Discover how to create stunning photo manipulations in Photoshop. In this course, you'll learn everything from photographing models to creating dark conceptual artworks. If you enjoy our photo manipulation tutorials, you will absolutely love this course.
What you’ll be creating
We’ll start this tutorial by creating a rocky scene using a landscape and some rock images. We’ll also vary the rock opacity to generate a depth of field. Later we’ll add the statue and knight and blend them using adjustment layers, masking, and brush. Then we’ll create the misty atmosphere using a color fill layer. Finally, we’ll adjust color, refine the contrast, and enhance the lighting effect. You’ll need Photoshop CS2 or newer to follow this tutorial.
Tutorial Resources
Step 1
Create a new document in Photoshop with the following settings:
Step 2
Open the landscape image. Use the Move Tool (V) to drag it into our white canvas and place it, as shown below:
Step 3
I used an adjustment layer with Clipping Mask to reduce the ground saturation. Go to Layer > New Adjustment Layer > Hue/Saturation:
Step 4
I used Color Balance to add some red to the ground:
Step 5
I used a Curves adjustment layer to darken the ground:
Step 6
Move the rock 1 image to the right side of the scene using the Move Tool.
Step 7
Make all the rock layers selected and press Cmd/Ctrl+G to create a group for them. Change this group mode from Pass Through to Normal 100%. Make a Hue/Saturation adjustment layer on the top of the rock ones to desaturate them:
Step 8
I used Curves to darken the rocks:
Step 9
Place the rocks 2 images behind the rock 1 ones and lower its opacity to 50%. Set this layer under the rocks 1 group.
Step 10
Duplicate this layer and move it to the right a little. Use a layer mask to remove the rock at the left and lower the opacity to 40%:
Step 11
Add the rocks 2 images to our working document again and flip it horizontally. Move it to the top right of the image and lower the opacity to 20%.
Step 12
To make the left rock (rock 1 ones) look a bit different from the right one, I used a rock part from the rocks 2 images. Place it onto the top of the rock:
Step 13
Open the rocks 3 images. Place it in the middle of the scene, between the existing rocks and lower the opacity to 20%. Set this layer under the rock 2 group.
15 comments on “Create a Dark and Mysterious Landscape Matte Painting with Photoshop”
Awesome !!
LOVE that you used The Golden Circle; I was stationed in Iceland for a year, I've actually been there!
can anyone give me free download link of photoshop??
the neverending story
Tom Lambell-Brown
(photoshop tutorial) Click. Drag. Done.
this tutorial helps me a lot .. thank u <3
Who else loves this ?
Me!!
Nice tutorial.
Thanks to share this tutorial
Jenny, thanks once again for sharing your amazing vision. I have several of your tutorials and they are just fabulous. Best wishes for continued success!
Superbe magnifique ambiance
I like ??
Yes! :)
I like that