In this lesson you will learn how to create a beautiful mermaid, how you can emphasize the beauty of this fabulous half-girl – half-fish. In addition, you will learn how to create water splashes using only Photoshop and its specially customized brushes. You will also learn how the blending modes for the layer, the layer mask, the Photo Filter adjustment layer, and other adjustment settings work. All this will help you achieve excellent results and realism in your work.
Some of the images for this tutorial were used from www.sxc.hu
Step 1. So, let’s begin. Open the image with the gymnast. Using tool Rectangular area
(Rectangle Marquee tool) select the area with the girl. Now go to the menu Selection – Color Range (Select – Color Range) / Select with the pipette bright areas around the gymnast and in the settings put Scatter 200 (Fuzziness 200). Click OK. Now go to the palette Channels (Channels) in the menu Allotment select item Save Selected Area and put in the settings New channel. Click Yes and in the channel palette you will have a new alpha channel.
Step 2. Now that you have created a new alpha channel, deselect it (Ctrl + D). Select the Brush tool with a 100% hardness, white color and zooming in on the document using the ZOOM IMPROVEMENT feature, paint as accurately as possible with the white parts you want to keep. Using a black brush paint over those parts that you do not need. From my own wish I want to add, I also use the brightener and dimmer tools in such cases. Once you are satisfied with the result, load the selection of this channel (Ctrl + click on the channel icon) and go to the layers palette.
Step 3. Copy the selected girl to a new document. Clean edges if necessary. Now we need to make the girl’s skin seem wet. To do this, go to the palette Channels (Channels) and duplicate the Blue Channel. Get on the copy of the blue channel and using the key combination (Ctrl + M), call the dialog box Curves (Curves). Adjust the curve as in the screenshot.
Step 4. Go to the menu Filter-Blur-Gaussian Blur (Filter> Blur> Gaussian Blur,) put a radius of 3px. So, now go back to the layers palette and create a new adjustment layer. Curves (Create New Fill or Adjustment Layer – Curves). Adjust your curve so that the image becomes much brighter. After that, press Ctrl + I and invert the layer. Create again new adjustment layer Curves (Create New Fill or Adjustment Layer – Curves), but this time show strong shadows, press Ctrl + I and invert the layer.
Step 5. Name two layers with Curves Shine and Shadow. The image remains the same, but you will see the changes later. Choose a soft, white brush with opacity (Opacity) 10% and apply it to the layer Shine, by preloading the highlight of the blue channel so you will manifest the light. Do the same with the layer Shadow. Now duplicate the layer with the girl.
Step 6. Activate a copy of the layer and apply to it. Filter-Imitation-Cellophane packaging (Filter> Artistic> Plastic Wrap). Set these settings: Backlight (Highlight Strength) 4; Detailing (Detail) 13; Softening (Smoothness) 10. Apply the filter again. Place this layer above the girl layer and below the two adjustment layers. Reduce the Opacity to 60% and apply a layer mask. Use the mask to edit the dark areas.
In some further steps we will use the Extract filter. It may seem to you that you spend time studying it for nothing, because you can use the Magic Wand and the Color Range, a quick mask, but believe me, having mastered it, you will have better results when selecting objects. Take your time and learn to achieve quality results.
Step 7. Open an image with a dolphin and use the Pen Tool to select it. Copy the dolphin into the main document. Via Free transformation (Free Transform Ctrl + T) position the dolphin as in the screenshot and add a layer mask to this layer.
Step 8. Ctrl + click on the girl layer icon – the selection will load, stand on the dolphin layer, take a soft black brush with an opacity of 20-30% and gently connect the dolphin and the girl. Hide the girl’s legs with a mask.
Step 9. Press the key combination Ctrl + M and correct as you did before. Now hide the background layer and click Shift + AIt + Ctrl +E. This will create a new layer with a mermaid. Open the image with the lake and using the commands copy paste (Cut> Copy> Paste) place the mermaid in this document. Use Free transformation (Free Transform Ctrl + T) adjust the size and position relative to the horizon.
Step 10. Now we need to correct the mermaid so that it successfully merges into the overall picture. To do this, in the layer styles, select the function Gradient overlay (Gradient Overlay) and set the gradient from black to white. Use the settings as in the screenshot – Blend mode (Blending Mode) – Linear dimmer (Linear Burn); Opacity 50%; Angle (Angle) 72
Step 11. Lighting Effect.
Create a new layer, press Shift + F5, then bring up the settings. fillings (Fill), Select white in the settings and click OK. Move this layer below the background (lake) layer and name it ‘White’. Now you need to add a layer mask to the layer with the background and the layer with a mermaid. Take a soft brush with opacity (Opacity) 30% erase the edges of the mermaid and the background, which are connected to the horizon.
Step 12. Now it’s time to make a splash. Let’s start with its basics. Choose a tool Oval area
(Elliptical Marquee tool) and with the Shift key held down, form a circular selection where there is a spike. Standing on the layer with the background, copy the selection to a new layer and name it “Ripple”. Load a selection of this layer (Ctrl + click) and apply Filter-Blur-Radial Blur (Filter> Blur> Radial Blur).
Note: To circumvent the methods of using many adjustment layers, the author proposes to use a neutral layer. How to do it? With the Shift key pressed, click on the icon of the new layer at the bottom of the layers palette. Create a new layer, put the blending mode Overlap (Overlay). Call the options window Fillings (Fill) and put in the settings Overlap and 50% gray (Overlay / 50% Gray). You will now have a gray layer, but you will not notice any effect on the image. Now choose a soft brush with Opacity (Opacity) 10% and start processing. By choosing white color, you will manifest light, choosing black color, you will manifest shadows. Thus, you can correct the horizon, water and skin tone.
Step 13. Let’s go back to the radial blur settings for the “Ripple” layer. Degree – 20; method – ring; Quality is the best. (Amount of 20, Blur Method of Spin, Best Quality.) Then use the eyedropper (Color Picker) to select the foreground color from the image, and set the background color to white. Go to the menu Filter-Sketch-Relief (Filter> Sketch> Bas Relief) and set these settings detailing-13, mitigation-3, (Amount to 13, Smoothness to 3). Then give the splash an oval shape and set the blending mode for this layer. Spot light (Pin Light).
Step 14. Now for the layer “Ripple” Add a layer mask and use a soft brush with an opacity of 20% to gently smooth the edges. Create a new layer and name it. “Spray”, select a white brush with the name Splatter 46pix (Spatter 46px). Open the brush palette and in the tab Brush Print Form (Brush Tip Shape) put Intervals (Spacing) up to 40%. In the tab Form Dynamics (Shape Dynamics) put Swing Size and Swing Angle 60% (Size and Angle Jitter to 60%). Disable pen pressure. For an example, see the screenshot.
Step 15. In the settings brush set opacity (Opacity) 100%, switch the foreground color to white and paint a splash. At the top of the layers palette, activate the lock Transparent pixels (Lock Transparent Pixels).
Then go to the menu Filter-Rendering-Clouds (Filter> Render> Clouds), next Filter-Imitation-Cellophane packaging (Filter> Artistic> Plastic Wrap) and set the values: Backlight-20 (Highlight Strength), Detailing-1 (Detail), Mitigation-15 (Smoothness). Go to the menu again Filter-Sketch-Chrome (Filter> Sketch> Chrome) and set these settings: Detailing-3 (Detail), Mitigation-8 (Smoothness).
Step 16. Next, go to the Edit-Transform-Warp menu (Edit> Transform> Warp) and edit the spray, narrowing them for the upper points, work on them in the center. Using the Smudge tool, spread them a little. Set the blending mode for this layer. Hard light (Hard Light).
Step 17. Now add a mask to the layer. “Spray”. Open the image with a wave of splashes and select Filter-Extract (Filter> Extract.). In the dialog box of the Extract filter in the settings, set Smoothing (Smoothness) 20-30, select tool Highlighting edges (Edge Highlighter tool) and paint over all the water splashes you want to select.
Step 18. Tick opposite Object color (Force Foreground) and take the tool Pipette
(Eyedropper). Click on the selected spray with the pipette, thus you choose the color that you will have after applying the filter. Click OK. Using commands Copy paste (Copy-Paste), move the water spray in the main image. Now open the image with a jeep and similar actions, select the splash of water that is to the left of the jeep. Now duplicate this layer several times.
Step 19. Now, using the transformation options, place the splashes and splashes as you like. When the result will suit you, you can combine them into one layer. Add a layer mask to this layer and, if necessary, you can correct the spray. Place this layer above all layers. Add to this layer Layer style (Layer Style) Gradient overlay (Gradient Overlay). Use the settings as in the screenshot. Blend mode Linear Light – linear light; opacity (Opacity) -25%; angle -155.
Step 20. Choose a tool Gradient (Gradient Tool), in the settings window, set the color 81643Bposition (Location) 40%, set the overlay mode Hard light (Hard Light), opacity (Opacity) 85% and swipe over the spray layer. Open another image with splashes and do the same with them as with the previous ones. Duplicate layer “Ripple” which you created before several times and place them accordingly, creating a genuine splash effect.
Step 21 At the bottom of the layers palette, click the icon New adjustment layer (New Fill or Adjustment Layer) and select Photo filter (Photo Filter). In the settings, use the filter – Heating filter 85; density 50% (Warming filter (85) 50% Density). Place this adjustment layer above all layers and set the blending mode to it. Overlap (Overlay), opacity 35% (Opacity). If you see fit, add a reflection on the water and enjoy the view of your work.
Work in full size can be found here.
I hope you will be interested in this lesson and will benefit.
