Here’s another example of using texture to add another dimension to a simple portrait. First, the color choice had to make sense, as most textures come as a colored background. This shade of blue worked nicely with a seaside scene. I used a light texture which didn’t over over the subject.
First, the textured background was dropped in as a layer. Then under Blend Options I chose ‘Overlay’. A mask was then applied, and I painted in the texture on all but the actual subject. You can also use the opacity slider to adjust the amount of texture applied.