How to Create a Ruined Landscape at Dusk with Photoshop

Step 17

Add a Curves adjustment layer to increase the mist on the rock. On this layer mask, paint on the back side of the lower of the rock to keep some contrast there.

Step 18

Open the ruin 1 image. As it has a transparent background so just use the Move Tool to drag it into our working document and place it in the left of the rock 2 one. Add a mask to this layer and use a medium-hard black brush to remove most of the rocky ground and blend the ruin with the existing ground.

Step 19

Make a new layer (set as Clipping Mask) and use the Clone Tool (S) to remove and reduce some shadows on the columns

Step 20

Create a new layer and use a soft brush with the color #c09d77, the opacity about 30% to paint on some details of the ruin to lighten the shadow and reduce the contrast of the ruin.

Step 21

Add a Hue/Saturation adjustment layer and reduce the Saturation values to -100:

Step 22

Make a Curves adjustment layer to darken the ruin.

Step 23

Create a new layer, change the mode to Overlay 100% and fill it with 50% gray. Activate the Dodge and Burn Tool (O) with Midtones Range, Exposure about 10% to refine the light and shadow on the ruin. You can see how I did it with Normal mode and the result with Overlay mode.

Step 24

Open the ruin 2 image and take the part with five columns to add to the left of the main canvas. Flip it horizontally by choosing Edit > Transform > Flip Horizontal:

Step 25

Make a Hue/Saturation adjustment layer to desaturate the columns:

Step 26

Create a Curves adjustment layer to increase the shadow on the back of the columns. On this layer mask, paint on the rest to keep its lightness.

Make another Curves adjustment layer to brighten the front of the columns a bit. The selected areas show where to paint on the layer mask.

Step 27

Make a new layer, change the mode to Overlay 100% and fill with 50% gray. Use the Burn Tool to strengthen the shadow on some areas of the columns.

Step 28

Open the rock 3 image again and take the riding people to add to the left of the existing desert. Add a mask to each of these layers to remove most of the unwanted ground.

Step 29

Make some Curves adjustment layers for each of these layers to brighten them and reduce their contrast. The selected areas show where to paint on the layer mask.

Step 30

Select all people layers and hit Ctrl+G to make a group for them. Change the group mode to Normal 100% and make a Hue/Saturation adjustment layer within this group. Reduce the Saturation values to -77:

Step 31

Create a new layer and use a small brush with the color #11100d to paint the missing shadow and details of the people.

Step 32

Make a Gradient Map adjustment layer on top of the layers and pick the colors #021e38 and #2cb1e2.

Add another Gradient Map adjustment layer and pick the colors #aa2517 and #00601b. Lower the opacity of this layer to 20%.

Step 33

Create a Color Balance adjustment layer and change the Midtones and Highlights settings:

Step 34

Make a Curves adjustment layer to darken the scene. On this layer mask, paint on the left and the top right of the canvas to remove or reduce the dark effect there.