The March installment of Photoshop Proving Ground shows off some tricks with Path Blur to add dynamic motion to your images. In the dancer image to the right, I also treated the background to some blur love that creates a unique, directional texture, reinforcing the sense of movement.

This technique is pretty straightforward, but can have a lot of impact. I find that most people tend to think of this tool for very specific uses, such as creating realistic blurs that mimic camera or subject movement. In fact, that’s the first part of the article, as you can see with the runner below.

The chalk explosion on the lower right starts to take things a little further and employs a couple of options in the Path Blur panel. I think it’s important to show these variations in hopes of sparking some creativity and unique looks.

There is nothing that says you can’t apply this tool to graphic elements, as well. I can think of some great ways to blur type, for example, or to create more depth in traditional illustrations and drawings.