Learn How to Create an Beautiful Abstract Photo Manipulation

Vikas Singh Adhikari Posted on 17. Oct, 2012 | Comment in!

In this tutorial, we have something more creative and catchy about Adobe Photoshop techniques toward photo manipulation designs, we will learn how to create a Beautiful abstract photo manipulation. In this creative training we will learn some advance techniques of masking, lightning and the use of adjustment layers.

Resources Used In This Tutorial

Step 1

Create a new file with a width of 1024 px and a height of 1100 px at 72 dpi (Dots per Inch). Background Contents should be White.

Step 2

First off, let’s open the fairy33 in Photoshop. We will be using girl from this stock image so we will need to transfer it to our main canvas.

Click the fairy33 and press W to activate magic wand tool.

Now take magic wand tool and click over the highlighted area and make it selected.Then Click the Fairy33 and then click V to activate the Move Tool. Left-click the image and drag the image to the main canvas and change layer name to “Girl“.

The result should be similar to this:

Step 3

Now activate gradient tool (G) and fill these settings.

Choose radial gradient from above menu :

The result should be similar to this:

Step 4

First off, let’s open the 8 colorful grunge textures in Photoshop. We will be using the texture 2 from this stock image so we will need to transfer it to our main canvas.

Click the 8 colorful grunge textures and then click V to activate the Move Tool. Left-click the image and drag the image to the main canvas and change layer name to “Texture“.

Next, activate the Transform tool (Ctrl/Cmd +T), then while the “Texture” layer is selected and then re-size it as shown below:

The result should be similar to this:

Reduce it’s opacity to “25%” :

The result should be similar to this:

Step 5

Now activate Brush tool (B) with these settings :

Brush size: 2px
Hardness: 100%
Opacity: 100%
Flow: 100%
Color: #000000

Now activate pen tool (P) and draw a line then right click and select stocke path.

When the Stroke path box opens, input the following:

Again right click and this time choose Delete path.

The result should be similar to this:

Follow the above process and draw 1 more line:

Step 6

Now, activate the Brush tool (B) and open the brush set “15 grunge PS brushes” by Sarytah. To load them, simply, right click on our canvas through any layer and then click on the drop-down button as shown below:

This will prompt the contextual menu to pop up and once you see that, just click on Load Brushes.

You will now be prompted to this directory: Adobe Photoshop > Presets > Brushes so make sure that you have put the brushes within this folder. Now locate the brush set and click OK. Right click on the canvas again using your Brush tool (B) and now you’ll notice that you have 15 grunge photoshop brushes..

Now create a vector mask from the bottom of layers palette.

Now activate Brush tool (B) with these settings :

Brush size: 400px
Hardness: 0%
Opacity: 40%
Flow: 100%
Color: #000000

Now paint over the highlighted area.

Now this time choose any grunge Photoshop brushes with these settings :

Brush size: 400px
Hardness: 0%
Opacity: 40%
Flow: 100%
Foreground Color: #ffffff
Background Color: #ffffff

Now paint over the highlighted area.

The result should be similar to this:

Use different brush on girl image:

Now create a Curves adjustment layer which can be found by pressing on the Create New Fill /Adjustment layer button shown on the layer window:

When the Curves adjustment layer box opens, input the following:

Press Alt+left click in between 2 layer’s (Girl layer and Curves) to make a mask.

The result should be similar to this:

Now create new Curves adjustment layer from the bottom of layers palette. Press Alt+left click in between 2 layer’s (Girl layer and Curves) to make a mask.

When the Curves box opens, input the following.

The result should be similar to this:

Step 7

First off, let’s open Magic Genie Brass Oil Lamp stock in Photoshop. We will be using the Lamp from this stock image so we will need to transfer it to our main canvas.

Click the Magic Genie Brass Oil Lamp and press p to activate pen tool and then make a selection around the Lamp and then click V to activate the Move Tool. Left-click the image and drag the image to the main canvas and change layer name to “Lamp“.

Next, activate the Transform tool (Ctrl / Cmd +T), then while the “Snail” layer is selected and then re-size it as shown below:

The result should be similar to this:

Now activate a new layer and name it “shadow” now activate elliptical marquee tool and draw a circle below lamp and fill it with black color.

Now Goto > Filter > Blur > Gaussian Blur.

When the Gaussian Blur box opens, input the following:

The result should be similar to this:

Step 8

Now go back to Lamp layer and create a Hue and saturation adjustment layer which can be found by pressing on the Create New Fill / Adjustment layer button shown on the layer window. Press Alt+left click in between 2 layer’s (Lamp layer and Hue / Saturation) to make a mask.

When the Hue and saturation box opens, input the following:

Now create a Curves adjustment layer which can be found by pressing on the Create New Fill / Adjustment layer button shown on the layer window. Press Alt+left click in between 2 layer’s (Lamp layer and Curves) to make a mask.

When the Color Balance box opens, input the following:

The result should be similar to this:

Step 9

Now instal Smoke Brush Set by qbrushes.net follow the same steps as we used to install 15 grunge photoshop brushessss .

Now activate Brush tool (B) and choose any smoke brush you want with these settings :

Brush size: 400px
Hardness: 0%
Opacity: 40%
Flow: 100%
Color: #ff0000

Now paint over the highlighted area.

The result should be similar to this:

Next, activate Layer styles. When the Layer styles box opens, input the following:

The result should be similar to this:

Step 10

Now, let’s open Black Crow in flight stock in Photoshop. We will be using the crow from this stock image so we will need to transfer it to our main canvas.

Click the Black Crow in flight and press p to activate pen tool and then make a selection around the crow and then click V to activate the Move Tool. Left-click the image and drag the image to the main canvas and change layer name to “crow“.

Click the Black Crow in flight and press p to activate pen tool and then make a selection around the crow and then click V to activate the Move Tool. Left-click the image and drag the image to the main canvas and change layer name to “crow“.

Next, activate the Transform tool (Ctrl / Cmd +T), then while the “Crow” layer is selected and then re-size it as shown below:

Make a right click and choose “Flip Horizontal“.

The result should be similar to this:

Now create new Brightness / Contrast adjustment layer from the bottom of layers palette. Press Alt+left click in between 2 layer’s (Crow layer and Brightness / Contrast) to make a mask.

When the Brightness / Contrast box opens, input the following:

The result should be similar to this:

Now create new Curves adjustment layer from the bottom of layers palette. Press Alt+left click in between 2 layer’s (Crow layer and Curves) to make a mask.

When the Curves box opens, input the following:

The result should be similar to this:

Step 11

Now,let’s open the High Resolution Bokeh Texture in Photoshop. We will be using the Texture from this stock image so we will need to transfer it to our main canvas.

Click the High Resolution Bokeh Texture and press V to activate the Move Tool. Left-click the image and drag the image to the main canvas and change layer name to “Light“.