Learn How to Create a Surreal Scene of Elephant with a Palm Trunk

“Of all African animals, the elephant is the most difficult for a man to live with, yet its passing ― if this must come ― seems the most tragic of all. I can watch elephants (and elephants alone) for hours at a time, for sooner or later the elephant will do something very strange such as mow grass with its toenails or draw the tusks from the rotted carcass of another elephant and carry them off into the bush. There is a mystery behind that masked gray visage, and ancient life force, delicate and mighty, awesome and enchanted, commanding the silence ordinarily reserved for mountain peaks, great fires, and the sea.” In this Photoshop Tutorial, we will learn how to create an elephant with a palm trunk. First, we created a sky and add Elephant with the background. Then add Tusk and Nose and add some Adjustment layers. Next is Palm and Parrot and For the last effect, we added a Camera Raw filter.

Preview of Final Image

Tutorial Resources

Step 1

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: 3080px
Height: 3850px
Resolution: 300px
Color Mode: RGB Color 8 bit
Background Contents: Transparent

Step 2

Next, select Sky and go to File > Open and select Sky photo stock. Use Rectangular Marquee Tool(M). With the Rectangular Marquee tool, drag over the area you want to select. Hold down Shift as you drag to constrain the marquee to(release the mouse button before you release Shift to keep the selection shape constrained).

After the selection area has been created, simply copy (Ctrl / Cmd + C) and Paste (Ctrl / Cmd + V) it to our work canvas. Then position the image with the transform tool (Ctrl / Cmd + T). Hold Alt + Shift and resterize like image below. In Photoshop CC only hold Alt to resterize al sides together.

Step 3

Add Adjustment Layer "Gradient Map"

Step 4

Now repeat process from previous step and go to File > Open and select Clouds photo stock. Use Rectangular Marquee Tool(M). With the Rectangular Marquee tool, drag over the area you want to select. Hold down Shift as you drag to constrain the marquee to(release the mouse button before you release Shift to keep the selection shape constrained).

Blend mode change to Overlay with Opacity 65%.

Then select all layers (Hold Ctrl/Cmd + Left Click) and put to group (Ctrl/Cmd + G)

Step 5

Add Adjustment Layer "Curves"

Step 6

Add Adjustment Layer "Color Balance" Opacity set to 50%.

Step 7

Now create a new layer and use Brush Tool(B) Soft Round with foreground color white. Next Size of brush set approximately to 2400px and paint to center. Opacity set to 45%.

Step 8

Now, place Elephant Go to File > Place and select Elephant. Then place it to our work canvas. Then position the image with the transform tool (Ctrl / Cmd + T). Hold Alt + Shift and rasterize like the image below. In Photoshop CC only hold Alt to rasterize all sides together.

Create a layer mask and use Brush Tool(B) Soft Round with Foreground color black and start painting to green background (Trees) and remove it.

3 comments on “Learn How to Create a Surreal Scene of Elephant with a Palm Trunk”

Dave says:

June 9, 2021 at 11:46 am

Pitty the PSD download is not working

enreille says:

June 9, 2021 at 10:12 am

problem link psd :)

fabien says:

June 8, 2021 at 1:05 pm

great tuto ! just a little problem with link psd :)