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Preview of Final Results

Tutorial Resources
Step 1 - Preparing the Document
Open Photoshop and create a new document (File > New...). Set its dimensions on 3500 x 2300px. Press OK. Download the stock photo of rocks listed in the beginning of the tutorial under Tutorial Resources and drag it into your new document. Name this new layer ROCKS and place it on the top of all layers. Go to Edit > Transform > Flip Horizontally to have the same direction as on the preview picture.![image006[4] image006[4]](https://cdn.photoshoptutorials.ws/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/image0064.jpg?strip=all&lossy=1&quality=64&w=1920&ssl=1)
Step 2 - Adjusting the Rocks
Let's focus on colors of the layer ROCKS you've added in previous step. In this photo manipulation you want to create strong dramatic atmosphere and I believe you can achieve it better with photos with less saturated colors. Add new adjustment layer Vibrance on the top of all layers. (You can find the button Add new fill or adjustment layer on the bottom part of your layers palette.)![image008[4] image008[4]](https://cdn.photoshoptutorials.ws/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/image0084.jpg?strip=all&lossy=1&quality=64&w=1920&ssl=1)
![image010[4] image010[4]](https://cdn.photoshoptutorials.ws/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/image0104.jpg?strip=all&lossy=1&quality=64&w=1920&ssl=1)
![image012[4] image012[4]](https://cdn.photoshoptutorials.ws/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/image0124.jpg?strip=all&lossy=1&quality=64&w=1920&ssl=1)
![image014[4] image014[4]](https://cdn.photoshoptutorials.ws/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/image0144.jpg?strip=all&lossy=1&quality=64&w=1920&ssl=1)
Step 3 - Adding Waves
Download stock photo of waves listed in the beginning of the tutorial and drag it into your photo manipulation. Name this new layer WAVES and place it on the top of all layers. Go to Edit > Free Transform (or press Ctrl + T on your keyboard) and resize waves on proper size. After you're done press Enter to apply the changes. You should get something similar to the picture below.![image016[4] image016[4]](https://cdn.photoshoptutorials.ws/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/image0164.jpg?strip=all&lossy=1&quality=64&w=1920&ssl=1)
![image018[4] image018[4]](https://cdn.photoshoptutorials.ws/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/image0184.jpg?strip=all&lossy=1&quality=64&w=1920&ssl=1)
![image020[4] image020[4]](https://cdn.photoshoptutorials.ws/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/image0204.jpg?strip=all&lossy=1&quality=64&w=1920&ssl=1)
![image022[4] image022[4]](https://cdn.photoshoptutorials.ws/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/image0224.jpg?strip=all&lossy=1&quality=64&w=1920&ssl=1)
![image024[4] image024[4]](https://cdn.photoshoptutorials.ws/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/image0244.jpg?strip=all&lossy=1&quality=64&w=1920&ssl=1)
![image026[4] image026[4]](https://cdn.photoshoptutorials.ws/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/image0264.jpg?strip=all&lossy=1&quality=64&w=1920&ssl=1)
Step 4 - Blending Waves
As you can see the photo of waves you've added in previous step is bluer and darker than the rest of the image. You'll fix it in this step. Let's start with lightening. Add new adjustment layer Curves on the top of all layers and set it as shown below.![image028[4] image028[4]](https://cdn.photoshoptutorials.ws/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/image0284.jpg?strip=all&lossy=1&quality=64&w=1920&ssl=1)
12 comments on “How to Add a Mermaid to a Dark Bleak Landscape”
Thanks for this idea
Beautiful, creative and acutely enjoy able!
I really love your tutorials ... I think it explains very well for a photoshop beginner like me, and it makes me really happy that you continued to publish tutorials on photoshop it helps to learn ..
Thank you very inspirational. Ended up doing something completely different but using your techniques.
hard to use a FREE tutorial when you have to BUY the content in order to follow it...
Helpful
Tutorial started by asking if you wanted to add a mermaid to a landscape.
Ended with a landscape, no mermaid.
Where'd she go?
lol click the next page
Thanks, it is very helpful!!
donde?
Helpful for Photoshop learner.
Very educative