55 free Photoshop brushes for photographers

21. Star brushes

Star brushes can look cheesy, and these ones certainly have a digital art vibe about them. But when applied to the right photo, they can add a touch of magic to a night sky, and are useful even for adding to lens flares. 

22. Moon brushes

More free Photoshop resources: 63 free Photoshop actions

More free resources: 63 free Lightroom presets for photographers

Blending a moon into your image can rely on blend modes, so why not use one of these brushes? You can insert a few for a surreal twist, or just the one; they can also be used alongside your cloud brushes. 

23. Eyelash brushes

Brushes tend to be most useful when editing portraits. These eyelash brushes certainly fall into that category; just use them with subtlety to avoid overdoing the effect.

24. Fog brush

Fog can look quite different to cloud, and these brushes can be a handy addition to shots of mountains and hills. They're high quality and work best in white.

25. Grass brushes

These grass brushes work well as added extras to shots with grass already in the image; they just add a realistic touch, and can be best used as a silhouette.

26. Bokeh brushes

Bokeh is a popular photographic technique and adding a simple bokeh around the lights of your image can really add a touch of class to your images. They look good both in the foreground and the background.

27. Eyelash brushes

These eye lash brushes are very minimal and don't require the same editing as the other ones on this list, but they can still help to transform a portrait's eyes. Set to black for best results. 

28. Spray paint brushes

Spray paint brushes are most often associated with street art and digital art, and these ones are good for urban shots. You can also use them as textures in your final photos.  

29. Night sky brushes

If you're looking to add a bit of everything to your night image - clouds, stars, space dust - then look no further. These brushes might be a touch on the "fantasy" side for photorealism, but they can make a nice texture either way. 

30. Lens flare brushes

Lens flares can always come in useful. This pack are big, bright and cinematic; they work best when brushed in white.

32. Dust particle brushes

These dust particle brushes are a little more prominent than the others on this light, and can double up as light effects. They're great for darker shots and can be blurred for bokeh effects. 

33. Powder explosion brushes

These powder brushes are suitable for a range of projects, and combined with the stock images on Behance, capable of amazing effects. They're really high quality, and can certainly liven up a photo. 

34. Abstract planet brushes

If you're searching for something a little science fiction, these marble-like planet brushes are a cool addition to your night skies. Vary the blend mode for different effects, too. 

35. Light brushes

Sometimes adding a spot light in Photoshop can be a little more time consuming that it originally sounds. This pack can create realistic light beams in an instance, and are best set to Soft Light in your image. 

36. Foliage brush

Another brush that works best when used from a-far, this foliage brush is great for extra texture but isn't so good for close up details. Still worth keeping around for nature shots, though. 

37. Snowflake brushes

As discussed earlier, it's rare to actually see a snowflake in real life. If you want to evoke such an event though, these brushes are perfect, with a fantastic variety of shapes.

38. Bubble brushes

Whether you're looking to photograph underwater, or you just want the effect of some bubbles in your image, these brushes can certainly do a job. Lower the opacity too for more realism. 

39. Subtle retro brushes

Retro brushes can be your best friend for Polaroid-style effects in your pictures. These ones have a great dusty effect that look natural on your photos. 

40. Lens flares

Photoshop's default lens flares are somewhat underwhelming, so it's good to build up a collection of as many as you can find. The advantage of using lens flare brushes like these is that you can keep clicking to make them even bigger and brighter.

Mark White

Mark wrote for Photoshop Creative magazine until its closure in September 2018, demonstrating his mastery of advanced image editing skills. He is now a staff writer for the leading soccer magazine FourFourTwo.