This tutorial will teach in
fast and easy steps how to combine various elements and textures to
design a dramatic and epic photo montage. Learn the basics on how to use
the gradient tool and blending options to work the lighting and overall
tones. Plus how to use light flares, smoke and water splash brushes.
With simple steps learn how to obtain mind blowing effects.
Final result preview
Stock used
Step 1
Start off by opening the background image and the main model we will be using.
(File > Open or Ctrl + O)
With the
pen tool or
other tool you prefer, remove the background of the main model image. Copy the clean model image and place her over the background image layer
.(Ctrl + A, Ctrl + C, Ctrl + V) Name the model layer as
‘Model’.
For this tutorial we will be using the actual size of our original background image.
(3888 x 4009 px)
Step 2
Place the
‘Model’ and re dimension her to fit the background properly.
(Ctrl + T) After we have placed the model in the proper place, click twice on the model layer to change the
Layer Style.
Set the ‘Model’ Layer Style as in the image Bellow. This will add a slight tone to match the overall background colors.
Step 3
On the
model layer, click the
add layer mask option and remove some of the bottom part of the boot. This will give a slight effect that the boot is partially underwater.
Now create a new layer above the model layer and name it ‘
model shadow’ and set the blending mode to
Soft Light.
With a large
soft brush set at about
30% opacity and
black color.
Pass the brush starting at the model’s feet towards the bottom of the
image. Go adding this shadow to simulate the soft shadow cast from the
main model.
Step 4
Create a
new layer (
Layer > New > Layer or
Shift + Ctrl + Alt + N) Place this layer in
between the
background and
model layers. Name this layer ‘
Fog’. Select a large
soft white brush at
100% opacity. Make a large line across the background where the sky meets the water line.
Now go to
Filter > Blur > Gaussian Blur and set the
Radius Blur to 125 pixels
than press OK. This will blur our in a uniformed way the white line we
added previously. You will notice the white line now had a fog aspect.
Step 5
Create a
new layer (
Layer > New > Layer or
Shift + Ctrl + Alt + N) Place this layer in
between the
Model and
Model Shadow layers. Name this layer ‘
Water Splash’.
Select the water splash
brush (662) at a large enough pixel size to cover each foot. Set the brush color to
#c1e8ff at
100% opacity. Add the brush on each foot as in the image example.
Step 6
Create a
new layer (
Layer > New > Layer or
Shift + Ctrl + Alt + N) Place this layer in
between the
Fog and
Model layers. Name this layer ‘
Rope’.
Select the
rope .png image and duplicate it many times to make it long and thin. Place this long rope behind the Model figure. Select the
Puppet warp tool (Edit > Puppet Warp) and shape the rope a little so it doesn’t look stiff and straight.
Step 7
Now
click twice on the rope layer to open the
Layer Style.
Set the
layer styles as in the image example. For the
Inner Shadow you will use the
#000000 color and for the
Inner Glow select the
transparent gradient and set the color at
#6093b2. This will add a 3D volume to the rope and also follow the overall image tones.
Step 8
Create a
new layer (
Layer > New > Layer or
Shift + Ctrl + Alt + N) Place this layer above all layers. Name this layer ‘
shoot flair’.
Open the
light flair image and cut out the
3rd from top to bottom.
Place this light flair on the
‘shoot flair’ layer we have just created.
Re size the light flair to a larger scale. (
Ctrl + T – free transform).
Set the
blending mode of this layer to
Screen.
Step 9
Following the
same methods as in
step 8 we will be adding
more light flairs to the image.
You can name these as
‘Shot Flair 1’ (2, 3,…)
After you have added all the desired light flairs, you can group them all together (
select all and press Ctrl + G) to avoid getting the layer pallet to busy and hard to mess around with.
Step 10
Create a
new layer (
Layer > New > Layer or
Shift + Ctrl + Alt + N) Place this layer above all layers. Name this layer ‘
Smoke’.
Select
White 100% opacity smoke brush and apply it to the point of the gun.
Set the
blending mode to
‘Overlay’
Step 11
If you don’t think the splashes on the women’s foot looks believable,
you can add other effects to make the splash larger and more natural as
if she had just jumped off a helicopter or something similar.
Create a
new layer (
Layer > New > Layer or
Shift + Ctrl + Alt + N) Place this layer
above Water Splash layer. Name this new layer
‘Water Splash 2’.
Open the image of the lollypop being shattered and cut out only the shattered bits.
Place this image in the layer we have just created and change the blending mode to
Screen.
Erase parts of the lollypop that shouldn’t be in the image.
Do this with both feet.
Step 12
Create a
new layer (
Layer > New > Layer or
Shift + Ctrl + Alt + N) Place this layer
above Smoke Layer. Name this new layer
‘Fire.
Set the
Blending mode of this layer to
Screen.
Select the fire sparks image and apply it as in the position of the example image.
Step 13
Create a
new layer (
Layer > New > Layer or
Shift + Ctrl + Alt + N) Place this layer
above ‘Fire’. Name this new layer
‘Snow’.
Place the snow texture on the show layer and using the
transform tool, stretch it out to fill the entire image.
(Ctrl + T)
Now change the
blending mode of this layer to
Screen. This will eliminate the black and only leave the white dots.
Step 14
Now with the Snow layer selected, go to
Filter > Blur > Motion Blur.
Set the
Angle to 55 and
Distance of 80 pixels.
We now have a snow that actually looks like it’s falling with motion and everything.
Note: you can reduce the layer opacity to about 50% if you think the snow is too strong.
Step 15
Create a
new layer (
Layer > New > Layer or
Shift + Ctrl + Alt + N) Place this layer
above ‘Snow’. Name this new layer
‘Blue Radial’.
Select the
Gradient Tool (G), pick the
Radial Option. Select the Transparent Gradient tool. The color we will be using is
#006b6f.
Add this radial gradient to the overall image. (Center Transparent, borders #006b6f) Now change the blending mode to
Multiply and lower the
opacity to 50%.
Step 16
Go to the
Adjustments Panel and select the
Gradient Map. Set the
gradient colors to
#003d43 and
#ff7c00. Now change the blending mode to
Soft Light and reduce the
Opacity to 50%.
Step 17
We are already on the final touches of the image.
To add a surreal and dramatic touch to the image,
Select all the layers worked on until now,
duplicate all layers,
merge all the selected (only the ones we duplicated)
layers.
You will now have the entire image on one single layer.
Now go to
Filter > Blur > Gaussian Blur and set the
blur to 1,6 pixels than press
ok. Change this layers
blending mode to
Lighten. Make sure this layer is above all the layers we have worked on until now. You can name this layer
‘Soft Blur’.
You can notice now that the white areas in the image are glowing. This also avoids overly sharp borders.
Crop the image like shown in the image below. We also rotated the image
so that the eyes are more horizontally aligned. This is important
because when we add the stripes, we want to ensure that the eyes are
visible and don’t tilt off the top or bottom edge of the stripes.
