“The Controller” - Create this Floating Superhero Scene with Sci-Fi Lighting Effects in Photoshop

Create this awesome sci-fi photo manipulation in Photoshop! You will learn how to combine stock photos and apply sci-fi lighting effects to create this artwork. This tutorial is recommended for intermediate-expert Photoshop users.

Preview of Final Results

Tutorial Resources

Man – sunshine114
Sky – Photoxpress
Background – sxc.hu
Explosion – sxc.hu
Fireball – sxc.hu
Crack – sxc.hu
Rocks – Creativetuts

Step 1

Create a new document and fill it with white. You can choose the size you want but in this tutorial I choose the width larger than the height. Open background stock. Press C to active Crop Tool and make selection of background as shown below:

Right click this selection, choose Crop to complete this action:

Use Move Tool ( V) to drag it into white canvas, remember to resize to fit the background:

Name it as "land". I want to remove the pile on the right side so on land layer, use Polygonal Lasso Tool ( hit L to active it) to make a selection on the left side with feather = 20:

Right click this selection, choose Layer via Copy and we have it on a new layer. Go to Edit-Transform-Flip Horizontal then move it to right side to hide the pile:

Hide background layer ( white canvas) then press Cmd/Ctrl+Shift+Alt+E) to merge all visible layers ( "land" and "remove pile" layers). Call the new layer as "land 1" or whatever you want.

Step 2

Open sky stock. You can use another image if you can't download this sky from Photoxpress but a dark one with dramatic look is a good choice. Use Retangular Marquee Tool to make a selection for the part you want and set feather as 20 ( depends on the size of your picture):

Use Move Tool to drag it into our document, downsize and place this layer under "land 1" layer but above "land" and "remove pile" one. Name it as "sky 1":

On land 1 layer, add layer mask and use soft black brush to remove sky part of land:

Duplicate sky 1 layer, apply Flip Horizontal for it then move it to the right like the image below shows:

Name it "sky 2". Add layer mask to remove some parts to make this sky blend better with background:

Step 3

To make color of the land fit sky, I use a new adjustment layer for land 1 layer with Clipping Mask. On land 1 layer, go to Layer-New adjustment layer-Hue/Saturation:

Step 4

In this step I do a bit retouch for background. Create a new layer on the top. Use soft brush with color #373939 and paint on some parts of sky. I vary opacity of brush as shown below:

Change the mode to Multipy 80%:

Make a new layer ( Cmd/Ctrl+Shift+N) and I use brush with color #9f9e99. Painting on the left side of sky and some parts of background to brighten them. Set the mode of this layer to Soft light 100%:

To darken another parts of sky I use brush and color #373939. On a new layer, use this brush and paint on sky center. Put the mode as Multipy 50%:

Step 5

Open explosion stock. Use Move Tool to drag it into our canvas. Press Cmd/Ctrl+T to scale it down and transform it as shown below:

Change the mode to Screen 100% and add layer mask for this layer. Use soft black brush to remove the rough edges and the part within this explosion:

Name this layer as "burning circle".

22 comments on ““The Controller” - Create this Floating Superhero Scene with Sci-Fi Lighting Effects in Photoshop”

roser faulk says:

May 22, 2021 at 7:49 am

Thanks for your tutorial

barney bear says:

June 19, 2018 at 6:54 am

it was a little long winded

lluvia says:

January 23, 2017 at 9:15 am

Thanks four your tutorial, and I wish I can make it. But something is lost, I can't find the background and crack.

carloz says:

April 12, 2016 at 11:41 am

Wow amazing technique . I didn't understand how to create firing motion blur effect .......... can you explain it .........??

sahebrao says:

January 6, 2016 at 11:06 pm

Hi, I am a Sahebrao photo manipulator though I tend to focus more on a “pin-up” style of work. Great to see some I like, so I want more vedio tutorials. thanks!

Mark Hearn says:

October 2, 2014 at 6:44 am

Hi, I am a superhero photo manipulator though I tend to focus more on a "pin-up" style of work. Great to see some quality tutorials in the field!

Maidul Islam says:

September 20, 2014 at 10:24 pm

I like the idea of this tutorial, it’s very creative and the result looks great.Thanks a lot for sharing with us.

harjinder singh says:

October 21, 2013 at 5:08 am

ohhh awesome !!!!!!!!!!!!!

Abbasali says:

May 3, 2013 at 6:46 am

guys please hepl me! i cant get the pics. pls email them to me

Dave says:

March 18, 2013 at 4:28 am

hello the link to the rocks psd is broken.

John says:

January 31, 2013 at 6:10 am

I'd just like to say great tutorial - I have a crack for part of my one a week project and this was my result - http://www.flickr.com/photos/magsnorton/8415205138/in/photostream

ard says:

January 20, 2013 at 7:28 pm

Wowww..i like it so much. I will try it at home. I hope i can create it..thanks

lindhung says:

January 19, 2013 at 12:56 am

wish i can make it. I try to make it for my national examination

LeoBravo says:

December 24, 2012 at 6:07 am

Amazing Tutorial really

khanjee754 says:

December 10, 2012 at 6:46 pm

Dearest Sir............Wonderful work done. Thanks for uploading,i hope u will be carry on yrs work. for us .........
Thanks a lot.....
Learner ..... Jehan zeb Khan .....( PAK )

tutvid says:

December 4, 2012 at 6:41 am

@FazilZuhaib Thanks, buddy! I'm so busy with web work right now, but I promise I'll have some new exciting web and PS stuff soon! :)

Krishnaa says:

December 1, 2012 at 6:08 am

Really amazing, gonna try this out.

jojoboi says:

November 30, 2012 at 8:45 pm

oh wow haha

VirgilSuteu says:

November 30, 2012 at 2:11 pm

Very nice tutorial, thank you!

photocat says:

November 29, 2012 at 8:20 pm

Thanks Jenny! Your tutorials are awesome as always! :)

conceptflow says:

November 29, 2012 at 7:32 pm

I cant wait to try this out. I know it will be major help for me especially with blending.

Mamun says:

November 29, 2012 at 11:02 am

Superb graphic design tutorials. will be too much helpful and thanks for share...