Creating the Elaborate Photo-Manipulation 'Envy'

Final Image

Here is a preview of the image that we are going to be creating:

Step 1

Create a new document (800X1000px). Create a layer called 'background' and fill your canvas with a radial gradient ranging from 3a2d25 to 221d1a.

Step 2

Now paste in your paper texture images (see resources section).

Resize it to fit your canvas appropriately, and then reduce this layer's opacity to 5% to give a subtle textured effect.

Step 3

Now download the watercolor brush set from the resources section for this tutorial.

Create a new layer called 'watercolor brushes'.

Apply all of the brushes from this brush set over the center of your canvas. Ensure that you use a white paintbrush.

Then reduce this layer's opacity to 25% and change it's blend mode to 'overlay'.

Step 4

Now create a new layer called 'highlight'.

Drag out a white to transparent radial gradient from the center of your canvas. Then change this layer's blend mode to 'overlay'.

The images below show the highlight effect at 'normal' blend mode, and then at 'overlay' blend mode:

Step 5

Now download the grunge cracks brush set from the resources section for this tutorial. Apply various brushes from the set, spreading out from the center of your canvas. Use a black paintbrush.

Then reduce this layer's opacity to 20%, and change it's blend mode to 'overlay'.

Step 6

Now cut out the image of your woman from the resources section to this tutorial. I used the lasso tool, but you can use the pen tool, or even mask off the background for this image.

Paste your woman into the center of your canvas:

Step 7

Now apply some adjustment layers above your woman layer, in order to manipulate her and make her more green tinted.

With each of these adjustment layers, be sure to apply a clipping mask (layer - create clipping mask).

Hue/Saturation Adjustment Layer Settings:

Hue: 0
Saturation: -100
Lightness: 0

Levels Adjustment Layer Settings:

23 / 0.86 / 233

Color Balance Layer Settings:

Highlights: +18 / +16 / -25
Midtones: -15 / +8 / -19
Shadows: +2 / +1 / -21

Step 8

A great tip for working with adjustment layers is that you can actually mask off specific areas of your adjustment layer, giving you more control over your adjustments.

If you look at your adjustment layers in your layers palette, you'll see a mask has already been created automatically. Simply select it, and use a soft black paintbrush to mask off areas of your adjustment layer.

For this composition, I want to make my woman's face more skin colored and less green. Use a large, soft black paintbrush to mask off the facial area on your hue/saturation and color balance adjustment layer:

Step 9

Cut out and paste in your branch one image. Call this layer 'branch one'.

Then go to edit - puppet warp. Use your puppet warp tool to help wrap this branch around your woman. (see below):

Step 10

Now go to layer - layer mask - reveal all. Mask off areas of your branch, so that it appears to be looping between the woman's neck and arm.

Step 11

Now apply a levels, color balance and hue/saturation adjustment layer. With each adjustment layer create a clipping mask so that they only effect your underlying branch layer.

These adjustments should let your branch blend better with your wider composition.

Levels Adjustment Layer Settings:

36 / 0.83 / 236

Color Balance Adjustment Layer Settings:

Highlights: -11 / +11 / -21
Midtones: -21 / -2 / -21
Shadows: +2 / -1 / +12

Hue/Saturation Adjustment Layer Settings:

Hue: 0
Saturation: -30
Lightness: 0

Step 12

Now repeat the techniques used for the first branch, adding several more branches. With each branch warp it, mask it correctly, and then add adjustment layers to blend it properly.

Step 13

Now paste in your python photo.

Now wrap your python around your woman using the puppet warp tool. Apply a layer mask, and mask any parts of the tail that overlap your woman, giving the impression that the snake is coming from behind the woman.

Now apply a hue/saturation, levels and color balance adjustment layer. Be sure to create a clipping mask for each adjustment layer.

Hue/Saturation Adjustment Layer Settings:

Hue: 0
Saturation: -100
Lightness: 0

Levels Adjustment Layer Settings:

43 / 0.87 / 232

Color Balance Adjustment Layer Settings:

Highlight: 0 / 0 / 0
Midtones: +11 / +21 / -13
Shadows: +22 / +6 / -1

Step 14

Repeat step 13, adding another snake that wraps around your woman:

Step 15

Now wee want to add some larger snakes to the foreground, adding to the depth of our composition.

Start by pasting in one of your snake photos from the resources section for this tutorial.

Now go to filter - convert to smart filters. This means that any filters you apply will be applied in a non-destructive way. If you want to go back and delete or alter them, this is really easy.

Apply a gaussian blur filter (4.5px strength). This blur effect will help give the impression of this snake being much closer to us, and therefore out of focus. This helps build depth in your piece.

Now apply a hue/saturation, levels and color balance adjustment layer, creating a clipping mask for each.

Hue/Saturation Adjustment Layer Settings:

Hue: 0
Saturation: -100
Lightness: 0

Levels Adjustment Layer Settings:

19 / 0.92 / 244

Color Balance Adjustment Layers:

Highlights: +11 / +13 / -9
Midtones: +21 / +8 / -13
Shadows: -5 / +1 / -8

Step 16

Repeat step 15, adding several more large snakes to comprise the foreground for your piece. Try to vary the blur amongst these snakes, giving several layers of depth.

Step 17

Now create a new layer called 'lens flare'. Fill this layer with black, and then go to filter - convert for smart filters.

Go to filter - render - lens flare and apply a 105mm prime lens flare effect. Position the lens flare over your woman's eye. (It will take some trial and error to position this correctly).

Now change this layer's blend mode to 'screen'. This will hide the black background of this layer, and just show your lens flare. However, your lens flare will be too strong, and will be concealing your woman's eye. To fix this, simply reduce this layer's opacity to 40%.

Repeat this technique, applying a second lens flare over the eye of the larger snake wrapping around your woman:

Step 18

Now we want to add some more tone to our image.

Create a new layer called 'radial color gradients'. Drag out a series of bright and colorful radial gradients, each ranging from a bold color to transparent.

The idea of this step is to mimic the colors of your surrounding composition, but make them more intense. You can see that I applied greens, oranges and yellows to liven up my piece.

Once you have done this, reduce your layer's opacity to 15%, and change it's blend mode to 'overlay'. This is a great way to add extra tone and color to your images.

Step 19

Repeat the last step, but this time apply white to transparent radial gradients, which will act as highlights over your woman.

Keep this layer's blend mode as 'normal' but reduce it's opacity to 10%.

Step 20

Now create a new layer called 'dodge/burn'. Go to edit - fill and fill your layer with 50% gray. Then change this layer's blend mode to 'overlay'.

Use a soft paintbrush to paint in black/white for your shadows and highlights. You want to not only emphasize the highlights and shadows of your composition, but help blend your various elements together better. For example, consider where various elements might be casting a shadow, or where an overall light source is.

You'll notice that for the darkest areas I've tried to give the impression of a shadow being cast from a snake or branch.

The images below show your dodge/burn layer at 'normal' blend mode, and then at 'overlay' blend mode:

Step 21

Now create a new layer called 'vignette'. Use a large, soft black paintbrush at around 10% opacity to paint around the edges and corners of your canvas. This should make the center of your composition more engaging, and help add depth to your piece:

Step 22

Now apply some text to the top of your canvas saying 'ENVY'.

Font Settings for 'ENVY' Text:

Font Face: Trajan Pro
Size: 60pt
Kerning: -50
Color: ffffff
Styling: Regular

Step 22

Now apply an outer glow blending option to your text layer.

Outer Glow Blending Option Settings:

Blend Mode: Screen
Opacity: 50%
Color: 9ce500
Spread: 0%
Size: 5px

Step 24

Now apply a gradient overlay and curves adjustment layer. DO NOT create a clipping mask for these adjustment layers, as you want them to effect your entire composition.

Gradient Overlay Adjustment Layer Settings:

Gradient: Choose the default gradient 'Violet, Green, Orange'
Opacity: 12%

Curves Adjustment Layer Settings:

(see diagram below).

Step 25

Finally, go to layer - flatten image. Select your entire canvas (option+a). Copy your flattened image, and then in your history palette undo your image flattening.

Paste your flattened image as a new top layer. Then go to filter - sharpen - unsharp mask. This will add a final highlight to your image, and really bring out the detail of your snake's scales:

Unsharp Mask Settings:

Amount: 50%
Radius: 30.0 pixels
Threshold: 25 levels

And We're Done!

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.

You can view the full-sized piece by clicking on the image below: