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Making of Annexia - Part 3
If you have not taken the first 2 parts of the tutorial, you can go start at Part 1 or Part 2 right now. If you wish to continue without doing all of the first two parts and just start with brushing, you can download the TIFF file for the render here (right click > save as)!
Instructions:
1. Open your TIFF file containing the render in Photoshop. Go to the channels tab (located right next to your layers tab) and select the alpha channel (Ctrl + left click Alpha Channel"). A selection will appear around just the render, with no background!
2. Now we need to copy and paste the render in a new image. So Copy your current selection (Edit > Copy, or Ctrl + C), and create a new document 800x600 (File > New Document, or Ctrl + N). Now paste it in your new document (Edit > Paste, or Ctrl + V).
3. Now, go back to your Layers Tab and select your background layer. Fill it with Black. If you did not have a background layer, make a new layer and drag it under your your render layer.
4. Now we are going to create a new layer, but this is a different kind of layer. We are going to create a new adjustment layer called a color balance. Color balance layers change the way your pictures colors are displayed, and can give really nice effects on abstract art. To create a new color balance adjustment layer, go to Layer > New Adjustment Layer > Color Balance. Click ok when the next box comes up, and then when the next box appears, type in the following settings:
Make sure you are in the Highlights Tone Balance when changing your settings!
5. Click OK when your finished. If you haven't done so already, drag the color balance layer above all your other layers. [NOTE: If you ever want to edit the way this adjustment layer looks, double click the white box on the left side of the render]. Your render should now look like this:
6. Now Duplicate your render layer (Right click > Duplicate Layer). Duplicate this layer now. You should now have 3 render layers. Now rotate the bottom render layer while holding the shift key (to rotate, Edit > Transform > Rotate. To end/apply rotation, click enter) 1 time to the right. Now do the same thing with the second render layer (the one in the middle), except rotate to the left.
7. Now duplicate the top render once more. Go to the layer just below the top render and add a radial blur (Filter > Blur > Radial Blur) with a zoom of 100%. Repeat the zoom 5 or 6 times by pressing Ctrl + F.
8. Now to begin the brushing. Start by making a new layer underneath the very bottom render layer. Now make a large white blob in this layer with your brush tool under the render.
9. Now Start filling in under the render in the same layer using a smaller brush tool (still white). Try to make it so that you can see a slight glow under most of the main render in the top render layer.
10. Take your smudge tool, and select the following brush:
11. Start smudging the brushing you just did under the render. Here are some guidelines and tips. Try starting on the inside, and pulling outword while smudging towards the outside. We want kind of a fire/spiky effect, so don't make your strokes too even.
12. Now use a smaller smudge tool, and start making some minor changes around the brushing to give it a nicer look. This time, we want to smudge inwards, but make smaller strokes:
13. Now create a new layer above below the top render layer. Create another blob, a bit smaller than the first one you made, but large enough to add a smoky effect over the other render layers.
14. Select your first smudge tool again, and start pulling outwards on the blob to start covering bits and pieces of the bottom render layers:
15. Create another blob layer even smaller on top of the top render layer. Repeat the smudging on this layer as well to make it look as if it is exploding by pulling from the center out to cover about 50% of the top render:
16. Now still using the smudge tool, start making long strokes back towards the center to give it a foggy look.
17. Pull out your eraser tool, and select the following brush:
18. Set the opacity to 10%, and begin erasing parts of your brushing layers using small strokes. The smaller your strokes, the more detail and texture it will add, and that's the look we are going for. Sometimes the best way this part is to just keep constantly clicking. Make sure you do every brushing layer and the layer you applied the radial blur to.
19. Now that looks pretty good! You aren't done yet though. We still need to add a background, and add some brushing overlays! Part four of this tutorial will show you how to make your render look even better using the overlay blending option, and adding a simple, but effective background! Please continue to Part 4 of the Making of Annexia!
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