Create a Fantastic Photo Manipulation of a Dark Monk

Learn how to do this dark photo manipulation of monk on a stony landscape with Photoshop. This tutorial will teach you how to merge completely different stock photos into dark-themed composite with matching light. You will also learn how to draw simple items such as a rosary and a cross.

What you’ll be creating

You will start from creating gloomy background, then you will play with colors and you will know, how to control particles. Read this tutorial and learn how to create better photo manipulations. You’ll need Photoshop CS5 or newer to follow this tutorial.

Tutorial Resources

• Moon – www.rgbstock.com
• Battlefield Skies – missstark (Alternative)
• Solidified lava – castock
• ES craneos (skulls) – elevit stock
• Robed 6 (monk) – peace of art
• Debris Brush Set – peace of art
• Debris brushes – dacmaniac

Step 1

Start from creating new file – 1828×1332 px. Go to File > New… (Ctrl + N)

Step 2

You’ll create background. Place your “sky stock” to your file. Just drag it from the folder and drop it to Adobe Photoshop.

Step 3

Add Adjustment layer with Brightness/Contrast. Go to top menu and choose Layer > New Adjustment layer > Brightness/Contrast or use marked shortcut.

Step 4

Add new blank layer (Layer > New > Layer…) or shortcut. Name it “moon overlay” Choose brush tool and set Soft Round brush around 700-800px. Set white color in your color picker and draw dot where you want place your moon stock.

Step 5

Change blending mode of created layer to Overlay. It will light up stock image, but not change clouds shape.

Step 6

Place moon stock. Change blending mode to Screen – it will display only lighter parts of the stock image. Black will be invisible in this mode.

Step 7

If it’s needed, in your layer mask (click on canvas next to layer thumbnail), erase some parts of the moon, behind clouds. Use small, soft round brush.

Add adjustment layer with Brightness/Contrast. Go to top menu and choose Layer > New Adjustment layer > Brightness/Contrast or use marked shortcut. Then make it a clipping mask (Alt+Ctrl+G, Layer > Create Clipping Mask).

Next, add adjustment layer with Hue/Saturation. Go to top menu and choose Layer > New Adjustment layer > Hue/Saturation or use marked shortcut. Then make it a clipping mask (Alt+Ctrl+G, Layer > Create Clipping Mask).

Step 8

Now back do created layer with “moon overlay”. Duplicate it – drag and drop it to “New layer” symbol or use from top menu Layer > Duplicate layer… Then drag it above all layers and decrease opacity of this layer to 60%.

Step 9

Place “Solidified lava 2” stock to your file. Mask it. Click on white canvas next to layer thumbnail and use hard round, small size brush.

Step 10

Let’s make some adjustments. Add adjustment layer with Brightness/Contrast. Go to top menu and choose Layer > New Adjustment layer > Brightness/Contrast or use marked shortcut. Then make it a clipping mask (Alt+Ctrl+G, Layer > Create Clipping Mask).

Repeat this step.

Again repeat step 10.

Step 11

Add new layer. Then make it a clipping mask (Alt+Ctrl+G, Layer > Create Clipping Mask). Use soft round brush for make lights on rocks. Pick #f0e8ae color. Draw more lights, where moonlight goes. Use pressure opacity brush.

If it’s needed, decrease opacity of this layer to 70%.

Step 12

Add Brightness/Contrast adjustment layer. Layer > New Adjustment layer > Brightness/Contrast or use marked shortcut. Then make it a clipping mask (Alt+Ctrl+G, Layer > Create Clipping Mask).