Introduction: Hamzah's Photoshop Tutorial
Welcome to my Tutorial! We will make a basic 4K Ronaldo Image but add a Sci-Fi element to it, refining it heavily! We Will use Adjustment Layers, Clipping Masks,Selection tools and the Pen Tool.
Step 1: Gathering All of Your Layers!
DOWNLOAD THESE LAYERS OFF THIS GOOGLE DOC!
Ok, so, you now have your layers, but a crucial part of this step is to order them the following way from layers 1 to 6. Base Background Layer -> Ronaldo -> Fire -> Molten Lava -> Terminator -> Light Lamp. Uncheck all the layers for now BUT the background.
Step 2: Getting Your Background Black!
Select the paint bucket tool and fill the background with the color black! After selecting black, simply click anywhere on the background and it will turn black. This is NECESSARY as it makes feathering a whole lot easier!
Step 3: Creating Your Background Vector Mask!
To start off the actual project, you are going to want to create a vector mask on Ronaldo. This is relatively simple, click the rectangle with a circle inside, and it does so for you. After this, you should see and additional layer appearing beside the Ronaldo layer in the layers panel.
Step 4: Removing the Background
Next, you have to remove Ronaldo's background so the black base layer is visible around his face's outline. Go to your color picker and select the color black. Next, go to your layers panel, select the layer mask, and then go to the brush tool. Using the brush tool under the color black, gently feather away the excess background. Looking at the rightmost image shown above, your Ronaldo image should have a close semblance to mine.
Step 5: Head on Fire Effect!
This is a crucial step, so re read this instructions as it can get complicated. First off, its time to make that fire layer you disabled, to appear. Customise its dimensions and location on the top of the head, it just depends on the perspective and size of your image. After this, use the same process from Step 3 to make a vector mask beside the fire layer. However, when you are doing this, it's a little different. Hold the "Alt" key as you press the "Add Vector Mask" Button. This is hides the image and allows for a seamless edit on. Then, select the white color in the color picker selection. As we discussed earlier, a black feather brush hides, but when we use a white brush, it actually has a converse effect! As the second image shows, you can use this feature to progressively reveal portions of fire in a a way to blend in with the head. If you've tried this, you might how my fire looks lighter than yours. This is illustrated by the third image, as I use the screen setting as the blending mode.
Step 6: Fire Effects on Face
After this, I advise a break. Go watch YouTube or something. When your ready, welcome! We are halfway done! This step is relatively easy, simply make a copy of the fire layer from a previous step, drop the opacity, and move it over the face. You can edit the extent of fire appearance further using the brush tool, this is at your own discretion, do how much you'd like. Take your time on this! this additional texture really sells the overall effect when combined with everything else! Use the images above as a guide!
Step 7: Fiery Colour Correction
At this point, a natural question may arise. That is of course, how can we get the fire that we just added to blend with the face and seem more natural. This is by utilizing color gradients. By the layer mask option, there is an adjustment layer option, to see where this is, check the first image in this step. Press this button and select "Gradient Map". When prompted with color options, choose orange and yellow, as shown above. It may seem very bright at first, but set the opacity to 90%, and drop the fill to 65%. My customizations are shown in the second image above. Your final gradient map should look somewhat like the third image.
Step 8: Lava on Face and Neck!
Using the same techniques from the Fire layers from steps 5-6, you need to "Alt" click on Create a layer mask, then use the white brush tool to make the lava appear. This lava adds texture, so resize it based on where exactly you feel that texture would look best. Just like the fire, again, you need to make an extra copy of this layer and move this to the neck. This way, you have one for the face, and another for the neck. Look over steps 5-6 to refresh your memory on this process of need be.
Step 9: Adjustments to Looks!
To improve the overall look, use the Adjustment layer option next to the vector masks to create 2! One adjustment layer for "Bright/Contrast" and another for "Curves". For Curves, use the preset shown above. For Brightness/Contrast, use your own settings, or if you like mine, feel free to copy them from the second image.
Step 10: Terminator Effect!!!
This is your last major vector mask effect! So yea, great job!!!! First, enable the terminator image from the start. For this, do exactly what we did for the last vector mask layers! Alt - Click on the layer mask and then you should hide the terminator image. Then, using the brush tool, and on the color white, brush back parts of the terminator's face and dependant on what you like, make it blend with Ronaldo!
Step 11: Adding Final Background Touches!
Ok, now, important pictures from my document of the Moon and the street lights! Next, simply use the pen tool, tracing around the objects and then crop the moon from the background as well as the street lights. you don't have to be exact. When doing this, do Ctrl C - Ctrl. V. this should paste that into a new layer and you can delete the original. Doing this, you can simply make it blend with the background well as even the rougher edges of the street light and moon cropped will be indistinguishable from the actual black background.
