Digi DIY backgrounds

Use a smart device as a light box

Anything on your tablet or phone display can be used as a backdrop, but colourful images work a treat. However, making your own backgrounds from scratch is hugely rewarding and extremely easy to do. We had the most success using the Gradient tool and soft brushes.

Open a blank Photoshop document and select the Gradient tool before clicking on the Gradient Picker dropdown menu. You’ll find a variety of presets with complementary colours, or you can click the coloured box next to the Gradient Picker arrow to edit the colours yourself. Simply click-and-drag your cursor over the blank document to apply the gradient. Using brushes to create your background affords you more control and you’ll be able to include as many colours as you like. We used large round brushes (using the square bracket keys to refine the size) set to 0% hardness.

Keep painting various colours over the document until it’s completely covered and you’re happy with the aesthetic. Once finished, head to the top toolbar and select Filter>blur>gaussian Blur. The higher the radius the blurrier your image will appear, blending the colours together.