In the dream, we are immersed in a world that is wholly owned by us.
Below are links to resources that we will use:
Archive
The end result will look like this:
Step 1. Well, first, we will create a new canvas, 600px wide and 750px tall. Now download Grass. Unzip it and find the file “nature10_3048.jpg“. Open it in Photoshop and change the size, as it covers 2/3 of the canvas (do not pay attention to the white part, I just saved the file in JPG instead of PNG):
Step 2. The next step we need to remove this mountain, we will not use it. It depends on you, whether you use selection tools or a good old tool. Eraser 
/ Eraser tool, but in the end result should see a clean cut. Name the layer “Grass”.
Step 3. Next, we will add poppies. Download a beautiful poppy field, then open it in Photoshop, drag it to the main document and position it above the grass layer, resize and slide down (large poppies should not be in the foreground). After that, right-click on the layer and Create clipping mask/ Create Clipping Mask for the grass layer, of course. Then change the blending mode to Overlap/ Overlay. Name the layer “Poppies”.
Step 4. Now make your grass layer active (click on it so that it is highlighted in dark blue in the layers panel). Go to Layer – Layer Mask – Display All /Layer – Layer Mask – Reveal All. Set Primary Color # 000000 and select tool Gradient
/ Gradient Tool (G), Mirrorgradient/ Reflected Gradient from foreground to transparent. Swipe them up from the top of the grass and slightly upwards as in the first image below. Then release the mouse button, and you should get it like in the second image below:
Step 5. Select a photo Stone Road and open it in Photoshop, leave only the road. Add it to the main document, resize and position in the middle of the grass. Place this layer over the poppies. Right click on it and Create clipping mask/ Create Clipping Mask. Take the tool Eraser/ Eraser Tool, select the small grass brush and go along the left and right edges of the road to get a result like this:
Step 6. Name this layer “Road.” So far so good, but our road must be in harmony with the whole image, right?
Ctrl + click on the layer icon in the layers palette to select it, and then go to Image – Correction – Color Balance/ Image – Adjustments – Color Balance. Set these settings:
Mid tones/ Midtones: +41 / 0 / -18 Sveta/ Highlights: +23 / 0 / -18 Shadows/ Shadows: -38 / 0 / +48. Put a tick in Keep brightness/ Preserve Luminosity, and then reduce the opacity of this adjustment layer to about 21%, and click on it to Create clipping mask/ Create Clipping Mask.
Again, select only the road, but this time go to Image – Correction – Levels/ Image – Adjustments – Levels and set these settings: Channel: RGB Input values: 61 – 0, 68 – 255 Output values: 0 – 255.
Also add to the adjustment layer Clipping mask/ Clipping Mask.
Highlight the road again and go to Image – Correction – Brightness / Contrast/ Image – Adjustments – Brightness / Contrast. Settings – Brightness/ Brightness: +18 Contrast/ Contrast: +12. Decrease Opacity/ Opacity to 60% and add Clipping mask/ Clipping Mask.
The image below shows how your image and palette should now look like:
Step 7. Next, open the Mount archive, unzip and locate the file. nature14_6270.jpg. Open it in Photoshop and move the image to your main document. Make sure it is at the bottom of the layers palette. Use your favorite extraction method to remove the background from the mountain, and then change the size and position as follows:
Step 8. Name this layer “Mountain”. Create a selection by clicking Ctrl and clicking on the layer icon in the layers palette, then go to Image – Correction – Brightness / Contrast/ Image – Adjustments – Brightness / Contrast and set these settings:
Brightness/ Brightness: -6 Contrast/ Contrast: +1. Lower the layer opacity to about 80%, so you can click Ctrl + E, to combine it with a layer with a mountain.
Select the mountain again and go to Image – Correction – Color Balance/ Image – Adjustments – Color Balance and set these settings: Mid Tones / Midtones: +100 / 0 / +33 Sveta/ Highlights: -36 / 0/0 Shadows / Shadows: -45 / 0 / +1, “Keep Brightness” is on. You can combine it with a layer with a mountain if you want.
Select the mountain again and go to Image – Correction – Photo Filter / Image – Adjustments – Photo Filter. Choose color # 008c00 and density 81%, “Save lighting/ Preserve Luminosity “included. Of course, you can combine this layer with a layer with a mountain if you want. This is what you should have now:
Step 9. Ok, now open Archive Sky. Unzip the file and open the image cosmos2_0006_manip.jpg. Add it to your main document and move it to the bottom of the layers palette, under all other layers. Name the layer “Sky”.
Then go to Image – Correction – Color Balance/ Image – Adjustments – Color Balance and set these settings:
Mid Tones / Midtones: -32 / -29 / -24 Sveta/ Highlights: -44 / -9 / +44 Shadows / Shadows: -12 / 7 / + 2, “Save lighting/ Preserve Luminosity “included. You should get something shown below:
Step 10. At the moment we have a problem – we do not need the whole canvas in bluish shades. Therefore, set the foreground color Ffffff and take the tool Gradient / Gradient Tool (G), Radial gradient/ Radial Gradient from foreground to transparent (this is very important) and drag it so that your adjustment layer looks like the image below (I increased the thumbnail of the layers palette for a better view). This should give our image a pleasant look of various shades, as shown below in the second image:
Step 11. Far from us part of the poppy field still looks a bit strange, is not it? We can fix it. Create a new layer and move it so that it is at the top of the layers panel. Set Primary Color # 0a0a0a and select tool Gradient/ Gradient Tool (G), Mirror gradient/ Reflected Gradient from basic to transparent. Name the layer “Horizon” and draw a gradient as in the first image below to get the result as in the second image:
Step 12. See how our poppies fade beautifully in the distance. Ok, now let’s open the road sign image. Place it above all layers. Name this layer “Road Sign”. Take the tool Eraser / Eraser Tool and set the same grass brush as before (on the road), and remove a little lower part of the mark to get something like this:
Step 13. Now we need to correct it, and then the poor fellow looks how inappropriate. For this, we will have 5 adjustment layers. First, select the road sign by clicking Ctrl + clicking on the layer icon in the layers palette.
Then go to Image – Correction – Color Balance/ Image – Adjustments – Color Balance and set these settings:
Mid Tones / Midtones: +37 / 0 / -25 Sveta/ Highlights: +14 / 0 / -16 Shadows / Shadows: -21 / 0 / +17, “Save lighting/ Preserve Luminosity “included.
Well … You can merge this layer with a layer with a road sign or not merge your choice.
Select the sign again Image – Correction – Photo Filter/ Image – Adjustments – Photo Filter, Warm filter / Warming Filter (85), Density/ Density 31%, “Save lighting/ Preserve Luminosity “included.
Make the selection a third time, also go to Photo Filter / Photo Filter, BUT! Select Yellow/ Yellow color, Density/ Density 55%, “Save lighting/ Preserve Luminosity “included. Press the button OK, and then change the blending mode of the last adjustment layer to Linear Dodge/ Linear dodge Opacity/ Opacity 71% and Fill / Fill 20%. You should have something like this:
Step 14. Too much light on the sign, so let’s highlight it again, and this time we will go to Image – Correction – Levels/ Image – Adjustments – Levels with the following settings: Channel/ Channel: RGB, Input Values / Input Levels: 0 – 0.81 – 255, Output values / Output levels: 0 – 255. Then lower Opacity/ The opacity of the layer is up to 55%.
The next adjustment will be the last one, I promise. Highlight the sign and go to Image – Correction – Curves / Image – Adjustments – Curves and set these settings:
Step 15. Now our sign should look like the first image below. Next, let’s do a lamppost. Open it and move it to a Photoshop document. Use the tool Eraser/ Eraser, set up with a grass brush from previous steps to process the base. It should turn out approximately as in the second image below:
Step 16. Let’s name this layer “Lamppost”, select it and go to Image – Correction – Color Balance. Set the following settings: Mid Tones /Midtones: 0/0 / -20 Sveta/Highlights: 0/0 / -20 Shadows /Shadows: 0/0 / -52, “Save lighting/ Preserve Luminosity “included. Lower the opacity of this adjustment layer to 80%. Now our lamppost looks like this:
Step 17. Our lamppost looks flat. Add volume to it.
Select the lamppost and create a new layer above all the others, set the foreground color # f8eeb2 and select the good old Gradient/ Gradient Tool, Linear gradient/ Linear Gradient, from foreground to transparent. Drag it like in the image below, and then change the blending mode to Soft light/ Soft Light (name this layer “Light of a lamppost”) to get the result as in the second image below:
Step 18. Create a selection again and set the foreground color # 2c0f12. Create a new layer on top of all others, set the blending mode Overlap/ Overlay, lower Fill/ Fill up to 55% and name the layer “Shadow of lamppost”. Apply Gradient / Gradient Tool as before, just swipe them this time from right to left to get the result, as shown below:
Step 19. Let’s light our lantern. Set the main color ffcc00 and create a new layer above all the others, name it “Lamp Post Light Source”. Take a soft round brush about 100 pixels in size and click once to create a light like in the first image below. Set the blending mode to Linear Dodge/ Linear dodge and lower Fill/ Fill up to 35% to get the result as in the second image below:
Step 20. We are almost done with a lamppost. Now create 3 adjustment layers that need to be placed above the “Light Source” layer.
Create a post selection and go to Image – Correction – Photo Filter / Image – Adjustments – Photo Filter, Warm filter / Warming Filter (85), Density/ Density 54%, “Save lighting/ Preserve Luminosity “included.
For the second adjustment layer, re-create the lamppost selection and go to Image – Correction – Color Balance/ Image – Adjustments – Color Balance with the following settings: Mid tones/ Midtones: +32 / 0 / -23 Sveta/ Highlights: +24 / 0 / -19 Shadows/ Shadows: +34 / 0 / -27 “Save lighting/ Preserve Luminosity “included.
Lower the opacity of this layer to 62%. Last, create a selection and go to Image – Correction – Brightness / Contrast /Image – Adjustments – Brightness / Contrast with these settings: Brightness/Brightness -11, Contrast/Contrast +23 to get the result as below. Lower opacity to 25%
Step 21 Well, now we have to create the light under the lamppost, so create a new layer that needs to be placed under all your lamppost layers. Then set the foreground color # edd184 and using a soft brush, draw as in the first image below. Then change the blending mode to Lightening basics/ Color Dodge and lower the fill to 55%. Name the layer “Light spot of lamppost”, create a selection and go to Image – Correction – Brightness / Contrast /Image – Adjustments – Brightness / Contrast with the following settings: Brightness/ Brightness: +26 Contrast/ Contrast: 0, “Save lighting/ Preserve Luminosity “included. The result should be like in the second image:
Step 22 Gradually we come to the final stage of the settings. Finally! Make a correction Channel Mixing/ Channel Mixer. In your layers palette, go to the layer with the mountain. Go to Image – Correction – Channel Mixing/ Image – Adjustments – Channel Mixer. Set these settings: Red/ Red: 100% Green/ Green: -26% Blue/ Blue: + 20% Constant/ Constant: + 14%
Here is the difference:
Step 23 You have noticed that the upper part of the mountain, where we have a planet (moon / sun) is not flooded with light. Let’s fix it. Create a new layer between the layer with the mountain and channel mixing. Right-click on the layer and select Create clipping mask/ Create Clipping Mask. Set Primary Color # fde8a5 and name this new layer “Sunlight”.
Take the tool Gradient/ Gradient Tool (radial gradient, from foreground to transparent) and swipe them like in the first image below. Change the blending mode to Linear Dodge/ Linear dodge and lower Fill /Fill up to 25% to get the result as in the second image below:
Step 24 Adjust now Hue / Saturation/ Hue / Saturation of our layers. Settings/ Settings: Wizard, Color tone/ Hue: 0, Saturation/ Saturation: -100, Brightness/ Lightness: 0 and Toning/ Colorize is disabled. Set the blending mode Linear light/Linear Light and reduce the opacity to 7%.
Have you noticed that this makes our canvas a little darker?
Then create a new layer above all others. Name it “External Channel 1”. Go to Image – External Channel/ Image – Apply Image and click OK.
Next, go to Filter – Noise – Add Noise/ Filter – Noise – Add Noise (Qty: 12.5%, Uniform/ Uniform, not monochrome). Go to Filter – Sharpness – Sharpness/ Filter – Sharpen – Sharpen. Change blending mode to Lightening/ Screen and lower the opacity to 54%, and the fill to 16%. You should get this result:
Next, go to Gradient map/ Gradient Map. We will create this layer above all layers. Go to Image – Correction – Gradient Map/ Image – Adjustments – Gradient Map and set the gradient as shown in the first image below (do not turn on Blur/ Dither and do not turn on To reverse/ Reverse). Set the blending mode to Light replacement/ Lighten and reduce the fill to 5% to get the result as in the second image below:
Then create a new layer above all others and name it “Outer channel 2” (Image – External Channel/ Image – Apply Image). Go to Filter – Sharpness – Sharpness/ Filter – Sharpen – Sharpen. You will notice that not all areas are beautiful when adding sharpness (for example, a mountain, so just take a small soft round brush in Eraser / Eraser and erase the area shown in the first image below). Change the layer blending mode to Light replacement/ Lighten and lower the opacity to 70%
Step 27. Create a new layer above all others and name it “Texture.” Set Primary Color # d5d2ce and fill the new layer with the tool Fill/ Paint Bucket Tool (G). Then go to the Layer Overlay Options by double-clicking on the layer icon or Layer – Layer Style – Overlay Settings / Layer – Layer Style – Blending Options and set these settings:
Step 28. Darken the edges. Create a new layer above all and name it “Fade Effect”. Go to Image – External Channel/ Image – Apply Image, further in Overlay options/ Blending Options of this layer and apply the following settings:
Step 29. Add some fireflies around the lantern. Take a round brush and set the foreground color # fecc0e. Create a new layer above all others, change the blending mode to Lightening/ Color dodge and lower Fill/ Fill up to 50%. Paint the fireflies by changing the size of the brush, and then go to Filter – Sharpness – Sharpness/ Filter – Sharpen – Sharpen. And, of course, name this layer “Fireflies.”
Step 30. The time has come for the vine to be twisted around the lantern. Open the Vine archive and load the brushes in Photoshop. Set foreground color # 54721a and on the new layer, above all others, draw a vine. Then apply these layer styles:
Step 31 Create a new layer over the newly created one and, holding Ctrl + Shift, click on the layer with the vine and in a new way, in the layers palette they should turn blue. Then click Ctrl + E, to merge them into one layer, which we will call “Vine”.
Use tools Dimmer 
/ Burn and Clarifier 
/ Dodge to adjust lighting and shadows. If you want, you can by Photo filter/ Photo filter add Heat/ Warming. Just go to Filter – Sharpness – Sharpness/ Filter – Sharpen – Sharpen once or twice.
Step 32 Last step. Create a new layer above all the others and go to Image – External Channel/ Image – Apply Image. Then go to Layer – Add Layer Mask – Show All/ Layer – Layers Mask – Reveal All and using Gradient/ Gradient Tool, set from foreground to transparent, Linear gradient/ Linear Gradient, swipe down from top to bottom. Of course, the main color 000000. Then go to Filter – Blur – Gaussian Blur/ Filter – Blur – Gaussian Blur and set the value to 9.5. Name the layer “Blur”.
That’s all. Of course, you can go ahead and add something of your … your choice. Thank you for taking the time to study the lesson and do not be afraid to dream!
Final result:
Author: Seiorai
