How to Create a Magical Town in the Clouds Using Photoshop

By Michael Vincent Manalo Aug 14, 2011

In this tutorial, we are going to learn how to create a magical town where books are roads and whales swim under the clouds, where windmills float and magic wielders live. We are going to learn how to blend images so seamlessly that it would look like a single image using the Brush tool, the Eraser tool and several adjustment layers. We are going to learn how to make images appear when they are covered by the clouds, smoke, etc. We are also going to learn how to blend textures to an image to drastically improve the look and feel of the overall image.

Preview of Final Results

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Download the PSD

Magical Town.zip | 218.86 MB
Download from FileSonic
Download from Website

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Magical Town in the Clouds Photoshop Tutorial

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Resources

• Switzerland 01 - drakedrakedrakestock
• landscape 56 - night-fate-stock
• Books pack 3 - TwilightAmazonStock
• Books pack 4 - TwilightAmazonStock
• Witch 4 - Meltys
• Texture 119 - Sirius_sdz
• Paper Texture 1 - Wojtar Stock
• Sperm whale 2 - hawksmont
• Windmill stock 4 - shoofly-stock
• Starfield brush set - gvalkyrie

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Step 1: Create a New Photoshop Image File

Let’s begin by creating a new image file, go to the Menu bar and click File > New, and then input the following values on their respective fields:

• Presets: International Paper
• Size: A4
• Width: 2480 pixels
• Height: 3508 pixels
• Resolution: 300 pixels/inch
• Color Mode: RGB Color; 8 bit
• Background Contents: White

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Step 2: Create the Sky

In this step, we will be creating the desert which will serve as the foreground of our picture. To start, open the image “Switzerland 01” by drakedrakedrakestock. Once you have it open, simply activate the Move tool by pressing V on your keyboard and left-click on this image and drag it to our canvas. Move it and position it as shown on the image below:

Once on the canvas, rename this layer to: “Clouds”

Note: To rename a layer, simply double-click on the words: “layer 1” (which is our layer - clouds) to prompt a text box to appear. Once that appears, you may now rename the layer.

Now, let’s resize the “clouds” layer to fit nicely on our canvas, and to do that, activate the Transform tool by pressing Ctrl/Cmd + T while the “clouds” layer is active.

Doing this will prompt a square with little squares on the corners and sides of the image. Now, we can resize the image. See the image below on how to resize it:

The result should be similar to this:

After transforming, let us now enhance the brightness and contrast of our image. To do that, go to Image > Adjustments > Brightness/Contrast (make sure that the “Clouds” layer is still active).

Once the Brightness/Contrast menu is open, input the following:

• Brightness: 50
• Contrast: 25
• Legacy: Uncheck

After hitting OK, you would see a drastic change on our image, it is much brighter now. See image below:

Next, let’s adjust the colors of the “clouds” layer. With the “clouds” layer selected, go to Image > Adjustments > Color Balance. Once you have the Color Balance menu open, input the following:

• Color Levels: -24, +16, +63
• Tone Balance: Midtones
• Preserve Luminosity: Check

The result should be similar to the following:

Next, let’s give it brighten it up more and reduce the saturation a little. With the “clouds” layer selected, go to Image > Adjustments > Hue/Saturation and input the following:

Hue/Saturation:

• Hue: 0
• Saturation: -15
• Lightness: +20

The result:

Now that we’re done with the “clouds” layer, let’s now change that layer’s sky. Let’s make the sky more eye-catching for our viewers. To start, open “landscape 56” by night-fate-stock. Once open, activate the Rectangular Marquee Tool by pressing M on your keyboard.

Use the Rectangular Marquee Tool (M) to create a selection area over the sky of “landscape 56”. See image below:

Now that you’ve created a selection area, activate the Move tool (V) and drag it to our canvas. Once on the canvas, rename this layer to “sky”. Next, position it as shown on the image below:

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Painting “The Imaginary House” in Adobe Photoshop

By Hatice Bayramoglu Aug 14, 2011

With this tutorial, I am going to explain the process of painting which I have called, "The Imaginary House". I will go into detail and show my working process and what tools I prefer to use. When you finish this tutorial, you'll gain a comprehensive understanding of how to develop a concept sketch.

Preview of Final Results

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“The Imaginary House” Painting Photoshop Tutorial

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Step 1

First of all, Let's open a new document (approximately 700wide and 826 high, around 72 dpi) and make a preliminary sketch. (Ctrl+N or File > New). For now it is in 72dpi, but after changing the resolution to 300dpi (without re-sampling image) you can able to print it on A3 format in pretty good quality

• Width: 1000px
• Height: 592px
• Resolution: 72.
• Color Mode: RGB Color; 8 bit
• Background Contents: White

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Step 2

The hardest part with any environment or character illustration is coming up with the idea. I started sketching some ideas and quickly come up with this environment scene. Depending on the complexity of the task I am doing, I'll make a number of different sketches. Now, here is the main sketch work which I draw.

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Step 3

After finishing the the sketch, I set the sketch layer to "multiply. To open the Layers Palette if it isn't already on your screen, press the F7 key at the top of your keyboard. Or you can open from Window/Layers

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Step 4

Now to create a new layer, press Shift+Ctrl+N (Win) / Shift+Command+N (Mac). This will pop-up Photoshop's New Layer dialog box where you can name the layer, as well as set some other options. I name the new layer as as "main color"

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Step 5

Open a new layer and make a selection with a Rectangular Marquee Tool (M) and after selecting the canvas choose the Paint Bucket Tool (G) fill the new layer with this new color. Now I must deselect the selected area. For this click on the Select and choose Deselect (Ctrl+D) option.

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Step 6

The second step is here you to choose the main colors for you scene. And here are my colors for this illustration. As always I want to do something really colorful painting. I decided for background some blue colors and a little yellow . Other colors are for the environment. Open another file and save your colors. And always keep open that new file when you are painting.

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Step 7

While worked on the colors, I tried to figure out the main light first. Where the light came from? What color is it?. There is a yellow light at the background and there is another color on the front.....Now that the general details are almost fixed.

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Step 8

Here I have 3 layers, one is main color another is sketch and the other is background. Now here I have closed the "main color" layer. And here see the at the background colors. Now I am giving you the main sketch so you can see the layers.

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Step 9

Now I am going to show you how to merge two layers. Firstly change main color layer setting to Multiply. And then click on the right on the mouse or with main color layer selected, go up to the Layer menu at the top of the screen and choose Merge Layers down near the bottom of the list. Or for a faster way, press the keyboard shortcut Ctrl+E (Win) / Command+E (Mac). Here we leave the sketch layer. You don't need to merge the sketch layer.

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Step 10

Here, two layer is merged down and now we can continue to coloring process. You must do the same on your own project. We have now only two layers. And at this step I would like to change the size of my file because I'll begin to add more details so I'll need a bigger file size. So open Image/Image Size and make the settings as you see 2000x3072 and 300.

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Step 11

Here now we can began to open new layers for each main objects in the canvas. Here is a new layer for the house. And also I have closed the other layer. As you see it was just a try for to see the main idea and the main colors. Here we did see the image as a whole in this step. On the next steps I'm going to create some more layers. The reason for painting on such new layers because of you need to make corrections later in the painting. It is much easier to fix errors if the main elements of your painting are separate entities. This step is really really very important.

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19 Fantastic Vector Illustrations

By Ivy Mate Aug 14, 2011

For this post, I have collected a couple of vector illustrations to feast your eyes on for inspiration. The artistry in these vectors is amazing, and the artist's vision is awe-inspiring.

Fernando Togni

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Vesa Sammalisto

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Bree Leman

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Andreas Krapf

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Daniel Ra

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Jared Nickerson

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Cristiano Siqueira

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Mnk Crew

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Mnk Crew

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Jonathan Ball

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Loulou and Tummie

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Seb NIARK1 FERAUT

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zutto

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Kouzou Sakai

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zutto

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Jared Nickerson

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Jared Nickerson

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Adrian Van Delzel

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Virginie Louis

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How to Draw a Koi Fish in Photoshop

By Ashlee Harrell Aug 14, 2011

Learn how to create a beautiful Koi Fish and flower design with Adobe Illustrator and Adobe Photoshop. This tutorial will show you the basics of creating shapes and how to shade using tools and gradients.

Preview of Final Results

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Download the PSD

Koi Fish.zip | 6.18
Download from FileSonic
Download from Website

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Koi Fish Photoshop Tutorial

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Resources

• Fish Scale Patterns - Brusheezy
• Swirl & Flower Brushes - Deviant Art

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Step 1 Create a New Document

In Photoshop create a New Document (File>New) My canvas is 500px x 500px but you can make it any size to suit your needs.

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Step 2 Flower

First we will create one of the flowers. Start by adding a Gradient Overlay to the first layer (name it 'Background')

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Step 3 Petal Shapes

Create a New layer and name it 'Petal 1' make an outline of a petal like the image below using your Pen Tool.

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Step 4 Fill the Petal

Right click the outline of your petal and then>Make Selection or on your Paths tab right click then>Make Selection. Fill this petal with a purple color.

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Step 5 Add Contrast

On this same layer grab your burn tool (61 px soft brush, shadows, 100%) make your petal look like the image below. I used a combination of Ranges: Shadows, Highlights and Midtones to achieve this look.

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Step 6 Petal Highlight

Create a New layer above this one and name it 'Petal 1 Highlight'. Grab a 42px soft brush #E5BA2A, with a Flow: 73%. Erase any areas that goes outside of the petal.

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Step 7

The third thing that we will add to this petal is a darker shadow. First make a new layer above your 'Petal 1 highlight' then make a selection of your 'Petal 1' layer. Once you have done this contract it. Select>Modify>Contract by 5px like the image below.

Paint in this area with a soft brush using #2c0024 Note: Name this layer 'Petal 1 shadow'

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Step 8 Repeat Petals

Repeat these steps to create the rest of your petals. I have provided images of how the process looks.

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