?In this lesson, I will show you how to create the dark atmosphere of a fairytale scene with a fairy. We will also look at working with masks and light correction, work on creating a realistic rain effect and much more.
Stages of the lesson
We will begin the work with the mask, then we will place all the elements of the composition into one single scene, we will combine using corrective layers and add small details. Finally, we will add a gradient map adjustment layer. This lesson was done in Adobe Photoshop CC, although it can be done in most versions of the program.
The final result:
Step 1
First, let’s create a new document with the following settings, which are shown in the screenshot below:
Step 2
Now we will set the background color to black and add an image of the model, for this we go File – Post (File> Place). Position the model image as shown in the screenshot below.
Step 3
We need only the image of the model and the slide on which it stands, we need to hide everything else on the layer mask. On the model layer, click Add layer mask
(Add layer mask), which is located at the bottom of the layers panel. Now, using a black brush, hide the extra areas on the layer mask, if you want to restore the visibility of the hidden areas, then paint the necessary areas with a white brush.
Step 4
Add a correction layer to the model layer. Curves (Curves), to do this, click Create a new adjustment or fill layer (Create new fill or adjustment layer) at the bottom of the layers panel, which is located next to the button Add layer mask (Add layer mask). To make the correction layer correction only applicable to the model layer, right-click on the layer and in the appeared window select the option Create clipping mask (Create clipping mask).
Step 5
Now add an adjustment layer. Hue / Saturation (Hue / Saturation), the correction of which will be applicable only to the image of a stone hill. Apply the settings shown in the screenshot below. Next, with the tool Fill
(Paint Bucket Tool (G)), fill the mask of the adjustment layer with black color to hide the correction. Now using a soft white brush, paint over the area of the stone hill so that the correction is visible only in this area.
Step 6
The last thing left to do is add light effects to the hands of the model. Choose a tool Ellipse
(Ellipse Tool (U)). Draw two round shapes. The size of one figure should be 90? 90 px, the color of the figure # 00ffff, the size of the other figure should be 70? 70 px, the color of the figure is white. You can hold the Shift key to draw perfect circles. Now, being on a layer with a circle of 90 × 90 px, go Filter – Blur – Gaussian Blur (Filter> Blur> Gaussian Blur), rasterize the shape, and then set Radius (Radius) blur 50 px. Do the same with a circle of 70? 70 px, the only thing is to apply a blur radius of 25 px instead of 50 px. Now, place a circle of 70 × 70 px on top of a circle of 90 × 90 px.
Step 7
Duplicate the layer with the created light flare, place each flare on top of each model’s hand. You may have to apply a small scaling (Ctrl + T) or go Editing – Transformation – Scaling (Edit> Transform> Scale).
Step 8
Let’s continue the lesson. Add original image with cave entrance File – Post (File> Place). Place this image on top of all other layers, and then slightly stretch the image, as shown in the screenshot below.
Step 9
Let’s get rid of the landscape that can be seen through the cave entrance, for this, add a layer mask to the cave entrance layer, then select the tool Pen 
(Pen Tool (P)). Now carefully create a contour around the image of the entrance to the cave, convert the contour into an active selection, to do this, right-click on the contour area and in the appeared window select the option To form a selected area (Make Selection). Fill the selected area with black using the tool Fill
(Paint Bucket Tool (G)). Now move the cave layer down, placing it below the model layer.
Step 10
Add original image with plants. Place this image next to a stone slide.
Step 11
To the plant layer, add a layer mask and use a soft black brush to process the edges of the image to combine it with the existing image. Next, add an adjustment layer. Curves (Curves).
Step 12
Now duplicate the light highlights that were previously created and are located on top of the model’s hands. Reduce their size. Place small light highlights on top of the hill and plants.
Step 13
In this step, we will add a raven image to our working paper. Remove the background with a layer mask. Apply scaling to the raven image (Ctrl + T) or go Editing – Transformation – Scaling (Edit> Transform> Scale). During scaling, turn the raven image towards the model, to do this, right-click on the transformation area and in the appeared window select the option Flip horizontally (Flip Horitzontal).
Step 14
After scaling and rotation, the result should be as in the screenshot below.
Step 15
To align the crow image with the entire scene, add an adjustment layer. Curves (Curves). Perhaps the image of the crow will look too dark after correcting the curves, but after adding additional layers with the landscape outside the cave, it will look great.
Step 16
It’s time to create a landscape outside the cave. This landscape will consist of 4 layers, which will include a mountain gorge, the sky, a layer with fir trees and a layer with rain. Let’s start with the mountain gorge. Add this image to our working paper. Place the image of the gorge below the cave entrance layer. With the help of layer masks, hide separate fragments of the image, saving only those areas that are visible in the screenshot below.
Step 17
Add a correction layer to the mountain gorge layer Curves (Curves) to reduce image brightness.
Step 18
Now add an image of the sky. Using a layer mask, hide the bottom of the image. Place the layer with the sky below the layer with a mountain gorge.
Step 19
Add adjustment layer Hue / Saturation (Hue / Saturation) to the layer with the sky. Apply the settings shown in the screenshot below:
Step 20
There is one more part of the scene that needs to be filled, for this purpose we use the original image with a mountain landscape. Delete almost the entire image except for the bottom, where the spruce trees are located.
Step 21
Add adjustment layer Curves (Curves).
Step 22
Next, we will create a rain effect from scratch. Create a new layer below the cave entrance layer, fill this layer with black color. We will add noise, for this we go Filter – Noise – Add Noise (Filter> Noise> Add noise), apply the following settings, which are shown in the screenshot below:
Step 23
Next, go Filter – Blur – Gaussian Blur (Filter> Blur> Gaussian Blur), set radius (Radius) blur 1 px.
Step 24
Now, we will apply another filter, for this we go Filter – Blur – Motion Blur (Filter> Blur> Motion Blur).
Step 25
Change the blending mode for the rain effect layer to Lightening (Screen).
Step 26
To the rain effect layer, add an adjustment layer. Levels (Levels). Set the settings that are shown in the screenshot below:
Step 27
On the image there are areas where there should not be a rain effect, but it is due to the mask correction areas, so add a layer mask to the rain layer to hide the separate fragments of rain.
Step 28
There are two steps left, and we will complete the lesson. Add adjustment layer Gradient map (Gradient Map) on top of all other layers, set Opacity (Opacity) layer 15%. I used the standard gradient of Photoshop CC, which should be included in the standard set of most versions of the program.
Step 29
Finally, we darken the edges of the image a bit. Create a new layer. Using a soft black brush, brush size 1000 px, paint over the edges of the image. Just a few brush strokes on the contour of the scene, and the effect should look great.
I hope that you liked this lesson, and you learned something new for yourself. Thank you for attending the lesson, and I wish you a good time at this lesson.
The final result:
PSD lesson
