Home Photoshop Special Effects How to Create a Summer Scene in Photoshop

How to Create a Summer Scene in Photoshop

Added: Jun 30, 2010 Level: Experienced Software: Photoshop

Author: Design Reviver More by this author

Step 1

In a new document, set the document size with the dimensions 1650 by 1680 pixels and a resolution of 72ppi.

Step 2

Open or drag the landscape image into Photoshop. After which you drag it into your working document window. You'll have to resize the image to fit the current workspace with the Free Transform Tool by pressing Ctl+T. While having the image scaled, hold the shift key to constrain the image's dimensions.

Step 3

In this picture there are some cows and a shed that we need to get rid of and we do this by selecting the Clone Stamp Tool (S). For the sampling point, select an empty patch of grass and when doing this, hold down the Alt key (the sampling point appears as an encircled cross) and then paint over the cows just after releasing the Alt key.

Step 4

Do not just restrict your selection to one part of the field alone, as shown below, I selected the upper part of the field to clear the part of the cow that cover that particular area and I also duplicated a post.

Below, we have the final result:

Step 5

In the Clone Stamp Tool Options bar, select a Soft Square brush and then set your sampling point and then clone all the way through the shed. Include some grass as well when selecting the areas you want to duplicate.

Step 6

Still on the Clone Stamp Tool, set as you sampling point; the trees and sky and then duplicate it over the shed. Also try to select different areas for your sampling point to create a random distribution of trees. Below (B) is the final result. You'll notice that I didnt completely clear the entire shed but just its base. This is because we'll be getting rid of the whole sky in the next step.

Step 7

Select the Polygonal Lasso Tool (L) from the Tools bar and make a selection around the sky and include the upper parts of the line of trees. That done, right-click the selection and choose Feather. Set the Feather Radius to 13 pixels and click Ok.

As a result, the upper part of the field is feathered (soften) and this gives the illusion of distance. Name the layer 'field.'

Step 8

From dreamstime, download for free this Sky image. Though you'll have to register first before you can download it.

Step 9

Drag and drop the sky picture into your main document. Resize as required to fit it properly. Name this layer 'sky.'

Step 10

To create a seemingly zooming effect for the sky, Go to Filter>Distort>Spherize and set the Amount to-23%.

Step 11

Also select the field layer for the Spherize effect and set the Sphere Amount to about -14%. Do make sure with the Amount you set, that the field shouldn't appear too curved.

In the resulting image below, is the look of a landscape with an emerging horizon.

Step 12

The colour of the field looks rather dull and flat and so we'll have to make the colours a lot more vivid. Head on to the menu bar and go to Image>Adjustments>Variations. Here, you'll find displayed thumbnails of a small range of varying colours of the field image. First, move the slider as shown below, one notch to from Fine to Coarse. Secondly, select the More Green thumbnail and then finally click on Darker.

Now the field is now a lush green grass field as compared to the partly dried one.

Step 13

Let's add a subtle highlight on the field. For a new layer, 'highlights,' choose the Elliptical Marquee Tool (M) and draw a flat selection. With the Brush Tool, paint with a white colour (opacity: 90%), over the selection.

Step 14

Hit Crtl+T to enter the Free Transform mode and right-click to select the
Distort Tool to extend the ellipse as much as you can within the field.

Step 15

Press the Ctrl+D to deselect the Marquee selection and go to the Layers Palette and set the layer's Blend mode to Overlay.

Step 16

Create a new layer and name it 'highlights2? and with the white brush yet again, sparingly paint over the bush.

Step 17

Set the layer's Blend mode to Overlay.

Step 18

Download this free stock image from www.sxc.hu. Drag and drop into Photoshop, double-click the layer to unlock it and select the Magic Wand Tool (M). The Magic Wand Tool is a great selection tool of choice for pictures with backgrounds having high contrast or limited range of colours. This tool is much quicker to work with and to an extent, accurate when selecting an image in a picture.

Step 19

Click any part of the background and a selection appears.

Step 20

Hit the Delete key to clear the selected portion of the image and Ctrl+D to deselect.

Continue to select other areas of the background and clear them subsequently.

And there you have it! The background's completely cleared and the butterflies are totally intact complete with legs and antennas!

Step 21

We're not done yet because, there might be some scattered fragments of what's left of the background. So we'll use of the Eraser Tool (E), preferably, with a hard brush. TIP: Press 'D' to set the foreground colour to black. Create a new layer under the 'butterflies' layer and with the Paint Bucket Tool (G), fill the layer with black.

Step 22

Now drag the layer to the main document. Enter the Free Transform mode (Ctrl+T), scale the image to the appropriate size and then select Flip Horizontal. Drag the butterflies to the left-hand corner of the window and hit Enter.

Step 23

The image of the butterflies happens to be flat and out of place against the main background. We'll fix this by using the Match Color command. Go to Image>Adjustments>Match Color and in the Image Options, set the Luminance to 170 and Color Intensity to 130.

The result:

Step 24

You may have noticed that the edges of the butterflies are too defined or the existence of thin white lines. This we'll have to clear it by using the Eraser Tool (Soft Round Brush) to fade or soften the edges. When proceeding to erase, ensure you do not to place the Eraser directly on the butterflies; just make sure its a quarter of an inch away from the butterflies.