Hi there guys. I have prepared a new tutorial. In this tutorial we will be learning some more photomanipulation but this time different than the first one I did.

Step 1

First of all I need you to look at the stock we will use for this tutorial. Also you will see there an image that I have created “finish” image.

Here are the links:

http://www.sxc.hu/photo/1026758

http://www.sxc.hu/photo/1012586

http://www.sxc.hu/photo/788012

http://www.sxc.hu/photo/1011828

Step 2

First open up the highway image.

Step 3

The first thing we’re going to do is change the light of the sky to heat up the atmosphere. In order to start editing we must make the background layer editable.

Using the pen tool make a shape of the sky as I did.

Step 4

Set the opacity of the layer to about 25% so you can see the line of the road. Then, using the add anchor point tool, make the shape to match the road.

Step 5

Set the foreground color to #FF7200 and the background color to #F5CB08.

Step 6

Now go to Filter -> Render -> Clouds. Click yes when asked to resterize the layer. Change the Opacity back to 100%. The result should look something like this:

Step 7

Change the blending mode of Shape 1 to linear burn and then rename the layer “sky”.

Step 8

Open the image snail1.jpg and make a path of it using the Pen Tool than Ctrl + Enter to select it.

Step 9

You can see that the snail has a different light than the road, and we need to adjust it. We do that by using the Match color option. Set the luminance and color intensity to 100 and fate to 23. On the source select highway.jpg (make sure it is open), and on the layer dropdown select merged.

Step 10

Now copy the selection of the snail by pressing Ctrl+C and paste it in the document we are working with the highway. Because the selection is very large we need to resize it. Do that by pressing Ctrl+T (Free transform tool). Make sure you press the Shift key when resizing to keep the proportions.

Resize it to a size similar to the one in the picture below and arrange it in the same way.

Step 11

You can see that the snail looks not that good than should be. Adjust this by using the Auto levels option (Image -> Adjustments -> Auto levels) or play with the levels yourself.

Step 12

Now go to Image -> Adjustments -> Brightness/Contrast and set the brightness to -50%.

Step 13

Now we need to put some shadow to the snail. Rename layer 1 to snail1. Select layer transparency and duplicate layer. Press D on the keyboard to switch to default colors then fill the selection with black. Move this layer below snail1.

Press Ctrl+T for Free Transform tool then right click the snail and select distort. Now play with distort option until you get something like this:

Rename the layer to shadow.

Step 14

Make sure you still have selected the layer transparency and go to Filter -> Blur -> Gaussian Blur and use my settings.

Step 15

Now lets create a brake tail. Using the pen tool create a shape similar to the one in the image below.

Than change the Blending mode to Overlay, then apply the Gaussian Blur to a 7.3 px.

Step 16

Next we need to create some smoke rising up from the brake. First make a selection using polygonal lasso tool along the brake tail similar to the one in the image below.

Step 17

Then fill the selection with ABA4A4. Use the dodge tool around the corners with the brush size set to 50, and Range highlights.

After that switch to burn tool with the same brush size and range set to shadows and you should get something like this:

Step 18

Then go to Filter -> Distort -> Wave, and Edit -> Fade wave to 50%.

Step 19

Repeat this (Wave, fade wave step) until you are satisfied with the result. Then use the free transform tool if necessary and adjust the smoke along the brake tail. Duplicate the layer.

Step 20

To add the smoke behind the snail, just copy the smoke along the tail, fill it with black and play with free transform tool until you get something like the image below.

Step 21

Now it’s time to make the Slime trail left by the snail. Using the pen tool draw a shape similar to the one in the image below.

Step 22

Press D to set the default colors. Then apply the clouds filter on the selection.

Step 23

After that apply the chrome filter. Go to Filter -> Sketch -> Chrome.

Step 24

Set the blending mode to Hard Light, and the Opacity to 60%.

Step 25

Use the free transform tool to arrange the slime in a realistic way. Load the selection and using the blur tool, blur a little bit around the edges to blend the slime into the road.

Select the snail and blur a little bit on its lower part just above the slime.

Step 26

Now it’s time to add the other racers to the scene.

Open Snail 2. Select the snail with the Pen Tool.

Step 27

Match the color with the other document, just as you did with the first snail.

Paste the snail into the document and resize it using free transform tool. Place the third snail similar to the image below.

Also duplicate the slime layer and move it behind each snail. Then, using free transform tool distort the slime and shape it as you like. Last you need to add shadows, blur and light to the slime to make it look different and more realistic. Do this using the burn, dodge and brush tools.

Step 28

Next open sign.jpg.

Make a selection of the sign, and use match color with the document you are working with. Copy paste the selection into the document, resize it and place it on the middle left part of the image, just above the smaller column, then use the free transform.

Rename the layer to sign, move it under the layer sky and apply a 0.3 Gaussian Blur on it. The result should be similar to the one in the image below.

Step 29

Now all we need to do is add the finish line.

I have created an image using adobe illustrator and called finish line.jpg. This image could also be easily created simply in Photoshop just by using some shapes and guidelines.

What you need to do with this image is to import it into the document, transform it and place it as I did in the image below.

Step 30

Set the Blending Mode of the Finish line to Soft Light and you are done.

Final

In the end add your favorite light, colors or vintage effects and you are finished.

Posted in Design, Photo Effects on July 22nd, 2008