Smudge Tool
The Smudge Tool creates an effect like dragging a finger through wet paint. It picks up color where you start the stroke and drags it.
The Smudge Tool is similar to the Mixer Brush. The Mixer Brush also picks up color from where you begin a stroke, but it then simulates a realistic painting technique, mixing colors as you continue the stroke.
The other two tools that share the button on the Toolbar with the Smudge Tool, are not that useful, simply because there are better alternatives. The Smudge Tool however, is a good and useful tool, in the appropriate situations, e.g. digital painting, but also in some editing situations.
Smudge Tool Options
Detailed descriptions of each tool option
Tool Presets
You can create and save a Tool Preset for any tool, which will remember settings that you choose for that tool, so you can quickly and easily select different presets and settings for a particular tool. The degree of usefulness of presets varies, depending on the tool.
You can reset any tool back to its default settings by right clicking on the Tool Presets button and select Reset Tool. Take care not to Reset All Tools, unless that is intended.
Brush Presets
You can change size and hardness and select from a range of brush presets. There are many brushes available and you can also create your own.
Brushes Panel
This panel allows you to customize any brush with a wide range of options and settings, which will change the characteristics of the brush. You can then save these brushes.
The default size of 13 is quite small, so depending on the area you are working on, and the size of the image, you may want to just the size.
Mode
Choose to paint with a range of Blend Modes, for different effects.
Strength
Control the strength, or amount, of sharpening that you do with each brush stroke. I recommend reducing the amount, say to 50%, or lower. It will take slightly longer, but you will have more control.
Be careful, because you can easily go too far with this tool and damage your image.
Brush Angle
If you have a non round brush, you can change the angle of the brush.
It won't make any difference on a round brush.
Sample All Layers
Choose whether to smudge just the currently selected layer, or all the layers.
Finger Painting
Finger Painting uses the foreground color at the beginning of each stroke.
If Finger Painting is not selected, the Smudge tool will use the color under the cursor at the beginning of each stroke.
Pressure Sensitive Size
If you have a pressure sensitive pen and tablet, you can turn on this option, so brush size is controlled by the pen pressure. If this is off, size will be controlled by brush settings.
For non pressure sensitive users, the best way to change brush size is with the square brackets keys [ ].
How to use the Smudge Tool
The Smudge Tool is straightforward to use and the steps below describe how to use it.
Step 1
Select the Smudge Tool from the toolbar. Like most tools, it shares the button with other tools and the one that is visible will be the last tool used.
Step 2
Consider what strength you want to work at. Start with the default setting of 50% and adjust as desired. The effect will also depend on the brush selected and its size.
Step 3
Decide whether or not to work on a new empty layer or a duplicate of the layer. When working on a separate layer you must select Sample All Layers. There can be a lag between your stroke and seeing the result of the stroke. This is not helpful for painting.
Working on a separate layer is the ideal, which gives you several advantages. But if you experience lag, then duplicate your layer and work on that.
Click on the + button at the bottom of the Layers Panel.
Step 4
When you click on the + button at the bottom of the Layers panel, a new empty layer is added. This is always added immediately above the selected layer.
If you start painting and don't see anything, check that you have turned on Sample All Layers.
Step 5
On the screenshot, I have made 3 brush strokes. The default brush size is quite small, so I increased that to 70. All 3 strokes are made with the same brush size.
The top stroke is made from red to white, with the default Strength setting of 50.
The middle stroke is made from red to white, with a Strength setting of 75.
The bottom stroke is made from white to red, with a strength setting of 75.
Step 6
You can blend colors with the Smudge Tool, but you will need to select a different brush, or modify the default brush. I will modify the default brush.
When you change to a different brush and return to a previous brush, you lose any settings you changed. So we will create a preset.
I will change some settings, then save it as a new brush preset.
Step 7
Select the Brushes Panel, by clicking on this button on the Options Bar.
Create a Smudge Tool Preset
Step 8
There are two tabs. Select the Brushes tab, as highlighted.
Then select Scattering.
Step 9
Tick the box to enable Scattering and if you don't see the options as shown, also click directly on Scattering (highlighted in red).
You can experiment with different amounts for Scatter, but here I have adjusted it to 20% (highlighted in green).
Adjust Count to 2 (highlighted in pink). Again you can experiment with other settings.
There are many other settings, but for now I will ignore those.
Step 10
Tick the box to Sample All Layers.
We are doing this now, so that when you create a new brush preset, this option is included in the settings. It will save you having to do it each time you select the brush (and being frustrated when you go to work on a new layer and it doesn't work).
Step 11
The default brush size is very small, so I suggest increasing the brush size now, so that setting is also saved in the preset we will create.
Either click on the Brush Presets button on the Options Bar, or change brush size by using the keyboard shortcut Ctrl + ] (right square brackets key. This is such a key shortcut, that I recommend you use.
For other keyboard shortcuts that will speed up your workflow, see Recommended Keyboard Shortcuts.
Step 12
In the Brushes panel, click on the menu button (highlighted in red), then select New Brush Preset (highlighted in green).
Step 13
Give your new preset a name. This can be whatever you wish, but I usually include a few clues as to the settings (highlighted in green).
Note that the brush size is included in the preset (highlighted in red). This isn't crucial, as you can change the size of any brush very quickly and easily in the Brush Presets, or better yet, by using the keyboard shortcut of Ctrl + [ or ] (square brackets keys, [ to decrease, ] to increase brush size).
The option to save the brush size is highlighted in pink.
Step 14
After creating your preset, you can access it by clicking on the Brush Presets button.
Step 15
Then select your brush.
Blend Colors with the Smudge Tool
Step 16
This screenshot is the result of a single brush stroke with the brush preset we just created. The brush stroke started at the bottom and continued up to where it shows in the screenshot.
In one stroke, it has blended the green and blue.
If you want more blending, then make additional strokes on the edges of the first brush stroke.
Step 17
Here is the result of a few brush strokes on either side of the first brush stroke in the previous step.
Although this is fairly simple, there is an element of skill and experience and your blending will get better with practice.
Summary of the Smudge Tool
The Smudge Tool is a great tool for digital painting and it has other uses. You can use it to blend colors, or to create painterly strokes from original content. It can also be used in photos to create realistic results.
Unlike the other two tools that share the button with the Smudge tool (Blur and Sharpen), this is actually a very useful tool, in the right situations.
