In this lesson you will learn how to create a little mermaid underwater using simple blending methods and adjustment layers. You can create this beautiful scene with other underwater backgrounds to create something truly unique. Underwater scenes – one of my favorites in Photoshop art. Hope you enjoy the lesson.
Final image
Create a new file with a canvas size of 2600px x 3300px.
Place image Ocean 2 in your work file and in mode Free transform (Free Transformation) (Ctrl + T) position it as shown below.
Duplicate image of the ocean (CTRL + J) and fill them with empty space (Ctrl +T) as shown below. Add mask and tool Brush Tool 
(Brush) erase the border between the layers.
Note: To add a mask, click on the Add Mask icon (Addlayermask) at the bottom of the layers panel. To erase the border, for the Brush tool, select black.
Insert image Ocean 1 into your work file. Add a layer mask and hide the bottom of the image with a large soft round brush as shown below.
NoteA: you can use additional images to make the seabed more diverse.
Insert image gold fish into your work file. The best way to precisely cut an image in Photoshop is to use selection tools. Separate the fish from the background in our file with the tool. PenTool
(Pen).
Place the image of the girl in your work file. Create a new layer for it and go to the menu Edit> Fill (Edit> Fill) and select 50% Gray (50% Gray). Take Dodge tool (Clarifier) with Exposure (Exposure) 25% and lighten the image of the girl in some places. Set the blending mode Overlay (Overlap) with Opacity(Opacity) 20%.
Create a new layer, take Brush tool (Brush) white and fill as shown in the picture below. Set the blending mode Soft Light (Soft Light) with Opacity(Opacity) 20%. Make two copies of the current layer (Ctrl + J) and change them. Opacity(Opacity) at 13% and 29%. Select all 3 layers, right-click and select Create Clipping Mask (Create clipping mask).
Create a new layer, take Brush tool (Brush), select brush Bubbles and add them behind the model.
Place image Pieces of cloth into your work file. Create a new layer with a clipping mask and paint over it with a black brush in the areas shown in the figure. Set the blending mode Screen(Screen).
Place image Hair in the working paper. Make six copies (Ctrl + J) and place them on the girl’s head.
Create a new layer, take the brush again. Bubbles and draw as below.
Insert another piece of cloth and place it in the girl’s hand. Set the blending mode Screen(Screen) with Opacity(Opacity) 94%. Add a layer mask and using a soft round Brush tool (Brush), erase the edges.
Place image on canvas Bubbles 2. Set the blending mode Lighten (Replacing light).
Place your favorite image with fish to the working file. But, before you put it, use Pen Tool (Pen) to highlight the fish and remove the background. Duplicate the layer (CTRL + J) and place a copy as shown in the image below.
Insert image Bubbles 3 on a working canvas. Set the blending mode Screen(Screen); Add a layer mask and hide the edges with a large round soft brush.
Create a new layer and tool Rectangular marquee tool 
(Rectangular area) make some white stripes as shown below.
Go to menu Filter> Blur> Gaussian Blur (Filter> Blur> Gaussian Blur), specify Radius(Radius) 100. Install Opacity(Opacity) layer 30%.
Insert an image of light under water (note: the author did not indicate the source link) to your file. Set the blending mode Screen(Screen) with Opacity(Opacity) 35%. Now add a layer mask and use a brush to erase most of it.
Place image Underwater world to your file. Trim the middle of the image with Polygonal Lasso Tool 
(Polygonal Lasso) and set the blending mode Color (Chromaticity) with Opacity(Opacity) 50%.
Insert an underwater image (note: the author did not indicate the source link) in your document and change the blending mode to Soft light (Soft light) with Opacity(Opacity) 75%.
Now place another underwater image (note: the author did not indicate the source link) to your file; Add a layer mask and a brush with a slight opacity paint over the girl and the right corner. Reduce brush opacity. The blending mode is set to Soft light (Soft Light) with Opacity(Opacity) 70%.
Settings for older versions of Photoshop
Go to menu Layer>Adjustments>Photo filter (Layer> Photo Filter) and select Warming Filter (85) (Warm filter (85) with Density(Density) 55%.
Go to menu Layer>Adjustments>Brightness / Contrast (Layer> Correction> Brightness / Contrast) and set Brightness (Brightness) -22
Go to menu Layer>Adjustments>ColorBalance(Layer> Correction> Color Balance)
Go to menu Layer>Adjustments>Hue/Saturation(Layer> Correction> Hue / Saturation)
Go to menu Layer>AdjustmentsCurves(Layer> Correction> Curves) with Opacity(Opacity) 93%
Go to menu Layer>Adjustments>Hue/Saturation(Layer> Correction> Hue / Saturation) and set Saturation(Saturation) to -20
Go to menu Layer>Adjustments>Brightness / Contrast (Layer> Correction> Brightness / Contrast), click on the layer mask and use brushes.
Go to menu Layer>Adjustments>Gradient map (Layer> Correction> Gradient Map) with blending mode Soft light (Soft Light) with Opacity(Opacity) 10%
Settings forPhotoshop CS6
The original version of this tutorial was made in Photoshop CS6 using correction layer Color lookup (Color Search) that appears in this new version of Photoshop.
Go to menu Layer>New Adjustments Layer> Color Lookup (Layer> New Adjustment Layer> Color Search) and select Candlelight.CUBE
Go to menu Layer>NewAdjustmentsLayer>ColorBalance(Layer> New Adjustment Layer> Color Balance)
Go to menu Layer>NewAdjustmentsLayer>Hue/Saturation(Layer> New Adjustment Layer> Hue / Saturation)
Go to menu Layer>NewAdjustmentsLayer>Curves(Layer> New Adjustment Layer> Curves) with Opacity(Opacity) 93%
Go to menu Layer>NewAdjustments Layer>Brightnes / Contrast (Layer> New Adjustment Layer> Brightness / Contrast), click on the layer mask and use brushes.
Go to menu Layer>New Adjustments Layer>Gradient map (Layer> New Adjustment Layer> Gradient Map) With Blend Mode Soft light (Soft light) with Opacity(Opacity) 10%
If you want to make the image more interesting, you can add a glare effect using Filter> Render> Lens Flare (Filter> Rendering> Blick).
Here is the end result of this beautiful underwater Photoshop lesson. I hope you enjoyed reading and working on this lesson.
