Use Photography to Create a Scenic Matte Painting From a Sketch in Photoshop

Step 4

Now, pretty much everything is going to be similar to the previous step, which is, to summarize:

• Importing a photo from the asset, placing it.
• Adding a Level Adjustment Layer to match the values. (Set as Clipping mask)
• Adding a Curves Adjustment Layer to match the hues. (Set as Clipping mask)
• Adding a layer mask, filling it with black and painting some white where the photo must be visible.

From now, the tutorial is going to be faster and less precise, since it’s pretty much always the same step, but with different photos and Adjustment Layer settings. We’ll need sometimes few other layers, but I’ll give more precise information when it happens. So, please be sure to understand very well this process.

Step 5

Import jungle-08, and repeat the Step 3 (summarized in the Step 4).

Step 6

Repeat Step 3 with mountain-06.

Step 7

Repeat Step 3 with mountain-05. Add a Color Balance Adjustment Layer in addition to the two usual ones.

The layer mask isn’t black everywhere, because I did a small change in this step: I left everything visible, therefore, in white, and then I drew some black in the layer mask, to hide unwanted parts of the photo.

Step 8

Repeat Step 3 with mountain-03.

Now create a layer called Fog and with a soft low opacity brush, separate a bit better the forest from the mountain, such as below. Use the Lasso Tool (L) to erase precise shape in the fog.

Step 9

Repeat Step 3 with jungle-02.

Step 10

Repeat Step 3 with mountain-02.

Step 11

Repeat Step 3 with mountain-04.

Step 12

Repeat Step 3 with cliff-02.

Step 13

Repeat Step 3 with jungle-05.

Now duplicate the jungle-05 layer and both Adjustment Layers, move them as below, fill the layer mask with black and paint, with a grunge brush, some tree shapes on the layer mask.

Duplicate those three layers again, place them as below, slightly change the Level Adjustment Layer and repaint the layer mask as shown below.

Now duplicate those three layers again and change it as below.

Step 14

Repeat Step 3 with water-01.

Duplicate the three layers we just created, change the position and the layer mask as shown below.

Step 15

Repeat Step 3 with cliff-01.

Step 16

Repeat Step 3 with mountain-01.

Duplicate those three last layers and change the position and the layer mask, such as below.

Step 17

Repeat Step 3 with water-02.

Step 18

Repeat Step 3 with lake-01.

Step 19

Repeat Step 3 with jungle-06. We don’t need a Curves Adjustment Layer for this one.

Step 19

Repeat Step 3 with jungle-07.

Step 20

Repeat Step 3 with mountain-05.

Duplicate those three last layers, place them as below, change the layer mask and the Levels Adjustment Layer.

Duplicate those three last layers, place them as below and change the layer mask.

Duplicate those three last layers, place them as below and change the layer mask.

Step 21

Now we’re done with the photos for the background. We need more small details, simply draw them on a new overlay layer with a brush which has some small noise on it.

Step 22

Let’s add some shadow. Create a new Levels Adjustment Layer, set it as below, full the layer mask with black and paint some white where you want the shadow to appear. Refer below.

Step 23

Now, on a new Water fog layer, draw some fog generated by the waterfalls.

Step 24

Now, on a new Depth fog layer, draw some fog to separate few layers.

Step 25

Now, on a new Global fog layer, draw some ambient fog, such as shown below. It helps to add depth and to have a bit less contrast than we had before.

Step 26

Create a new layer called Ambient light, set the blending mode to Linear Dodge (Add), fill it with black, take a soft brush with 10% opacity, change his mode to Screen, and with a middle brightness full saturated yellow (#827700), paint some rays of light from the right top to the left bottom.

Here is a preview of the layer if you switch his mode back to Normal. As you can see, you don’t need to paint too much. Abusing of this trick will result having a surreal lightning. But having a bit of this adds a very interesting effect.

Step 27

Add a new Color Balance Adjustment Layer, and set it as below. We need more blue because of the atmospheric perspective. We need the shadows to be more blueish as well.

Step 28

Now Create a new Vibrance Adjustment Layer, set the Vibrance to + 52, and paint some black in the sky and distant mountains, because we don’t want them to be more saturated, due to the atmospheric perspective as well.

We’re finally done with the background. Let’s move on after a small break maybe.

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3. The Midground (MG)

Step 1

As we did for the FG, we create a MG Ref layer based on the sketch. I changed it a bit since I wanted the MG forest to be more dense and more correctly placed in perspective. We might miss a real midground, but it gives that isolated hill’s effect and I find it pretty cool. Close the BG group, and let’s work on the MG one.

Step 2

We have less color correction to do for the midground. I’ll give you only necessary settings. If there isn’t any Curves Adjustment Layer settings given, consider there isn’t that correction for the specified step. Let’s start with the tree-03 asset.

Step 3

Repeat the step with the tree-02 asset.

Duplicate those two previous layers, transform (Command/Ctrl + T) them as shown and change the Levels Adjustment Layer and the layer mask.

To separate the layers, create a new overlay layer and draw some dark grass as shown.

Step 4

Duplicate the two first layers we created in the step 3 (tree-02 his Levels Adjustment Layer), place them and change the Levels Adjustment Layer and the layer mask such as shown below.

Step 5

Now let’s move on. Import the asset tropical-foliage-01 and do the usual steps.

Step 6

Import the asset jungle-03 and do the usual steps.

Step 7

Import the asset tropical-foliage-02 and do the usual steps.

Step 8

Import the asset jungle-01 and do the usual steps. We create some foliage here.

Duplicate the two previous layers, change the position and the Levels Adjustment Layer. Refer below.

Duplicate the two previous layers, change the position and the Levels Adjustment Layer, as shown below. As you can see, you need to add a Curves Adjustment Layer.

Step 9

Import the asset jungle-04 and do the usual steps.

Duplicate the three previously created layers, and place them as shown below.

Duplicate again the three previously created layers, and place them as shown below.

Step 10

Import the asset water-02 and do the usual steps. Add a Hue/Saturation Adjustment Layer.

Step 10

Import the asset cliff-02 and do the usual steps.

Step 11

Okay, now we imported every photo for the MG. Let’s select the MG group, and create a new group called MG as well. We do is in order to be able to use the transparency of that group to do a Levels Adjustment on a Clipping mask applied to that group. Let’s do it, and set the following settings. Fill the layer mask with black and paint some white where you want the shadows to appear.

Step 12

Create a new layer and paint details such as grass, shadow, highlight, etc.

Step 13

Create a new layer called MG Ambient Light, set the blending mode to Linear Dodge (Add), fill it with black, take a soft brush with 10% opacity, change his mode to Screen, and with a middle brightness full saturated yellow-green (#4f8c00), paint some rays of light as shown below, when the mode is set to Normal.

That’s it for the midground. We still have to do the foreground, the ship and the final fx, so, let’s move on.

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4. The Foreground (FG)

Step 1

Okay, let’s have a quick preview with a small resketch of the FG. We’ll have a lot to do for this step, because the FG really needs to be well done, precise and nothing is going to hide any parts of it. Let’s get started.

Step 2

Import the asset tree-01 and do the usual steps.

Step 3

Create a Draw overlay layer and draw some branches. We’ll draw a lot more in the foreground, since we really want to have the full control on every foreground’s pixels.

Create a Foliage shape layer and draw some foliage with a custom brush, easily findable on the Internet. Pick a very dark and saturated green such as #031201. Since this area is very dark, we don’t need lots of details to have a realistic render.

Step 4

Import the asset tropical-foliage-01 and do the usual steps. We don’t need any Curves Adjustment Layer for this step.

Step 5

Create a Draw overlay layer and draw some details such as below.

Step 6

Import the asset jungle-04 and do the usual steps. We don’t need any Curves Adjustment Layer for this step.

Step 7

Import the asset ground-01 and do the usual steps. We don’t need any Curves Adjustment Layer for this step.

Step 8

Import the asset jungle-04 and place it as below.

Add a layer mask and remove some parts, such as shown below.

Set the layer’s mode to Overlay.

Step 9

Import the asset moss-01 and place it as below.

Add a layer mask and remove some parts, such as shown below.

Step 10

Import the asset jungle-06 and do the usual steps.

Step 11

Create a Draw overlay layer and draw some details such as below. Use the Clone Stamp Tool (S) if needed.

Step 12

Import the asset tree-03 and do the usual steps. We don’t need Curves Adjustment Layer.

Step 13

Import the asset cliff-02 and do the usual steps.

Step 14

Import the asset tree-02 and do the usual steps. We don’t need Curves Adjustment Layer.

Step 15

Import the asset jungle-01 and do the usual steps.

Step 16

Import the asset mountain-03 and do the usual steps.

Now add a new Level Adjustment Layer, set it as below, fill it with black and paint in white where we want more dark. It was a bit too bright in the shadow area, but we have to keep this brightness in the edges.

Step 17

Create a Draw overlay layer and draw some details such as below.

Step 18

Import the asset man-01 and do the usual steps. Add a Color Balance Adjustment Layer.

Apply the layer mask (you might need to Rasterize layer if imported as a Smart Object) and tweak the arms using the Lasso Tool (L) and some brush strokes. Remove some water on him as well, but it’s a good idea to let some wet and shiny areas, since it’s pretty much a tropical and water world and humidity might be very high there.

On a layer called Weapon, draw a spear

On a layer called Wear, draw the man’s wear.

Step 19

Let’s add some patches of grass. We have to make the feet disappear well. Hiding everything and using a grass custom brush with white color is a nice way to achieve this. Import the asset cliff-02 and do the usual steps.