Photoshop Tutorials

How to Create a Mysterious Matte Painting Landscape in Photoshop

How to Create a Mysterious Matte Painting Landscape in Photoshop
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Step 24

As you can see in this image (I mean the mountain) is dominated by blue tint, and distant mountains in general as much shine, so I corrected it with adjustment layer "Curves" (Layer > New Adjustment layer > Curves...). As blue on a mountains a lot, so we need blue channel; on it make one point with Input: 163 and Output: 135. In the process I turn down the brightness a bit. On RGB channel make one point with: Input: 145 and Output: 106. Don't forget clip this adjustment layer.
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Next, take a Brush Tool (B) (Size: 250px, Hardness: 0, Opacity: 50%,) set foreground color #111315, create a new layer (Cmd/Ctrl + Shift + N or use icon on Layer panel) and paint over too light mountains (they only). Make this layer as Clipping Mask (Cmd/Ctrl + Opt/Alt + G) and set Opacity: 25%. So much better. In this way we compensate a little bit of flare mountains and returned to their texture.
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Now even small but important task. Hide all layers except duplicated mountain layer (eye icon next to the layer) and on layer mask, remove all except a small portion of the forest as in the image below. In Refine Edge set Radius: 1.7px (checkbox on Smart Radius), draw on the edges of forests. Place this layer above the layers with the mountain.
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Step 25

It is time to add the last mountain in our work. Repeat Step 23 for image "patagonian_landscape_07_by_fuguestock-d76299x" the only difference that you need Flip Horizontal (Edit > Transform > Flip Horizontal) this image and place it so that only hide valley of the previous mountains (this layer below them) and leave most of the mountains visible.
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Again the same problem with the blue, but this time we will reduce the color quite a bit. Add adjustment layer "Curves" (Layer > New Adjustment layer > Curves...) wit there settings: Red - Input: 121, Output: 129; Green - Input: 158, Output: 154; Blue - Input: 114, Output: 102.
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Step 26

Add the sky in working document "Sky_17_by_sacral_stock" and position it so that the bottom edge completely disappeared behind the mountains. Make a copy of this layer (Duplicate layer Cmd/Ctrl + J) and place it before mountains layer and move it a little higher ( to approximately half the height of mountains and taking into account the color of the sky to make the transition of colors). Add a layer mask to duplicated layer and remove some sky to make visibility foggy mountains. Use Brush tool (B) (Size: 60-150px, Hardness: 0%, Opacity: 20-65%) to create a soft overlay of clouds (it strongly affects to realism).
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Step 27

When you align the sky, you can add a little fog in the bottom of the mountain to separate plans, create depth and perspective. Load Brushes "effects_brushes_by_vincdesign-d4mwjs4" in Photoshop create a new layer (Cmd/Ctrl + Shift + N) above the layer with the highest mountain and make it as Clipping Mask. Use brush "CLOD #2" (Size: 300px, Opacity: 60%) from this pack and set foreground color # 000000 Black (press D on keyboard) and draw on left side of the mountains to make shadow from clouds. Set Opacity: 22% for this layer.
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Step 28

Create a new layer (Cmd/Ctrl + Shift + N) make it as Clipping Mask in this time use foreground color: White (press D, then X on keyboard) and draw between the two main mountains to create depth. Set Opacity: 29% for this layer.
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Now add two new layers beneath Huangshan Mount. On the first layer draw fog with the bottom of the mountains and a little higher (Brush Tool (B), Size: 200px, Opacity: 100%; brush does not change - "CLOD #2", color - White). Set Opacity: 25% for this layer. For the second layer, repeat the same, but use layer Opacity: 33% and paint fog slightly lower.

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28 comments on “How to Create a Mysterious Matte Painting Landscape in Photoshop”

  12. Possibly the best tutorial I have done. Absolutly awesome image, and I love the way you explain how you see it & why. It is like a noval.
    Please do more !

    Reply

  16. Amazing tutorial, now I have to go back and do the rest of your stuff. :D

    A tip for Step 38: just select your top layer, go to Edit -> Select all (ctrl/cmd + A)
    then Edit -> Copy merged (shift + ctrl/cmd + C)

    This will copy all the visible layer (inside your selection), now you just have to paste it,

    Edit -> Paste (ctrl/cmd + V) or Paste special -> Paste in place (shift + ctrl/cmd + V).

    Reply

  17. wow, what a wonderful great tutorial.
    Very well explained so even a "beginner" to work with.
    Thank you also for the material and links to the trouble to write it all. Once again, simply grandiose.
    Kind Regards

    Reply

    1. Easy to follow. But I have some problems with making it exactly the same you have showed. I would have to search in http://google.com for photoshop basic tools documentation.

      However, thanks!

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