Create This Incredible Surreal Photo Manipulation of a Dancer in Photoshop

Dariusz Markiw

Published

Dec 20, 2012

26 comments

Level: Intermediate
Time: 1 h+
Steps: 24 steps24

Set the layers blending mode to Overlay and opacity to 100%. For the brush color, use .

Step 18 More roots and rocks

In this step, I just made copies from the roots which I already had. Then, I built a few new ones (Folder ROOTS_FINAL). I also added a few floating stones (Folder: ROCK_SMALL). I used the Lasso tool (L) to make a cutout of them (ROCKS / ROCKS_01.psd).

Open the file ROOT_TOP – Folder ROOT / ROOT_TOP.psd. Use the Lasso Tool (L) to create a cutout of it.

Step 19 Adding shadows and highlights on dancer

In this step, I will add some highlights to the dancer and shadows to the roots. Add new layer ( or Shift+Ctrl+N). Set the layers blending mode to Color Burn and opacity to 45%. Use a soft brush and paint it with the color . You’ll have to apply a shadow layer to the Dancer layer. To do this, press and hold Ctrl/Cmd and point your cursor above the red line. You will see an icon – click on it. Do this operation with all the layers shown in this step.

Make a copy of the SHADOW layer (Ctrl/Cmd+J) and move it to the arm.

Add new layer ( or Shift+Ctrl+N). Now go to . Set the contents to 50% Gray then click OK. For this layer, set the blending mode to Overlay and opacity to 100%. Use the Dodge tool with a soft brush and paint on this layer. For the brush settings, I used an exposure between 20-50%.

This is the layer set to Normal.

Add new layer ( or Shift+Ctrl+N). Set the layers blending mode to Normal and opacity to 100%. Use soft brush and paint with white ()

Step 20 ROOK

In this step I will work on ROOK. The lower part of the tail does not look good. You have to add a few feathers.

But first use the Burn Tool (O) and make tail a bit darker.

Now use the Polygonal Lasso Tool (L) and cut feathers. Use the Burn Tool (O) and make feathers a bit darker. Prepare various size of feathers.

Build the missing part of the tail.

I use 16 feathers for this.

The ROOK is ready! Add it to your final image.

Step 21 Last Clouds

In this step I will add the last layers with clouds. Actually, we already have them ready, they need only a small improvement.

Continue with Step 22

26 comments

26 responses to “Create This Incredible Surreal Photo Manipulation of a Dancer in Photoshop”

mukulmamun
April 1, 2019

Thanks for tutorial, it is very useful for beginners like us.

Reply
Allando
May 17, 2017

Where do we get the bricks, ground, clouds etc.?

Reply
1. Photoshop Tutorials Staff
  May 18, 2017
  
  It’s in the “Tutorial Resources” zip file (BRICKS / MAIN_BRICK.psd)
Renascor Sarpodyx
January 12, 2017

Nice! Although it lacks information :'(

Reply
krish mulllins
April 11, 2016

Really great fantastic work thanks for share it .

Reply
Maidul Islam
September 20, 2014

These look fantastic! Thanks for bringing them together – what a great collection

Reply
Althea
May 14, 2014

You lost me! :( I apply the color & gradient maps just like you said but no color comes through!

Reply
Samantha
May 16, 2013

Why would you use a shutterstock copyrighted image that has to purchased? We cant use this dancers image at a deent size/resolution without purchasing it. Makes this tutorial kind of a fail :(

Reply
john thomas
April 6, 2013

hmmm, Shutterstock hay? ……….no thanks! i’ll pass.

Reply
William Gore
March 22, 2013

NICE! Adrenaline is coursing through my veins right now. Can’t wait to try this out at home.

Reply
JR
January 16, 2013

All my eyes go to is that black shape on the right side of his right arm other then that this is a sweet tutorial thank you for sharing your mad skills

Reply
ABHIMANYU
January 4, 2013

awesome……. but have doubts… if you could provide a video tutorial it would be worth watching and learning……. :)

Reply
rafatul
January 3, 2013

Great editing
I like this post

Reply
Marcos Sandro
January 1, 2013

Undoubtedly the tutorials you in handling fotografais are the best of the website would love to if I baber podeira copies some tutorials to put on my website sintando the source

Reply
michal
December 27, 2012

Panie Darku super robota. Jedyne ‘ale’ to latajace korzenie , cegly itp. Ogolnie bardzo fajnie i “czysto” wytlumaczone kroki. Jesli to mozliwe, w przyszlosci c hetnie skorzystam z Pana wiedzy. prosze o kontakt. pozdrawiam

Reply
maung
December 26, 2012

:D……Thank You!…….I love photoshop & design.

Reply
Kyochan
December 21, 2012

The overall picture looks good and you obviously spent much effort on it, thank you :). But some highlights and shadows of dancer, parts of ground, roots, and flying bricks are wrong :).

Reply
1. Dariusz Markiw
  December 22, 2012
  
  I always have a problem with it :) Thank you!
Chaser
December 21, 2012

This looks good but is so badly explained. You have steps that are lacking info and steps with unnecessary info. You don’t need to tell us to “change the blending mode to normal and opacity to 100%” because that’s done by default. Some instructions don’t even say anything… It just says what image and blending mode but goes into no detail what was done. Good picture but sorry the tut is bad

Reply
1. Dariusz Markiw
  December 22, 2012
  
  Please tell me which part you do not understand, then I will fix it for you.
2. Randall Normal
  December 23, 2012
  
  I think you are being too picky. Obviously this is not intended for beginners.
  
  But I agree with you on the excessive info. You don’t need to tell people to set opacity to 100% when it’s already 100% by default. It’s annoying to read.
3. Randall Normal
  December 23, 2012
  
  And kudos to the author for offering to fix steps. Most people would get angry but you stayed cool
4. Dariusz Markiw
  December 25, 2012
  
  I’ll keep that in mind! :)
Ana Sousa
December 21, 2012

Very nice job! Thanks.

Reply
1. Darek
  December 21, 2012
  
  Fantastic work!!!
2. Dariusz Markiw
  December 22, 2012
  
  Thank you!