Waterdrops Scatter

This tutorial will show you how to make a scatter that looks like water drops (or rain drops for SNL participants) in Photoshop.

1.  Open up a new canvas that is 3600 pixels wide and 600 pixels high.

2.  Select the Hard Round brush.  This brush is usually available as the Hard Round 19 and is a Photoshop Default brush.

Diameter = 150px
Angle = 0
Roundness = 80%
Spacing = Checked
Spacing = 140%

Smoothing = Checked

I'm not very artistic, so I am unable to paint a pretty random scatter across the canvas.  Therefore, I set up the brush to do the scattering for me.

Shape Dynamics

Size Jitter = 56%
Control = Pen Pressure
Minimum Diameter = 0%
Angle Jitter = 35%
Roundness Jitter = 35%
Minimum Roundness = 25%

Scattering

Both Axes = Checked
Scatter = 200%
Count = 1

3.  Click once on the right side of the canvas.  Press down the Shift key and hold it.  Click once on the left side of the canvas.  The color doesn't matter because the fill opacity will be set to 0% later.

4.  Optional.  If you want to make the water drops more irregular, apply a deformation.  I chose the Wave deformation (Filter > Distort > Wave).

Number of Generators = 2
Wavelength Min = 25
Wavelength Max = 50
Amplitude Min = 25
Amplitude Max = 50
Scale Horiz = 5
Scale Vert = 7
Type = Sine
Undefined Areas = Repeat Edge Pixels

5. Go to Layer Styles (Layer > Layer Style > Blending Options) and change the fill opacity to 0%.

6.  Apply a Drop Shadow.

Blend Mode = Multiply
Opacity = 14
Angle = 90
Use Global Light = Checked
Distance = 15
Spread = 4
Size = 15
Contour = Cone
Anti-aliased = Checked
Noise = 0
Layer Knocks Out Drop Shadow = Checked

7.  Apply an Inner Shadow.

Blend Mode = Multiply
Color = #000000
Opacity = 15
Angle = 90
Use Global Light = Checked
Distance = 15
Choke = 0
Size = 15
Contour = Linear
Anti-aliased = Unchecked
Noise = 0

8.  Apply an Inner Glow.

Blend Mode = Multiply
Opacity = 23
Noise = 0
Color = #000000
Technique = Softer
Source = Edge
Choke = 0
Size = 15
Contour = Linear
Anti-aliased = Checked
Noise = 0

9.  Apply a Bevel to give the drops a glassy look.

Style = Inner Bevel
Technique = Smooth
Depth = 70
Direction = Up
Size = 50
Soften = 0
Angle = 90
Use Global Light = Checked
Altitude = 70
Gloss Contour = Linear
Anti-aliased = Unchecked
Highlight Mode = Normal
Highlight Color = #FFFFFF
Highlight Opacity = 80
Shadow Mode = Lighten
Shadow Color = #FFFFFF
Shadow Opacity = 90

The scatter is now complete.  NOTE:  I added a layer in gray below the waterdrops layer to make it easier to see the droplets.