Photoshop Compositing Secrets - Matt Kloskowski [57]
STEP 10:
Since the Hue/Saturation adjustment layer we just added is affecting the entire photo, go to Layer>Create Clipping Mask to force it to just affect the layer below it (the layer of the two guys fighting).
STEP 11:
You’ll probably notice the photo we just added doesn’t fit in too well because of the straight lines at the top and bottom of it. To fix that, we’ll add a black gradient to make the transition smoother. Select the Gradient tool from the Toolbox (or just press the G key). Then, in the Options Bar, click on the Reflected Gradient icon (the second one from the right), then click on the down-facing arrow to the right of the gradient thumbnail, and from the Gradient Picker, choose the Foreground to Transparent gradient (the second one from the left in the top row). Finally, press D to set your Foreground color to black.
STEP 12:
Click on the layer with the two samurais fighting to target it. Then, position your cursor just above the photo and click-and-drag downward about a third of the way into the photo to create the gradient. You’ll see that Photoshop starts the gradient with black, at the top where you started dragging, but then the gradient fades to transparency as it gets to where you stopped dragging. This gives us a nice way to fade the harsh edges of the photo and help it blend in with the background better. Do the same thing for the bottom of the photo to get rid of that edge, as well.
STEP 13:
Now, open the photo of the Japanese woman with the samurai. Every movie needs a love interest, right? So, using the Move tool, drag this image into the composite. Then, move the layer to the top of the layer stack, choose Layer>Release Clipping Mask, and reduce the Opacity to about 20%. Now, move her, so her face appears near the top right.
STEP 14:
Click on the Add Layer Mask icon at the bottom of the Layers panel to add a layer mask. With your Foreground color set to black, select the Brush tool (B), and use a fairly large, soft-edged brush to paint on the mask to hide most of the photo. We just want her head and part of her hands to show.
STEP 15:
It’s time to add a light source. We can see that there’s a light source coming from the top left area, so let’s enhance it. Click on the Create a New Layer icon to create a new blank layer at the top of the Layers panel. Then, with the Brush tool still active, in the Options Bar, set the Opacity to 20%, and then press X to set your Foreground color to white.
STEP 16:
Use a large, soft-edged brush and just click a couple of times in the top left part of the image to add a bright wash of light. It just helps the samurai blend into the background a little and makes it actually seem like that light from the background is partly causing the light on the left side of his face. Remember, the white is on its own layer, so you can always reduce the layer’s opacity if you think it’s too bright.
STEP 17:
I think we can add some flare to the sword in front of him. So, create another new blank layer, then go to Edit>Fill, and choose Black from the Use pop-up menu to fill it with black. Then go to Filter>Render>Lens Flare. Select the 105mm Prime option, set the Brightness to 80, and click OK to apply the flare.
STEP 18:
Change the blend mode of the layer to Screen to hide the black and use the Move tool to position the lens flare right onto the sword. If the flare is too bright, Option-click (PC: Alt-click) on the Add Layer Mask icon to create a black layer mask, which hides the lens flare. Then, press X to set your Foreground color to white, and with a large, soft-edged brush set to a low opacity, paint to bring the lens flare back into the image. This will help remove some of the excess flare and brightness. You can also reduce the Opacity of the layer to tone it down a bit.
STEP 19:
Finally, we need some movie poster text. I’ve included the text I’m using here on its own layer on the download website for you to follow along with. Keep in mind, it’s rasterized text, meaning it’s not the actual non-destructive Type layers. I can’t give