How to Create an Intense Composite of a Stone Tiger with Blue Flames

In this tutorial, I’ll show you how to create a fantasy photo-manipulation using a basic adjustments and some stocks and how to add some textures and make it look like a fantasy fire and show you the way how to use the clipping mask and the mask as a professional and play with the lights.

Preview of Final Results

final-results

Tutorial Resources

Step 1

Let’s start with creating new document in Photoshop. Go to File > New. Set the width to 1038px, height to 1468px, and resolution on 300 Pixels/Inch.

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Step 2

Now, Place sky stock as it shown by selecting File > Place.. and name it Sky. Photoshop will automatically place the image as Smart Objects, then Resize it to be like this.

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Step 3

Place the Rock Stock too by selecting File > Place .. and put it as it shown. and name it Rock Back

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Step 4

Use Pen tool on Rock Stock and select this area as it shown.

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Step 5

Now press Click Right and select (Make Selection) and make feather radius 1.0 pixels and press Ok. like shown in the image below.

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Step 6

Press Add Layer Mask as it shown

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Step 7

It will hide the area that not selected and show like the image below.

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Step 8

Place Panther Stock and use pen tool and layer mask like (step 2&4) and name it Tiger.

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Step 9

Duplicate “Rock Back” Layer by press Ctrl+j, and put it up the “Tiger” layer then go to Edit > Transform > Flip Horizontal to flip the layer and move it to be like the image below.

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Step 10

Duplicate “Rock” Layer and name it “Rock Shadow”, then put this layer under “Rock” Layer as it shown.

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Step 11

On “Rock Shadow” Layer Press right Click and press rasterize Layer, then Go To Layer > Layer Mask > Apply.

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Step 12

Double Click on “Rock Shadow” Layer and choose color Overlay, then do as it shown.

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Step 13

Go To Filter > Blur > Box Blur and make Radius 10 Pixels and press OK, then lower the opacity to 50%.

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Step 14

Duplicate “Rock” Layer and name it “Rock Blur” and rasterize it like (Step11), then Press Ctrl+T to Free Transform and Enlarge image with keeping press on Shift and move it down, then go to Filter > Blur > Field Blur and make blur 10 px.

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Step 15

Select “Tiger” Layer and Go to Filter > Sharpen > Smart Sharpen and do as it shown.

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Step 16

Select The stone under the tiger then do the following adjustments, then select both layers of adjustments and press Right Click and select Create Clipping Mask.

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Step 17

Place Cracked Wall Texture above the both of adjustments and select clipping mask like last adjustments then change the mood to Overlay. and above of all create Black & White Adjustment Layer with the following Properties and create clipping Mask.

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Step 18

Make Selection Around Tiger Eye like first Pic, then those 3 adjustments ( Color Balance / Brightness& Contrast / Black& White ) as it shown.

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Step 19

Create New Layer name it (Eye Light 1) and use Soft Brush (size:25px/Hardness:0%/Opacity60%) and pint the eyes ((with color #529ad2)) like Pic no.1 change Blending Mood To Screen to get pic no.2 then Create those adjustments as clipping Mask for this layer (Eye Light 1) as it shown.

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Step 20

Create New Layer name it (Eye Light 2) and use soft brush (size:150px/Hardness:0%/Opacity30%) and pint the eyes ((with color #1e6eb8)) like pic no.1 change Blending Mood To Linear Dodge to the pic no.2 then create same adjustments from last step and use them as clipping mask for this layer (Eye Light 2).

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Step 21

In this step we gonna learn how change fire’s color. using those Adjustments (Black & White / Brightness/Contrast / Color Balance) well, those Adjustments we will do it for all of Fire Stocks.

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Step 22

Now, we start adding Fire Stocks one by one and change Blending Mood To Screen.

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Step 23

Now Select All Fire Layers and go to Layer > Smart Objects > Convert To Smart Object then change Blending Mood to Screen.

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Step 24

Add those Adjustments as clipping mask to the last Smart Object File.

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Step 25

Create New Layer Above Tiger Layer and use soft brush (Size:200px/Hardness:0%/Opacity:50%) with color #3575bb and paint around the Tiger Layer, And Another Layer behind the Tiger Stock with same color and paint in the center of the Tiger Layer. and change Blending Mood for both of them to Screen.

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Step 26

Create New Group and name it “Textures”and Place “Texture 1”. and change blending mood to soft light with Opacity:50% and Fill:80% as it shown.

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Step 27

Add “Texture 2” with those Properties (Blending Mood:Soft Light / Opacity:70% / Fill:75%) And Add Layer Mask to eras where the “Tiger Layer” exist, then add “Texture 3” with Those Properties (Blending Mood:Soft Light / Opacity:50% / Fill:85%), Then Add “Texture 4” with Those Properties (Blending Mood:Soft Light / Opacity:70% / Fill:75%), then add “Texture 5” with Those Properties (Blending Mood:Overlay / Opacity:40% / Fill:75%), Finally Add “Texture 6” with Those Properties (Blending Mood:Soft Light / Opacity:40% / Fill:100%) as it shown.

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Step 28

Create an Black & White Adjustment as Clipping Mask To each one of Textures “Texture2” “Texture3” “Texture4” “Texture5” “Texture6” As it shown.

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Step 29

Now Create New Group and name It “Effects” and in it create those adjustments and focus on Blending Mood, Opacity and Fill.

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Final Results