Adobe Photoshop Tutorial

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“The Controller” – Create this Floating Superhero Scene with Sci-Fi Lighting Effects in Photoshop

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Step 1Create a new document and fill it with white. You can choose the size you want but in this tutorial I choose the width larger than the height.

Open background stock. Press C to active Crop Tool and make selection of background as shown below:

Right click this selection, choose Crop to complete this action:

Use Move Tool ( V) to drag it into white canvas, remember to resize to fit the background:

Name it as “land”.

I want to remove the pile on the right side so on land layer, use Polygonal Lasso Tool ( hit L to active it) to make a selection on the left side with feather = 20:

Right click this selection, choose Layer via Copy and we have it on a new layer. Go to Edit-Transform-Flip Horizontal then move it to right side to hide the pile:

Hide background layer ( white canvas) then press Cmd/Ctrl+Shift+Alt+E) to merge all visible layers ( “land” and “remove pile” layers). Call the new layer as “land 1″ or whatever you want.

Step 2

Open sky stock. You can use another image if you can’t download this sky from Photoxpress but a dark one with dramatic look is a good choice.

Use Retangular Marquee Tool to make a selection for the part you want and set feather as 20 ( depends on the size of your picture):

Use Move Tool to drag it into our document, downsize and place this layer under “land 1″ layer but above “land” and “remove pile” one. Name it as “sky 1″:

On land 1 layer, add layer mask and use soft black brush to remove sky part of land:

Duplicate sky 1 layer, apply Flip Horizontal for it then move it to the right like the image below shows:

Name it “sky 2″. Add layer mask to remove some parts to make this sky blend better with background:

Step 3

To make color of the land fit sky, I use a new adjustment layer for land 1 layer with Clipping Mask. On land 1 layer, go to Layer-New adjustment layer-Hue/Saturation:

Step 4

In this step I do a bit retouch for background. Create a new layer on the top. Use soft brush with color #373939 and paint on some parts of sky. I vary opacity of brush as shown below:

Change the mode to Multipy 80%:

Make a new layer ( Cmd/Ctrl+Shift+N) and I use brush with color #9f9e99. Painting on the left side of sky and some parts of background to brighten them. Set the mode of this layer to Soft light 100%:

To darken another parts of sky I use brush and color #373939. On a new layer, use this brush and paint on sky center. Put the mode as Multipy 50%:

Step 5

Open explosion stock. Use Move Tool to drag it into our canvas. Press Cmd/Ctrl+T to scale it down and transform it as shown below:

Change the mode to Screen 100% and add layer mask for this layer. Use soft black brush to remove the rough edges and the part within this explosion:

Name this layer as “burning circle”.

Step 6

I use a layer with Clipping Mask to brighten this circle. Take soft brush with color #fda25c. Painting around this circle and change the mode to Hard Light 100%:

Step 7

On circle layer, use Lasso Tool to make a selection on the left side of it. Press Cmd/Ctrl+C to copy it. Make a new layer on the top. Press Cmd/Ctrl+V to paste copied part into it. Apply Flip Horizontal and move to the right. Use layer mask to remove rough edges:

Step 8

I want to make glowing light for this circle. Create 3 new layers under this circle. On each layer I use brush with color #fda25c painting on different parts outside it and put the mode to Soft light and Overlay with different opacities.

Step 9

In this step we will make the light coming up from circle. Duplicate this circle layer. Move under layer to the top:

Go to Filter-Blur-Motion Blur:

Duplicate this layer and use Move Tool to move two these layers up. Name them as “light 1″, “light 2″:

You can erase any parts you don’t like on layer mask of these light layers.

Step 10

On burning circle layer, use Lasso Tool to make a selection with feather=15 as shown below then copy it ( Cmd/Ctrl+C):

Make a new layer on the top. Press Cmd/Ctrl+V to paste copied part onto this new layer ( as we did in step 7).

Name it as “ground” or whatever you like.

Add layer mask to erase the outside part of this ground to make it look like being inside the circle actually:

Change the mode to Multipy 70%:

Step 11

Open crack stock. Move it, resize and transform as we usually do in previous steps:

Change the mode of this layer to Soft light 100%. Add layer mask to clear rough edges:

Step 12

In this step I want to add some tiny burning effects on the cracked ground. Make a new layer which is set on the top. Take brush with color #fbe29d with very small size ( I use 2-3 px) and paint inside cracked parts. Set the mode to Overlay 100%:

You may not see a very obvious change after this step but don’t worry. We will make it look more visible right now.

Name this layer “burning effect”. On this layer, press Cmd/Ctrl+G to make group for it. Change the mode of this layer from Pass Through ( default mode for group) to Color Dodge 100%:

You can see a big change after this step:

Right click burning effect layer, choose Blending options:

And result:

Rename this group as “burning effect”.

Step 13

Open man stock. Extract him with method you’re familiar with, resize and place him into our main document:

To change color of the man I use a Hue/Saturation layer with Clipping Mask:

Step 14

To add glowing effect for the man, make a new layer on the top. On man layer, hold Cmd/Ctrl while clicking man thumbnail layer to load its selection: