Create a Surreal, Emotional Underground Scene Photo Manipulation

On Filter layer mask use soft black brush to remove blur effect at the part near the tree bottom to keep the hard look for it:

Step 55

Add layer mask to shadow layer and remove the top of it:

Step 56

I used Curves to brighten the tree:

Step 57

Add a Color Balance layer to give the tree some yellow:

Step 58

To add more light to the tree, I used a new layer and take brush with color #fab3b3, opacity and flow 25-35%. Paint along the tree sides as I did below:

Step 59

Make a new layer with same settings in step 10. Use Dodge and Burn Tool to create more contrast on the tree:

Step 60

It's time for most interesting parts of the tutorial - making a heart from branches. Open branches 3 stock. First use your own method to cut out the branches from background:

Use Lasso Tool to take a part from isolated branches and put it above the tree. I used Warp Tool to bend it:

Step 61

Use different parts from branches stock to put on the tree following a heart shape, use Warp Tool or Puppet Warp Tool if needed . I used layer mask to remove any unwanted parts. You don't need to create exactly like mine but can take it as a reference:

I used 15 layers for this branches heart.

Step 62

Group all heart branches layers and name them (I called them from 1 to 15). I used Dodge Tool with same way in previous steps to brighten some parts that are too dark:

Step 63

Make a new layer on the top of these branches layers (within this group). Use hard black brush, 1 px and color #1a142d to make some branches parts more visible:

Step 64

Add a Curves layer within this group to brighten this heart:

I used brush on Curves layer mask to clear some parts below:

Step 65

Use Color Balance to give some yellow to the branches:

Step 66

Right click branches heart group, choose Duplicate Group. Right click it again, choose Merge Group. Now we have a selection of these branches that will be useful in next steps. Turn off this layer.

Step 67

Open leaves stock pack. Choose the leaves you like and put them between the heart:

I used layer mask to remove some big leaves:

Step 68

Add more leaves to inside, around the heart and to the sky, hill to create a scattering effect, try to achieve a random look:

Step 69

To create some depth to this effect, I added more leaves to the sky part, around the branches heart. I applied Gaussian Blur with 3 px and 1.5 px for them. In the screenshots, you can see some leaves are blurrier (Blur 3 px) and some others less (1.5 px).

I used 59 layers for the leaves in sky. Group all of them and name it "sky".

Step 70

I used 11 layers to add falling leaves on the hill:

Group them and call it "hill".

Step 71

Make a layer inside the "hill" group, and place it at the bottom. Use black brush with very small size (2-3 px) to paint under the leaves lying on the hill to make shadow for them:

Step 72

Take another leaves and arrange them around model, cave, underground. I applied Gaussian Blur with 3 px for some bigger leaves to create depth to the scene.

24 comments on “Create a Surreal, Emotional Underground Scene Photo Manipulation”

aaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa says:

January 29, 2021 at 3:16 am

gooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooodddddddddddddddddd

David Arms says:

August 2, 2020 at 9:52 pm

Great tutorial, All are path instruction for a model very teachable. Thanks for sharing great experience.

Christina Costa says:

April 5, 2019 at 3:10 am

Great! all Photoshop tutorials are unique. Thanks for sharing your good effective knowledge.

Sweetly Sam says:

August 23, 2018 at 8:27 pm

Hi, I think the link for the "Branches 1" is not working. Could you give me the alternative link instead? Thank You

1. Photoshop Tutorials Staff says:
  
  August 28, 2018 at 2:31 pm
  
  Sorry about that - the author has removed his/her image. Try using another branch stock here: https://www.deviantart.com/resources/popular-all-time/?q=branches
Saniya says:

December 22, 2016 at 10:41 pm

awesome tutorial.. make easy to learn, thanks

Saniya says:

December 22, 2016 at 10:39 pm

Thanks for the tutorial.. easy to learn

chie says:

December 20, 2016 at 10:39 pm

The download link of this tutorial is death! :(

Ayaan says:

March 13, 2016 at 5:39 am

Please re uploaded PSD file because when i click on download showing 404 error, this is best work for me i want check how did you do this

Imam says:

June 13, 2015 at 8:44 pm

i can't download the .PSD file
renew link please,,

Maidul Islam says:

October 17, 2014 at 9:25 pm

amazing!! great to see the amazing work of great experienced art directors!!

Maidul Islam says:

September 14, 2014 at 12:46 am

Thanks Amazing designs, best of luck in your design career!

Hester says:

August 30, 2014 at 5:14 am

Amazing tutorial! I've learned a lot!!! And I like it better to read tut's so video is not necessary.

Jordan Anderson says:

April 22, 2014 at 3:21 pm

This is a pro job.
I'm a fan of photoshop and I see that you give real professional lessons.
I admire your work

mannu says:

April 21, 2014 at 7:54 pm

You are a genius Jenny

mannu says:

April 21, 2014 at 7:53 pm

verrynic sof

Rod Boatner says:

April 16, 2014 at 2:15 am

You are a genius Jenny

Rebeca Beck says:

April 4, 2014 at 2:23 am

I a beginner in photoshop, I know only make the cut: (
Seeing such advanced tutorials I wonder how people are to learn all that

Jack Jimmy says:

March 31, 2014 at 3:18 pm

tutorial very detailed and well explained.
I congratulate you for your work, good job

hatemsalah says:

March 30, 2014 at 5:07 am

nice tutorial thanks

Elna Lee says:

March 28, 2014 at 3:27 pm

Beautiful!! ^_^

swati says:

March 25, 2014 at 6:50 am

Is there any easy way to learn photoshop by videos.. its good but little bit confusing../

Minh Hai says:

March 18, 2014 at 12:18 am

Great tutorial,thank you ^^

Esteban Villanueva says:

March 3, 2014 at 3:17 pm

I will follow this tutorial to see the results.
I am looking for a long time this kind of lesson