In this Photoshop tutorial, you will learn how to create a dark photo manipulation with the Ripper on an extra income – on a haymaking! This lesson is great for novice users, in this lesson you will learn how to quickly combine images, create a single picture, and learn how to create a cool blue effect that eliminates the need for color correction to match color shades.
Final result
Source materials:
Step 1
First open the stock image ‘Sheaves of straw’ in Photoshop.
Choose a tool Frame 
(crop tool) by pressing the (C) key. We crop the original image a little with this tool.
Click + drag the mouse, grabbing the image we want to crop. I started cropping from the top left of the image + pulling it to the bottom right. Press the (Enter) key to crop the image.
The cropped image should be like in the screenshot below.
Step 2
Next, we will hide the clouds in the image with sheaves of straw. To do this, add a layer mask to this image through the bottom toolbar. A white layer mask thumbnail will appear next to the layer thumbnail.
Next, select the tool Brush 
(brush tool) by pressing the (B) key. Choose a soft round brush with a stiffness of 0%, a brush size of approximately 900 px.
Make sure the foreground color is set to black and the background color to white and make sure the layer mask is active. Using a soft black brush, start painting over the clouds to hide them.
Result.
Next, hover over the layer with the background and double click on it to display the dialog box New layer (new layer). This will allow us to change the layer with the background to a new layer, which is designated as layer 0 (layer 0). I named this layer as ‘BG’.
Step 3
Now open the cloud image by moving it to our working paper. After moving, this image will be placed on top of the ‘BG’ layer in the layers palette. I named this layer ‘cloud’. Move the layer with the clouds down, placing it below the ‘BG’ layer.
Activate the tool Free Transformation (free transform tool (Ctrl + T), apply scaling to the image with clouds, clamping the reference point + pull down until the clouds fill the empty space on the working document.
The result that I got.
Step 4
Being on a layer with clouds, we go Filter – Blur – Blur on the surface (filter> blur> surface blur). Set the blur value as shown in the screenshot below:
Result at the moment.
Step 5
Next, we will change the color of the clouds by adding a new adjustment layer on top of the cloud layer. For this we go Layer – New Adjustment Layer – Hue / Saturation (layer> new adjustment layer> hue / saturation):
Result.
Step 6
Over the adjustment layer Hue / Saturation (hue / saturation), add another adjustment layer. This time Brightness / Contrast (brightness / contrast). Apply the settings shown in the screenshot below:
The result that we have turned out.
Step 7
I assume that the light source is located in the upper central part of the clouds. We will hide the effect of the adjustment layers that we created in the previous step before we create the light source.
Select adjustment layers and then press the keys (Сtrl + G) to group them into one group. I called this group обла cloud correction ’. Add a layer mask to the group layer. Choose a soft round black brush, while on the layer mask, process the areas where the light source will come from.
Result after processing on a layer mask.
Step 8
Next, we add light and shadow to our scene. First go to the ‘BG’ layer. From the ‘BG’ layer, press the keys (Shift + Ctrl + N) to create a new layer. In the window that appears, specify the name of the layer (I called this layer “light and shade”). Do not forget to put a tick in the box Use previous layer to create clipping mask. (use previous layer to create a clipping mask) to convert this layer to a clipping mask. Set the blending mode Overlap (overlay), fill with a neutral color 50% gray (50% gray).
The result should be as in the screenshot below.
Step 9
To create light highlights, select the tool Clarifier 
(dodge tool). Set the settings that are shown in the screenshot below: select a soft round brush about 500 px in size, set Range (range) to Sveta (highlight), and the value Exposure (exposure) approximately 10%.
Once on the ‘light and shade’ layer, start stroking with strokes, adding light highlights to the scene. In the screenshot below you can see the result in the blend mode. Normal (normal) and the end result under mode Overlap (overlay), layer opacity is 100%.
Now add shadows to our scene. To do this, select the tool Dimmer 
(burn tool). Set the settings that are shown in the screenshot below.
Using tool Dimmer (burn tool), walk the strokes on areas that require a little darkening. The result that I got:
Step 10
Next, we will continue to create the mood of the whole scene. To do this, we will add several adjustment layers to our picture. First, we will add an adjustment layer. Hue / Saturation (hue / saturation). Let’s go Layer – New Adjustment Layer – Hue / Saturation (layer> new adjustment layers> hue / saturation). Set the values that are shown in the screenshot below:
Mode for this adjustment layer Normal (normal), layer opacity is 100%. The result should be as in the screenshot below:
Step 11
Add another adjustment layer: Photo filter (photo filter).
Duplicate the adjustment layer once. Photo filter (photo filter). Set the blending mode for the original adjustment layer to Normal (normal), layer opacity is 100%, and for duplicate mode Normal (normal), opacity 40%. The result should be as in the screenshot below:
Step 12
Add the last adjustment layer: Curves (curves).
Set the blending mode for this adjustment layer to Normal (normal), layer opacity 70%. Select all three adjustment layers and then press the keys (Сtrl + G) to group them into one group. I called this group ‘general correction’.
Step 13
Open the image with the Ripper in Photoshop. Using any selection tool that you are used to working with, separate the image of the Ripper from the background.
In the screenshot below, you can see the selected image of the Ripper. We will slightly change its shape. Choose a tool Free Transformation (free transform tool), set the option Deformation(warp mode). Click on one of the control points, holding + drag in the desired direction, as shown in the screenshot below:
Now select the tool Finger 
(smudge tool). Set the settings that are shown below in the screenshot. Stroke the bottom of the Ripper’s Cape to change its shape. The direction of the strokes is shown in the screenshot below:
Step 14
Add the image of the Ripper to our working paper, simply by copying and pasting this image. Create a new group for the Ripper layer. I called this group ‘The Ripper’. Do not forget to place this group with the Ripper below the корре general correction ’group in the layers panel.
Go to the Ripper layer inside the created group. Add a layer mask to this layer. On the layer mask of the layer, process the bottom of the Ripper’s Cape and the mower. Try to combine a soft brush with a hard brush, varying the size of the brush in accordance with the treated area. For example, I used a small round hard brush to process the cape and make the grass visible.
Step 15
Next, to the Ripper layer, add an adjustment layer: Brightness / Contrast (brightness / contrast). Do not forget to put a tick in the box Use previous layer to create clipping mask. (use previous layer to create a clipping mask) to convert this layer to a clipping mask. This action will fix the adjustment layer. Brightness / Contrast (brightness / contrast) to the Ripper layer.
Set the brightness / contrast values shown in the screenshot below:
Result.
Step 16
Over the adjustment layer Brightness / Contrast (brightness / contrast), create another new layer within the group with the Ripper. Set the blending mode for this layer to Linear light (linear light), fill it with a neutral color 50% gray (50% gray).
On this new layer we will add light highlights to the image of the Ripper. Therefore, you can guess what we will do next. Select tool again Clarifier (dodge tool), set up the tool settings, as in step 9. Start applying strokes to parts of the Ripper image by adding light highlights. Pay attention to the screenshot, which is located below, which shows the areas where to apply the light glare. The plots are marked with white arrows.
Step 17
Create another new layer below the Ripper layer inside the group with the Ripper.
On the new layer, draw the shadows from the Ripper’s figure. Use a soft black brush with an opacity of about 10-15%, vary the size of the brush depending on the area of staining. Go through the strokes near the bottom of the cape, as shown in the screenshot below.
Step 18
Next, we will add another stock image to our scene. Open the stock image of the Ripper with a scythe. Cut out the image of the spit.
Paint over the spit handle to hide extra areas that are marked with red crosses in the screenshot below. Create a new layer on top of the layer with the selected spit image, blending mode for this layer. Normal (normal), layer opacity is 100%. Being on a new layer, paint over the specified areas. I used a soft round brush with an opacity of about 15-20%. Collect color samples from the nearest point near the correction area.
Step 19
Copy / paste the corrected image of the spit onto our working paper, position the layer with the slash below the layer with the Ripper group. Apply scaling in accordance with the size of the document, placing in front of the main sheaf of straw, as if the braid rests against the sheaf. Create a new group for the spit layer. I called this group ‘Kos’.
Step 20
Create a new layer as a clipping mask over the layer with a scythe inside the ‘Spit’ group. Set the blending mode for this layer to Linear light (linear light) and then fill it with a neutral shade. 50% gray (50% gray). Using tools Clarifier / Dimmer(dodge burn tool), add chiaroscuro to the image of the braid, as you did in the previous step 9 and 16. White arrows indicate the areas of adding light highlights, and black arrows on the shadows.
Step 21
In this step we will create a shadow falling from the spit. Go to the layer with a scythe, then go Layer – Layer Styles – Shadow (layer> layer styles> drop shadow). Apply the settings shown in the screenshot below:
Result.
Move your mouse over the layer style Shadow (drop shadow) in the layers palette, then right-click on this effect and in the window that appears, select the option To form layer(create layer). This option converts the layer style. Shadow (drop shadow) in a separate layer, which will be located below the layer with a scythe.
Next, go to the layer with The shadow (drop shadow). Activate the tool Free Transformation (free transform tool (Ctrl + T). Turn and shift the shadow in the desired direction to create a drop shadow.
In conclusion, to the layer with the shadow, add a layer mask and on the layer mask, hide the extra patch of shadow.
The result should be as in the screenshot below.
Step 22
We have almost completed the lesson. In this step, we will additionally add light and shade to the whole scene to create a more mysterious atmosphere. Create a new layer between the layer with the ‘general correction’ group and the layer with the ‘Ripper’ group. Set the blending mode for this layer to Linear light (linear light), layer opacity is 100%. On a new layer, create chiaroscuro where necessary. For these purposes, use the tool Clarifier / Dimmer (dodge burn tool). In the screenshot below you can see the result in the blend mode. Normal (normal).
Result in blending mode Linear light (linear light), layer opacity is 100%.
Step 23
Only a few steps left to complete the picture. Make sure that you are on the layer with the ‘general correction’ group, which is located at the very top of the layers palette. Next, press the keys (Shift + Ctrl + Alt + E) to create a stamp of all visible layers, merging them into one layer. I called this layer Multiplication (multiply). Next, go Layer – Smart Object – Convert to Smart Object (layer> smart object> convert to smart object). Thus, we will convert the merged layer into a smart object. Next, go Filter – Other – Color Contrast (filter> others> high pass). Set the radius value as shown in the screenshot below.
Next, we will edit the information parameters of the smart filter. To do this, move the cursor to the filter Colour contrast (high pass filter) in the layers palette, and then right-click on the color contrast filter row to display the smart filter dialog box. Select an option Editing information parameters smmatr filter (edit smart filter blending option). In the window that appears, change the blending mode to Multiplication (multiply), layer opacity 70%.
Result at the moment.
Next, go to the thumbnail of the filter layer mask. Treat filter areas where necessary.
Result after filter mask processing.
Step 24
Next, add another adjustment layer. Curves (curves), as shown in the screenshot below. Reduce the opacity value Fillings (Fill) for this adjustment layer up to 20%.
Process the layer mask of the adjustment layer. Curves (curves).
Result.
Step 25
Since we are still on the corrective layer Curves (curves), which is located at the very top in the layers palette, then you can press the keys (Shift + Ctrl + Alt + E) to create the merged layer again. Convert this merged layer to a smart object. Finally, apply a smart filter to this merged layer: Colour contrast (high pass). Change the blending mode to Overlap (overlay), opacity 100%.
Everything, we have completed the lesson!
Final result
