Fashion Model Poster

This tutorial will help you create a Dazzling Fashion Model Poster with several techniques. It also shows you the effectiveness of default Photoshop brushes & blend modes, and how you can use them to greatly improve artworks.

Dazzling Fashion Model Poster Photoshop Tutorial

Preview of Final Results

Raw Materials

This is the list of things we need for making this artwork.

Stock Photos

1. Sexy Girl
2. City Skyline
3. BG Pattern
4. Displacement Map
Brushes Needed

1. Splash Of Paint
2. Butterfly Brush

OK. Now before you guys think this is a really easy artwork with some crappy filters , let me tell you that it isn't so. In fact it's quiet long and detailed so if you get stuck while skipping steps then i guess you're on your own. Also I'm taking a different approach to this tutorial.
While most tutorials go by the order of steps, I'm dividing the tutorial into 7 Groups so as to make things easier.

Here is the arrangement of Groups. You can set these up before we start.

Group 1 - Background(BG)

Lets start off with a new blank canvas with white (#ffffff) as the background. Make a new layer ( Ctrl + Shift + N) and fill it with a gradient going from the top left to bottom right corner of the canvas.

I've used these to as the colours for the gradient.
Orange : #ffb33a
Pink : #fd0083

Pink since it is a woman's model picture.

Next we add the patterned background over it.
Blend Mode : Luminosity
Opacity : 55%

Make sure to group these layer into Group BG
Now we need to add the main element for this artwork - the girl.
So let's save this for now and open up the image of the girl in photoshop.

Extraction Of Girl

As you can see, this image is totally messed up. Nothing matches with the artwork we've made so far ; lighting , colour , mood. And this is where Photoshop comes in.

Using the Pen Tool(P) or Polygonal Lasso Tool(L) extract the girl from the image. I personally prefer the Pen Tool in such images since there's mostly straight lines and you get greater smoothness while cutting along the turns.

Don't worry about the jagged edges of the cutting around the hair since that can be dealt with once we put the picture in our canvas.
If you've done it with the pen tool, after making the path, right-click on it and select make selection.

Feathered Radius : 2px
Check anti-aliased.

Now select the Move Tool(V) and transfer the girl to our canvas.
Re size appropriately and move her to the left side of the canvas since this is the side that we first see in any image.
Name this layer "girl"
It goes in the group 'Girl'.

Group - Girl

Using a soft round brush on the layer mask of the girl, remove the part of the hair where the background is showing.
Also move it at places where the edge is too rough.
Now we have one complete image. Good.

Now here's the tricky part.
Duplicate this and hide the duplicated.
Select the original "girl" layer for applying the displacement map.
Goto Filter --> Distort --> Displace.

There apply the following settings.
Horizontal Scale 40
Vertical Scale 40
Stretch To Fit
Repeat Around Edges.

Click ok and select the displacement file.
Name this layer "displaced".

Blend Mode : Lighten
Opacity :100%

In the layer style select Drop Shadow with the following settings.

Group - Girl - Continues

In the Girl Group , we have 2 layers
1. "displaced" girl
2. hidden copy of the original girl.
If you don't have this then go back and recheck. No point going further and later cribbing that you couldn't get the output.

Unhide this copied layer,name it 'overlay' and make another copy. Hide this 'another copy' for now. So far so good?

Select 'overlay'. Ctrl+Click on thumbnail of 'displaced' girl --> Click on the button at the bottom saying 'add vector mask'.

Now with the splatter brush remove some of the hair and with a soft brush, some of the arms.

Change
Blend Mode: Overlay
Opacity : 50%

Now in the Girl Group we have 3 layers
1.'displaced' girl.
2.'overlay' girl
3.hidden copy of original girl.

Unhide this hidden copy name it 'smoothing' and make another copy. Hide the 'another copy' for now.
This 3rd girl layer is just to smooth things up.

Change the opacity to 50%, add a vector mask and paint it black so everything's hidden.
Now with a soft white brush paint over the layer mask to reveal certain parts as shown below.

Now in the Girl Group we have 4 layers

1.'displaced' girl.
2.'overlay' girl
3.'smoothing' girl
4.hidden copy of original girl.

Unhide this hidden copy, name it 'cutout' and do not make any more copies :D ( Yeah, i know, thank god)

Move it to the right side of the canvas and enlarge it such that the head occupies a significant position .

Make
Blend Mode : Multiply
Opacity : 55%

Goto
Filter --> Artistic --> Cutout
Levels : 3
Simplicity: 4
Fidelity : 3

Make a layer mask and with the 'splat of paint' brush remove most of the girl leaving the head.

Now make a new layer on top with opacity set to 15%.
Paint the part over the girls legs pink.
This is just to blend it with our background pink.

Here's the image you should have so far.
Move all the 4 "girl layers" + this pink layer into a group "Girl".

Ignore this point if you setup the empty groups in the beginning.
This brings us to the end of the Girl element (Pheww~!)

Group - Sparkle

This group will be below Girl group and will have two layers. Sparkle & small Sparkle

We could download tons of sparkle brushes from the internet but i thought of making my own.
Here s how.
Take a soft round brush of approx. 35-40 px size.
Goto Window --> Brushes or F5
Apply the settings as given below.

Now for the large sparkles, use it either free hand around the girl or make a path and stroke it(Right Click on path --> Stroke Path --> Brush)

For the smaller sparkles. Just reduce the size and apply it .

Group - Butterfly

This group is the simplest. Just get some butterfly brushes from the net.
The reason it has 3 layers is that i have made just one butterfly per layer so that i can adjust size and placement without affecting the others.

Sometimes the butterfly produced with a single click is very faint in some brushes - there I'd advice to click several times to make it prominent.
Additionally you could create fine 'trails'(technique explained in next group) behind the butterflies as detailing , though I haven't.

Group the three layers and place it above the Girl Group.

Group - City Skyline

This group is above Butterfly and contains basically 2 layers.
The upper Skyline & below it Skyline Glow.

Just extract the skyline from the image onto the canvas and place it in that group.
Make
Create a new layer above it. Ctrl+Click on thumbnail of skyline to get its shape.
Now with the Rectangular Marquee Tool(M) set to "Intersect with selection" select about 3/4 of the skyline from the right and paint it black.
Change
Blend Mode : Soft Light
Opacity : 70%
Select the skyline and this together by holding E & press Crtl+E to merge.

Now change the Blend Mode of this merged skyline to Soft Light.

Now make a layer BELOW skyline and name it skyline glow.
If you notice the glow is very uneven. More in some places and very less in others.

Before we start with the glow we need to make the brush.
Again like the with the Sparkle brush, select a soft 3px brush.
Goto Windows --> Brushes(F5)
Apply the properties given below.

The brush is now ready.

Select the glow layer. Next Ctrl+Click on thumbnail of skyline layer. You've now got marching ants(yeah! that's what it's called) in the shape of the skyline.
Select the Polygonal Lasso Tool(L) or any other selection tool and right click near the marching ants.
Select --> Make work Path --> Tolerance : 2px.

This makes the selection into a path.

Select the Pen Tool(P) and right click near the created path and select Stroke Path --> Brush

Do Not select Stimulate pressure.
Click ok.
Right click over the path and select Delete Path.

Now we have a dotted line over the skyline. Right click on the layer and select Blending Options.
Select Outer Glow and apply the options as given in the picture.

There you go - the glowing skyline.

The trick here is that parts where the dots are packed together (around changing of buildings) will produce a comparatively greater glow.

Check all the layers.

Group - TAG

This group stays below Sparkle and contains 2 layers ; one copy of the other.

This is probably the oldest (and my favorite) trick in the book.
Using the Rectangular Marquee Tool(M) make a selection over the ......emm......above the belly of the girl. :D

Fill it with Purple : #a52d5c
I've added another colour within it (#831734) but you can stick to one for simplicity.

Ctrl+Click on thumbnail to select the rectangle the then press (Q) for Quick Selection Mode.
Goto Filter --> Pixelate --> Color Halftone
Fill the options as given in the picture and select OK.

Now press Q again to exit the Quick Selection Mode.
Press Ctrl+Shift+I to invert the selection and press delete.

You'll see a patten at the edge.
Now to bend it on both side, and push inside the middle portion using Warp.

Goto Edit --> Transform --> Warp
Selecting the ends of the rectangle gently pull down the sides and push in the middle, also raise the top a bit to give it a proper bend look.

After you are satisfied, hit enter to complete the transformation.

Now we have to fade the sides. For doing this add a layer mask. Take the Gradient Tool(G) with Black and White as colours.
Give a tilted gradient on both sides as shown.
Reduce the Opacity to 35% and duplicate the layer to make the colour deeper.

Check your layers.

Done with this group~!

Group - TXT

Again this text employs the same method used in the Skyline Glow case with a different approach.
Select a nice font(Angelina) and write out whatever text you want. Keep it over the TAG part of the image so as to bring out contrast.

Hide the layer. Ctrl+Click on thumbnail . Select the Lasso Tool(L). Right click near the marching ants and select Make Work Path --> Tolerance 2px.

Now that its a path make a new layer. Make the dotted brush as in Skyline Brush. Select the pen tool and apply brush stroke . Delete path. Simple.

Group - Background(BG) - Final Touches

Still find something missing?
That's right. Only one layer, but which changes the artwork completely.
Goto the Background(BG) Group
Above the Pattern layer, make a new layer and name it "lens flare'
Paint it black completely.
Goto
Filter --> Render --> Lens Flare
Select the 105mm Prime with 150% Brightness.

Angle the flare such that the main part falls on the body and the tail on the 'cutout' girl (face)
This might take a few attempts to get right.

Change
Opacity: 90%
Blend Mode : Hard Light.

Presto~!
Notice the difference. The artwork looks much more attractive now.
If you feel the brightness is still less then you can add an additional layer above the flare with 25% opacity and paint some splashes white.

Final Setup Of Layers

Have a look at the final Set up of layers. It should help you eliminate any doubts.

Hope you enjoyed this tutorial as much as you found it helpful.

If you have any doubts,get stuck at any point, or just need some info, you can leave a comment or just contact me at my email address - [email protected]

This is DC signing off -