In this tutorial I'll show you how to create a dark conceptual work featuring a scared man who's trying to hide from evil forces.
You'll learn how to make a simple environment by combining two stock images, and create devils using some cosplay images and liquify filters. You'll also learn how to make some unusual effects using particles and Photoshop basic filters, adjust colors, enhance the depth of field, and more.
Short on time? Try out these great Shadow Photoshop Actions on GraphicRiver.
Tutorial Assets
The following assets were used during the production of this tutorial:
1. How to Add the Ground
Step 1
Create a 2000 x 1333 px New Document in Photoshop with the given settings:
Step 2
Open the ground image. Use the Lasso Tool (L) to select the ground only and drag it into the black canvas using the Move Tool (V). Convert this layer to a Smart Object.
Use the Free Transform Tool (Control-T) to Rotate it a bit to the left.
Step 3
Click the second icon at the bottom of the Layers panel to add a Mask to this layer. Use a Soft Round Brush with a black color and a lowered Opacity (20-30%) to soften the edges of the ground, making it fade into the background.
Step 4
Create a Hue/Saturation Adjustment Layer and set it as Clipping Mask. Bring the Saturation value down to -85:
Step 5
Make a Curves Adjustment Layer to bring more light to the ground.
Step 6
On the ground layer, go to Filter > Blur > Gaussian Blur and change the Radius to 5 px.
On the filter Mask, use a Soft Black Brush to erase from the mid-ground
to the background, leaving the blue effect visible only on the foreground.
It'll help to focus on the main subject (model) and enhance the depth.
2. How to Add the Sky
Step 1
Drag the sky image into our document and place it under the ground layer.
Step 2
Apply a Gaussian Blur of 9 px to the sky layer to soften it.
Step 3
Use a Hue/Saturation Adjustment Layer and set the Saturation value to the minimum.
Step 4
We'll follow the light of the ground (from left to right). Make a Curves Adjustment Layer and decrease the light. On this Layer Mask, use a Soft Black Brush to paint on the left to reveal the
light here.
Step 5
Use another Curves Adjustment Layer to bring more light to the left.
3. How to Make the Devils
Step 1
Open the devil 1 image. Use the Lasso Tool (L) to select the devil's head and place it in the top-left corner. Flip it horizontally by choosing Edit > Transform > Flip Horizontal.
Place this layer above the sky layer but below the ground one.
Step 2
Go to Filter > Liquify and select the Forward Warp Tool. Use this
tool to tweak the head, making the face details such as the eyes,
chin, forehead and mouth thinner and longer, in order to make the devil scarier.
Step 3
Add a Mask to this layer and Use a Soft Black Brush with a lowered Opacity (about 50-55%) to soften the edges and make the devil fade into the background.
Step 4
Make a Hue/Saturation to desaturate the devil. Change the Saturation value to -80:
Step 5
Create a Curves Adjustment Layer to darken the devil a bit:
Step 6
Add the devil 2 image to the top right of the canvas and tweak his head using the Liquify Tool. Use a Layer Mask to blend him with the background.
Step 7
Make a Hue/Saturation Adjustment Layer and reduce the Saturation value to -89:
Step 8
Use a Curves Adjustment Layer to decrease the lightness on the devil.
Step 9
Create a New Layer, change the Mode to Overlay 100%, and Fill with 50% gray:
Use the Burn Tool (O) with Midtones Range, Exposure about 10% to darken the sockets of the devils' eyes. You can see how I did it with Normal mode and the result with Overlay Mode:
Step 10
Make a New Layer and take a Hard Round Brush with about 2 px and the color #f5f5f5 to paint
a small line along the form of the devils' eyes. After that, use a Layer Mask to refine these lines, making them fade into the eye sockets.
Step 11
Use a Hard White Brush with a very small Size (1-2 px) to paint highlights in the middle of the eye sockets. It will increase the evil look for the devils.
4. How to Create the Devils' Effect
Step 1
It's time to decorate our devils! Duplicate the sky layer and set it above the devil's layers but still below the ground one.
Select the Liquify Tool and use the Twirl Clockwise Tool to tweak the
clouds on the top left and the middle to create some twirls on this
sky part.
Move the sky part until the brighter twirl on the top left fits the head of the first devil.
Step 2
Use a Layer Mask to erase the effect on the middle and right, making it visible only around the first devil.
Step 3
Tweak the sky image more to get something similar to the image below, and then mask off the hard edges and the unwanted parts.
Step 4
Continue adding the details to the devil 2 image using the Twirl Clockwise Tool and Layer Masks.
Step 5
Select all the sky effect layers and press Control-G to make a Group for them. Change this group Mode to Normal 100% and make a Hue/Saturation adjustment within this group to desaturate the effect.
Step 6
Create a Curves Adjustment Layer to reduce the effect's visibility. Paint on the top left as it's in the illuminated area.
5. How to Import the Model
Step 1
Cut out the model from the background and place him in the middle of the ground. Use Control-T to Rotate him to the left a bit to fit the ground's perspective.
Step 2
Make a New Layer and activate the Clone Tool (S). Use this tool to remove the text on his clothes.
Step 3
Use a Hue/Saturation Adjustment Layer to desaturate and change the model's color:
Step 4
Make a Curves Adjustment Layer to brighten the model. On this Layer Mask, use a Soft Black Brush to erase the lower and right side parts of the
model to fit the light source.
Step 5
Create a New Layer, change the Blend Mode to Overlay 100% and Fill with 50% gray. Use the Dodge Tool to give more light and bring more details to the lower part of the model.
Step 6
To make a shadow for the model, create a New Layer under the model one.
Hold down Control while clicking the model thumbnail layer to load his
selection. Fill this selection with black and lower the Opacity of this
layer to 70%. Use Control-T to Rotate it to the right of the model, on
the ground.
Use a Layer Mask to clean the shadow parts covering the gap on the ground and below the model.
Step 7
Apply a Gaussian Blur of 3 px to the shadow layer.
Step 8
Create a New Layer and use a Soft Black Brush with the Opacity of about 60% to paint the missing shadow between the legs of the model. Lower this layer's Opacity to 80% to match the existing shadow.
6. How to Create the Dark Abstract Circle
Step 1
Create a New Layer on top of the layers and change the Foreground to black. Activate the circular strokes brushes and select the one numbered 700 to spot on the canvas. Use Control-T to make it much smaller and narrower, and then place it above the model's head.
Step 2
Duplicate this layer several times and Flip them horizontally, Rotate them, and use Layer Masks to Fill them in and make the circle bigger and more proportional.
7. How to Make the Evil Particles
Step 1
Drag the particles image into our working document and use Control-T to make it a bit narrower. Use a Layer Mask to reduce the intensity of the particles on the edges, making them visible mostly in the middle as shown below:
Step 2
Go to Filter > Distort > Twirl and apply the following value:
After that, apply a Gaussian Blur of 8 px to this layer:
Step 3
Add the particles image again to the main file and Flip it horizontally and Mask it off. Apply the Twirl filter with the same settings. I turned off the first particles layer so you can see the second more clearly.
Step 4
Make a Group for these particles layers and alter this group's Mode to Multiply 100%.
Create an Invert Adjustment Layer within this group to make the dark edges disappear and reveal the particles.
Step 5
Use a Curves Adjustment Layer to increase the particles' visibility:
Step 6
Grab a part of the particles image and place it in the foreground. Use Control-T with the Warp Mode to bend it as shown below:
Step 7
Apply a Motion Blur to this part with the following settings:
Change this layer's Blend Mode to Multiply 100% and create an Invert Adjustment Layer to reveal the particles' effect:
Step 8
Add more particles around the dark circle and the model's head using the same method but without applying the filters.
8. How to Add the Crows
Step 1
Isolate the crow 1 and place him on the left side of the turning particles. Set this layer below the particles ones.
Step 2
Apply a Motion Blur with the given settings to this crow:
On the filter Mask, use a Soft Black Brush to erase the crow's body and leave only the wings moving to match the motion of the particles.
Step 3
Make a Hue/Saturation Adjustment Layer and bring the Saturation value down to -82:
Step 4
Brighten the crow using a Curves Adjustment Layer:
Step 5
Add the crow 2 to the right side, in a higher position than crow 1. This is in order to match the scene's perspective.
Step 6
Apply a Motion Blur filter to the crow and then erase his body on the filter Mask.
Step 7
Create a Hue/Saturation Adjustment Layer to desaturate this crow:
Step 8
Use a Curves Adjustment Layer to darken the wings of the crow as they're in the shadow area. The selection in the screenshot shows where to paint on the layer mask.
9. How to Make the Final Adjustments
Step 1
Create a Gradient Map Adjustment Layer on top of the layers and pick the
colors #e10019 and #00601b. Lower the Opacity of this layer to 20%.
Step 2
Add a Color Balance Adjustment Layer and change the Midtones and Highlights settings:
Step 3
Make a Photo Filter Adjustment Layer and pick the color #ecc800:
Step 4
Use a Vibrance Adjustment Layer to enhance the final effect:
Congratulations, You're Done!
I hope that you've enjoyed my tutorial and learned something new. Feel free to share your ideas or comments in the box below—I'd love to see them. Enjoy Photoshopping!
