allows you to customize it with using 10 different colors presets and other options.
If you’re looking for a Photoshop action to give your designs an old-school vintage art look, this action will come in handy. It features a watercolor effect that gives a grunge like vintage look to your designs and photos. The action supports 20 colors presets and generates the effect in organized layers.
This Photoshop action is truly one of a kind. It transforms your photos and graphic designs into palette knife artworks. The amazing part is how accurate and realistic this effect really looks. The effect is also fully editable to your preference.
Another simple watercolor Photoshop action that creates a canvas-like effect to make your designs look more like authentic paintings. The effect can be easily customized and it even comes with a tutorial video. The action is compatible with Photoshop CS3 and better.
If you’re looking for a more artistic watercolor effect, this is the best Photoshop action you can use. It completely transforms your photos into paintings by giving them a realistic look. Although, it may not work with all types of photos, especially family and group photos.
Watercolor and oil paintings have a close relationship. This Photoshop action is a one that seems to do justice for both. This action features an oil and knife painting effect that gives an amazingly colorful look to designs and photos. It comes with 20 colors presets.
This watercolor Photoshop action seems to work well with object and product based photos. It adds a natural watercolor effect to your photos that will wow your clients and audience.
Uniqum is Photoshop action that comes with a mix of both a sketch and painting effect. It adds a unique look to your photos with a mix of sketch and painting to give them an authentic and unfinished look. The effect is fully customizable with adjustment layers and it includes 10 color presets as well.
Even though this Photoshop action creates a sketch art effect, it also seems to add certain watercolor painting-like effect to photos as well. You can use this Photoshop action to create unique portrait photo designs, backgrounds, textures, and more.
Is it a watercolor painting? Digital art? Or a real photo? No one will be able to tell the difference once you apply this effect to your photos. This Photoshop action combines lots of graphical elements to create a unique artistic effect that will make your designs look more original.
This is technically not a watercolor Photoshop action, but the effect it creates is truly original and it will definitely be helpful for your design work. The one-click Photoshop action creates a unique effect that will make your photos look like digital artworks.
Create a unique design and get fun when you paint. You can use these brushes to realize your wildest ideas in design. Brushes are perfect for creating posters, branding and packaging, business cards, logo design, invitations, social media design, greetings cards, pattern design and more.
The artistic collection includes 40 brushes for Photoshop and 9 bloomy vector illustrations, and we are sure you will have lots of fun having them on your invitations, stationery, cards, t-shirts and so much more!
Here we have Premio, a Photoshop Action helping you transform your photos into a watercolor masterpiece. It runs perfectly on both PC and Mac and comes with a video tutorial to help you make the most of the watercolor effect.
For a strong and vibrant watercolor effect, you can’t go wrong with the Dry Brush collection of watercolor Photoshop actions. Featuring three individual filters that can be applied to your images instantly with drag and drop functionality, it promises a realistic look that can be used with any kind of photo.
Here we have a series of fully layered and easy-to-use watercolor Photoshop actions that are compatible with Photoshop versions CS3 and higher and feature a non-destructive workflow, plus full supporting documentation to make editing a breeze even if you have no design experience.
Next in our selection of the best watercolor Photoshop actions is this super professional action that will turn any photo into a stunning watercolor masterpiece in a single click, and comes with a range of color effects, background textures, and black and white control options to help you achieve the perfect result.
If you’re looking for a brilliant watercolor Photoshop action to bring your architectural sketches to life, look no further. This amazing Photoshop action has been specifically designed as an architectural design tool and features fully editable layers with customizable colors and textures.
4 Tips for Choosing Watercolor Photoshop Actions
Before you start browsing our collection of watercolor actions, be sure to follow these tips to find the best Photoshop actions for your project.
1. Different Types of Watercolor Photoshop Actions
There are many different types of watercolor Photoshop actions you can use to create various effects and designs. For example, there are actions that create oil painting effects, grunge watercolor effects, sketch effects, and much more.
Depending on the style of the watercolor effect you want to create in your designs, you’ll have to be careful to pick the right actions for your images and illustrations.
2. Pick the Right Action for Your Designs
Picking the right action for your design is also a challenge when it comes to watercolor actions. Mostly because different watercolor actions are made for different types of images and photos.
You won’t be able to use the same Photoshop action to add a watercolor effect to a portrait photo and turn an ordinary landscape photo into a watercolor painting. You’ll need to find the appropriate action for each design.
3. Check for the Additional Resources
A Photoshop action alone can’t create an authentic watercolor effect. Usually, it requires many additional files such as unique patterns, textures, and brushes that aren’t available on Photoshop by default.
In such cases, your Photoshop action files will come bundled with additional resources. Make sure to install these extra files as well. Otherwise, your watercolor action won’t work as intended.
4. Is the Effect Customizable?
The most important feature to look for when downloading Photoshop actions is to check to see whether the effect is customizable. You should be able to customize the colors and adjust the strength of the watercolor effect after applying it to your photos.
Check to see if your Photoshop action creates a non-destructive effect with adjustment layers for easier customization.
Looking for cool backgrounds? Check out our watercolor background textures collection for more.
