How to Create a World Under the Sky using Photoshop

Create this surreal photo manipulation of a woman sleeping on clouds above a house. This Photoshop tutorial will show you basic photo manipulation techniques such as combining photos, blending, and making color correction.

Preview of Final Results

Tutorial Resources

Stock Field by digital amphetamine
ol house 1 by JensStockCollection
Ocean by theswedish
Above 3 by CAstock
February Winter Morning by Eirian Stock

Step 1: Create a New Photoshop File

Now, let’s start by creating a new image file, go to the Menu bar and click File > New, and then input the following values on their respective fields:

Preset: Custom
Width: 3000px
Height: 3000px
Resolution: 300pixels/inch
Color Mode: RGB Color; 8 bit
Background Contents: Transparent

Step 2: Add the foreground and improve its lighting

In this Step, we will be creating the land on which the mysterious house will be standing. Import the stock image - “Stock Field” by digital amphetamine to the canvas by clicking on File > Place and find it from the directory you’ve saved it into. Using the Place command is a non-destructive technique which will place the image as a Smart Object, and once the layer is a smart object you may transform it as many times as you like without any loss in quality.

Next, let’s darken the foreground. First, let’s create a new layer (Ctrl/Cmd + Shift + N) and then we will create a Clipping Mask on the new layer to allow a non-destructive way to darken the foreground. To create a Clipping Mask, simply right-click on the newly created layer and then click on “Create Clipping Mask” once it opens. Note: The new layer should be above the field layer.

Now, activate the Brush tool (B) but before you proceed, make sure that the Brushes to be used are the default PS brushes. The default Photoshop brushes are shown on the image below, if that’s not what you see, then follow the instructions below: Right click the canvas while a layer is selected and while the Brush tool (B) is activated and then click on the button highlighted below: Then click on “Reset Brushes” from the contextual menu. Now, that that is done input the following settings for our Brush tool (B):

Brush size: 800px
Hardness: 0%
Opacity: 15%
Flow: 100%
#: 000000

The Color Picker box opens once you click the Foreground Color box.

Now, paint over the area shown below:

Brush on it several times until it results to something like what is shown below:

Once done, select all the layers and press Ctrl/Cmd + G to group them. This will avoid clutter and confusion in later Steps. Rename this group to “Land”. To rename a layer, simply double-click on the words “layer 1” for example and a text box will appear, you may rename it then.

Step 3: Create the Mysterious House

In this Step, we will be adding the eerie house. To start, Place the file “ol house 1” by JensStockCollection. Next, create a selection area around the house as shown below:

Once you’ve made the selection area around the house, Copy it and Paste it on our canvas.

Transform the house. Activate the Transform tool (Ctrl/Cmd + T), take note we don’t have to convert this image to a Smart Object since we only have to resize it once. Resize it as shown below:

The result should be something like this:

Now, let’s fix the perspective of the house.

Now, here’s a fun part! We will now make the house look like it really is on the grass. Left click on the house layer and create a layer mask.

19 comments on “How to Create a World Under the Sky using Photoshop”

Rj raju says:

April 14, 2018 at 10:31 am

It is very helpful tutorial and great idea for this tutorial….many many thanks a lot

Optical Overlays says:

July 12, 2017 at 11:00 am

Awesome! :)

Rama Vinaya says:

July 11, 2017 at 12:29 am

Wtf?

1. Optical Overlays says:
  
  July 12, 2017 at 11:00 am
  
  Yup Indeed
Ayaan says:

March 13, 2016 at 4:42 am

outstanding fantastic Fab work amazing

Ayaan says:

March 13, 2016 at 4:41 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

Maidul Islam says:

September 16, 2014 at 10:11 pm

Awesome! Excellent tutorial. Thanks for sharing!

Kevin Alemán says:

September 19, 2013 at 12:54 pm

Good image, but the instructions could be better.

Mara says:

July 26, 2013 at 12:18 am

Thank you, this was good practice, Though I did change some things, such as the shadow beneath the clouds. I made it more of a slow fade together of the house and cloud pictures, looked more cloudlike.

James says:

July 5, 2013 at 6:37 pm

Thanks for sharing this tutorial

Meinert says:

July 3, 2013 at 7:01 pm

This is nice but I agree with what the others said

K.B.GUPTA says:

July 2, 2013 at 8:30 am

I can`t understand. It is very tough

ALCI JIMENEZ says:

July 1, 2013 at 2:47 pm

espectacular la imagen las tima que eltutorial no sea hablado

Morgan says:

June 27, 2013 at 10:42 pm

I can't understand

1. Anonymous says:
  
  June 29, 2013 at 12:27 am
  
  so was i
v7 says:

June 26, 2013 at 4:23 pm

thank you

Anonymous says:

June 26, 2013 at 12:30 pm

"Activate the Transform tool (Ctrl/Cmd + T), take note we don’t have to convert this image to a Smart Object since we only have to resize it once."

WTF? Nothing is more wrong than that

1. Martorelli says:
  
  June 27, 2013 at 12:24 pm
  
  I understand that from the authors point of view but the larger issue here is that he doesn't understand the concept of non-destructing editing. The tutorial is constantly copying and pasting when it should have been imported as smart obj and stenciled with a layer mask. He knows how to use it but purposefully teaches destructing editing. Thus, leading myself to believe that the authors does not grasp the concept of non-destructing editing.
Clark says:

June 25, 2013 at 2:49 pm

I really hate this tutorial. You start by explaining "non-destructive editing" and then everything is destructive from the 2nd page on.