Photoshop Tutorials

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 used these to as the colors for the gradient.

• Orange : #ffb33a
• Pink : #fd0083

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 , color , 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. Go to 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" then change the blend mode to Lighten.

Choose Layer > Layer Style > Drop Shadow. In the layer style select Drop Shadow with the following settings.