DC is a young and creative graphic designer and he has produced a very interesting tutorial. He will show us how basic Photoshop functions like Layer Styles, Blend Modes and Adjustment Layers could dramatically alter images and make them appealing. This and a basic idea of colors could do wonders. You can contact him here. digitalcompositions@gmail.com

This Photoshop Tutorial is based on Grunge form of art with use of vibrant colors.

Materials Needed:

• Snowboarder
• City
• Brush Sets
• BrushPack used in this tutorial.

Step

Making The Background & Placing The Snowboarder.

Open a new document of size 1600px X 1200px Load the textured image on top of the background layer and resize ( Ctrl + T) it appropriately

Step

Open the snowboarder image and extract the snowboarder from it. Since the snowboard is slightly rough at the bottom cut it out slightly within the snowboard.

Bring it onto our document, resize it to fit it within the canvas and place it at the right side.

Step

Now goto Filter –> Artistic –> Cutout and apply the values
Number of Levels – 4
Edge Simplicity – 3
Edge Fidelity – 3

Step

Having the snowboarder layer selected go to its Layer Style Window & select Outer Glow enter the following values:
Blend Mode : Color
Opacity: 100%
Noise : 0%
Color of glow : #5093f8
Spread : 0%
Size : 84px
Everything else remains at default.

Step

You should get the following image.

Make a new layer BELOW the snowboarder layer and name it ‘gradient’.

Step

Having ‘gradient’ layer selected Ctrl + Click on thumbnail of snowboarder layer. This will make a selection of its outline.

Step

Now fill it with a two color gradient such that the color changes at the point of contact between the snowboarder and his snow board.

Steps

Having done this paint with a Smooth(0 hardness) brush White color, over the areas of the face and the lower end of the snowboard.

Now change the blend mode of the snowboarder layer to Multiply Your picture should have resemblance to the following image.

Setting Up The Buildings:

Now bring that onto the right hand side of our canvas and resize it so that it fits about slightly more than half.

Step

Set the mode to Soft Light.

Step

Duplicate the layer and reduce the Opacity to 40%.  Make a new group named “Building Right” and put the two building layers into it.

Duplicate the group(Right click on the group –> Duplicate Group) Having the copy of the group selected go to Edit –> Transform –> Flip Horizontal. press v(Move Tool), move the Buildings to the left, and rename the group Building Left.

At this point it becomes vitally important to be sure that you’re headed the right way. Check the image bellowt. It shows the arrangement of layers you should have by now.

Make a new layer under the layer “gradient”, with the Rectangular Marquee Tool make a selection going across the canvas, from the eyes of the snowboarder to about his legs. Fill it black. DO NOT DESELECT.

With the black label selected Press Q (Quick Selection Mode). Go to Filter –> Pixelate –> Color Halftone. Put in the values Max Radius : 22 Channel(All) : 40

Change its opacity to about 55%

Darkening The Image:

The part of the image to the top right side seems rather brighter. Lets add an Adjustment Layer –> Brightness/Contrast below the ‘black label’ layer. And on the layer mask apply a gradient going from Black to White from the bottom right to top left of the canvas.

Dramatic Changes:

This is another milestone in the tutorial where you should check everything before proceeding further since things get messy. Also you should have downloaded your brushes. You can experiment with your own brushes as well.

Above the Brightness/Contrast Layer , make a new Adjustment Layer –> Curves(don’t use your imagination we’re talking about photoshop 😀
To make it easier I’ve given the Output – Input Values .
RED – Output:40   Input:195

GREEN – Output:145   Input:119

BLUE – Output:89   Input:119

No changes in the RGB Channel.

You should get similar results.

Now selecting the Curves layer and all layer below it, press Ctrl + Alt + E. You will get a merged layer. Make a new layer below it and fill it White. Having the Merged Layer selected create a layer mask ( Layer –> Layer Mask –> Reveal All) Select color Black

Step

And now use some Splatter, Spray Brushes and apply at the edges of the mask. You may do the same for the ‘black label’ layer. Above the ‘black label’ layer make a new layer with blend mode set to Soft Light.

Step

Select the color #00fffc and using the same Splatter brushes apply on some parts around the snow boarder.

I’ve added some text at the end. Its Adams Font You can browse dafont.com you’ll find tons of ’em there. And that’s a Wrap folks. Hope you found this tutorial helpful.

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