photoshop-creative

[photoshop-creative]

We're on Instagram!

Are you on Instagram? Of course you are, you’re no doubt cooler than we are, here at Photoshop Creative HQ.

Well now, we’re cool as you lot, and we’re available on Instagram. Check us out @PshopCreative, where we post our favourite reader images, tips and tricks. Every weekend, a different artist gets control of our Instagram too, and this weekend will be the turn of double exposure superstar Emi Haze.

Check it out today – we’re running a giveaway there too!

[photoshop-creative]

Win a Photoshop For Beginners book

Fancy a Photoshop for Beginners book? Of course you do!

We’re giving away eight today – that’s right, eight – so you’ve got a great chance of winning one. All you have to do is get on either Facebook or Twitter today, where we’re giving away four each from 12pm GMT. Like and share the post on Facebook; follow and retweet on Twitter!

Enter on Facebook / Enter on Twitter

[photoshop-creative]

Review: Affinity Designer

With Affinity Designer, Serif has created a vector drawing software that manages to rival the Adobe titan, Illustrator. With many of the same features as its Adobe counterpart, Affinity Designer enables you to create vector shapes and illustrations with impeccable performance.

The software isn’t bloated with unused tools and instead focuses on speed and agility, while also featuring some of the best loved vector drawing features such as the Pen Tool and custom shapes. The Shape library in particular is incredibly extensive and is ideal for creating abstract patterns and designs for use in your artwork. The dynamic editing of shapes and symbols means you can create really interesting geometric designs really simply. There are also the boolean functions – add, subtract, combine, divide and intersect. This is Affinity’s answer to Illustrator’s Shape Builder, where you can combine and subtract shapes to create more complicated forms. Whenever you select a tool, a corresponding contextual toolbar appears at the top giving you further tool customisation options. This includes some very helpful Pen Tool options for creating uniform curves.

The Pen Tool in Designer addresses many issues users have with the Adobe Illustrator Pen Tool. The grab-points in Affinity Designer as larger and therefore easier to pick up and rearrange, especially when using a tablet. When combined with a customisable Snap Function panel, it makes building and rearranging shapes a breeze.

Affinity apps come with what Serif calls ‘Personas’. These are essentially different modes within the app that enable you to work to a different specification. There’s the Draw Persona, which is the default for Designer and is used for vector drawing. Then there’s the Pixel Persona, which changes your interface for use in raster painting. This Persona contains many of the most useful tools from Adobe Photoshop, such as Smudge, Blur and Sharpen. This is especially useful because there is no trace image tool in Affinity Designer, so isolating scanned sketches will require some contrast work. Finally there’s the Export Persona, which is used specifically to output from your projects and is really useful for creating assets for later use in Photoshop or for web and app content. It’s a thoughtful addition to the user experience to be able to clearly alter your workspace to give you the precise tools you need to get your specific project done smoothly and enjoyably. The user interface itself feels familiar and intuitive, with many of the shortcuts from well known vector software.

With one app trying to do so many things for so many different audiences, it is likely that there will be some areas where the software falls short. The Eyedropper Tool for example, takes some getting used to. You are able to export your work to a variety of formats including PNG, JPEG, PSD and SVG. The transition from Affinity Designer to Photoshop is a little less seamless than from within the Adobe Suite, but will still offer the same use of Smart Objects. For someone using the app to complement their work in Photoshop, this is an ideal tool offering incredible design potential for a pocket friendly price. And it is the price of Affinity Designer that is an obvious bonus. For a one-off payment, you get incredible functionality as well as free updates and support from the Serif community.

The Verdict

9/10 – For price coupled with performance, Affinity Designer has no rival. It may fall short in some areas, but for most designers it fits the bill.

[photoshop-creative]

Win more books!

Fancy a load of books to read over the weekend?

Today on Twitter and Facebook we have 30 random books, bookazines and magazines to give away to five different readers – that’s a bundle of six for each, so you’re bound to find something you love. All you have to do is get on our social channels to enter: retweet and follow us on Twitter, and like and share the post on Facebook.

It starts at 12pm GMT, and ends at 12pm GMT tomorrow – good luck!

Enter on Twitter / Enter on Facebook

[photoshop-creative]

Issue 163 is out now!

Issue 163 is out now, and it’s packed with all the best Photoshop tips, tricks and tutorials for all users!

This issue, we get your questions answered! You emailed and messaged us on social media, and we picked some of those choice questions for our experts to answer…

Follow our tutorials and learn how to create low poly portraits, insane whale compositions and limited palette illustrations.

Master Photoshop Elements with our Elements Creative section: this issue, we teach you how to create a sports crest, recolour monochrome photos and create a fantasy island. 

Check out your fellow readers’ artwork in the Readers’ Gallery, see what’s hot online with the Trending Gallery and read about how Erik Johansson creates his work, with our exclusive Interview.

Win amazing software from AKVIS with our Readers’ Challenge.

Download over 160 Photoshop resources from the FileSilo, completely free with the issue, including textures, backgrounds, brushes and much more!

Buy it today!

[photoshop-creative]

Create a surreal sports scene

1. Brush on highlights

Create a new document and add the living room. Use the Free Transform Tool (Cmd/ Ctrl+T) and adjust the size of the photo. Create a new layer (Cmd/Ctrl+Shift+N), set the foreground colour to white, use a Soft Round Brush (B) to make highlights and change the blend mode to Soft Light.

2. Use adjustment layers

Now, let’s set the colour tone for the living room. Apply a Photo Filter adjustment layer, set to Warming Filter (85), and with 25% density. Enable the Preserve Luminosity option. Finally, duplicate the adjustment layer (Cmd/Ctrl+J).

3. Tweak the perspective

Add a tablet and place it in the middle of the coffee table. To adjust the perspective, use the Free Transform Tool (Cmd/Ctrl+T), hold Cmd/Ctrl, click on the smaller squares and drag them until they follow the table’s perspective.

4. Add a bevel style

Create a new layer (Cmd/ Ctrl+Shift+N), use the Elliptical Marquee Tool (M), make a circle, paint it with #a28f8e (Alt+Del) and use the Free Transform Tool to rotate it until it follows the tablet’s edge. Apply a Gaussian Blur (Filter>Blur>Gaussian Blur) set to 13.5px and change the blend mode to Multiply.

5. Create layer group with masks

Create a new layer (Cmd/Ctrl+Shift+N), and use the Pen Tool (P) to make a selection around the tablet’s screen, activate it (Alt+Enter), create a layer group (Cmd/Ctrl+G) and select Add Layer Mask. Finally, add ‘floor.jpg’ inside the folder and adjust the perspective as in step 3.

6. Set the court colour

Let’s continue to work inside the layer group. Create a new layer, paint it with #ad634e (Alt+Del) and change the blend mode to Multiply. Finally, follow step 1 to create a highlight layer and place it on the centre of the court.

7. Set out the lines

Add lines to the court and place it inside the group folder. Go to the 3D menu and select ‘New 3D Extrusion from Selected Layer’. First, set the Extrusion Depth to 0cm, then adjust the Perspective Angle using the Z, Y and X axis.

8. Link the adjustment layers

Add the basketball image, place it in the middle of the court, change the opacity to 80% and the blend mode to Multiply. Follow step 3 to adjust the perspective. Finally go to the adjustment layer menu, choose Levels (0, 1.00, 206), hold Cmd/Ctrl+Alt and link it to the ball layer.

9. Bring in the players

Add players and place above the tablet. Activate the layer selection (Cmd/Ctrl-click on the layer thumbnail), apply a 2px feather (Shift+F6), invert the selection (Cmd/Ctrl+Shift+I), and press delete three times. Finally add ‘ball.jpg’ and place it in front of the previous ball.

10. Adjust the tone

Let’s start to set the players’ colour tone. Go to the adjustment layer menu, follow step 8 and link a Colour Balance layer set to -7, 0, 0, a Hue/Saturation layer set to 0, -11, 0 and a Brightness/Contrast layer set to 8, 0.

11. Add highlights to the players

Follow step 5 and make a layer group with a mask in the shape of use the Pen Tool (P), draw the shape of the highlights, activate the selection (Alt+Enter) and paint it white (Alt+Del). Finally, apply a Gaussian Blur (Filter>Blur>Gaussian Blur) set to 10px.

12. Add the players’ reflection

Follow step 5 and create a layer group with a mask in the shape of the court. Duplicate the players’ layer (Cmd/ Ctrl+J), place it inside the folder, flip it vertically (Edit>Transform>Flip Vertical), change the Opacity to 30% and use the Warp Tool (Edit>Transform>Warp) to adjust the shape.

13. Set the shadows

Create a new layer (Cmd/Ctrl+Shift+N) and set the Foreground colour to black. Then, use a Soft Round Brush (B) set to Size: 250 and 60% Opacity, to create the players’ shadow. Finally, change the blend mode to Soft Light.

14. Work with 3D

Let’s start to create the basket. First add the Basket layer, go to the 3D menu and choose ‘New 3D Extrusion from Selected Layer’. Adjust the Extrusion Depth to -0.2cm and use the X, Y, Z Axis to rotate it until it’s at the same perspective as the court.

15. Adjust the depth

Now, add the layer structure from the basket stand. Follow the same procedure as the previous step to adjust the perspective and set the Extrusion Depth to 0.58cm. Finally, go to the Cap menu and adjust the Inflate Angle to 45.

16. Explore the Material feature

To create the left basket, follow the same procedure as steps 14 and 15. As it’s facing forward, let’s also add the layer hoop to the basket. Set the Extrusion Depth to 0.1, go to the Materials menu and set Shine: 30% and Bump: 20%.

17. Focus on the details

To make the baskets look real, let’s add a few highlights. Follow step 5 and create a layer group with a mask in the shape of the basket. Set the foreground colour to white, use the Brush Tool (B) to paint the top of the basket. Finally change the blend mode to Soft Light.

18. Install a lamp

Now, add a lamp and blend it with the scene by applying the Feather command (step 9) set to 1px. Then, create a new layer (Cmd/Ctrl+Shift+N), set the Foreground colour to white, use the Brush (B) and click on the lamps to create light.

19. Add details to the scene

Let’s enhance the details of the scene adding a few elements to the coffee table. Add a book and place it on the corner of the table. Then, follow step 3 and use the Free Transform Tool to adjust the perspective. Finally, follow step 13 to create the book’s shadow.

20. Use the Motion Blur

Add flowers and place it as shown in the image. Create a new layer, place it under the flowers, use the Elliptical Marquee Tool (M), draw a circle, set the Foreground colour to #683937 and paint it (Alt+Del). Finally apply a Motion Blur (Filter>Blur>Motion Blur) with the Angle set to 60 and Distance to 50px.

21. Apply the Lens Flare effect

Let’s add another light detail to the scene. Create a new layer (Cmd/Ctrl+Shift+N), set the foreground colour to black and paint the entire scene (Alt+Del). Then apply the Lens Flare filter (Filter>Render>Lens Flare) and adjust the light position as shown above. Finally, change the blend mode to Screen.

22. Make the final adjustments

First, create a new layer and paint it black, just like the previous step. Change the blend mode to Soft Light and adjust the opacity to 20%. Then, go to the adjustment layer menu, use the Colour Lookup with the option 3Strip Look. Change the opacity to 60%.

[photoshop-creative]

Win some books!

Do you fancy something free to read next week? Just as well we have a huge competition for you!

Today on Twitter and Facebook we have 30 random books, bookazines and magazines to give away to five different readers – that’s a bundle of six for each, so you’re bound to find something you love. All you have to do is get on our social channels to enter: retweet and follow us on Twitter, and like the post on Facebook.

It starts at 12pm GMT, and ends at 12pm GMT tomorrow – good luck!

Enter on Twitter / Enter on Facebook

[photoshop-creative]

Paint colourful type effects

1. Organise your palette

Start by filling your background with #1d0e31, and brush some strokes onto the page. We chose yellow (#d8f003), orange (#ff5716), pink (#f51460), green (#1afe00) and cyan (#17ffcd).

2. Enter template

We’re going to use the brush to create the text, but before we do so, use the Type Tool to create some text as a guide. Reduce the opacity to 20%, ready to brush over.

3. Draw the text

Grab a hard brush, with a size of 125px; reduce the Spacing to 1% with the Brush Settings, and draw over the guide text in one of your chosen colours. Let the feel of your handwriting show through, rather than tracing the font.

4. Experiment with colour

Cmd/Ctrl-click on the layer’s preview window to select the text. Choose another colour in your swatch and brush it over a letter, before grabbing the Mixer Brush. Use the Mixer Brush to blend the shades together for a painterly effect.

5. Round it out

Add different colours to different letters using the same technique, and create a new Screen layer, 15% opacity. Clip to the coloured layer (Alt/Opt-click) and brush white highlights. Do the same with a Multiply layer set to 25% opacity.

6. Build up the colour

Add even more colour to your letters with a smaller brush, and use a smaller Mixer Brush to blend everything together for a more chaotic feel to your text. Make sure you have your text layer selected, so that the paint doesn’t spill over the sides.

7. Add a shine

With a 20px, hard, white brush, create a new layer and add shine around the edges of the letters. This can be done by adding a dot, followed by a line, for an almost cartoony effect.

8. Create droplets

Select a hard brush and Alt/Opt-click to eye-drop a colour on one of the letters. Make a paint droplet with your brush; you can Shift-drag the brush to create a perfectly straight line if you wish to make a longer droplet.

9. Give it some realism

Using the shine technique in step 7, give a little more realism to your droplet. While you’re doing this, brush a darker shade along one side of the droplet to help give it a little more shape.

10. Pile up the paint

Now that you have droplets of paint, create little dollops below them by brushing a few blobs of colour. Again, use lighter and darker shades to add depth to the effect.

11. Warp the paint

For thick paint hanging down off layers, you may wish to add a little more realism. When paint genuinely does this, it looks thinner in the middle. Mimic this by selecting the paint, Ctrl/Cmd+T to transform and warp to create this effect (Elements users can use Liquify for this).

12. Splat some more paint

For more detail in the background, add splatters. Clip gradient masks to these splatters to align them with the same colour scheme.

13. Blur the composition

Hit Cmd/Ctrl+Alt/Opt+Shift+E to create a stamp layer of the project so far. Go to Filter>Blur>Field Blur to create a dense blur of the layers, hit Mask, then Invert (Cmd/ Ctrl+I) and set to Screen. With a big, soft, low-opacity white brush, mask in the blur over the letters’ shine.

14. Adjust further

Add a white-to-black gradient over the entire project, and then set the layer to 10% opacity, Soft Light. Create another stamp layer and go to Filter>Other>High Pass. Set to 4px, then click OK; set this layer to Overlay to sharpen the project as a whole.

15. Make some noise

Set black and white in your swatches (D) and go to Filter>Noise>Add Noise; choose Monochromatic, 400% and click OK. Set to Colour Dodge, 15%, then Ctrl/right-click and choose Blending Options. Use the Blend If option, as seen, to refine the noise over the image.

[photoshop-creative]

Affinity Photo Workbook

Publications packed with tutorials are a must-have for anyone looking to master software. But then at Photoshop Creative, we would say that, wouldn’t we?!

The Affinity Photo Workbook is the ultimate reference for mastering the tips and tricks of Affinity Photo software, from basic black-and-white edits to beautiful compositions such as the curious astronaut of the book’s cover. For the most part, the book isn’t the prettiest, as it goes more for big menu screenshots and dense sections of text over the end results, but this is part of its charm. The emphasis with the Affinity Photo Workbook isn’t on what you can create, but how you can create.

The depth in the book is extremely impressive. There are tutorials ranging from fun edits (adding a beard to a subject), to essential photo skills (developing RAW files), from contributors such as photographer Timothy Poulton and double-exposure master Emi Haze (who you may recognise from incredible tutorials contributed to Photoshop Creative). The finished results in the book are strong for the most part, but the really inspiring bit comes from how simple and well laid out the instructions are. These are top tutorials – believe us, we should know – and with over 15 big projects making up 488 pages, along with other tool tips and techniques, everything has room to breathe within this compendium.

This is perfect for beginners: you can take everything at as slow a pace as you wish, or just flick through the pages and look at the pictures for guidance. It’s a tall order for just one book to completely teach you how to use a software package, but Affinity Photo Workbook has a right good go. Whether or not it succeeds, it’ll certainly teach you tons you don’t know, and at the very least, give you a plethora of new inspiring images to create.

The Verdict

8/10 – Full of great tutorials and must-have tips, the Affinity Photo Workbook goes for substance over style – though it does include great images.

[photoshop-creative]

Playing with food in Photoshop

Most artists will probably tell you that they never thought their work would become a success, but often a lot of that can be put down to false modesty.

However, Cristian Girotto slept on Organic, a project marrying portraits with food, for two years before having the confidence to share it. Since then, it’s been viewed over 70,000 times online, and earned plaudits both from Behance and Photoshop’s online galleries. But how did Cristian create it? And what does he think of it now?

“I’m actually working on a project with some girls made of sushi at the moment,” he says. Maybe he’s taken with the idea of mixing people with food in his work…

When did you decide wanted to be a digital artist?

I studied graphic arts in Turin, and started working as an art director and graphic designer in my own agency with two friends. I could work on a website, and then create visuals for an advertising campaign, and then make a logo. During those years I realised I just wanted to deal with images, so I made the move to Paris and decided to work as a retoucher full-time.

Have you always used Photoshop?

I think the first Photoshop I ever used was the 3.0 version. I still remember the splash screen, and we didn’t have layers. My first works were of course ridiculous compositions, with friends’ faces pasted on movie posters, music albums, etc. Now everybody knows a different way to do the same thing in design, so even after decades of using Photoshop, you can still learn another way to do things. What I like the most about the program is its versatility.

As a versatile program, would you say that you try to push Photoshop to its limits?

I’m always hungry for surrealist ideas! With the boom of organic food there’s been a nutritional conscience that’s embedded itself in us, and that inspired me for this project. In my images there’s always something disturbing, a twist, and I like the idea of touching the viewer in one way or another.

What were Photoshop’s key features that you turned to for these images?

The hardest part was to match the lighting between the models and the still-life images; it wasn’t perfect all the time. I used a lot of calculations to create a bunch of selections for the models and the food. I also used the Curves adjustment a lot to lighten and darken parts of the food to match the model lighting, which worked as a more powerful dodge and burn technique.

The idea behind these images is very powerful, but simple.

I really like to stick to the simpler things. I try to keep my files as organised as possible with layers so that I can change things. I use Liquify a lot, Dodge and Burn on a grey layer, and I love the layer style blending options. I use that a lot; it’s a real life saver and not a very well-known technique.

Do you have any other tips for Photoshop users?

I’d advise them to call me and hire me instead! Honestly though, I don’t think this is the most original idea I’ve had, but I got inspired myself by stuff I’d seen around. One thing I would suggest to Photoshop users, though, is that what improves you the most is to develop an eye to see the ‘big picture’ – the overall look, the composition, the balance; that’s the hardest part, and I am still struggling with it as well. It’s something that grows with experience, I guess, and it’s what gives force to an image.

A lot of artists say they learn more with experience. But would you say you’re an artist that needs time to reflect on their work?

Well I must confess [that this project] slept in my hard drive for two years. I wasn’t convinced to show it off. I like to have plenty of projects on, so I can switch between them, and that gives me the time to see each project with new eyes when I go back to them. I wasn’t really satisfied with Organic though; I had doubts on the idea and the retouching. Friends told me I should publish it, so I did. I am never fully satisfied with a project; I guess that’s just the way I am.

Maybe confidence in your work is something that will also improve with time!

Once a project’s done, I don’t want to look at it anymore, it’s like when actors don’t watch the movies they are in! I’m more confident with the CGI projects I’m doing lately, though, as I have control over everything and I can try plenty of things that would be difficult to do in the real world. I am proud of Inner Child (a project that was viewed over 700,000 times online). I guess the simple ideas are better. Even if they’re the hardest to do.

[photoshop-creative]

Design artwork for the release of TOMB RAIDER - In cinemas March 16

Lara Croft is back. Everyone’s favourite and fearless hero is returning to the big screen and to celebrate the release of TOMB RAIDER on March 16, in association with Warner Bros, Odeon Cinemas and Talenthouse we’re giving you the chance to show off your creative skills in the ultimate fan artwork competition!

Taking inspiration from the trailer below and the film’s Facebook page, we want you to show us your take on a poster for the return of one the world’s most iconic heroes, Lara Croft!  We’re looking for something unique and adventurous that captures the spirit of Lara as a brawler, hunter and survivor.

Five pieces of art will be selected by Warner Bros and the selected artists will each receive $2,000 and the opportunity to be featured in the marketing campaign leading up to the theatrical release of Tomb Raider, including in ODEON cinemas, and across the digital and marketing channels for the film, including printed materials and merchandise. The top two (2) selected pieces of art may also be depicted in a mural installation in L.A. and London.

About Tomb Raider

The fate of humanity rests in her hands. Alicia Vikander is Lara Croft. #TombRaider

Lara Croft, the fiercely independent daughter of a missing adventurer, must push herself beyond her limits when she finds herself on the island where her father disappeared.

From Warner Bros. Pictures and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures, Tomb Raider is the story that will set a young and resolute Lara Croft on a path toward becoming a global hero. The film stars Oscar winner Alicia Vikander (Ex Machina, The Danish Girl) in the lead role, under the direction of Roar Uthaug (The Wave), with Oscar-winner Graham King (The Departed) producing under his GK Films banner. The film¹s production begins on the heels of the 20th anniversary of the wildly popular videogame franchise from Square Enix, Crystal Dynamics and Eidos Montreal.

Like TombRaiderMovie on Facebook, and follow @WarnerBrosUK on Twitter and Instagram for all the latest TOMB RAIDER news and information.

Catch TOMB RAIDER in cinemas from March 16

For your chance to win and further details head over to Talenthouse and submit your fan art poster http://po.st/TombRaiderArt

© 2018 Warner Bros. Ent. All rights reserved

 Terms and conditions

Full Ts and Cs available at: http://po.st/TombRaiderArt

No alternative prize is available

[photoshop-creative]

Issue 162 is here!

Issue 162 is out now, and it’s packed with all the best Photoshop tips, tricks and tutorials for all users!

This issue, paint like the masters! Learn how to create amazing artwork in the style of some history’s greatest artists.

Follow our tutorials and learn how to create pencil portraits, moody cities and prehistoric compositions.

Master Photoshop Elements with our Elements Creative section: this issue, we teach you how to create grungy images, sketch fur and design a mug. 

Check out your fellow readers’ artwork in the Readers’ Gallery, see what’s hot online with the Trending Gallery and read about how Ilustrata design create their work, with our Portfolio Interview.

Win amazing software from AKVIS with our Readers’ Challenge.

Download over 300 Photoshop resources from the FileSilo, completely free with the issue, including textures, backgrounds, brushes and much more!

Buy it today!

[photoshop-creative]

Review: Prisma

A week after the Prisma app was launched, it had clocked up an astounding 7.5 million downloads. Apps that thrive on the hype rarely last long, but is Prisma a flash in the pan or a genuine digital art tool?

The honest answer is; a bit of both. Prisma filters kind of date your pictures now as much as adding a caption that reads ‘YOLO’, but provided you don’t care, or you’re not just using Prisma as a quick fix, it’s not an issue.

Because when used subtly, when combined with other painting apps, and when used as a start point for a digital painting, Prisma still has great potential to be used in your artwork. These filters are really well made, meaning Prisma is still a useful app that has managed to survive all the hype.

The Verdict

8/10 – Not quite the ultimate digital art-maker for your phone, Prisma is still mighty nifty and capable of some very pretty effects.

[photoshop-creative]

Check out our new subscription offer!

Here at Photoshop Creative, we believe you can never have enough resources when it comes to learning how to use Photoshop.

That’s why we’re giving you a whopping four bookazines when you subscribe, absolutely free! That’s right: you’ll receive Photoshop Creative Annual, Photoshop For Beginners, Illustrate With Photoshop and Photoshop Tips, Tricks & Fixes – worth a combined £52, when you subscribe to Photoshop Creative from £12.65.

Check it out!

[photoshop-creative]

Create a car composition with blend modes

1. Use the High Pass filter

Create a new document (Cmd/Ctrl+N) at 460x310mm, then add the background. Duplicate the layer (Cmd/Ctrl+J), apply the High Pass filter (Filter>Other>High Pass), set to 3px. Change the blend mode to Soft Light at 80% opacity.

2. Create some shadows

Make a new layer (Cmd/Ctrl+Shift+N), set the foreground colour to #9b854d and pick the Brush Tool (B). Go to the Brush Preset Picker, choose Soft Round, 50% opacity, paint on the sides of the scene, and change the blend mode to Multiply.

3. Draw the lights

Create a new layer (Cmd/ Ctrl+Shift+N), pick the Pen Tool (P) and draw the shape of the lamp’s light. Activate the selection (Alt+Enter), paint it (Alt+Del) with white, disable the selection (Cmd/Ctrl+D), and apply Gaussian Blur (Filter>Blur>Gaussian Blur), set to 19px. Finally change the blend mode to Soft Light.

4. Blend with Screen

Let’s make the city look a little brighter. To do that, add smoke and place it in front of the people on the street. Then, to erase the black background, simply change the blend mode to Screen.

5. Create the mirror shape

Let’s start creating the mirror that will be on the floor. First, create a new layer (Cmd/Ctrl+Shift+N), use the Rectangle Tool (U), set the Fill to white and the Stroke to black at 7px. Mark out six squares with three columns.

6. Work with 3D

Duplicate the square layers (Cmd/ Ctrl+J), merge (Cmd/Ctrl+E) and disable the original square layers. Go to 3D and select the option ‘New 3D extrusion from selected layer’, then move the axis Z/Y/X to make the perspective look like the image above. Set the Extrusion Depth to 31cm.

7. Free Transform tool

Duplicate the 3D layer, Ctrl/right-click and choose Rasterize Layer. Then disable the original 3D layer, use the Free Transform Tool (Cmd/Ctrl+T), hold Cmd/Ctrl, click on the little squares and adjust the mirror’s shape, as the image above shows.

8. Mask areas

Select the square layer and select Add Layer Mask. Then set the Foreground colour to black, pick the Pen Tool (P) and make a selection around a few squares. Finally activate the selection (Alt+Enter), and press Alt+Del to erase it.

9. Make the mirror’s reflection

Change the square layer to Multiply, then create a new layer, pick the Pen Tool (P), make a selection around the mirror shape, activate it (Alt+Enter), create a layer group (Cmd/Ctrl+G) and select Add Layer Mask. Duplicate the background layer, flip it vertically (Edit>Transform>Flip Vertical) and place it inside the folder.

10. Bevel effect

Create a new layer (Cmd/Ctrl+Shift+N), pick the Pen Tool and draw a thin line on the mirror’s extremities. Activate the selection, set the foreground colour to black and paint it (Alt+Del). Follow the same procedure for the other extremities.

11. Link adjustment layers

Add a car and place above the mirror. Go to the Adjustment menu, choose Brightness/Contrast, hold Cmd/Ctrl+Alt and click on the car layer, then set it to 0, 21. Repeat the procedure to link a Colour Balance layer set to 5, 0, -26.

12. The Warp tool

Add a new license plate and place it in front the car. Use the Free Transform Tool (Cmd/Ctrl+T) to adjust the size and the perspective (step 7). Use the Warp Tool (Edit>Transform>Warp) to adjust the shape.

13. Enhance the tyres

Let’s create highlights to give more volume to the tyres. To do that, create a new layer (Cmd/Ctrl+Shift+N), use the Pen Tool to draw the highlight shape, paint it white, apply Gaussian Blur (12px) and change the blend mode to Soft Light.

14. Set the car’s tone

Create a new layer (Cmd/Ctrl+Shift+N) and place it above the car’s layer. Then activate the car’s selection (Cmd/ Ctrl-click on the layer thumbnail), paint it with #c0b193 and change the blend mode to Colour, set to 30% opacity.

15. Create the tree’s reflection

Follow step 9 and make a layer group with a car windscreen-shape mask. Select the background layer, use the Polygonal Lasso Tool, make a selection around the leaves, Ctrl/right-click and choose Layer Via Copy. Place it inside the layer folder and change the blend mode to Multiply (opacity at 30%).

16. Use the Spin Blur

Select the car layer and apply the Spin Blur (Filter>Blur Gallery>Spin Blur). Select the middle circle to place it above the tyre, then use the smaller circles, located at the edges of the larger circle, to adjust the shape. Set the Blur Angle to 15.

17. Make a reflection with masks

Let’s make the front reflection first. Duplicate the car layer, flip it vertically (Edit>Transform>Flip Vertical), place it below the car and change the opacity to 60%. Select Add Layer Mask, set the colour to black, pick the Brush Tool and erase the unnecessary parts. Follow the same process for the car’s back reflection.

18. Add movement to the scene

To give a windy look to the scene, add some confetti and change the blend mode to Screen. Then duplicate it (Cmd/ Ctrl+J) until it fills the scene, as the final image shows. To lend more depth to the scene, also place above the car.

19. Create sunlight

First, create a new layer and place it Round brush (step 2) with 80% opacity, set the foreground colour to yellow (#fff16f) and make the sunlight. Finally change the blend mode to Soft Light with 50% opacity.

20. Warmer colour

To make the scene look warmer, go to the Adjustment menu, pick Photo Filter and use the Warming Filter (85) with 25% density. Also use Colour Lookup (Crisp_Warm.look) at 20% opacity.

21. Use the Cloud filter

Besides wind, let’s also add a foggy look to the scene. Create a new layer, set the foreground colour to #ccc2a8 and the background colour to white. Apply the Cloud filter (Filter>Render>Clouds). Finally, make a mask (step 17) and erase the effect above the car, as the final image shows.

22. Add lights

To continue adding fog to the scene, add more smoke, place it above the car and change the blend mode to Screen. Then add more lights to the right side of the buildings and change the blend mode to Screen.

23. Lens Flare effect

Create a new layer, set the foreground colour to black and paint the scene (Alt+Del). Then apply the Lens Flare filter (Filter>Render>Lens Flare), set the light position, use the option 50-300mm Zoom and change the blend mode to Screen.

24. Adjust the tone

Let’s adjust the colour tone of the scene using blend modes. Create a new layer, set the foreground colour to black and paint the scene, just like the previous step. Change the blend mode to Soft Light with 50% opacity.

25. Shiny headlights

Create a Lens Flare effect (step 23) and place it above the headlights. Finally, to make the light look a little softer, create a mask (step 17) and erase the excess.

26. Set the details

Add more light to give the impression that the scene is taking place on a sunny day. Create a new layer, set the foreground colour to white, use the Brush Tool (B), paint on the top of the buildings, close to the sun’s light. Change the blend mode to Soft Light.

27. Make the final adjustments

Time for the final colour adjustments to the scene. Go to the Adjustment menu and use Colour Balance set to -36, 0, 0, Brightness/Contrast set to 5, 44 and Colour Lookup (3Strip.Look) with 50% opacity.

[photoshop-creative]

Adonit Pro 3

Even in the infancy of home computers, there were those who believed the mouse and keyboard combo would make handwriting obsolete. Roughly two decades on, the predictions weren’t too far off: we all have pocket computers in our pockets, just like the sci-fi shows told us.

But rather than moving to a mouse and keyboard permanently, we’re actually reverting back to pens. That is if styluses have anything to say about technology; Adonit’s range includes those that are good for just taking notes, those that can help you sketch on your phone, and those that promise superior precision on the iPad Pro.

The Pro 3 is somewhere in the middle of all these. It’s slender and light enough to use with your phone, but precise enough to be a great option for top-of-the-range tablets. It has a clip for you to use in a pocket, and a nice grip around the base; the top is magnetic as well, so it sticks to either end whether the stylus is in use or not. There’s a flat surface to the nib, making it good for drawing at multiple angles on a surface.

The Pro 3 isn’t just well constructed, it’s also great when in use. The Pro 3 is fantastically smooth, sharp and able to capture detail really well. It’s a great stylus for someone who’s new to sketching on a tablet, and it can complement any seasoned digital artist. The Pro 3 is more controlled than a computer mouse ever was, and it’s a lot more stylish to boot.

The Verdict

8/10 – A top stylus with a great nib and weight, the Pro 3 is more than capable of transforming you from a simple sketcher into a digital art master.

[photoshop-creative]

Create a fantasy skyline

1. Start with the sky

Begin by opening the image of the park and add a picture of a sky. Make sure the horizon is clear and set the new sky to Overlay. Create a new layer and with a big, soft, white brush, add more shine to the left of the sky.

2. Lay out the buildings

Add as many of the landmarks as you wish. Reduce the opacity of them all to around 30% by hitting 3, and reorder the layers so the furthest forward landmark is towards the top of the stack.

3. Use the Quick Selection

Let’s start to cut out each of the landmarks and icons in the image. Grab the Quick Selection Tool (W) for icons that stand out clearly against their background, such as the Himalayas. Drag to select and then click Mask.

4. Select with Colour Range

Colour Range is great for selecting landmarks against clear blue skies. Simply Ctrl/right-click and choose Colour Range; use the Eyedropper to pick the blue in the sky, and click the Eyedropper with the plus to extend the range of colour. Click OK, Mask, then Invert (Cmd/Ctrl+I).

5. Draw with the Pen

If you’re looking for a more precise selection still, try the Pen Tool. Click around the outside of your landmark, and rejoin the first point when you’re done. Click on the Paths tab, then Cmd/Ctrl-click the path to select. Hit Mask.

6. Adjust each building

Once you’ve cut out each of the buildings, create adjustments such as Curves, Brightness/Contrast and Hue/Saturation to unify the tone and colour of each landmark. Alt/Opt-click on each adjustment to clip it to the layer, and then zoom out (Cmd/Ctrl+0) in order to view the image at full screen.

7. Populate the scene

There will still be blank spaces between the landmarks, so use tree images to populate the image a little more. Cut them out and blend them with the same techniques as you used on the buildings.

8. Blend the mountain range

Objects in the distance should have less contrast and colour than objects in the foreground. For the mountain range, for example, reduce the contrast using Brightness/Contrast and add two Fill Layers of #537ea6, one set to Overlay, 40% opacity, one to Screen, 60% opacity.

9. Brush in the water

Grab a soft brush. Create a new Colour layer and brush over in blue, before touching over in grey and green over the lake. Create a new Soft Light layer and brush over again to unify the colour of the water.

10. Work on the beach

Place images of beaches and sand, and add them to the water’s edge by the tree. Use the soft brush to blur the line between the grass and the sand. Alt/Opt-click to select colours, and brush them on the image to unify colour.

11. Add some penguins

Find an iceberg and penguin images and add them to the scene. Cut out the images using the Pen Tool and place them above the water wherever they would look best. Adjust sizes so that they don’t look too big.

12. Render clouds for smoke

Select black and white in your swatches (D), create a new layer and go to Filter>Render>Clouds. Set to Screen, hit Mask, invert the image (Cmd/Ctrl+I) and brush in with a soft white brush to add smoke to the image. Add these smoke layers further back in the composition.

13. More clouds

Load some cloud brushes into Photoshop. Use these brushes over the tops of the mountains, and across the back of the image to tie the composition with the sky a little more.

14. Create a reflection

Save your project (Cmd/Ctrl+S). Hit Cmd/Ctrl+Alt/ Opt+Shift+E to merge everything into a new layer. Select around the lake with the Marquee (M), Flip Vertical (Cmd/Ctrl+T) and then go to Filter>Distort>Displace, using the above settings. Choose your saved file as the map, then reduce opacity to 25%. Mask the reflection over the water.

15. Adjust as a whole

With the entire composition pretty much assembled, let’s make a few adjustments to blend the image as a whole. Experiment with Curves, Gradient Maps and Vibrance until you find something you like.

16. Dodge and burn

Merge everything into a layer at the top of the layer stack twice (Cmd/Ctrl+Alt/Opt+Shift+E). Set one layer to Screen, one to Multiply, and then hit Mask on both and invert (Cmd/Ctrl+I). With a white brush, draw over each mask to accentuate the highlights and shadows of the entire image.

17. Blur the image

By blurring the image, we can further blend all the disparate elements into one composition. Merge everything into another new layer, then clip a Hue/Saturation layer; tweak the Saturation to -50, Lightness to -25 and then reduce the layer’s opacity to 30%, before changing it to Overlay.

18. Sharpen up

Merge everything into another new layer and go to Filter>Noise>Reduce Noise. Set Strength to 10 with all other values at 0, then click OK. Merge everything to another new layer and go to Filter> Other>High Pass. Set the Radius to 2px and click OK. Set to Overlay.

19. Refocus in areas

Create another High Pass layer with the same settings. This time, hit Mask, Invert (Cmd/Ctrl+I) and with a soft, white brush, draw over the landmarks further in the foreground to shift the focus and add depth. Add the supplied lens flare and set to Screen, 60% opacity.