Learn how to create this mystical forest scene with a beautiful angel reading a book. This fantasy photo manipulation tutorial will teach you how to turn a forest photo into a night forest scene with shafts of light, create an angle by adding really beautiful wings to a person, and finish it up with some final touches.

Preview of Final Results

Tutorial Resources

• Model - rgbstock
• Dark forest - castock
• Wings - evelivesey (Alternative)
• Corner leaves 2 - evelivesey (Alternative)
• Grass 01 png - gd08

Step 1

Create new file, 1600x1200px. Place Dark Forest stock, as shown below:

Step 2 - making night in Photoshop

Now add the adjustments layer - color balance and set it:

Step 3 - making night in Photoshop

Add next adjustments layer - brightness/contrast, then set is as shown:

Step 4 – night shadows

Add adjustments layer, brightness/contrast:

At mask of this layer, choose soft brush and stroke, like there:

Step 5

Now we will prepare some shadows for angel. Draw with soft rounded brush (65px), like arrow shows:

Then you have to blur it out! Choose Filter > Blur > Gaussian blur (37,4px):

Change blending mode to Multiply, then change opacity to 60%:

Step 6

Add new layer. With soft rounded brush #373737 color (123px) draw dot:

Then with this same brush (23px) #898989 color draw as shown:

Step 7

Add new layer. This same brush, 35 px, black draw:

Then blur it. Filter > Blur > Gaussian blur 9,7 px:

Step 8

Add new layer. Choose the same brush, also 35 px. Draw below red spots:

Then blur it. Use recently settings. For this, choose Filter > Gaussian blur (from the top):

Step 9

Keep calm, there is only 1 shadows layer left. Now we will create shadow under wings. Choose soft round brush (65px) and set opacity to 60 %. Draw line as shown:

Blur it, maybe, using recently technique:

Step 10 - model

Paste model on the center of the image. Mask her! Don't be afraid of grass on the bottom. We will take care of it. In next steps :):

On hair you can use soft brush, but for body shape use hard brush. Results of masking:

Step 11

Wood is dark, and around is night, so we have to do shadows on our model. Add adjustments layer - brightness/contrast:

Then with soft brush, mask it:

Step 12

Add adjustments layer, choose color balance and set it:

Step 13

New adjustments layer, choose brightness/contrast:

Step 14

We'll add shadows on the model:

Light goes from top, right-corner. We have to mask this shadow, for naturally look:

As I said, light goes from right-top. We have to show it. Create adjustments layer and choose brightness/contrast:

Then mask it.

Step 15 - playing with wings

We'll start from shadows. Draw it as shown. Gently, please:

Step 16

Paste wings, as shown. Try different combinations for the best look:

Step 17

This wing will be behind, so it have to be darker and with less contrast. But now we will create a night colors. Add adjustments layer and choose color balance:

Add adjustments layer, choose brightness/contrast:

Add again adjustments layer, choose brightness/contrast:

Mask it as shown below

For better looks add once more brightness/contrast layer:

Step 18 - second wing

Now paste second wing