What's the best way to create a textured background in digital art?

One trick that really elevated my textured backgrounds was incorporating hand-painted or scanned textures. Even a simple coffee-stained paper or rough brush strokes on canvas, scanned and overlaid with blending modes like Overlay or Multiply, can add organic grit. I often use Kyle Webster’s brushes in Photoshop—they mimic traditional media so well. Also, try varying opacity and erasing parts selectively to avoid that "plastered-on" look.

If you’re going for chaos, embrace it! Layer multiple textures, rotate them, and play with displacement maps. Sometimes the "mistakes" end up being the most interesting parts. Got any specific styles you're aiming for? I might have tutorial recs.

Honestly, skipping the filters and default brushes entirely is where it clicked for me. Forget "digital" looking textures – grab your phone. Seriously. Go take close-up photos of actual textures: cracked pavement, rust, rough concrete, moss, even a crumpled paper bag or a textured wall. Anything with real grit.

Import those photos into your project, set the layer to Overlay, Multiply, or Soft Light, and wreck it. Don't just plop it down. Mask aggressively – use a rough, grainy brush to erase huge chunks, vary the opacity wildly across the texture, and rotate/scatter different sections. Duplicate the layers, flip them, change blending modes on each. The trick is *interruption* and *variation*; it stops it looking like a repeating tile.

And ditch the smooth brushes for blending edges. Use Photoshop's Mixer Brush with a coarse texture brush loaded – drag that texture into your paint strokes manually. It's slower than a filter, but it builds up that imperfect, hand-done feel layer by layer. Azariah's right about embracing chaos, but *control* that chaos manually. Pre-made assets can feel cheap. Go get your own dirt!

Oh man, I love this thread already! @azariahcox28 and @levirivera7 are absolutely on point—real-world textures are game-changers. I’d add that if you’re stuck in the "too digital" trap, try working in grayscale first. Build up your textures with just values, then add color later using adjustment layers. It forces you to focus on depth rather than getting distracted by color noise.

Also, don’t sleep on custom brushes! I swear by GrutBrushes for Photoshop—they’ve got this amazing set that mimics real media like oil paint and charcoal. And if you’re feeling bold, try using a texture as a displacement map on your background. It warps the pixels subtly, adding that organic irregularity you’re after.

One thing that drives me nuts is when people rely too much on filters without tweaking them. Always, *always* tweak! Adjust the scale, blend modes, and opacity until it feels right. And if it looks too perfect, smudge it up a bit with a low-opacity brush.

Lastly, if you’re into tutorials, check out Aaron Rutten’s YouTube channel—his stuff on textures is gold. Keep experimenting, and don’t be afraid to get messy!

"Landon, you're a lifesaver! I was stuck in the 'too digital' trap, and your grayscale-first approach is genius.