PSD Tutorial: Illustrating An Enchanted & Mystic Waterfall Scene
In this Adobe Photoshop CS5 tutorial, I'll be illustrating how to design an enchanted waterfall scene with animals and vigorous flora. Wildlife includes: 1, an overgown elephant in the reservoir of the magical, dreamlike waterfall; 2, a 6-Spotted Ladybird; and 3, a slithering snake wrapped around a stump in the fauna. What makes this Photo Manipulation amazing is the select areas where bursts of light seep through the trees. I've also added some sparkling stars (with a Photoshop brush) around some of the nature. I think this makes the digital artwork seem a little more fairytale-like.
If you don't have Adobe Photoshop, or you would like to upgrade to the new CS5.5 Version, take a look at the Adobe Special Offers from the online Adobe Store. If you're new to Photoshop, we have some beginner tutorials and basic tips coming very soon for some of the lesser established designers.
If you don't have Adobe Photoshop, or you would like to upgrade to the new CS5.5 Version, take a look at the Adobe Special Offers from the online Adobe Store. If you're new to Photoshop, we have some beginner tutorials and basic tips coming very soon for some of the lesser established designers.
Download Photoshop (PSD) File
Download Slithering Snake Photo
Download 6 Spotted Ladybird Photo
Download The Enchanted Magical Effect
Download Happy & Playful Elephant Photo
Download Sparkling Stars Photoshop Brush
Download The Mystical Waterfall Scene Photo
Photoshop Tutorial Step 1: Manipulating The Enchanted Waterfall Photo
1.1. Firstly, open up the enchanted waterfall scene.
1.2. With Image » Adjustments » Brightness/Contrast, lower the Brightness by 100, and heighten the Contrast by 100.
1.3. Paste in the magical waterfall scene again and change the Blending Mode to Soft Light.
1.4. Filter » Blur » Gaussian Blur, and change the Radius to 10px.
1.5. Now, Create A New Layer, and change the Blending Mode of this layer to Overlay. You won't see any changes just yet.
1.6. With a 0% Hardness White Brush, approximately 320px, create a mysterious glow on most of the flora.
1.7. Experiment with this step carefully. Focus on select areas to create a contrast of shadowy areas and direct light.
1.2. With Image » Adjustments » Brightness/Contrast, lower the Brightness by 100, and heighten the Contrast by 100.
1.3. Paste in the magical waterfall scene again and change the Blending Mode to Soft Light.
1.4. Filter » Blur » Gaussian Blur, and change the Radius to 10px.
1.5. Now, Create A New Layer, and change the Blending Mode of this layer to Overlay. You won't see any changes just yet.
1.6. With a 0% Hardness White Brush, approximately 320px, create a mysterious glow on most of the flora.
1.7. Experiment with this step carefully. Focus on select areas to create a contrast of shadowy areas and direct light.
Photoshop Tutorial Step 2: Manipulating The 6 Spotted Ladybird Photo
2.1. Paste in the Ladybird image, then use the Magic Wand Tool and Eraser Tool to lose the legs, arms and whitespace.
2.2. Edit » Transform » Scale the Ladybird down to approximately 50% and move it accordingly.
2.3. Now, using the Lasso (L) Tool, draw around the head of the Ladybird.
2.4. With Image » Adjustments » Brightness/Contrast, minimize the Brightness by 150.
2.5. Add a Layer » Layer Style » Inner Shadow with 100% Opacity, 0px Distance, 0% Choke and 35px Size.
2.6. Add a Drop Shadow with 75% Opacity, 20px Distance, 0% Spread and 20px Size.
2.7. Add a Bevel & Emboss with 5px Size, 7px Soften, and 100% Opacities. Alter the White Opacity's Blending Mode to Vivid Light.
2.8. Alter the overall Opacity of the ladybird image to 95%.
2.2. Edit » Transform » Scale the Ladybird down to approximately 50% and move it accordingly.
2.3. Now, using the Lasso (L) Tool, draw around the head of the Ladybird.
2.4. With Image » Adjustments » Brightness/Contrast, minimize the Brightness by 150.
2.5. Add a Layer » Layer Style » Inner Shadow with 100% Opacity, 0px Distance, 0% Choke and 35px Size.
2.6. Add a Drop Shadow with 75% Opacity, 20px Distance, 0% Spread and 20px Size.
2.7. Add a Bevel & Emboss with 5px Size, 7px Soften, and 100% Opacities. Alter the White Opacity's Blending Mode to Vivid Light.
2.8. Alter the overall Opacity of the ladybird image to 95%.
Photoshop Tutorial Step 3: Manipulating The Colourful Slithering Snake Photo
3.1. Paste in the Colourful Snake image, then use the Eraser Tool to lose any whitespace.
3.2. Position the Snake around the stump and erase how I've done so in the image, making it appear as if it's wrapped around it.
3.3. With Hue/Saturation, make the Hue & Saturation +15, and with Brightness/Contrast, make the Contrast +45.
3.4. Add an Inner Shadow with 0px Distance and 30px Size, and a Drop Shadow with 0px Distance, 0% Spread and 40px Size.
3.5. Add a Bevel & Emboss with 8px Soften and 0% White Opacity, and then alter the overall Opacity of the Snake image to 85%.
3.6. Now, Create A New Layer, use the 134 Grass Brush with a range of dark greens, and brush around the base of the Snake.
3.7. With a Soft Brush, erase around the bottom of the newly created Grass texture, while changing the Blending Mode to Multiply.
3.8. With the Elliptical Marquee Tool (20px Feather), Copy (Ctrl + C) out a selection of the Waterfall's numinous texture.
3.9. Paste it over the Snake, change the Opacity to 60%, and the Blending Mode to Soft Light.
3.2. Position the Snake around the stump and erase how I've done so in the image, making it appear as if it's wrapped around it.
3.3. With Hue/Saturation, make the Hue & Saturation +15, and with Brightness/Contrast, make the Contrast +45.
3.4. Add an Inner Shadow with 0px Distance and 30px Size, and a Drop Shadow with 0px Distance, 0% Spread and 40px Size.
3.5. Add a Bevel & Emboss with 8px Soften and 0% White Opacity, and then alter the overall Opacity of the Snake image to 85%.
3.6. Now, Create A New Layer, use the 134 Grass Brush with a range of dark greens, and brush around the base of the Snake.
3.7. With a Soft Brush, erase around the bottom of the newly created Grass texture, while changing the Blending Mode to Multiply.
3.8. With the Elliptical Marquee Tool (20px Feather), Copy (Ctrl + C) out a selection of the Waterfall's numinous texture.
3.9. Paste it over the Snake, change the Opacity to 60%, and the Blending Mode to Soft Light.
Photoshop Tutorial Step 4: Manipulating The Playful Elephant In The Reservoirs
4.1. Paste the Playful Elephant in the Waterfall's Reservoir area and Duplicate.
4.2. With the original Elephant image, change the Blending Mode to Soft Light and vaguely erase softly around the edge.
4.3. With the duplicated Elephant image, don't add a Blending Mode – change the Opacity to 80% instead. Brush closely this time.
4.4. Add a Inner Glow with 100% Opacity, 0% Choke and 120px Size, and a Outer Glow with 100% Opacity, 0% Spread and 150px Size.
4.5. Add a Bevel & Emboss with 8px Soften and 0% White Opacity, and then alter the overall Opacity of the Snake image to 85%.
4.6. With Image » Adjustments » Hue/Saturation, lower the Saturation by -80.
4.2. With the original Elephant image, change the Blending Mode to Soft Light and vaguely erase softly around the edge.
4.3. With the duplicated Elephant image, don't add a Blending Mode – change the Opacity to 80% instead. Brush closely this time.
4.4. Add a Inner Glow with 100% Opacity, 0% Choke and 120px Size, and a Outer Glow with 100% Opacity, 0% Spread and 150px Size.
4.5. Add a Bevel & Emboss with 8px Soften and 0% White Opacity, and then alter the overall Opacity of the Snake image to 85%.
4.6. With Image » Adjustments » Hue/Saturation, lower the Saturation by -80.
Photoshop Tutorial Step 5: Brushing Mystic Sparkles Into The Waterfall
5.1. Paste in the dreamlike stars effect, minimize the Saturation completely, and change the Blending Mode to Overlay.
5.2. Erase everywhere (softly) except the Beautiful Waterfall, Dotted Ladybird, and Playful Elephant.
5.3. Alter the Opacity to 25% and Duplicate twice. Now, Merge Visible Layers, Duplicate, change the Blending Mode to Soft Light.
5.4. Merge Visible, and minimize the Saturation by -15. Duplicate, and change the Blending Mode to Soft Light with 25% Opacity.
5.5. Add a Filter » Artistic » Watercolour with 14 Brush Detail, 6 Shadow Intensity, and 1 Texture.
5.6. With the Sparkling Stars Photoshop Brush, use the 551 brush on a New Layer near the bush.
5.7. Alter the Blending Mode to Soft Light and Duplicate 3 times. You could actually lower the Saturation too.
5.2. Erase everywhere (softly) except the Beautiful Waterfall, Dotted Ladybird, and Playful Elephant.
5.3. Alter the Opacity to 25% and Duplicate twice. Now, Merge Visible Layers, Duplicate, change the Blending Mode to Soft Light.
5.4. Merge Visible, and minimize the Saturation by -15. Duplicate, and change the Blending Mode to Soft Light with 25% Opacity.
5.5. Add a Filter » Artistic » Watercolour with 14 Brush Detail, 6 Shadow Intensity, and 1 Texture.
5.6. With the Sparkling Stars Photoshop Brush, use the 551 brush on a New Layer near the bush.
5.7. Alter the Blending Mode to Soft Light and Duplicate 3 times. You could actually lower the Saturation too.
