From the author: This lesson is proof that I have a passion for color. lighting effects, and the more there are, the better. I'll show you how you can create strong lighting using layer styles, for example. You won't need special brushes for this; we'll do everything using a few images.
This tutorial is not only for the advanced, beginners can try their hand too, but you should know how to use adjustment layers, how to create custom brushes and how to apply layer styles. Despite all this, I think this is not a very difficult lesson.
I wanted to create something like a wizard that throws colored balls with energy. Therefore, I selected several images and now I invite you to start this work.
This is actually the Master Wizard who this whole lesson is about.
Here is a list of all the necessary materials:
Note translator:
The photo is stock and not free, but I think everyone will want to create all this with their hero.
Step 1. Open in Photoshop photo, which depicts your future Master. You won't need to separate it from the background if you only want to add effects like in the tutorial. First, let's add a couple of adjustment layers to generally adjust the image. The first one will be Gradient map(Gradient Map) with default gradient ( purple-orange), set its blending mode to (Linear Dodge (Add) and opacity(Opacity) 10%. Second adjustment layer Hue/Saturation(Hue\Saturation). In the settings of this layer, raise Saturation(Saturation) up to 25.
Step 2. Let's start with the light ball. Open the image powerball.jpg , reduce its size and increase its saturation. Change the blending mode to Lightening(Screen), this will hide the black background. Now take a large, soft brush and on a new layer paint two large dots. The author used yellow and blue to match the colors of the ball that is layered below. Change the blending mode of the dots layer to Overlap(Overlay).
Step 3. At the moment our energy ball looks good, but we can make it better by adding some details. Let's create a glow on the ball using a large soft orange brush. Change the blending mode of this layer to Spot light(Pin Light) and lower the opacity to 50%. This is very important, because without this layer it will be difficult to see External glow(Outer glow)small dots-sparks shown in the following screenshot.
Keep in mind that depending on the color of your model image, you may have to use different blend modes. Blend modes work differently depending on color and lighting.
Now you need to create a brush for sparks, with scattering, also turn on the noise option in the brush settings. In layer styles add External glow(Outer glow) and set the blending mode in the glow settings to Lightening the base(Color Dodge).
Note translator: settings for such a brush are in step 5.
As you can see, the sparks are now very visible on the layer, this is because we previously created a layer below with an orange glow.
In order to better define this ball, the author made some lines using the tool Feather(Pen Tool). Pre-set a 2 px hard brush. and with the Pen tool active, select the option Stroke the outline(Stroke Path). In the settings window, select Brush(Brush). Check the box Simulate pressure(Simulate Pressure option). You can create 5 or 6 curved lines. They can be duplicated and rotated as you please.
Once the lines are ready, merge them all into one layer if you made them on separate layers and apply External glow(Outer glow). Keep in mind, the size and colors of your image may affect the final result, and you may need to use different settings than those suggested in the tutorial.
Step 5. After we've made the first energy ball, we'll add some color to the model's body using brushes and a stock image. Open color-waves.jpg and paste it into your document. Scale it if necessary and change the blending mode to Lightening(Screen). Create a layer mask and hide the top part. See image below.
Using a large soft Brush(Brush), add more color shades and set the blending mode for this layer Overlap(Overlay) or Lightening(Screen).
Step 6. Now I will show you how you can make 3D squares and circles.
Take a square brush and in the brush settings window, activate the option Diffusion(Scattering), but don't add too much scattering. IN Dynamics of shape(Shape dynamics) needs to be increased Angle fluctuation(Angle Jitter). Also set the setting Size fluctuation(Size Jitter) to maximum and if you are not working with a tablet, then Management(Control) enable setting Transition(Fade). With this setting, your brush stroke will taper at the end.
Move the brush from your left leg to your right arm. If there are too many squares, then add scattering.
Set the blending mode of the squares layer to Overlap(Overlay) and add the following layer styles. Try different colors and blending modes to get interesting results.
3D circles are made in the same way. Create several circles different sizes and reduce Filling(Fill) up to 16%. Copy the layer styles from the squares layer and, if desired, change some blending modes and colors in the settings External glow(Outer Glow). You can hide these 3D circles in the next steps and prepare other effects.
Note translator: Layer styles can be copied by holding down the keyAltand simply drag the styles icon to the desired layer.
Step 7 Open the image color-lines.jpg and place it on left leg. Set the blending mode to Lightening(Screen). Change the color if you like and increase the saturation of the image.
Let's create several contours using the tool Feather(Pen Tool), first set up a 2 px hard brush. and then, let's outline the outline. Below is the screenshot of the layer styles that need to be applied to the created lines.
Let's add lighting on the left leg. To do this, take a soft Brush(Brush) and make it smaller opacity(Opacity) up to 43%. Draw two spots using colors c2839f And bac93c. Change this layer's blending mode to Bright light(Vivid Light).
Step 8 Create two or three selections using the Straight-line lasso(Polygonal Lasso Tool). Holding down the key Shift, you will make it at an angle of 45º. Next, use a large soft brush and paint along the edge of the selection. You should end up with something similar to the screenshot below. After all these steps, change the layer blending mode to Overlap(Overlay) or Soft light(Soft Light).
Step 9 Open the image fractals.jpg and place it in your document and then go to menu Filter - Appearance - Mosaic(Filter-Pixelate-Mosaic). The author used 30 pixels as the cell size in the settings window because it works with high resolution images, but you can use the size that suits your image. After that, increase the saturation and change the blending mode to Lightening the base(Color Dodge). You can also try changing the shade of the resulting mosaic to see which color combinations you like best.
Step 10 As you can see, the right side of our image looks a bit empty, and we'll change that. Use a square brush and draw several random squares not far from each other, and also apply a filter to them Motion blur 45º (Motion Blur). To add color to the drawn squares, use layer styles. Screenshots below. To enhance this effect, duplicate this layer.
Let’s also add sparkles, scattered with a brush, to the layer with blurry squares, as in step 3, and thereby enhance the color and light effects. For these sparks you also need to adjust the layer styles External glow(Outer Glow) set the blending mode for the glow Lightening the base(Color Dodge). As you can see in the screenshot below, the blending mode for this layer is Overlap(Overlay)
Use a large soft brush of blue color and add a flash of light on right leg. Set the blending mode for this layer to Linear brightener (add)(Linear Dodge (Add).
Step 11 The turn has come to create the second energy ball and we will make it using this image - supernova.jpg . Move it into your document, scale it, add saturation and place it on your hand. Set the blending mode for this layer to Lightening(Screen). To add a light emission effect, take a large soft brush with a reddish-orange tint and paint the ball on a new layer. Blend mode for this layer Linear brightener (add)(Linear Dodge (Add)).
Use the scatter brush to add sparkles to the ball as you did a few steps back on the right hand. Add in layer styles External glow(Outer Glow) with default color and blending mode set Lightening the base(Color Dodge).
Now let’s create a trail for this energy ball using an image - trail.jpg . Place it in your document and change the blending mode for this layer to Lightening(Screen).
For the volume of the ball we use another image - shatters.jpg.
Conclusion: That's all! Of course, you can add more images for effects, but don't overdo it. Keep in mind when selecting images that they may have different blending modes depending on their color and contrast. Also remember that the author used images from high resolution and if you are using low-resolution images, you may have to change the settings suggested in the lesson.
Lesson result:
Note translator: do not forget to turn on the layer with circles, if you turned it off, the author seems to have forgotten to do this in the final image).
What makes a photo magical?
We all know that artistic treatment gives the photo atmosphere, color, makes an ordinary photo magical, and a beautiful photo perfect. For me, the main thing in photography is the idea, the transmission inner world a person, his feelings and emotions.
Let's talk about post-processing: today I try to emphasize the integrity of the image and the atmosphere of the frame using various manipulations in Lightroom and Photoshop.
Let's get started!
First, let's figure out what we plan to do. Priority number one is the color scheme. I want to emphasize the fiery red model, to separate her from the background.
What is needed for that?
Darken the background and make it cooler. There is a basis for selecting a range - let's look at the color wheel. There are a huge variety of color combinations, but I prefer the harmony of opposites. In my case, it's the girl's orange hair and a blue background.
First, I open the RAW file in Lightroom. You can, of course, do this in Camera RAW, but I personally find it more convenient to work in Lightroom. And here you can create and save your presets.
Step 1: Basic Settings
I make the border between cold and warm shades more noticeable. To do this, I’ll adjust the white balance, making it colder - I’ll remove the contrast, move the Highlights down, and raise the Whites. I pull out the shadows a little and increase the clarity (Clarity) to add volume to the photo.
Now I lower the Saturation, and, on the contrary, increase the Vibrance. Vibrance is a very useful thing when working with portraits: it protects flesh tones from oversaturation and loss of shades.
Step 2: Curves
I move on to the section with curves. Here I will work on increasing the contrast overall and separately for each color channel. Please note: I deliberately lowered the contrast in the Basic section to make it easier to work with contrast in curves.
I create the following curves in color channels:
And I’m working on the general curve:
Step 3. HSL/Color/B&W
I'll work with skin color. I will slightly reduce the saturation of the yellow tint and add red to get a natural tone. To draw highlights, I will increase the luminosity of yellow.
Step 4. Add sharpness
I’ll add sharpening in Lightroom, because Photoshop does it a little harshly. However, this is my personal opinion.
Step 5: Camera Calibration
See how I separated the colors in Camera Calibration to highlight the orange hair color, the model's warm skin color, and the cool blue background:
Step 6. Open the adjusted photo in Photoshop
Do you know what I'm missing in the photo? Lantern! That hint of a lantern in the lower right corner is clearly not enough. So I'll cheat a little: I'll cut out a lantern from another photo of the same series, using the preset in Lightroom that I just processed the photo with. Here's what happened:
So that you can see the changes better, I have highlighted the area that I pasted from another photo:
So, we’ve dealt with one lantern, it’s time to take on the one on the left. I insert a different background on the left and adjust it so that it looks natural. I wipe the desired area with the mask.
I remove too sharp a highlight on the face on the left. I replace it with a softer highlight from another photo.
I apply a curve, darkening the photo in the shadows.
I'll work on the eyes.
I paint highlights in the eyes with a simple brush or, as you may have guessed, I add them from another photo :)
I'll use a curve to lighten the face a little to highlight it and bring it to the foreground.
I'll add blue in dark shades. For the depth of the frame, I will apply a curve, working in the blue and red channels.
Now I will draw the places where the light from the lantern will fall. I’ll do this using curves (for lightening), and then wipe the desired areas with a mask.
I remove excess shadows using the Dodge and Burn method, or, more simply put, by “highlighting” them.
And in the same way I add shadows where necessary.
I'll add hair, taking it from another photo.
I will draw the hair through the mask.
I'll add the texture of light and dust particles. To do this I use the Screen blend mode.
And a little more texture.
Well, just a little more - I’ll add texture by making light from the lantern. Here I'm using the Lighten blending mode.
I will draw the lantern itself through the mask.
I'll add some sharpening and the photo is ready. Now ours red-haired girl not just special - she is mesmerizing.
Experiment, analyze photographs of other photographers, and you will succeed!
Today you will learn how to create Photoshop mysterious composition with glowing magic ball in the hands of a forest witch. Using a combination of different images and brushes, as well as adding photo effects using adjustment layers, we will create an interesting fairy-tale illustration. Let's get started.
Preview of the final image:
Step 1.
Create a new Photoshop document (File > New or Ctrl+N) size 2480x3508 px with a resolution of 300 px/inch in RGB mode with transparent (Transparent) background.
Step 2.
Let's create a fabulous background for the future composition. Open the image of the mystical forest in Photoshop and use the “Move” tool (Move Tool), by clicking the mouse button, we drag the forest into our document. Double-click on the name of this layer and rename it “Background”.
Change the size of the forest using Free Transform (Edit-Free Transform or Ctrl+T). When the transformation frame appears, hold Shift (to maintain proportions), drag the corner outward, enlarging the image so that its height matches the height of our document, and the left part of the forest remains outside the canvas.
Step 3.
Next, we'll blur our background to create a sense of depth. To do this, go to the menu Filter-Blur-Shallow depth of field blur (Filter > Blur > Lens Blur). We make the following settings: in the depth map (Depth map) source (Source) do not show (None);
Blur focal length (Blur Focal Distance) 0;
Shape: Octagon (Octagon (8);
Radius (Radius) 64;
Sheet curvature (Blade Curvature) 0;
Turn (Rotation) 0;
Mirror lighting (Specular Highlights);
Brightness (Brightness) 0;
Isohelium (Threshold) 255;
Noise (Noise) quantity (Amount) 0;
Distribution (Distribution) according to Gauss (Gaussian).
Result of applying the filter:
Next, let's add a mysterious glow in the forest. Create a new layer (Ctrl+Shift+N) above the background layer and call it “Light 1”. Set the foreground color (Foreground) by clicking on the top color square in the toolbar.
In the color palette that opens (Color Picker) set the color to #ffffdb.
Activate the Brush tool (Brush) by pressing "B" on your keyboard:
In the top menu set the values for the Brush (Brush): size 500 px, hardness (hardness) 0%, opacity (Opacity) 50%, push (Flow) 100%.
To increase or decrease the hardness value (hardness) Brushes, after activating the tool, click on the image and in the dialog box that appears, move the slider to the desired value. Default (Default) the hardness value is 100%.
Activate the “Light 1” layer by selecting it in the layers panel and start drawing in the place indicated in the screenshot.
Create a new layer (Ctrl+Shift+N) higher than the previous one and call it “Light 2”. We will use the Brush (Brush) the same color as on the “Light 1” layer, but with the following settings: size 900 px, hardness (Hardness) 0%, opacity (opacity) 50%, push (Flow) 100%. Drag the brush over the selected yellow areas.
Create a new layer (Ctrl+Shift+N) and call it “Light 3”. Opening the color palette again (Color Picker), clicking on the foreground color square and setting the color to #fffff4. Choose soft (Hardness 0%) Brush (Brush) (opacity) 50% and push (Flow) 0%. Paint the area on the left of the image.
Next, we'll darken some areas of the image, adding drama to our composition. Create a new layer (Ctrl+Shift+N) and call it " Dark background 1". Install black (#000000) foreground color by pressing "D" on your keyboard.
Activate the Brush (Brush Tool) and set it up: size 700 px, hardness (hardness) 0%, opacity (Opacity) 25%, push (flow) 0%. Use this brush to paint the top part of the image.
Now that the background for the main plot is created, select all the layers with it in the layers panel (Ctrl+ click on layer thumbnails) and combine them into a group (Ctrl+G). Rename the group to “Background” by double-clicking on the name. To see all the layers contained within a group, click the arrow on its thumbnail.
Step 4.
Opening (Ctrl+O) image of a girl in Photoshop and extract her from the background using the Polygonal Lasso tool (Polygonal Lasso Tool (L)) . Click anywhere on the edge of the heroine's clothing and begin tracing the girl until you return to the original point.
When your outline closes, a dotted selection line will appear. Select the Move tool (Move tool) and by clicking the left mouse button, drag the selected area into our main document, copying it. Position the girl on the canvas as shown in the screenshot below.
To avoid confusion, rename the layer with the girl to the “Witch” layer. Now, let's soften the edge of the girl's hood, brightening it and revealing the highlight in the background of the composition. Choose soft (0% hardness) Eraser (Eraser Tool) 600px with opacity (opacity) 25% and push (flow) 100%. We erase the left part of the hood, indicated in yellow.
For greater realism, blur the edges of the cloak a little using the Blur tool (Blur tool).
In the top menu, set up the tool brush: size 175 px, hardness (hardness) 0%, normal mode (normal), intensity (strength) 100%.
Using the Blur brush (Blur tool) along the left edge of the girl's cloak.
Now, let’s change the hue of the image with the girl using the “Color Balance” correction. On the “Witch” layer, go to the menu Image-Adjustments-Color Balance (Image>Adjustments>Color Balance) and make the following settings: level color -27, -15, 0; in midtone mode (Midtones) maintaining brightness (Preserve Luminosity).
Let's add some background lighting to highlight the details of the cloak. Create a new layer (Ctrl+Shift+N) and set the foreground color to #Ffffe6. Select a soft brush (Brush) size 600 px with opacity (opacity) 30% and pressing (Flow) 100%. Paint the area above the girl, taking in the edges of the cloak.
Next, let’s darken those parts of the image that will be hidden from the light source in the girl’s hands. Create a new layer (Ctrl+Shift+N) and call it “Darkness 1”. Install black (#000000) foreground color by pressing "D" on the keyboard and selecting a soft Brush (Brush) with opacity (Opacity) 30% and pressing (Flow) 100%. Paint over right side the witch's cloak and forearm, as shown below.
Let's enhance the shadow even more in some areas. Create a new layer (Ctrl+Shift+N) and call it "Blackout 2". Using the black brush again (Brush tool) with the previous settings in the places indicated in red.
Create a new layer (Ctrl+Shift+N) and call it "Blackout 3". Paint with a black soft brush (Brush) size 500 px and with opacity (Opacity) 30% of the girl’s hands and forearms near the elbows.
Using the Burn Tool (Burn Tool (O)) , create a shadow in the lower arm area. Adjust the brush as follows: Hardness (hardness) 0%, size 500 px, in midtone mode (Midtones) with exposition (exposure) 25%.
Having completed the image of the witch, select all her layers in the layers panel and combine them into a group (Ctrl+G), calling her "The Witch".
Step 5.
Let's add butterflies to the composition. Open the images of butterflies from the lesson materials in Photoshop.
Selecting the Polygonal Lasso Tool (Polygonal Lasso (L)) and select the butterfly at the bottom right. Activating the Move tool (Move tool), drag the butterfly into our document and place it above the girl’s palms.
Reduce the size of the butterfly using the Free Transform tool (Ctrl+T).
Let's reduce the brightness of the butterfly a little by applying the Brightness/Contrast correction. On the butterfly layer, go to the menu Image-Adjustments-Brightness/Contrast (Image>Adjustments>Brightness/Contrast). In the options dialog box, enter the following values: brightness (brightness)+5, contrast (contrast) 0.
Step 6.
In this step we will add the light coming from the witch's hands. To get started, download the “Spark Brushes” from the lesson resources into the “Brushes” program folder in the following path: Adobe> Adobe Photoshop> Presets> Brushes. Then, let's load the downloaded brushes into our work. To do this, activate the Brush (Brush Tool) and press the right mouse button on the canvas. In the drop-down settings palette, click the arrow on the right and select “Load Brushes” (Download Brushes).
In the loading window, select our spark brushes and press OK. Now that we have the necessary brushes, select Brush number 42 from this set.
Set the brush color to #D5edff and increase the size to 1600 px. Create a new layer (Ctrl+Shift+N) and call it “Magic 1”. Draw with a brush in the specified area, creating a glow emanating from the butterfly.
Create a new layer above the previous one (Ctrl+Shift+N) and call it “Magic 2”. Here we need to use a regular round brush (Brush) from the program's default set, so we must reset the previous settings with the spark brushes. Activate the Brush tool (Brush) and press the right mouse button on the canvas, opening the palette. Then, by clicking the arrow on the right, select “Reset Brush” from the context menu (Reset Brushes).
Change the foreground color to #D5f5ff by opening the color picker (Color Picker). Now, select a soft brush (Brush) size 800 px with opacity (opacity) 50% and add even more glow to the butterfly.
Create a new layer (Ctrl+Shift+N) and call it “Magic 3”. Apply the Brush here again (Brush) from the program's default set. Set the Foreground color to #E6f9ff and choose a soft brush (Brush) size 1600 px with opacity (opacity) 25%. Click with the brush on the butterfly, expanding the area of its glow.
Create a new layer (Ctrl+Shift+N) called “Magic 4” and load the star brushes from the lesson resources into Photoshop. Set the Foreground color to #E6f9ff. Selecting Brush (Brush) from the star set number 615.
Start by brushing from the center of the butterfly upward, creating sparkling sparkles.
Then, place the brush again in the center of the butterfly and move it towards the right.
Finally, add sparkles by moving your brush to the left of the center of the butterfly.
Now that the sparks have been added, let's create for them magical glow. To do this, on the “Magic 4” layer, right-click and select from the menu the item – Blending Options (Blending Options).
The Layer Styles window will open. (Layer Style), where we select the “External Glow” parameter (Outer Glow).
We configure the option from the screenshot below:
As a result we get the following:
Create a new layer (Ctrl+Shift+N) and call it “Magic 5”. Before starting the process, reset your previous brush settings (click with the left mouse button on the arrow on the right in the brush settings panel and select the item – Reset Brushes). Set the Foreground color to #e2fbff and activate the Soft Round Brush (Brush) size 20-60 px with opacity (opacity) 100%. Draw stars inside the glow with a brush.
Next, we create even more bright light in the palms of the witch. Create a new layer (Ctrl+Shift+N) called "Magic 6". Using the same brush color as on the “Magic 5” layer, but with a size of 900 px, click on the butterfly.
Your image on at this stage should look like this:
Once you're done creating the glow, select all the layers containing it in the panel. (Ctrl+click on layer thumbnails) and combine them into a group (Ctrl+G) called "Magic Light".
Step 7
In this step we will add a glow to the image of the witch herself, namely her hand and face. Create a new layer (Ctrl+Shift+N) and call it “Radiance 1”.
Set the foreground color to #e2fbff. Select a soft brush (Brush) size 500 px with opacity (opacity) 25%. Let's start with the eyes of the witch. For ease of use, zoom in on the image by pressing Ctrl+ on your keyboard. Recommended magnification value is 400%. You can manually set the scale value in the Navigator window (Navigator).
Now that the image is enlarged, paint over the witch's iris with a brush.
Switch to the other eye and do the same with it.
Result at 25% scale.
Create a new layer (Ctrl+Shift+N) called "The Shining 2". Activate the Brush (Brush) with the previous settings and paint over the areas indicated by the red stroke.
Create a new layer (Ctrl+Shift+N)"The Shining 3". With the same brush (Brush), but with opacity (Opacity) 15% draw a glow on the girl’s forehead and hair.
Create another new layer (Ctrl+Shift+N) called "Shine 4" and Brush (Brush) Using the previous settings, we lighten the edges of the girl’s hair.
And finally, let's add a glow to the witch's pendant. Create a new layer (Ctrl+Shift+N) and call it “Radiance 5”. Activate the soft brush (Brush) size 10 px and enlarge (Zoom) image scale up to 400% (Ctrl+). Brush over the areas of the pendant indicated in red.
Having finished with the glow on the pendant, click on the thumbnail of the “Glow 5” layer and select Blending Options from the menu (Blending Options). In the Layer Styles dialog box that opens (Layer Style) select the Outer Glow option (Outer Glow) and configure this option from the screenshot below:
Here's what the result looks like at 25% scale:
Now, select all layers with the girl's glow (Ctrl+click on layer thumbnails) and group them together (Ctrl+G). Call the group “Shine of the Witch.”
Step 8
Our composition needs to be framed in the form of a vignette that will draw attention to the main character. Create a new document (Ctrl+N or File-New) in Photoshop the same size as our composition (see step 1) with a white background. Then, go to the menu Filter-Distortion Correction (Filter-Lens Correction) and in the dialog box that opens, activate the Custom tab (Custom). Find the Vignette section (Vignette) and set the amount (Amount) by -100, and the midpoint (Midpoint) by +50.
Now let's activate the Move tool (Move tool) and move our vignette to the main document with the composition at the very top in the layers panel. Changing the blending mode (Blending Mode) this layer to Multiply (Muliply).
In normal (Normal) blending mode, the vignette looks like this:
With Multiplication mode (Multiply) the following result is obtained:
Step 9
All that remains is to add a few adjustment layers to the entire image and the composition will be ready. First let's add a Color adjustment layer. (Solid Color) by clicking the adjustments icon at the bottom of the layers panel (black and white circle) and selecting the one you need from the list.
In the color palette that opens, enter the following color value: #000229. Set the blending mode for this layer to Exception (Exclusion) and reduce the opacity (opacity) up to 40%.
Create another adjustment layer “Color” (Solid Color), but we are already using a different color #754a27. change the blending mode of this layer to Soft Light (Soft Light) with opacity (opacity) 40%.
Create a Color adjustment layer again (Solid Color), using the color #Ff7e00. Set the blending mode to Soft Light (Soft Light) with opacity (Opacity) 10%. Your image should now have warmer color tones.
Click the adjustments icon at the bottom of the layers panel (black and white circle) and select the “Photo Filter” adjustment layer (Photofilter).
In the correction dialog box, specify a warm filter (81) (Warming Filter (81) ) with density (Density) 25% and maintaining glow (Preserve Luminosity).
We carry out the settings from the screenshot below:
The result of applying adjustment layers is as follows:
Step 10
Finally, let’s give the glow in the girl’s palms the shape of a luminous ball. To do this, we will flatten all the layers of the image. Right-click on the thumbnail of any layer and select their menu – Flatten Image (Perform mixing).
Duplicate the flattened layer (Ctrl+J) and on the duplicate go to the menu Filter-Blur-Gaussian Blur (Filter > Blur > Gaussian Blur) and set the radius to 16 px. Change the blending mode of the duplicate to Lighten (Lighten)
Hello friends! Want to try something new this week? I hope this tutorial is fun to test your Photoshop knowledge! In this tutorial I will show you how to create a magical scene with beautiful girl. You'll learn how to combine multiple images using adjustment layers, masks, and brushes, how to create depth of field for magical effects, and much more. So let's get started!
Finalresult
Step 1
Create a new 1000x665 px document in Photoshop. Fill it with white. You can set the image dimensions at your discretion. Open the original forest image and use the tool Moving(Move Tool (V)), move this image with the forest to our working document. Zoom in on the forest to hide the bottom part with the ground and make the forest mysterious, as shown in the screenshot below:
Step 2
This step is intended to add depth to the scene.
Step 3
Curves(Curves) to darken the forest. Let's go Layer - New Adjustment Layer - Curves(Layer > New Adjustment Layer > Curves):
Go to the mask of this adjustment layer and using a soft round brush of black color, hide the effect of the curves in the center of the image, because we are planning to add light to this area.
Step 4
Add a new adjustment layer Levels(Levels) to further darken the forest.
Go to the mask of this adjustment layer and using a soft round brush of black color, hide the effect of the levels in the center of the image to preserve the light colors:
Step 5
Open the original image with the model. Using whatever selection tool you prefer to work with, separate the model's image from the background. Copy the selected model image to a new layer. Create a new layer between the selected model image layer and the original model image. Fill this layer with a light shade (I used #f3efe9):
Step 6
Create a new layer on top of all layers. Using a hard round brush, brush color #1e130c (this shade was taken from the model's head), add fragments of hair:
Step 7
Now turn off the visibility of the original layer with the model image, the background layer and the fill layer, then press the keys (Ctrl+Alt+Shift+E) to merge all visible layers into one layer. Move the merged layer with the model onto our working document, placing the model image on the left side of the picture:
Hue/Saturation(Hue/Saturation) as a clipping mask to the model layer. Reduce the saturation of the model image:
Step 8
Create a new adjustment layer Color Balance(Color Balance) as a clipping mask to the model layer to change the color of the image:
Step 9
The model is too bright compared to the background at the moment, so add an adjustment layer Curves(Curves) to reduce brightness:
Go to the mask of this adjustment layer and using a soft round brush of black color, hide the shading effect along the contour of the face and shoulders, as well as on separate areas hair to maintain light tones in these areas:
Step 10
Add another adjustment layer Curves(Curves) to further darken the model image:
Translator's note: Don't forget to convert adjustment layers to clipping masks.
Go to the mask of this adjustment layer and using a soft round brush of black color, paint around the model's head, face, shoulders and hair:
Step 11
Create a new layer and use a hard white brush to add a reflective highlight to the model's eye:
Step 12
Create a new layer as a clipping mask, change the blending mode for this layer to Overlap(Overlay) Opacity(Opacity) layer 100%, and also check the box Fill with 50% gray(fill with 50% gray):
Activate the tool Brightener / Darkener(Dodge and Burn Tool (O)), in the settings of this tool, set Mode(Range) on Midtones(Midtones), and the meaning Exhibitions(Exposure) approximately 10-15%. Using this tool, correct the light and shade in the model image. You can see my correction under the regime Normal(Normal), as well as the result in the mode Overlap(Overlay):
Step 13
Let's go Layer - New Fill Layer - Color(Layer > New Fill Layer > Solid Color). Set the fill color to #cfe5f1.
Reduce the opacity of this fill layer to 20%. Go to the mask of this fill layer and use a soft black brush to hide the fill effect over the main part of the model's image, except for the outer outline around the head, face and shoulders, to create a subtle haze effect in these areas:
Step 14
Create a new layer and use a soft white brush to paint around the model's head, face and shoulders to lighten these areas. Change the blending mode for this layer to Overlap(Overlay) opacity(Opacity) layer 100%:
Step 15
Open the original image with butterflies. Separate the butterflies from the background using the tool Magic wand(Magic Wand Tool (W)). Select the top right butterfly to position it next to the model's eye:
Let's go Filter - Plastic(Filter > Liquify Tool). Select a tool Deformation(Forward Warp Tool) to stretch the butterfly wings and give them a magical look:
Step 16
Using Free Transform (Ctrl+T), reduce the scale of the butterfly. Add a layer mask to the butterfly layer and use a soft black brush to blend the butterfly with the corner of the eye:
Step 17
Duplicate the butterfly layer, and then flip the duplicate layer horizontally, for this we go Edit - Transform - Flip Horizontal(Edit > Transform > Flip Horizontal). Move the duplicate butterfly to the right, zoom in so that you can catch the direction the model is looking:
To the duplicate layer with the butterfly, add a layer mask and using a hard black brush, brush size (3-4 px), paint along the wings:
Translator's note: the author makes the butterfly's wings slightly translucent, try to vary the opacity of the brush.
Step 18
Select all the butterfly layers and then press Ctrl+G to group them into one group. Change the blending mode for the layer with the mode group Skip(Pass Through (default group mode)) to mode Normal(Normal), opacity 100%. Create a new adjustment layer Hue/Saturation(Hue/Saturation) inside the created group. Decrease the value Saturation(Saturation) to -90 to desaturate the butterflies:
Step 19
Step 20
Next, add an adjustment layer Curves(Curves) to increase the brightness. Go to the mask of this adjustment layer and using a soft black brush, hide the effect of the curves on top of the butterfly near the eye, because it is hidden from the background light:
Step 21
It's time to add the strands of pearls. Create a new layer on top of all other layers. Select a tool Feather(Pen Tool), draw some wavy lines on the model's hair:
Change the foreground color to white and select a hard round brush with a brush size of 3 px. Press the key (F5) to change the settings for this brush:
Select a tool Feather(Pen Tool), right-click on the drawn lines and select the option in the window that appears Stroke the outline(Stroke Path), uncheck the box Simulate pressure(Simulate Pressure):
The result should be like the screenshot below:
Step 22
To the layer with the strings of pearls, add a layer mask and using a soft black brush, work on individual pearls in the hair (in particular those located next to the shading):
Step 23
Create a new layer. Increase the brush size to 6-7 px. Using a brush, paint some large white dots on the existing pearl strands.
Double-click on the created layer and in the window that appears, select the option External glow(Outer Glow). Set the glow color to white.
Step 24
Create a new layer and using a hard white brush, very small brush size (about 2-3 px), draw a few lines around the corner of the eye, as well as on the large butterfly. For this purpose, it is best to use a graphics tablet.
Translator's note: the author draws as if thin threads, adding a delicate texture to the butterflies.
Step 25
Create a new layer and use a soft white brush to paint over the large butterfly. Change the blending mode for this layer to Lightening(Screen) opacity Layer Opacity 30% to add a subtle glow effect to the butterfly.
Step 26
Create another new layer and use a hard brush white, draw a few dots around the large butterfly to create a scattering effect.
Press the keys (Ctrl+G) to create new group for this layer with a scattering effect. Change the blending mode for this group layer to Lightening the base(Color Dodge), set the layer opacity to 100% and the effect will look even better!
Step 27
Double-click on the layer with the scattering effect and in the window that appears, select the option External glow(Outer Glow). Set the glow color to white:
Step 28
Create a new fill layer Color(Color Fill) on top of all other layers. Fill color #353333. Reduce opacity(Opacity) of this layer to 60%, and then go to the mask of this layer with fill. Using a soft black brush, hide the fill effect in the background and also on top of the model's image. This step is intended to shade the bottom of the model image to better blend it with the background.
Step 29
Create another fill layer Color(Color Fill) on top of all other layers. Fill color #29011c. Change the blending mode for this fill layer to Exception(Exclusion), layer opacity 100%.
Step 30
Add an adjustment layer Curves(Curves) to slightly brighten the central part of the image.
Translator's note: The author is correcting the entire picture, therefore, adjustment layers will NOT be used as clipping masks.
Go to the mask of this adjustment layer and use a soft black brush to hide the curve correction around the image except for the central part of the scene to preserve the lighter tones.
Step 31
Add an adjustment layer Levels(Levels) to darken the entire scene.
Go to the mask of this adjustment layer and using a soft black brush, hide the levels adjustment on certain sections of the hair so that they are not too dark, and also to preserve the details.
Step 32
Add an adjustment layer Photo filter(Photo Filter). Set the color to #eaa3d7:
Step 33
Add an adjustment layer Vibration(Vibrance). Increase the value Vibrations(Vibrance) to maximum:
Go to the mask of this adjustment layer and using a soft black brush, weaken the effect of the adjustment layer in the area of the model's eye, as well as in the background area:
Step 34
Create a new layer and use a soft brush with brush color #6f938d to paint on the background and hair to correct the color cast in these areas. Change the blending mode for this layer to Soft light(Soft Light) opacity(Opacity) layer 100%:
Step 35
Create a new layer and use a hard brush with the color #b2fcef to paint the hair along the outline of the model's head to create a reflective background light:
And that is all! I hope you enjoyed this tutorial. Good luck, feel free to post your work! See you again!
In this lesson we will show one of the options for creating a beautiful magical glow pouring from an object. This is where the magician's head cylinder is used. The lesson is very short, which means it won’t bore the reader. Let's get started?
1 Step
Create a radial gradient. In our case, from purple to very dark purple.
2 Step
3 Step
Add some text. I took some plain code from the text of a web page and applied the Distort > Wave filter to it.
Create two such stripes with text.
4 Step
Add a little glow - apply an Outer Glow style to the text. Use different settings for each strip. The secret to the glow here is the style mixing mode (Color Dodge!).
Set the Spread, Size and Range values.
5 Step
Merge these two lines into one layer and duplicate it again. Apply a mask to one layer of lines and dissolve them at the end.
6 Step
On another layer, apply a blur to Filter > Blur > Gaussian Blur and also mask off parts of the text so that clear letters can appear through them.
7 Step
Create a new layer under the text layer and with a fairly large brush, about 100px in size, place a white spot of light.
8 Step
Add some more highlights. I used an eraser to remove unnecessary parts, you can also use Liquify.
9 Step
Create a cloud. To do this, select an arbitrary area for it using any of the selection tools, soften it by 20px (Feather parameter), and then on a new layer apply the Filter > Render > Clouds filter to this selection. In order for it to have an effect the right type- it also needs to be switched to the Color Dodge blending mode.
10 Step
Let's add glowing particles. To do this, create a new brush by playing with the Shape Dynamics, Scattering and other settings. After that, apply the Outer Glow and Inner Glow styles to the particles created with this brush to create a glow.
In the end, you will get an excellent result. Look at mine!
