Useful Applications for the Clone Stamp Tool

Alvaro Guzman on Nov 7th 2008 with 53 comments

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Maybe the Clone Stamp Tool is one of the most known tools in Photoshop, but have you ever wondered: what else can I do with the cloning stamp than duplicating pixels and hiding objects? These two short tutorials will show you some new uses for this wonderful tool.

Part One, Cloning a "Baby" Car

Before we get started, let’s take a look at the image we’ll be creating. Want access to full PSD files and downloadable copies of every tutorial, including this one? Join Psdtuts+ PLUS for just $19/month. You can view the final image preview below or view a larger version here.

The Basics

The Clone Stamp Tool is an awesome feature of Photoshop. It has been a part of the application for quite some time. The way to use this tool is really simple. First, select the brush type, choose the area you want to duplicate. Next press and hold only the Option key, and then click one time over the area that we call the Clone Source. Finally, just paint anywhere you want it.

You can clone from only one layer or several layers selecting the sample combo box. Also, you can paint the clone source on the original layer or into a new one. This tool is well known as the object remover, see the image below for a sample of the tool in action, which shows us how to remove a small cloud from a picture. Simple right? Let’s go to something a little bit more complicated next.

Step 1

First, open your original picture. I’m using this one of an old white truck, then Go to File > Save as… and save it somewhere as a PSD. I pasted the image into a new document at 1422 pixels by 1024 pixels, but you can work in the original file size.

Actually, my picture looks a little bit purple, so I’ll fix this by using two Adjustment Layers, a Selective color adjustment, only the blue color, and a Level Adjustment layer. Why adjustment layers? Well this way all the adjustments will be applied to any other layer on the document, but without distorting your original image. Name the image layer "Truck."

Step 3

Now select the "Truck" layer in the Layers Palette and select the Clone Stamp Tool. Set the brush at around 50px and set the Hardness to 0%. Now to select the cloning source Alt-Click somewhere on your image, a good point is just at the top left of the truck. Also, go to Window > Clone source to show the advanced options.

Step 4

When you have selected your clone source, create a new layer above the "Truck" layer and name it "Mini truck." Go to the Clone Source window and mark the Show Overlay checkbox. This way you’ll have a transparent copy of your clone source. Try moving your brush here an there to see how it works.

Now in the Clone source window, change these values W: 30% and H: 30%, this way you’ll be resizing your clone source to 30% of the original size. Next, place the clone transparent overlay on a proper place and start painting until you duplicate the entire truck. Remember, you’ll be painting on the "Mini truck" layer.

Step 5

Now very carefully, using the Eraser Tool, delete all the dirt areas cloned around the "Mini Truck".

Step 6

Now using the Burn tool, burn some areas of the "Mini truck" layer.

Step 7

I’m adding two more Adjustments layers: a Exposure adjustment and a Gradient map (Blending Mode set to Linear Burn).

Part One Conclusion

And that’s it, just to improve the distance sensation, blur the "Mini tuck" layer just a little bit by going to Filter > Blur > Blur.