Lost Treasure – Manipulation Tutorial

In this tutorial I’ll show you how to create a fantasy montage.

Preview

Resources needed

Model: http://almudena-stock.deviantart.com/art/How-to-be-invisible-1-138896244

Forest: http://www.sxc.hu/browse.phtml?f=view&id=505283

Water: http://www.sxc.hu/browse.phtml?f=view&id=309693

Chest treasure: http://www.sxc.hu/photo/1024913

Here we go…

Step 1 – New Document

Start off by making a new canvas, 2000×2000 pixels.

Step 2 – Background

To create the background we need the following images: forest and water.

Open them, drag stocks to your canvas, add a layer mask to “forest” layer and “water” layer, using a soft brush – erasing the unnecessary parts.

in this way, we got a beautiful background

Merge the background layer (ctrl + E), then go to: Image> Adjustments> Desaturate (Shift + Ctrl + U)

we give the background some color ( add some blue )

Create new fill or adjustment layer, go to Color Balance and Photo Filter, set the colors as shown below:

Add some Light, use the hard brush tool (B) with light color #eaeae9

Than go to Filter> Blur> Gaussian Blur

change the fill at 70-80%

Step 3 – Model – selection and retouching

Open the “model” image, drag to your canvas. Then separate the model from the background (using the Pen tool (P))

Click right on the path and choose Make Selection. Select Inverse Shift+Ctrl+I, and copy selected to new layer Ctrl+J, name this “Model”.

Change the color model. Create new fill or adjustment layer, go to Selective Color – reduce red color and change colors to neutrale. See the picture below:

Make Clipping Mask :

While the model layer is still selected, go to Image> Adjustments> Variations… and apply follow settings:

when you give the model’s right color, go to: Filter> Blur> Surface Blur

we give the smoothness of the model skin – now it looks cool

Step 4 – Creating dresses

Take the Pen tool (P), draw the shape of the dress. Click load path as a selection, Select Inverse Shift+Ctrl+I, fill the empty, selected layer with # d0d0d9 color, name this layer “dress”.

Then add glitter. We want to dress sparkled. Use the brush with following settings:

double-click on the layers panel, select the Gradient Overlay and set the values as below

Add some shadow under the dress (take a soft Brush tool (B), and black color paint the shadow, then go to Filter> Blur> Gaussian Blur, set the Radius at 10-20%, change the Blending Mode to Multiply and the fill at 80%)

Step 5 – Painting Hair

Take a basic brush and use the following colors: #3c3e4d (shadow), #4f5264 (midtones), #9da0b6 (highlights). start painting hair. look at the picture below

Step 6 – Model – Light and Shadows

Use the Dodge tool and Burn tool. create light and shadows, as below

Step 7 – Treasure chest

Open the “chest” image, extract the chest from the white background – Use the Wand tool (W). drag to your canvas and using the transform tool try to get a similar size of chest as on the image below.

after that, go to: Image> Adjustments> Destaturate

add some blue to fit the color of the rest

go to:

Step 8 – Treasure chest – Reflection, Light and Shadows

add some shadow under the chest (use the brush tool with black color), as in the picture below:

add highlights and shadows using Dodge Tool (O) and Burn Tool (O)

Step 9 – Veil on the Treasure Chest

use the following colors # e8e9e8 (highlights), # 505f72 (shadow), # 71839b (midtones) , and start painting veil:

Step 10 – Shadow Under the model

Take a soft brush, use a black color and create a shadow under the model:

go to Filter> Blur> Gaussian Blur

change the Blending Mode to Multiply and fill at 73%

the result shown below

Step 11 – Add some Light behind the model and treasure chest

take a soft brush, use the light color and paint light as shown in the picture

Step 12 – Detail – butterfly on the legs and padlock

Add details such as the butterfly and padlock

Step 13 – Final Artwork

Now You can start to adjust the artwork. The best way to do is to go to New Layer adjustment and choose Black & White, Photo Filter, Gradient Fill and to colour your artwork.

On the end add some shadow and light – use the dodge tool and burn tool, like this

Thank you for reading.

Good luck !

In this tutorial I’ll show you how to create a fantasy montage.

Preview

Resources needed

Model: http://almudena-stock.deviantart.com/art/How-to-be-invisible-1-138896244

Forest: http://www.sxc.hu/browse.phtml?f=view&id=505283

Water: http://www.sxc.hu/browse.phtml?f=view&id=309693

Chest treasure: http://www.sxc.hu/photo/1024913

Here we go…

Step 1 – New Document

Start off by making a new canvas, 2000×2000 pixels.

Step 2 – Background

To create the background we need the following images: forest and water.

Open them, drag stocks to your canvas, add a layer mask to “forest” layer and “water” layer, using a soft brush – erasing the unnecessary parts.

in this way, we got a beautiful background

Merge the background layer (ctrl + E), then go to: Image> Adjustments> Desaturate (Shift + Ctrl + U)

we give the background some color ( add some blue )

Create new fill or adjustment layer, go to Color Balance and Photo Filter, set the colors as shown below:

Add some Light, use the hard brush tool (B) with light color #eaeae9

Than go to Filter> Blur> Gaussian Blur

change the fill at 70-80%

Step 3 – Model – selection and retouching

Open the “model” image, drag to your canvas. Then separate the model from the background (using the Pen tool (P))

Click right on the path and choose Make Selection. Select Inverse Shift+Ctrl+I, and copy selected to new layer Ctrl+J, name this “Model”.

Change the color model. Create new fill or adjustment layer, go to Selective Color – reduce red color and change colors to neutrale. See the picture below:

Make Clipping Mask :

While the model layer is still selected, go to Image> Adjustments> Variations… and apply follow settings:

when you give the model’s right color, go to: Filter> Blur> Surface Blur

we give the smoothness of the model skin – now it looks cool

Step 4 – Creating dresses

Take the Pen tool (P), draw the shape of the dress. Click load path as a selection, Select Inverse Shift+Ctrl+I, fill the empty, selected layer with # d0d0d9 color, name this layer “dress”.

Then add glitter. We want to dress sparkled. Use the brush with following settings:

double-click on the layers panel, select the Gradient Overlay and set the values as below

Add some shadow under the dress (take a soft Brush tool (B), and black color paint the shadow, then go to Filter> Blur> Gaussian Blur, set the Radius at 10-20%, change the Blending Mode to Multiply and the fill at 80%)

Step 5 – Painting Hair

Take a basic brush and use the following colors: #3c3e4d (shadow), #4f5264 (midtones), #9da0b6 (highlights). start painting hair. look at the picture below

Step 6 – Model – Light and Shadows

Use the Dodge tool and Burn tool. create light and shadows, as below

Step 7 – Treasure chest

Open the “chest” image, extract the chest from the white background – Use the Wand tool (W). drag to your canvas and using the transform tool try to get a similar size of chest as on the image below.

after that, go to: Image> Adjustments> Destaturate

add some blue to fit the color of the rest

go to:

Step 8 – Treasure chest – Reflection, Light and Shadows

add some shadow under the chest (use the brush tool with black color), as in the picture below:

add highlights and shadows using Dodge Tool (O) and Burn Tool (O)

Step 9 – Veil on the Treasure Chest

use the following colors # e8e9e8 (highlights), # 505f72 (shadow), # 71839b (midtones) , and start painting veil:

Step 10 – Shadow Under the model

Take a soft brush, use a black color and create a shadow under the model:

go to Filter> Blur> Gaussian Blur

change the Blending Mode to Multiply and fill at 73%

the result shown below

Step 11 – Add some Light behind the model and treasure chest

take a soft brush, use the light color and paint light as shown in the picture

Step 12 – Detail – butterfly on the legs and padlock

Add details such as the butterfly and padlock

Step 13 – Final Artwork

Now You can start to adjust the artwork. The best way to do is to go to New Layer adjustment and choose Black & White, Photo Filter, Gradient Fill and to colour your artwork.

On the end add some shadow and light – use the dodge tool and burn tool, like this

Thank you for reading.

Good luck !