In this lesson you will learn how to create an epic composition “Ancient Scandinavians” and learn how to work with the transformation of objects, creating a landscape, also learn how to work with masks and adjustment layers and much more.
We begin the work by creating a landscape and adapt it to the picture. Then we will create a mountainside and a group of sailing ships. Next, add a model and entourage (stone and raven). Pay attention to the clouds. At the end, add adjustment layers and special effects. You will need any version of Photoshop, inspiration, good mood, you can turn on your favorite music and have a cup of tea.
Final image
Starting materials
Step 1
Before you start, download all the materials in one place. So it will be easier to work with them. Open Photoshop and get started!
Through the menu File -> New (File -> New) or by pressing the keys Ctrl + N create new document size Width (Width) 3000px and Height (Length) 2000px. I called the document “Scandinavians.”
Step 2
Further through the menu File-> Place (File -> Place) select the image with the landscape and add it to the working document.
This image will be the basis and will make the frame of our entire composition, on which we will overlay other images. So it will be easier for us to work with the composition. At the end of the work we will remove it.
Step 3
After you have pasted the landscape, stretch it using the keyboard shortcut Ctrl + T or through the menu Edit-> Transform-> Scale (Edit -> Transform -> Zoom). Pull the black squares in the corners of the transform shape.
Resize the image so that it covers the entire work area and extends beyond the edges of the document. Do not worry about losing quality. This file is only a structural skeleton and the quality here does not matter.
Step 4
Now let’s start creating the main landscape. Create a new group by clicking on the group icon in the layers palette and name it “Earth”
Step 5
Let’s start by creating water. Insert in the working paper landscape with fog through the menu File-> Place (File -> Post).
Step 6
Now transform the landscape as shown below and place it on the right side of the document.
Step 7
Add a layer mask to this image by clicking on the mask icon at the bottom of the layers palette.
Step 8
Take the tool Brush
(Brush) on the toolbar. Set the following settings: 150px size, Hardness (Hardness) 0%, Opacity (Opacity) 100%, Flow (Push) 100%, foreground color is black.
Step 9
Now go to the layer mask by clicking on it and use the brush to remove all unnecessary parts of the image, as shown below.
Step 10
I wanted to create a contrasting mount, so I added a correction layer. Curves (curves). To add an adjustment layer go to menu Layer-> New Adjustment Layer-> Curves (Layer -> New Adjustment Layer -> Curves) or click on the icon in the layers palette.
Step 11
In the curve settings window, move the point on the graph slightly to the right, this will make the image more contrast.
Do not forget to click on the “square with an arrow” icon to apply a correction layer only to the water layer, and not to the whole document.
Step 12
Now add an image of the mountains. To do this, go to the menu File-> Place (File -> Place) and select the image of the mountains.
Step 13
Transform the inserted image as shown in the image below. Try to follow the perspective of the image with fog, so it will be easier. For a more beautiful view of the mountains, I added an angle of 5.64 to them. Note that the layer with mountains must be above all layers.
Step 14
Add a mask to the image with the mountains by clicking on the mask icon at the bottom of the layers palette (see Step 7). Choose a tool Brush ( Brush) on the toolbar. Set the following settings: 100px size, Hardness (Hardness) 0%, Opacity (Opacity) 100%, Flow (Push) 100%, foreground color is black.
Step 15
Switch to the layer mask by clicking on it. Use the brush to remove the extra details as shown below. Walk with a soft brush, where the mountains are joined with fog (decrease the value Opacity (Opacity) 30-50%) and stiff brush at the edges of the mountain Hardness (Hardness) 0%.
Step 16
Now, to create a dark atmosphere, add a correction layer. Curves (Curves). Move the point on the curve curve slightly to the right, this will add contrast to the image.
Step 17
That’s what happened.
Step 18
I do not like the sky, because it is spoiled, and I want a darker and darker sky, so let’s add other clouds. Go to menu File-> Place (File -> Place) and select an image with a dark sky.
Step 19
Transform clouds across the entire length of the canvas and position the image at the top, as shown in the image below.
Step 20
Now move the layer with the sky under the fog layer. So it will be easier to remove unnecessary details.
Step 21
We need to remove some parts of the sky and clouds, blurring the abrupt transitions in the fog. To do this, add a mask for the layer with the sky.
Step 22
Choose a tool Brush (Brush) on the toolbar. Set the following parameters: size 100px, Hardness (Hardness) 0%, Opacity (Opacity) 70%, Flow (Push) 100%, foreground color is black.
Step 23
Now go to the layer mask by clicking on it. Use a brush to remove excess parts, as shown in the figure below.
Step 24
You need to create a mountain with a clear structure located closer, so add it to the foreground. Go to menu File-> Place (File -> Place) and select the image with the mountain.
Step 25
Now transform the mountain (Ctrl + T or through the menu Edit-> Transform-> Scale (Edit -> Transform -> Zoom)). First, we need to reflect it horizontally. Right click on the image transformation window and select Flip horizontal (Flip horizontally).
Step 26
Tilt the mountain so that it looks more realistic. I turned the corner 171.91. Increase the size of the mountain and slide it so that the edges of the image extend beyond the edges of the working canvas. Complete the transformation by pressing the key. Enter.
Step 27
Now remove the excess in the image. Take the tool Quick selection (Quick selection) in the toolbar and select the mountain.
Step 28
Then click on the mask icon to remove everything that is not highlighted.
Step 29
Now, to create a dark atmosphere, add a correction layer for the mountains. Exposure (Exposure). To do this, go to the menu Layer-> New Adjustment Layer-> Exposure (Layer -> New Adjustment Layer -> Exposure) or click on the icon in the layers palette and select from the drop-down list Exposure (Exposure).
Step 30
Here is the result of the previous steps.
Step 31
Now we will create a cape on which we will then place the model. In this part of the work will have to tinker with masks and the transformation of parts of the hill. I liked the texture of this hill, so I did not add anything else and made everything from one photo. Now let’s start creating our cape. Create a new group or click on the group icon at the bottom of the layers palette and name it “Cape”
Step 32
Now add a cape image. Go to menu File-> Place (File -> Place) or click Ctrl + O and select an image with a hill.
Step 33
Take the tool Quick selection 
(Quick selection) in the toolbar and select the hill.
Step 34
Choose a tool Move Tool
(Move) and move the selected image area to the tab with our work.
Step 35
Now transform this hill by pressing the key combination Ctrl + T or through the menu Edit-> Transform-> Scale (Edit -> Transform -> Free Transform). Reduce the size as shown below.
Next, flip the image horizontally by right-clicking on the transform window and selecting from the list Flip horizontal (Flip horizontally).
Position the image as shown. Make sure that the smooth edges are not visible in the picture and leave a bit of scenery at the base of the hill.
Step 36
Add a mask to the hill layer. Take the tool Brush (Brush) on the toolbar. Set the following parameters: size 100px, Hardness (Hardness) 0%, Opacity (Opacity) 100%, Flow (Push) 100%, foreground color is black. Remove excess parts as shown below.
Step 37
Now duplicate this layer (Ctrl + J)
Step 38
Flip this fragment horizontally. To do this, go to the menu Edit-> Transform-> Flip Horizontal (Edit -> Transform -> Flip Horizontally). Now drop a bit the image with a gap, as shown below. It is necessary to arrange part of the relief so that it becomes a continuation of the first fragment.
Step 39
Switch to the layer mask. Take the tool Brush (Brush) on the toolbar. Set the following parameters: size 80px, Hardness (Hardness) 0%, Opacity (Opacity) 60%, Flow (Push) 100%, foreground color is black.
Remove excess parts as shown below. Then install Hardness (Hardness) brush 70% and walk it on the clear edge of the cliff, removing excess.
Step 40
Duplicate the first layer of rock by pressing (Ctrl + J) and move it above all layers in the group. Arrange it so that it becomes an extension of the rock.
Step 41
Also add a mask and remove several parts so that the relief is not of the same type. The layer masks I duplicated were deleted. Brush settings remain the same as 80px, Hardness (Hardness) 0%, Opacity (Opacity) 60%, Flow (Push) 100%.
Step 42
The remaining three layers will close the gaps and give the rock a more uniform look. Duplicate the first rock layer three times and move them as shown below.
Step 43
The principle of operation remains the same. I think it will not be difficult. Remove excess parts using a layer mask. If you need to restore some parts of the image, simply switch the foreground color to white, and restore part of the image on the layer mask. Red shows where I placed fragments of the landscape.
Step 44
That’s what happened.
