Hi guys! Want to try something new this weekend? Check out this magical photo manipulation that will challenge your Photoshop skills! In this tutorial I’ll show you how to create a fantasy maiden scene where you’ll learn how to combine stock images using adjustment layers, making and brush, make a depth of field, create a magical effect and more. Let’s get started!
Final Image
Software: Photoshop CS3 +
Difficulty: Intermediate
Estimated Completion Time: 90 minutes
Resources Used In This Tutorial:
Step 1
Create a new 1000×665 px document in Photoshop and fill it with white but feel free to make your own size. Open the forest image and use the Move Tool (V) to drag it into the white canvas. Make the misty background visible and hide the ground as shown below:
Go to Filter > Blur > Gaussian Blur and set the radius to 8 px.
Step 3
Use a Curves adjustment layer to darken the forest background. Go to Layer > New Adjustment Layer > Curves:
Make a Levels adjustment layer to darken the forest more.
Open the model image. Use your own method to isolate her from the background and copy her selection into a new layer. Make a new layer between the extracted model layer and the background one and fill it with a bright color ( I chose #f3efe9):
Create a new layer and use a hard brush with the color #1e130c (picked from the head) to paint some missing hairs:
Hide the background layer and the fill one then press Ctrl+Alt+Shift+E to merge all the visible layers into a new one. Move the merged model into our main document and place her in the left side:
Use a Color Balance adjustment layer (set as Clipping Mask) to change the model color:
The model looks too bright compared to the background at the moment so use a Curves adjustment layer and decrease the lightness:
Use another Curves adjustment layer to darken the model more:
Create a new layer and use a hard white brush to paint reflection in her eye:
Make a new layer (set as Clipping Mask), change the mode to Overlay 100% and fill with 50% gray:
Activate the Dodge and Burn Tool (O) with Midtones Range, Exposure about 10-15% to refine the light and shade on the model. You can see how I did it with Normal mode and the result with Overlay mode:
Go to Layer > New Fill Layer > Solid Color and pick the color #cfe5f1.
Create a new layer and use a soft white brush to paint around the head, face and shoulder to brighten these areas more. Change this layer mode to Overlay 100%:
Open the butterflies image. Isolate them from the background using the Magic Wand Tool (W) then take the butterfly at the top right to place in the left of the model eye:
Use Ctrl+T to resize it to be much smaller. Add a mask to this layer and use a soft black brush to blend the butterfly with the eye corner:
Duplicate this layer and flip it horizontally by clicking Edit > Transform > Flip Horizontal. Move it to the right and enlarge it to catch the look direction of the model:
Select all the butterfy layers and hit Ctrl+G to make a group for them. Change this group mode from Pass Through (default group mode) to Normal 100%. Create a Hue/Saturation adjustment layer within this group and decrease the Saturation value to -90 to desaturate the butterflies:
Use a Color Balance adjustment layer to match the butterflies color with the rest:
Make a Curves adjustment layer and increase the lightness. On this layer mask, use a soft black brush to erase the butterfly beside the eye as it’s hidden from the background light:
Time to add some sparks and glows. Make a new layer on top of the layers. Activate the Pen Tool and draw several curvy lines on the model hair:
Add a mask to this layer and use a soft black brush to make some dots (especially the ones near the shades) faded into the hair:
Create a new layer and increase the brush size to 6-7 px. Use this brush to make some bigger dots on the existing lines.
Create a new layer and use a hard white brush with a very small size (about 2-3 px) to paint some lines around the eye corner and on the big butterfly. It’s better to use a graphic tablet pen for it.
Make a new layer and use a soft white brush to paint over the big butterfly. Change this layer mode to Screen 30% to add a subtle glowing effect to it.
Create a new layer again and use a white hard brush to paint some scattering dots around the big butterfly.
Double click this layer, choose Outer Glow and set the color of glow to white:
Create a Color Fill layer on top of the layers and pick the color #353333. Lower the opacity of this layer to 60% and on its layer mask, use a soft black brush to erase the background and the higher part of the model. This step is to make the lower part of the model faded and blended better with the background.
Make another Color Fill layer and pick the color #29011c. Change this layer mode to Exclusion 100%.
Use a Curves adjustment layer to brighten the middle section a bit.
Make a Levels adjustment layer to darken the whole scene.
Make a Photo Filter adjustment layer and pick the color #eaa3d7:
Create a Vibrance adjustment layer and increase the Vibrance value to maximum:
Use another layer and a soft brush with the color #6f938d to paint on the background and the hair to fix the color there. Change this layer mode to Soft Light 100%:
Make a new layer and use a hard brush with the color #b2fcef to paint some brighter hairs around the head to fit the background light:
