How to Create a Fantasy Jellyfish Photo Manipulation With Adobe Photoshop

In this tutorial, I'll show you how to use Adobe Photoshop to create a fantasy scene featuring a woman watching flying jellyfish. 

First, we'll build the base scene using several stock images. After that, we'll import the rocky arch, retouch the model, and blend them together using adjustment layers, masking, and brushes. Later we'll add different jellyfish, painting the light and sparkling dots. We'll use a Vibrance adjustment layer to complete the final effect.

Tutorial Assets

The following assets were used during the production of this tutorial:

• Sky


• 
  Mountains 


• 
  Arch 


• 
  Jellyfish 


• 
  Model 


• 
   

1. How to Build the Base Scene

Step 1

Create a new 2000 x 1333 px document in Photoshop with the given settings:

Step 2

Go to Layer > New Fill Layer > Solid Color and pick the color #b2bfc2.

Step 3

Select this layer mask and activate the Brush Tool (B). Choose a soft
round brush with black color to erase the upper half of the canvas as we don't need this part.

Step 4

Create a Curves adjustment layer to darken the lower half of the canvas.
On this layer mask, use a soft black brush to reduce the dark effect on
the left edge of this area.

Step 5

Open the mountains image and drag this image into the main canvas using the Move Tool (V), placing it in the upper half.

Click the second icon at the bottom of the Layers panel to add a mask to
this layer. Use a soft black brush to erase the hard edges on the top
and bottom to blend the mountains with the existing background.

Step 6

Drag the mountains image into the main document again and flip it
horizontally (Edit > Transform > Flip Horizontal). On the layer
mask, use a soft black brush to remove the top hard edge and the right
side, leaving the left side visible subtly to cover the hill.

Step 7

Drag the sky image onto the upper half of the main canvas and use a
layer mask to erase the hard edge of the bottom and leave only the top part
of the sky visible.

Step 8

Create a Curves adjustment layer on top of the layers and reduce the
lightness. On this layer mask, paint on the left and middle to reveal
the lightness there. We're aiming to have the main soft light in the middle section.

Step 9

Make a Color Balance adjustment layer to give some blue to the whole scene. Alter the Midtones settings:

2. How to Import the Arch

Step 1

Cut out the rock arch and place it in the lower half of the canvas. Use the Free Transform Tool (Control-T) to rotate it a bit.

Step 2

Go to Edit > Puppet Warp and use some points to drag the lower part
of the arch upward, and stretch the middle of the arch to both sides
of the canvas.

Step 3

Add a mask to this layer and use a hard black brush to remove the small part on the bottom of the arch.

Step 4

After warping, the details on the arch look a bit stretched and unnatural. To fix it,
use the Lasso Tool (L) to select a part of the rock arch in the original
image and drag it to the arch in the working document. Set this layer
as a Clipping Mask.

Add a mask to this layer, and use a soft black brush to blend this rock part with the existing surface.

Step 5

Add more rock parts from the original image to cover the stretched
details on the arch using the same method. Remember to set all these
layers as Clipping Masks.

Step 6

Create a Hue/Saturation adjustment layer (set as Clipping Mask) to desaturate the arch. Bring the Saturation value down to -67:

Step 7

Add a Color Balance adjustment layer and change the Midtones values:

Step 8

Make a Curves adjustment layer to brighten the rock arch.

Step 9

Create another Curves adjustment layer with the same purpose. On this
layer mask, use a soft black brush to reduce the lightness on the shadow/hidden
areas of the arch. You can see the results on the mask and on the
picture.

Step 10

Create a new layer, change the mode to Overlay 100%, and fill with 50% gray:

Activate the Dodge and Burn Tool (O) with Midtones Range and Exposure about
10-20% to refine the light and shadow and paint more details for
the arch. You can see how I did it with Normal mode and the result with
Overlay mode:

3. How to Retouch the Model

Step 1

Open the model image and isolate her from the original background.
Create a new fill color between the extracted model and the original one
and pick a light color (I've chosen #d1ac92).

Step 2

The bottom of the model's left foot is missing. To correct it, open
the image mentioned in the last link of the resources section. Take
the right foot of the woman and drag it onto the main model image, and
flip it horizontally.

Add a mask to this layer and use a soft black brush to blend this foot with the existing leg.

Step 3

Create a Hue/Saturation adjustment layer above the foot one (set as Clipping Mask) to desaturate the foot a bit.

Step 4

Make a new layer and use a soft brush with the color #d1ac92 and opacity and flow about 25-30% to reduce the highlight on the foot.

Step 5

Create a Curves adjustment layer to brighten the hidden area of the foot
a little. On the layer mask, paint on the front of the foot to keep its
lightness.

Step 6

Use another Curves adjustment layer to reduce the light on the front of
the foot. Paint on the hidden area so it won't be affected by this
adjustment layer.

Step 7

Create a new layer and use a small brush with the colors #30272c and #151013 to paint more hair for the model.

Step 8

Hide the original model layer and the color fill one. Hit
Control-Shift-Alt-E to merge the extracted model, foot, and hair ones into
a new one. Drag this merged layer into the main canvas and place the
model above the middle of the arch.

Step 9

Create a new layer below the model one and use a soft brush with the color #0b0c0d and Opacity about 30-40% to paint shadow below the model's body.

Step 10

On the model layer, use the Puppet Warp to drag the bottom of the dress a bit to fit the ground.

Step 11

Add a mask to this layer to erase the small detail on the back of the model's dress.

Step 12

Create a Color Balance adjustment layer to give the model a blue tone.

Step 13

Make a Photo Filter adjustment layer and pick the color #1cc1bf. On this layer mask, use a soft black brush to keep a hint of red/yellow on the model's skin.

Step 14

Add a Curves adjustment layer to bring more light to the model,
especially the contour of her body as it gets light from the background.

On the layer mask, use a soft black brush to recover the lightness on the hidden areas.

Step 15

Make a new layer, change the mode to Overlay 100%, and fill with 50%
gray. Use the Dodge and Burn Tool to refine the light and shadow on the
model and paint more details for the dress.

4. How to Do the Base Adjustments

Step 1

Create a Channel Mixer adjustment layer on top of the layers and alter the Red values. Lower the Opacity of this layer to 50%:

Step 2

Make a Photo Filter adjustment layer and pick the color #08a9b3.

Step 3

Add another Photo Filter adjustment layer and change the color to #6f95b0.

Step 4

Create a Color Fill layer and pick the color #2b1503. Alter this layer mode to Exclusion 100%.

Step 5

Make a Color Lookup adjustment layer and select FoggyNight.3DL. Lower
the Opacity of this layer to 50% and use a soft black brush to reduce
the layer's effect on the left and middle of the scene.

Step 6

Make a Curves adjustment layer to reduce the lightness and contrast.
Paint on the lower part of the middle section to reveal some lightness there.

Step 7

Add another Curves adjustment layer with the same purpose. Use a soft
black brush with a very low opacity (about 10%) to paint around the
model area to reveal the lightness there.

Step 8

Create a Color Fill layer and pick the color #062635. Use a soft
black brush to paint around the model's area and reduce the layer's
effect on both sides. This step is to decrease the visibility of the
background to give the whole scene a softly dark, dreamy effect.

Step 9

Make a Vibrance adjustment layer to enhance the color's effect. Paint on
the model's skin, especially the lips, arms, and legs, so that they won't
become too blue after this step.

5. How to Add the Jellyfish

Step 1

Open the jellyfish file. Rotate the jellyfish to find the
angles/poses you want and after downloading them, place them around the
whole scene. Here are the poses I've chosen and how I've arranged them.

Step 2

On the smallest jellyfish layer, go to Filter > Blur > Gaussian Blur and set the Radius to 2 px.

Step 3

Select all the jellyfish layers and hit Control-G to make a group for
them. Change this group's mode to Normal 100% and create a
Hue/Saturation adjustment layer within this group. Bring the Hue value
up to +25:

Step 4

Add a Curves adjustment layer to darken the jellyfish. On this layer
mask, paint on the tail of the jellyfish on the upper section to keep
some lightness there.

Step 5

Make another Curves adjustment layer to darken the tail of the jellyfish
on the lower section. Paint on the rest of the jellyfish so that they won't be
darkened by this adjustment layer.

Step 6

Add a Hue/Saturation adjustment layer to turn the tails of the jellyfish
into dark cyan to fit the color of the background. Paint on the upper bodies of the jellyfish to keep their dark yellow color.

6. How to Paint the Light Effect and Sparks

Step 1

Create a new layer on top of the other layers and use a soft brush with the color #f89869 to paint on the big jellyfish. Change this layer mode to Linear Dodge 10%.

Step 2

Duplicate this layer and alter this layer mode to Overlay 100%.

Step 3

Make a Hue/Saturation adjustment layer above this layer (set as Clipping
Mask) and change the Hue value to turn the color's effect from yellow
to orange-red.

Step 4

Make a new layer, and use the same brush to paint a glow inside the jellyfish.
Alter this layer mode to Overlay 100%, and then duplicate this layer to
strengthen the light.

Step 5

To create a red light reflection on the arch, create a new layer below
the jellyfish group. Use a small soft brush with the color #ffcb88
to paint on the details where the jellyfish are flying along, as well as the
lower part of the model. Change this layer mode to Color 100%.

Step 6

Make a new layer above the jellyfish group and use a small brush with the color #f1805e to paint tiny red hair strands for the model's head.

Step 7

Use a soft brush with the color #f8b369 to paint more highlights around the model's contour, legs, arms, and dress. Change this layer mode to Hard Light 100%.

Step 8

Make a new layer, change the mode to Overlay 100%, and fill with 50%
gray. Use the Dodge Tool to give the red reflection on the arch and
model a bit more glow.

Step 9

Create a new layer, and change the foreground to #f8b369. Press F5 to change the settings of this brush.

Use this brush to paint tiny dots below the head of the jellyfish and
model. Hit Control-G to make a group for this layer, and change the mode
to Color Dodge 100%.

You can use a layer mask to reduce the visibility of the dots if you find them too obvious.

7. How to Make the Final Adjustments

Step 1

Make a new layer, use a soft brush with the color #054c5f and Opacity about 25-30% to decrease the visibility of the jellyfish in
the sky to fit the soft, dreamy atmosphere of this place.

Step 2

Create a Vibrance adjustment layer to enhance the final effect. On the
layer mask, paint on the model's skin and the middle section of the
jellyfish in the sky to remove the saturation on there.

Congratulations, You're Done!

I hope that you've enjoyed the tutorial and learned something new for
your own projects. Feel free to share your results or leave comments in
the box below. Enjoy Photoshopping!

Want some more magic? Check out the tutorials below:

• 
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• 
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