In this tutorial, you will learn how to create a beautiful Christmas night in Photoshop. You will learn the technique of creating photomanipulations, including creating light effects and working with groups.
Final result
Source materials:
Step 1
Create a new document, fill it with any color shade at your discretion (I filled it with white). Open the stock image with the background, and then move the image to our working paper, apply scaling if necessary. I used only part of the image:
Step 2
Create a new layer, select the tool. Stamp 
(Clone Tool), with the help of this tool, reduce the brightness in the area above the mountain:
Step 3
I decided to create a small fog effect for the background, for this, create a new layer, and then select a soft brush, brush color # 7d8ba4, opacity (opacity) and pressure (flow) brush 25-30%. Using this brush, paint over the pines:
Step 4
Open the stock image with the front background. Select a portion of the image with ice, and then move the highlighted portion to our working paper:
Add a layer mask to the layer with ice. Using a soft black brush, process the upper hard edge of the image to create a smooth transition, as shown in the screenshot below:
Once again, select a part of the image with ice, then, also move this part to our working document, placing it in the foreground at the bottom of the scene. Using a layer mask, spend the combination with the first piece of ice:
I called these layers “foreground 1”, “foreground 2”.
Step 5
Duplicate the “foreground 2” layer, then go Filter – Blur – Gaussian Blur (Filter-Blur-Gassian Blur), set a blur radius of 3 px:
Using a layer mask, hide the blur closer to the background. With this action, we add a depth of field to our image:
Name this layer “foreground 3”.
Step 6
Create a new group for the layers with the foreground (select all the layers, then press the keys (Ctrl + G). Change the blending mode for the layer with the group from the mode Skip (Pass Through), (group default mode) overlay mode Normal (Normal), 100%. Being on the layer “foreground 3”, we go Layer – New Adjustment Layer – Curves (Layer-New Adjustment Layer-Curves):
Step 7
Create a new layer on top of the group with the foreground. Select a soft brush, brush color # bec4cc, with this brush, paint over the very bottom of the foreground and then change the blending mode for this layer to Multiplication (Multiply), 50% layer opacity:
Step 8
Cut out the image of the house, place it on the left side of our composition, using scaling (Ctrl + T):
Using a layer mask, draw the combination of the lower part of the house with snowy ground:
Step 9
Add some adjustment layers to the house layer as a clipping mask to change the color of the house. Being on the layer with the house, go Layer – New Adjustment Layer – Hue / Saturation (New Layer-New Adjustment Layer-Hue / Saturation):
Color Balance (Color Balance):
Step 10
In this step we will create the shadow of the house. Since the light comes from the background from above, then the shadow of the house will fall on the area in front of the facade of the house. Create a new layer below the house layer. Hold Ctrl + click on the thumbnail of the house layer to load the active selection of the house:
Fill the active selection with black, then lower the layer opacity to 30%. Next, go Editing – Transformation – Flip Vertically (Edit-Transform-Flip Vertical), shift the shadow below the house image:
Apply to the shadow layer. Gaussian blur (Gaussian Blur), blur radius 2 px, then, using a layer mask, hide the blur at the top of the shadow:
Translator’s Note: The author additionally washed the lower part of the shadow in accordance with the distance from the house.
Step 11
I decided to replace the door of the house, to do this, open the stock image with the door. Select the door image, and then move the selected door image onto our working document, arranging it as shown in the screenshot below. Using a layer mask, draw a combination of the door with the snowy ground:
Step 12
To the door layer, add a few adjustment layers as clipping masks to change the color of the doors so that the doors match the color scheme of the house.
Hue / Saturation (Hue / Saturation):
Curves (Curves):
Step 13
Open the stock image ‘Fencing’. Create a selection around the fence, and then move the selected image to our working document:
Arrange the fence behind the house (place the layer with the fence below the house layer). Using a layer mask, hide a part of the fence on the pine image:
Translator’s Note: Add a layer mask to the layer with fencing, then, using a soft black brush, process the transition area of the fence with pine.
Step 14
Create a shadow falling from the fence, just like you created a shadow for the house:
Step 15
Add adjustment layers to the layer with fencing as a clipping mask to change the color of the fence.
Hue / Saturation (Hue / Saturation):
Color Balance (Color Balance):
Curves (Curves):
Step 16
Cut out the image of Deer 1, then move this image to our working paper, placing it on the right side of the scene:
Create a shadow for the deer:
Step 17
Color-correct the image ‘Deer 1’ using adjustment layers (as clipping masks).
Hue / Saturation (Hue / Saturation):
Color Balance (Color Balance):
Step 18
Add a second image of Deer 2 to the left of Deer 1, positioning it slightly below Deer 1. Create a shadow for Deer 2:
Step 19
Next, color-correct the image ‘Stag 2’ using adjustment layers. Hue / Saturation (Hue / Saturation) and Curves (Curves).
Step 20
Add the second image of Deer 3, placing it even lower. Create a shadow for Deer 3 using the same shadow technique:
Step 21
Next, color-correct the image of ‘Deer 3’ using adjustment layers.
Hue / Saturation 1 (Hue / Saturation 1):
Curves (Curves):
Hue / Saturation 2 (Hue / Saturation 2):
Using a soft black brush, paint over the horns and upper body of the deer to reduce light highlights, because These parts of the deer were originally bright (being on the layer mask of the adjustment layer Hue / Saturation 2 (Hue / Saturation 2):
Step 22
Open the stock image ‘Pines’. Select the image of a single pine tree in the background, and then move the selected pine image to our working document, placing it in the foreground, hiding the bottom left part of the composition:
Apply to the pine layer Gaussian blur (Gaussian Blur), with a 4x blur radius:
Duplicate the pine layer by shifting the duplicate layer to the right side of the composition. Place a duplicate of pine in the lower right corner of the scene, as shown in the screenshot below:
Name these layers “pine 1”, “pine 2”.
Step 23
Merge layers with pines in one group, do not forget to change the blending mode for the created group to the mode Normal (Normal), 100%. Inside the created group, add adjustment layers to change the color of the pines to fit the whole picture:
Curves (Curves):
Hue / Saturation (Hue / Saturation):
Color Balance (Color Balance):
Step 24
Cut out the image of a snowman, place it on the right side of the composition. Draw a shadow for a snowman:
Step 25
For snowman color correction, add adjustment layers. Color Balance (Color Balance) and Curves (Curves) as a clipping mask.
Step 26
For general color correction and light correction, add a few adjustment layers on top of all other layers.
Color Balance(Color Balance):
Curves(Curves):
Loosen the dark contrast over the pines on the left side of the scene. To do this, go to the layer mask of the adjustment layer. Curves (Curves) and using a soft black brush, process the area indicated on the screenshot:
Hue / Saturation (Hue / Saturation):
Step 27
To create a focusing light, create a new layer. Choose a tool Radial Gradient (Radiant Gradient), default gradient colors (black and white):
Change the blending mode for this layer to Soft light (Soft Light), 100%. Next, add a layer mask to reduce the dark contrast at the top of the mountain and on the sky:
Translator’s Note: The author processes the top of the scene on the soybean layer mask using a soft black brush.
Step 28
Next, we will clarify some elements of the composition. To do this, create a new layer, select a soft white brush. Using this brush, paint over the right side of the roof of the house, deer 1, deer 2, because In my opinion, these areas should be lighter. Change the blending mode for this layer to Soft light (Soft Light), 100%:
Step 29
Open the stock image ‘Lantern’. I highlighted this part of the lantern:
Place the lantern above the door:
Step 30
In this step we will create light in the windows of the house. Create a new layer, select a soft brush, brush color # 7a6616. Using this brush, paint over the windows, the lantern, and also on the snow in front of the facade of the house. Change the blending mode for this layer to Linear Dodge (Linear Dodge), 100%:
Create a new layer, select a soft brush, brush color # f9d597. Using this brush, paint over the previous elements, where you have already created a lighting effect. Change the blending mode for this layer to Overlap (Overlay), 100%:
Step 31
Open the stock image ‘Christmas lights’. Select several images of the garlands, adding them to the pine tree to the right of the house. Apply a transform, scaling, and layer mask to hide unnecessary patches of lights:
Choose a large garland by placing it on the top of the pine:
Step 32
Group the Christmas lights into one group. Inside the created group, add an adjustment layer. Selective color correction (Selective color) to change the color of the lights:
Step 33
Create a new layer on top of the garland group, select brush, brush color # d7a865, brush size 3-4 px. Using this brush, additionally draw the effects of glowing lights:
Step 34
Create a new layer, select a soft brush, brush color # f9e597. Draw a glow from the flickering lights on the surrounding objects (the roof of the house, the ground, a snowman, a fence, deer). Change the blending mode for this layer to Overlap (Overlay), 100%:
Create a new layer using a soft white brush, add brightness to the garland at the top of the pine. Change the blending mode for this layer to Overlap (Overlay), 100%:
Step 35
Create a new layer on top of all other layers. Choose Brush Snow. Draw snow as shown in the screenshot below:
Add more snow, for this, select another brush. Remember to create a new layer and then reduce the layer opacity to 60% after applying the filter. Gaussian blur (Gaussian blur), for this we go Filter – Blur – Gaussian Blur (Filter – Blur – Gaussian blur), blur radius 1.5 px:
Using a layer mask, reduce the intensity and blurriness of the snow to get a result, as in the screenshot below:
Step 36
Final step: Add an adjustment layer Levels (Levels) to darken the whole image a bit:
Next, go to the layer mask of the adjustment layer. Levels (Levels) to process selected areas:
Hope you enjoyed this Christmas lesson.
Final result
