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:

1. Preset: Custom
2. Width: 3000px
3. Height: 3000px
4. Resolution: 300pixels/inch
5. Color Mode: RGB Color; 8 bit
6. 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.

Activate the Brush tool (B) and select this brush from the contextual menu (right click on the layer). You may use your own brush settings, but these are the recommended values:

• Brush size: 250px
• Hardness: not applicable
• Opacity: 100%
• Flow: 100%
• #: 000000

Remember, we are applying this to the layer mask so the brush’s color should be black. If you want to show something that was covered by black, paint that area with a white brush.

Right now, the house should look like it really is in the field.

Now we will be removing the door, to show what is inside this mysterious house. To remove the door, activate the Polygonal Lasso Tool (L) and create a selection area around the door then press Delete. OR if you want, you may also click on the Layer Mask and paint the door black using a Brush tool with a 100% Hardness.

Once you’re done, select all the layers of this Step and press Ctrl/Cmd + G and name this group to “House”.

Step 4: The Beach

Now, let’s open Ocean by theswedish. Select all (Ctrl/Cmd + A), copy it (Ctrl/Cmd + C) and paste it on our canvas. Put the beach layer in between the house and the field, this will make it appear inside the house.

Now, let’s resize the beach image. Activate the Transform tool (Ctrl/Cmd + T) and follow the instruction below:

Result:

Let’s make some light come out the doorway! To do that, let’s create a new layer (Ctrl/Cmd + Shift + N) above the House layer, then rename this new layer to “Light from beach”. We won’t need to put a Clipping Mask since the target is both the Beach image and the House.

Activate the Brush tool (B) and input the following:

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

Paint on the door way as shown below:

The result should be similar to the image shown below:

Step 5: The Cloud Roof and its Shadow

Now, prepare your eyes, we’re about to put something really amazing! We’ll be replacing the house’s roof with clouds. Open Above 3 by castock and Select All (Ctrl/Cmd + A) and Copy (Ctrl/Cmd + C) the image then Paste (Ctrl/Cmd + V) to our canvas.

Position it as shown below:

The Above 3 image is quite huge so we need to resize it. Like we did before, activate the Transform tool (Ctrl/Cmd + T) and transform it, you can press Ctrl/Cmd + 0 if you want to see the whole Above 3 image. Now, let’s enhance the color of the Above 3 image, non-destructively of course. Click on the Create New/Fill Adjustment layer button.

Click on Vibrance and input the following once it opens:

Next, open the Adjustment Layers menu once again and click on Brightness/Contrast.

Once it opens, input the following:

To make it more realistic, let’s add some shadow under the cloud image so let’s create a new layer (Ctrl/Cmd + Shift + N), and name it “Central Shadow”. Make sure that this layer is above the cloud layer.

We don’t need to put a Clipping Mask on the Clouds since we are going to paint both on the Clouds and the Roof at once. Activate the Brush tool (B) and set the following:

• Brush size: 90px
• Hardness: 0%
• Opacity: 50%
• Flow: 100%
• #: 000000

Now you change the brush settings to the following:

• Brush size: 300px
• Hardness: 0%
• Opacity: 100%
• Flow: 100%
• #: 000000

Create a New Layer (Ctrl/Cmd + Shift + N) and name it to “Whole Roof Shadow” and then paint on the following area:

Your image should be looking like this now:

Now, let’s create accentuate the cloud format ions. Create a new layer (Ctrl/Cmd + Shift + N) above the “Whole Roof Shadow” layer and then name it “Accentuate”. Activate the Brush tool (B) and input the following:

• Brush size: 125px
• Hardness: 0%
• Opacity: 50%
• Flow: 100%
• #: 000000

You may paint on any part of the bottom of the clouds, but recommended areas are shown below:

Now, let’s balance the light between the house and the clouds. Let’s darken some areas of the house which less light should be shining. Create a Gradient Adjustment layer.

Once the Gradient Adjustment box is open, click on the drop down menu with the gradients and click on the following gradient:

When it’s done, just use the settings shown below:

On the Layer Window, while the Gradient Adjustment layer is selected, click on the drop-down menu near the word “Normal”. This should open several blending mode layers. Click on Multiply. Once in Multiply, set the Opacity of the Gradient layer to 60%.

The image should look like this now:

The light on our image is flat now so we definitely have to fix that. To do that, left-click on the Layer Mask of the Gradient adjustment layer.

Once the layer mask of the Gradient Adjustment layer is active, activate the Brush tool (B) and set brush settings to the following:

• Brush size: 1000px
• Hardness: 0%
• Opacity: 25%
• Flow: 100%
• #: 000000

Remember, on a layer mask, we use black paint to erase and white paint to show. Paint on the highlighted areas:

The result should be similar to the following:

(Optional): If you want to darken it more, you can do it selectively by creating a new layer (Ctrl/Cmd + Shift + N) over the stack of layers. Next, click on the Color Picker and use the following settings:

• H: 0
• S: 0
• B: 50

Now, on the new layer we created, fill it with gray using this shortcut: Alt/Option + Delete. This will automatically fill the layer with the gray color we set-up.

Your layer canvas should be filled with gray now, and we don’t want that, so on the Layer window, while this layer is selected, click on the drop-down menu near the Normal button and then click on the Overlay blending mode.

Now, to darken it, select the Burn tool (O) and use the following settings:

• Brush size: 900px
• Hardness: 0%
• Range: Midtones
• Exposure: 45%

Brush now on the following areas:

The result should be similar to this:

Select all the layers now from this Step and group them (Ctrl/Cmd + G), name the group to “Cloud Roof”.

Step 6: The Sleeping Giant and her Bed

Open February Winter Morning by Eirian Stock and select her using either the Quick Selection too (W), the Pen tool (P) or the Polygonal Lasso Tool (L).

Here comes another fun yet tricky part! Create a layer mask to the girl layer.  Activate the Brush tool (B) and input the following settings:

• Brush size: 70px
• Hardness: 0%
• Opacity: 100%
• Flow: 100%
• #: 000000

We are going to use a soft brush to mimic the softness of the clouds on the girl’s skin.

Enhance the color of the girl and make her blend with the dawn background. Create a Color Balance adjustment layer!

When it opens, input the following:

Make sure that this Color Balance adjustment layer is clipped to the girl.

Now, let’s enhance the lighting on the girl, to further enhance the light produced from the horizon. Create a new layer (Ctrl/Cmd + Shift + N) over the girl’s layer and create a clipping mask to the girl by right-clicking on the new layer and clicking on Create Clipping Mask.

Click on the Color Picker and use the following settings:

• H: 0
• S: 0
• B: 50

Now, again, on the new layer we created, fill it with gray using this shortcut: Alt/Option + Delete. Use the Overlay blending mode to make the gray color become invisible. Activate the Dodge tool (O), input the following settings and brighten the areas shown below:

• Brush size: 175px
• Hardness: 0%
• Range: Midtones
• Exposure: 45%

Let’s add some glowing sunshine over the girl and the clouds. Create a new layer (Ctrl/Cmd + Shift + N) over the stack of layers. Activate the Brush tool (B) and input the following:

• Brush size: 1200px
• Hardness: 0%
• Opacity: 25%
• Flow: 100%
• #: fffdd6

Brush on the following area:

Now, select all the layers from this Step and group them (Ctrl/Cmd + G). Name the group to “Sleeping Giant”.

Step 7: Final Adjustments

Now, let’s enhance the color and light of our image. First, let’s create a Solid Color adjustment layer from the Create New Fill/Adjustment layer button on the Layer window.

Once opened, it will show a contextual menu; on this contextual menu, click on Solid Color.

Once open, input the following on the # space.

• #: 00011d

Now, your screen is filled with a dark blue color. We don’t want that so change the Blending Mode and Opacity to the following:

• Blending Mode: Exclusion
• Opacity: 70%

Result:

Repeat the same process, but this time, on the Solid Color box, input the following:

Change the Blending mode to the following:

Create another Solid Color Adjustment, and this time input the following:

Change the blending mode to the following:

Create a Gradient Map adjustment layer next.

Once open, do the following:

Next, set the blending mode and layer opacity to the following:

Next, create a Brightness/Contrast Adjustment layer from the same Create New Fill/Adjustment layer menu and input the following settings:

Result:

Create an Exposure Adjustment layer from the Create New Fill/Adjustment layer menu next and input the following once open:

Finally, let’s create a Photo Filter Adjustment layer from the Create New Fill/Adjustment layer menu and then use the following filter:

Final Results

Download the PSD

Download

Tutorial by Michael Vincent Manalo

I have always been inspired by having the sky very close to the roof of a house and dream of what could be living up there. So, thank you for visiting this page and using my tutorial, if you would like to see more of my works, visit me on this site: www.michaelvincentmanalo.com - Michael Vincent Manalo