Special Effects with Adobe Photoshop
Step 3: Blending your layers
Next, we are going to look at two a very simple approaches to blend the hands layer into the background shot. We will need to use both methods to get the best result.
Create a Layer Mask: This Adobe Photoshop function will allow you to effectively hide/show pixels in a non-locked (not background) layer using, for instance, the Paintbrush tool. To enable Layer Mask, simply choose the layer with which you wish to hide content and then click on the ‘Add layer mask’ button at the button of the Layers palette. If you are not sure which one this is, let your mouse hover over each icon to reveal the function names. After clicking, you should notice an extra ‘thumbnail’ appear in your layer stack. This will store mask information.
Using Your Layer Mask: It is important to point out that in order to go back to the normal editing of your layer, you must click on the actual layer thumbnail. You will see a small white border appear around it to signify it’s selection. To go to ‘Layer Mask Mode’, click on the Layer Mask thumbnail.
To start making the most of this function, select the Brush tool from the tools palette and set your primary colour chip (painting colour) to black. Black will hide pixels whilst in Layer Mask mode, but white will make them visible again. This method is far more flexible than using the Eraser tool – which I personally never use. Change the size of your brush (‘{‘ smaller, ‘}’ bigger) to vary the softness of the blend.
Now erode away at any unwanted pixels. Pay special attention to the way in which the wrist of the hands element meets with the rocky outcrop of the mountain.
Adding Atmospherics Using Blending Options: Right click (PC) or alt-click (APPLE) on your hands layer and choose ‘Blending Options‘ from the drop-down. This will bring up the ‘Layer Style‘ dialogue interface. Take a look at the menu to the left of the interface and click on ‘Color Overlay‘ (Tip: click on the name, not the tick box to reveal style settings). Now click on the colour chip within the the ‘Color’ field-set. Take your mouse out on to your image canvas and click on (or ‘Sample‘) a neutral colour within the backdrop – the sky is usually good. Your hands element should now turn that colour. Now reduce the opacity via the slider to 20%-30% or until it look right. This should create the effect of atmospheric depth adding to the realism of the blend.
Step 4: The Finishing Touches
Now, all we have to do is make the hands look a little more like rock, change the sky and tweak the lighting.
Creating the Stone Effect on Skin: To achieve this, all I did was to simply select around an area of the mountain side and (CTRL/APPLE C) and Paste (CTRL/APPLE V) it onto a new layer. Then, I reduced the opacity of that layer to about 50% by draggin the Opacity slide bar (top of Layer palette) and Free Transformed it over much of the hand. I then used Layer Mask to remove any overhanging bits and a larger brush to blend it out into the rest of the hand.- Adding a New Sky: Focus on the image of the sky and do a ‘Select All’ (CTRL/APPLE A). Focus on our manipulation canvas and Paste (CTRL/APPLE V) the sky. Depending on which layer was active when you pasted, you may need to move your sky layer down the layer stack and behind the layer of the hand. To do this, simply click and drag the layer and drop under the hand layer. Use Free Transform to get the sky into position.
- Blending the Sky: Again, same process as with the hand – use Layer Mask to hide/show pixels within the sky layer, to create the illusion of it being behind the mountains. Remember, you can change the softness of the blend, simply by increasing/decreasing the size of your brush.
Lighting Effects – Adjustment Layer: Now that the composition is complete, let’s add an Adjustment Layer (Levels) to bring a few lighting effects to our scene. This will need to be added to the top of the layer stack, so click on the highest layer before adding the Adjustment Layer. Click on the Adjustment Layer icon at the bottom of the Layers palette (hover your mouse over the icons to find out which one it is). You will see the an Adjustment Layer appear in the layer stack with two thumbnails. Also, a histogram should appear on screen. We want to add a few dark and dramatic areas to our image, so drag the points around to create the desired effect – experiment (see image opposite - red circles). Now darken the entire image – the great thing about Adjustment Layers is that you can mask out the effects of, say the Levels, afterward in the same way as with Layer Mask. Once you have achieved the desired effect – click on OK. Making sure you are in the Adjustment Layer’s - Layer Mask mode, paint back the areas of the image that you don’t want this adjustment to effect using your Brush tool, with black as your selected colour chip. Easy! You can even re-adjust the Levels settings at any point by clicking on the thumbnail of the histogram on the adjustment layer.
All done.
Conclusion
All of the things that you have learned about in the Adobe Photoshop tutorial can be applied to pratically any image manipulation project. You will also find that these skills will give you and extra edge in the areas of photo-restoration and image preparation. Good Luck!
Further Reading
The Adobe Photoshop Layer Book
Create, correct, and control with layers, the most powerful tool in Photoshop and Photoshop ElementsImagine yourself in total control of every adjustment to your photos.
You’ve seen the illustrations in glossy magazines, the fine art reproductions in museum catalogs, the award-winning pictures of professional photographers. To produce this kind of magic, understanding how to use layers for your entire breadth of image correction is key.
Discover the best ways to showcase your talent with the full power of layers from best-selling author/digital image specialist Richard Lynch.
Photoshop Compositing Secrets
Unlocking the Key to Perfect Selections and Amazing Photoshop Effects for Totally Realistic Composites Compositing is one of the hottest trends in Photoshop and photography today for portrait photographers, designers of all walks of life, and even retouchers. Everywhere you look, from group photos, to school graduation or sports portraits, to magazines, movie posters, and DVD covers, chances are, you’ve seen compositing.
In Photoshop Compositing Secrets, Matt Kloskowski takes you through the entire process behind creating convincing, well-executed, and captivating composites.
