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In this tutorial I’ll show you how to create a dark night hunter scene. You’ll learn how to combine different stock images together, turn a scene from day to night, add a moonlight, create a dark atmosphere as well as make some special effects. Along with this tutorial, you’ll also learn how to work with groups, manage your layers and pay attention to the details.
As always, this is the final image that we’ll be creating:
Create a new document with the given settings:
Open the street image. Isolate it from the background and drag it into the white canvas using the Move Tool (V):
Open the sky image. Select the sky part using the Retangular Marquee Tool (M):
Drag this selected sky into our main document using the Move Tool. Set this layer under the street one.
Create an adjustment layer and set it as Clipping Mask to change the sky color. Go to Layer > New Adjustment Layer > Color Balance:
Create a Curves adjustment layer to darken the sky:
Come back to the street layer. Make a Color Balance adjustment layer (set as Clipping Mask) to change its color:
Use a Curves adjustment layer to darken the street:
On this layer mask, use a soft black brush with a very low opacity (about 5-10%) to reduce the Curves effect on the parts below:
Make another Color Balance adjustment layer to change the street color a little:
Create a new layer, change the mode to Overlay and fill with 50% gray:
Active the Burn Tool (O) with Midtones Range, Exposure about 10% to daken a detail below. You can see how I did it with Normal mode and the result with Overlay mode:
Make a Curves adjustment layer on the top and darken the whole scene:
On this layer mask, use a soft black brush with the opacity about 10-15% to erase the pavement and other parts to give them some light there:
Create a Gradient Map adjustment layer to change the light and color of the scene:
Change this layer mode to Exclusion 90%.
Use another Curves adjustment layer to darken the scene. On this layer mask, use a soft black brush to refine the light and contrast of the image.
Open the model image and isolate her from the background using your familliar method.
Make two new layers on the top. On the first, use a brush with the color #8a6454 to paint some missing hair for the model:
On the second, use a brush with the color #d2bba9 to paint some lighter flying hair for her head.
Hide the background and the fill layer and hit Cmd/Ctrl+Option/Alt+Shift+E to merge all transparent layers into a new one.
Place the merged model layer onto the street.
Use a Curves adjustment layer (set as Clipping Mask) to darken the model. On this layer mask, use a soft black brush to reduce the effect on the arm, shirt and gloves.
Use a Hue/Saturation adjustment layer to reduce the model saturation:
Make a Gradient Map adjustment layer with the colors #494996 and #f7e68a. Change this layer mode to Soft Light 100%.
Make a Photo Filter adjustment layer and pick the color #f3e784.
Create a new layer with the same settings in the step 9. Use the Dodge and Burn Tool to give more light to the hat and gloves, also create more details for them.
Create a new layer, use a soft brush with the color #0d0b19, the opacity avout 20-22% to reduce the highlight on her trousers:
Open the sword image. Select a sword using the Polygonal Lasso Tool (L).
Place the sword under the lower arm of the model:
Add a mask to this layer and use a hard black brush to make the sword look like being held inside the hand:
Make a Hue/Saturation adjustment layer (set as Clipping Mask) to change to sword color:
Use a Curves adjustment layer to darken the sword. On this layer mask, use a soft black brush to erase the top of the sword blade:
Create a new layer with the same settings in the step 9. Use the Dodge and Burn Tool to refine the light and shade of the sword:
Create a Curves adjustment layer on the top of the layers and reduce the lightness.
On this layer mask, use a soft black brush to erase some parts of the model, the street and some of the houses:
Make a new layer, hold Cmd/Ctrl and click the sword thumbnail layer to load its selection. Fill this selection with the color #c2f1f2:
Add a mask to this layer and use a soft black brush to erase the bottom and make the color faded out into the sword.
Double click this layer, choose Outer Glow:
Make a new layer and fill in the sword with the color #fd83df, also paint on her trousers with the same color. Apply a layer mask to erase any unwanted parts then change this layer mode to Overlay 100%:
Apply an Outer Glow effect to this layer:
Create a new layer under two sword effect layers. Use a soft brush with the color #c2f1f2 to paint around the sword area. Change this layer mode to Soft Light 100%:
On a new layer, change the brush color to #fd83df and paint the light on the trousers part around the sword. Change this layer mode to Overlay 100%:
Cut out the devil woman 1 from the background and place her on the top of a left house:
Create a new fill layer (set as Clipping Mask) to change the contrast of this woman. Lower the opacity of this layer to 70%. On this layer mask, use a soft black brush to reveal the woman and reduce the effect as shown below:
Use a Curves adjustment layer to darken the woman a little. On this layer mask, use a soft black brush to erase the model head and a hand one.
Add the devil woman 2 after isolating to the roof of the right house:
To make the shadow for her on the roof, create a new layer under this one. Hold Cmd/Ctrl and click the devil woman layer to load her selection and fill with black. Flip it vertically (Edit > Transform > Flip Vertical):
Lower the opacity to 50%. Go to Filter > Blur > Gaussian Blur and set the radius to 4 px:
Add a mask to this layer and reduce the intensity of the top of the shadow:
Use a new fill layer with the color #8a8f9f (set as Clipping Mask) and lower the opacity to 30%. On this layer mask, use a soft black brush to erase the lower part of the head to keep the shade there:
Select all the devil woman layers and press Cmd/Ctrl+G to make a group for them. Change the mode of this group from Pass Through (default group mode) to Normal 100%. Create a Hue/Saturation adjustment layer within this group to desaturate these women:
Use a Color Balance adjustment layer to match the devil women with the background:
Open the horns image. Select the horns and add them to the women’s head. Add a mask to each of these layers and blend them with the heads using a soft black brush:
Make a group for the horn layers. Use a Hue/Saturation adjustment layer to desaturate the horns a bit:
Use a Curves adjustment layer to brighten the horns:
Add the smoke image to our working document and use a layer mask to reduce its intensity:
Use a Curves adjustment layer (set as Clipping Mask) to make the effect more subtle. On this layer mask, use a soft black brush to keep some smoke areas more visible:
Add the moon after cutting it out to the top of the scene:
Double click the moon layer, choose Outer Glow and Inner Glow:
Use a Color Balance adjustment layer to change the moon color a little:
Create a new layer on the top, use a soft brush with the color #cecfd6 to paint more glowing light for the moon and the area around it. Change this layer mode to Soft Light 100%.
Make a Gradient Map adjustment layer on the top of the layers.
Lower the opacity of this layer to 20%:
Make a Color Balance adjustment layer to change the whole color a bit. On this layer mask, use a soft black brush to reduce the light on the moon and the model.
Time to add another light and color to the scene. Use the Lasso Tool to select the bottom right of the street and set the feather to 60:
Go to Layer > New Adjustment Layer > Channel Mixer:
Load the mask selection of this Channel Mixer layer and go to Layer > New Adjustment Layer > Color Balance:
Use a Curves adjustment layer to brighten the effect at the bottom right and some details of the model and sword. On this layer mask, use a soft black brush to erase the rest as I don’t want it to be affected by this adjustment layer:
Time to take of the model shadow. First make a new layer under the model one and use a soft black brush with the opacity about 40% to paint the shadow under the model shoes:
As you see we’re having two light sources, one from the moon and one from the blue effect at the right corner of the street. Make two new layers under the model one. Use the same method as done with the devil woman 2 shadow to create two shadows with the approriate directions as indicated in the previous sentence. I lowered the opacity of the shadow created by the street light to 50% and the one created by the moon to 40% (as it’s further). Apply a Gaussian Blur of 4 px to each of these layers.
Make a Vibrance adjustment layer to enhance the final effect. On its layer mask, use a soft black brush to erase some parts of the shirt to reduce the effect there:
You can view the final outcome below. I hope that you enjoyed the tutorial.
You can view the final outcome below. I hope that you enjoyed this tutorial and would love to hear your feedback on the techniques and outcome.
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Thank you for reading this tutorial, I hope that you enjoyed it. If you want to view my other arts and tutorials you can look at my Deviantart page or follow me on Facebook.
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I really enjoyed the tutorial, love it very much
Thank you for this tutorial. Will give this a try as have Elements 9.
Fantastic job!
wow nice tutorial . It’s really amazing ……
another great experience ……
Great photo manipulation tutorial! Thank you for sharing
I adore you. your lessons , your paintings , I like your facebook. there’s always something new in your lessons , little hints , touches that help to make a memorable picture.it’s my pic http://j-p-g.net/if/2016/04/05/0252565001459858371.jpg
Great tut, love the final effect!