Create This Magnificent Sniper Artwork in Photoshop

What you’ll be creating

In this tutorial we will examine the possibility of creating a realistic picture, atmospheric effects, work with adjustment layers, create brushes and most importantly try it all in action. First, I will create a background. Of several images I make realistic city and add clouds and color correction. Then I added the model and adjust image with the filter “Camera Raw”. Then will create the effect of rain on clothes. The next will be to create an atmosphere and detail to the image. The final step will be to increase the sharpness and color correction. It is desirable to have a Adobe Photoshop CC 2014 but you can completely create this picture in any CS version.

Tutorial Resources

• Skyscraper – Pixabay
• City – Pixabay
• Clouds – Pixabay
• Model – KaylaDavion
• Big Lens And Optical Flare Collection – daWIIZ
• Effects Brushes – Vincent-Montreuil

Step 1

So, before beginning this tutorial I want to do a little introduction. The poster is an art. As in every case, there are certain traditions and rules. Many people do not notice it, but the effect is always there. There are 8 basic items that should be in the poster: 1. Weapons. 2. Clouds/Smoke 3. Buildings. 4. Fragments/Debris/Sparks. 5. Atmospheric phenomena (like rain). 6. Ambient/Edge Light. 7. Fire/Explosion. 8. Main Character/Object. Each poster must be at least 5 items to achieve the desired effect. All of these elements in are alternately occur in any poster, regardless of genre or idea. I chose the following sequence: Weapons > Clouds/Smoke > Buildings > Main Character > Edge Light > Rain.
And now opening Photoshop and get started! Create a new document via Cmd/Ctrl + N or File > New at 2400 pixels wide and 3000 pixels height, resolution 300 Pixels/Inch.

Step 2

Go to File > Place…/Place Embedded and open skyscraper image. Transform it (Ctrl/Cmd+ T or Edit > Free Transform) to size of working field and tap Enter/Return to apply changes.

Step 3

Now I have changed a bit the image to better fit my idea. Not to create a large number of adjustment layers, I used only one filter – Camera Raw. This is a very powerful and useful tool that can be used to correct not only RAW files. Go to Filter > Camera Raw. Perhaps your window of this filter will be slightly different, but the setting will remain the same. Let’s start with color. First you need change image contrast and balance black and white colors. Set Exposure: -0.20, Contrast: +6, Highlights: +4, Shadow: +20, Whites: -3, Blacks: +3, Clarity: +40, Vibrance: +15, Saturation: +5.

Then I increased the sharpness of the image. Click on the tab “Sharpness” in this window and set the following settings first for “Noise Reduction” – Luminance: 10, Luminance Detail: 50. Now add a little sharpness. Set for “Sharpening” – Amount: 15, Radius: 1.5, Detail: 25. Apply changes by clicking OK. So much easier and more convenient to prepare and adjust the image without extra layers.

Step 4

To create a depth image I dimmed the city. This will help make the picture more realistic. Create a new layer by clicking on a “Create a new layer” icon on Layer Panel or use Cmd/Ctrl + Shift + N. Select the Brush tool (B) then set the Soft Round brush with Size to 500 pixels, Hardness to 0%, Opacity to 100%, color: # 4e7fa5. Paint over middle of the city. Do not draw too high, because the fog should not go to the sky. Set layer Blending Mode to “Screen” and reduce Opacity to 90%, Fill to 50%.

Step 5

To complete the picture, I added an image to the first plan. This is our main stage. Go to File > Place…/Place Embedded and open city image. First you need a flip it. Right – click in Transform Mode > Flip Horizontal… (Ctrl/Cmd+ T or Edit > Free Transform). Then resize image to size of working field and now the most interesting – you need to align the perspective of the image that the city did not go to the left, and was flat in the frontal projection. Right click > Perspective… Use the corner points to “squeeze” the image itself and the side point, to raise or lower the slope of the image. Try not to overdo it and do as shown in the image below.

Now remove the sky. To make a selection, use Color Range… Go to Select > Color Range… and set Select: “Sampled Colors”, eyedropper with “+” in this window or hold Shift and spend all the shades of the sky. Be careful not to add the color of the town. To make the selection more accurate, set Fuzziness to 20. This method is very good and at skilful use, make easier selection of objects when their background is different in color.

It remains only to add a layer mask. Hold Opt/Alt (to add inverse layer mask) and click on “Add a mask” icon or go to Layer > Layer Mask > Hide Selection.

Step 6

We now present the city in accordance with the general atmosphere. I convenient to use for this useful adjustment layer “Gradient Map”. Go to Layer > New Adjustment layer > Gradient Map… or use “Add adjustment layer” icon on bottom of Layer panel. Right away make from this layer a clipping mask by using icon at the bottom of this window.

Then click on gradient to create a new gradient. At the top of the dialogue box, on the right side there is a small gear. Click on it to open additional properties. The lower list is available Photoshop default gradients. Add “Photographic Toning” and in the popup window click “Append”. Use blue gradient shown below. Set Blending Mode to “Hue” to change color but leaves brightness and saturation as on original image.

Step 7

Repeat step 4 for this image to this part of the city was in the general atmosphere and did not stand out. But this time Blending Mode “Screen”, Opacity: 25, Fill: 65.

Step 8

What could be the poster without fanning and tense atmosphere (in the example of this picture)? The sky is very well managed and complements the mood and story of the picture (because we plan that we want to get). Place image of sky and resize it to the size of the working field. But do not rush to apply the changes. Take the midpoint of the bottom and move up it a bit. This will change the perspective of clouds that will help harmoniously and correctly place them in the sky in accordance with the city.

Step 9

Use any portion of the sky, but I liked the right part. It is intense and harmonious. The remaining parts a much overload the picture or not expanding it. Before proceeding further, I removed the noise from the photo that it does not spoil the final result. Go to Filter > Noise > Noise Reduction… In window that appear set Strength to 10, Preserve Details to : 10%, Reduce Color Noise to 10% and check box on “Remove JPEG Artifact”. This will be enough to get rid of the noise and preserve details. If you want to achieve good results you have to take care of every detail and be careful.

Add a layer mask to this image (use icon on Layer panel or go to Layer > Layer Mask > Reveal All). Use large soft brush (Size: 300px, Opacity: 100%) and brushed with black color on a layer mask everything except the sky. Change Blending Mode to “Overlay”. Group all city layers by selecting all layers and press Cmd/Ctrl + G or use icon on Layer panel.

Step 10

When you change the blending mode, the clouds are well superimposed on the image but showed their colors. To get rid of the colors, use an adjustment layer Black & White from Adjustment panel or from Layer > New Adjustment layer > Black & White… Make from this layer a clipping mask to sky layer and set Preset: “Green Filter”. You can try different presets to change the light/shadow map.

Duplicate original sky layer (Cmd/Ctrl + J or go to Layer > Duplicate layer) and move it to front of Layer panel. Set Opacity around 30%, Fill to 50%.

Step 11

I decided to add a bit of action and create beams of light over the city. This will add drama and fiction. Create a new layer (Cmd/Ctrl + Shift + N or Layer > New > Layer). Use Brush Tool (B) with size: 70 – 30px, Opacity: 50% and Hardness: 0% to draw a beams. Use colors from this image or use #3f92de and #84bedc like me. Does not matter how and where to place the beams, but it is better not to occupy the center, because in that place there will be a model. Set Blending Mode to “Screen”.

Same thing with a smoke. Create a new layer, upload a “effects_brushes_by_vincdesign-d4mwjs4” brush set in Photoshop and use “CLOD 3” brush with Size 250 – 500px, Opacity: 35 – 70% and color: #c4c4c4. Change the brush size depending on how far you where you want to apply it. Also, first draw mainstream smoke. Then use Eraser Tool (E) with same settings as a brush and make it more voluminous by erase some parts. Use several layers to control Opacity and then merge them (Cmd/Ctrl + E or Layer > Merge Layers…).

Now that everything is ready, click on a group “city” and create a merged copy Cmd/Ctrl + Opt/Alt + Shift + E and convert this layer to Smart Object (right click on layer > Convert to Smart Object).

Step 12

Now the depth of field. This is very important because we are creating a portrait/poster, and in this case, attention should be drawn to main character. I give you two options: as I did and alternative. I have Adobe Photoshop CC 2014 and use Tilt-Shift blur from Blur Gallery. This new features in this version, so if you have a different version of Photoshop a description of an alternative version of a little lower. First Tilt-Shift blur. Go to Filter > Blur Gallery > Tilt-Shift… Move the center circle at the lower boundary of the working field. In the upper right window settings (check that there was only one checked – Tilt-Shift) set Blur: 10px, Distortion: 0. In the lower window set Light Bokeh: 30%, Color Bokeh: 20% and click OK to apply filter.

Now for those who are using a different version there is an alternative way to achieve the desired effect. Go to Filter > Blur > Gaussian Blur… In window that appears set Radius to 10px and click Ok.

Take a Gradient Tool, set default black & white gradient and background/Foreground colors (D) with linear method. Apply gradient on filter layer mask from Bottom to black roofs of buildings from the first plan (this will remove the effect of the filter on the first plan). And then you get a similar effect.

Step 13

I decided to add a gradient to the sky to darken the upper part of the image. For this I used an adjustment layer “Gradient Fill” with the preset “Foreground to Transparent” but change gradient to #0a131d > #838383, Style: Linear. Change Blending Mode to this layer on “Multiply”, Opacity: 70%, Fill: 30%.

Step 14

Here we come to the second part of our photomontage. In this part, we will work with the model. First, add the image of a model in a working document and resize it (Ctrl/Cmd+ T or Edit > Free Transform) like shown in image below. Another piece of advice – periodically flip image horizontally so you can properly assess your composition and see it from a new angle (Image > Image Rotation > Flip Horizontal).

Much better! Now increase the sharpness and remove noise. In this image you can clearly observe the color noise, and it must be removed first. Go to tab “Sharpness” in this window and set the following settings “Noise Reduction” – Luminance: 35, Luminance Detail: 35, Luminance Contrast: 0, Color: 22, Color Detail: 50, Color Smoothness: 50. Now add a little sharpness. Set for “Sharpening” – Amount: 5, Radius: 1.0, Detail: 25. Apply changes by clicking OK.