Replace a Sky in Photoshop and Get Perfect Edges with the Sky Brush
Photoshop’s Sky Replacement makes swapping skies fast, but edges around buildings and objects can look hazy. This tutorial shows how to use the Sky Brush inside the Sky Replacement dialog to refine those edges precisely and even restore subject details where the sky bleeds in. You’ll also learn to keep your refined mask while trying different skies for the perfect look.
Step-by-step instructions
Open Sky Replacement
Go to Edit → Sky Replacement.
Pick a sky category and select a sky (choose a gray or high-contrast sky to clearly see edges).
Adjust the sky’s position/scale within the Sky Replacement dialog if needed.
Refine edges with the Sky Brush
Select the Sky Brush in the Sky Replacement panel.
Resize the brush with [ (smaller) and ] (bigger).
Paint along object edges to remove hazy halos and tighten the selection.
Zoom in (Ctrl/Cmd +) to work precisely around buildings, trees, and small gaps.
Restore subject details where sky intrudes
Hold Alt/Option to switch the brush to restore mode.
Position the crosshair over the subject color you want to bring back, then paint to remove sky bleed from inside the object.
Alternate between painting and restoring to stay within the lines.
Swap skies while keeping the refined mask
Change the selected sky in the Sky Replacement dialog; your refined edge mask is preserved.
Increase Foreground Lighting and Color Adjustment to better blend the scene as needed.
Click OK to apply the replacement.
