Want to create something creepy in Photoshop? Then try out this tutorial by Jenny Le. In this tutorial, you’ll learn how to create an abstract scene that features a creepy flaming tree-woman. You will learn various manipulation techniques such as creating lighting effects and applying textures.
Preview of Final Results
Tutorial Resources
- Model
- Skull
- Texture
- Forest background
- Fire background
- Tree
- Branches 1
- Branches 2
- Nest
- Crow
- Wood texture
- Vines
- Fire
Step 1
Create a new document with size of 1000×1050 px and fill it with white (feel free to use your own size and color). Open texture image. Use Move Tool to drag it into our white canvas, take Free Transform tool (Cmd/Ctrl+T) to lower the size to 40%:
Step 2
I don’t like some details on the texture so I make a new layer (Cmd/Ctrl+Shift+N), active Clone Tool (S) and remove them:
Step 3
Place forest stock onto the texture and change the mode to Soft Light 100%:
Click the second button at the bottom of Layer Panel to add mask to this forest layer. Use soft black brush with opacity from 30-70% to blur some parts on it. You can see how I did it on layer mask and result on picture:
Step 4
Duplicate this layer and flip it horizontally (Edit-Transform-Flip Horizontal). Move it to the right then use layer mask to remove hard edges:
Step 5
To edit all forest layers together, make them selected then hit cmd/Ctrl+G to create group for them. Change the mode of this group from Pass Through (default group mode) to Soft Light 100% (it’s very important to keep the same effect as before grouping). I name these layers “1” and “2”.
On 2 layer, go to Layer-New Adjustment Layer-Curves:
On Curves layer mask use soft black brush with varied opacity to erase or blur some parts:
Because the mode of this group changed to Soft Light 100% (no Pass Through) so this Curves layer only affects the layers inside this group (forest ones).
Step 6
To change the lightness of the background (texture, forest) I make a Curves layer on the top:
Use black brush to clear selected part shown in the screenshot:
Make another Curves layer to continue darkening the background. Try brushing on the layer mask to get similar result below:
Step 7
Extract model and place her at the top center (I didn’t take the legs as we don’t need them):
Step 8
Add layer mask to model one. Use brush to remove white parts of the hair remained after extracting:
Step 9
To make shadow of the model on background, create a new layer under model one. Hold Cmd/Ctrl while clicking model thumbnail layer to load her selection:
Go to Edit-Fill (Shift+F5) and pick the black and drag it to the right, convert it to Smart Object:
Lower opacity to 50%. Choose Filter-Blur-Gaussian Blur and fill radius as 6 px:
Use layer mask to blur the two sides of this shadow:
Step 10
To change color and brightness of the model, I use some adjustment layers with Clipping Mask. On model layer, go to Layer-New Adjustment Layer-Hue/Saturation:
Curves and Photo Filter:
On Curves layer mask, erase the top of left shoulder of the model (from the viewers) to make it a bit brighter:
Step 11
Open skull pack. I choose number 0053 to cut out and place it onto model face after downsizing and rotating:
Use layer mask to blend the skull with the face:
Step 12
Add two adjustment layers (Clipping Mask) to skull one to reducing saturation and darkening:
Apply brush masking on the center part of the skull to keep it brighter than the rest:
Step 13
Open wood texture. Use Rectangular Marquee Tool to create a selection on the pic:
Drag it onto left arm of the model. After lowering the size, use Warp Tool (Edit-Transform-Warp) to bend it as shown below:
Step 14
Open brush menu, choose Reset Brushes. Now click to change brush to Spatter 24 pixels:
Press F5 to change the settings of this brush:
Add layer mask to the wood layer. Use indicated spatter brush to remove the unnecessary parts of the wood and blend it with model arm. You can vary brush size to get more natural result:
Step 15
Add wood texture to another arm with similar method:
Step 16
The arms look a bit flat after adding the texture. To fix it, I group wood texture layers and change the mode to Normal 100% . Add a Curves layer to this group:
On Curves layer mask I use brush to erase some parts and create contrast to the arms:
Step 17
The arms need more contrast so I make a new layer above wood texture group, fill with 50% gray and change the mode to Overlay:
Use Dodge and Burn Tool (O) with Midtones Range, Exposure 20-25% to brighten the top of left and right shoulder and darken the edges. You can see how I applied this tool with Normal mode and result with Overlay mode:
Step 18
Open vines stock pack. I choose number 1 to put onto the top of left shoulder and different parts of number 11 to arrange over the two arms. Use layer mask to remove parts outside these areas and blur some details to get more natural look:
Step 19
Extract branches 1 from the background. I take different parts of them to position around model head, duplicate, transform, use layer mask if needed to achieve a random look:
I used 10 layers for this effect.
Step 20
Create a new layer under branches ones. Use soft black brush with low opacity (about 20%) to paint shadow of the branches on model body:
Step 21
Make group for these branches layers, set the mode to Normal 100% and call it “branches 1”. Also change the name of them from 1 to 10. Make two Curves and a Photo Filter layers to change contrast and color of these branches:
On the first Curves layer mask I erase the left side to keep it brighter than the right. On the second I erase the right to make them darker:
Step 22
Drag the nest into our picture, downsize and warp it to fit the model head:
Step 23
Use Curves and Photo Filter (Clipping Mask) to make contrast and change color of the nest:
On Curves layer mask , erase the right side to make it darker than the left:
Step 24
Open branches 2 stock and isolate them from the background. I take different parts and position them at the two sides of the picture:
Step 25
To add depth to our picture I apply Gaussian Blur with 4 px for these branches:
Step 26
Make group for the branches (I call this group “branches 2”). Add Curves and Hue/Saturation to this group:
Brush over the left side to keep it brighter than the right:
Step 27
Create some adjustment layers on the top to change color of the whole picture. I use Hue/Saturation, Gradient Map, Color Balance and Photo Filter:
Change the mode of this Gradient Map to Soft Light 100%. On Hue/Saturation layer mask I use brush to erase the left of the model to keep it more vibrant than the rest:
Step 28
Open tree stock. I copy a part of the tree and paste it into the pic:
Use layer mask to make the tree stand under model dress :
Step 29
Make a new layer with Clipping Mask, I use Clone Tool to fix some details of the tree:
We’ll be changing color of the tree later.
Step 30
Extract crow and put him above the nest:
Step 31
Apply some adjustment layers for the crow:
Step 32
Now we’re going to create light effect for the scene. Make a new layer on the top. Use soft brush with color #ff6600 to paint on the bottom right and change the mode to Soft Light 100%:
On the next layer I change brush color to #ef4c54. Paint on the two edges and set the mode to Soft Light 100%:
Step 33
Make three layers on the top. On the first I use color #ff6600 to paint over the tree and lower part of model dress and hands. I change the mode to Color 100%:
On the second and third I use color #ef4c54 to paint on tree, model dress, hands and bottom right of the pic. I alter the mode of the second to Color 30%, the third to Soft Light 90%:
Step 34
Place the fire background at the lower part of the pic:
Use Spatter 24 pixels brush with same settings in step 14 to trim the edges. The aim is to achieve a rich, flaming look but not too obvious. You can see the result of mine on the mask and the picture:
Step 35
Open fire stock. Take different parts of the fire to position around the tree root. Duplicate and transform the fire if needed:
Change the mode of these fire layers to Screen 100% and use layer mask to erase and blur some details on the fires:
Step 36
To remove hard edges of the fires, double click a fire layer, choose Blending Options. Hold Alt/Option key and drag black slider of This Layer to the right until the black edge disappear. Then make all other fire layers selected, right click and choose Copy Layer Styles. We have result:
Step 37
Group all fire layers and change the mode to Screen 100%. I use Color Balance and Curves to make the fire effect redder and less obvious:
On Curves layer mask I erase a bit on the right of the fire part:
Step 38
Final touch: I use two adjustment layers on the top to enhance the contrast and color of the whole picture:
On Levels layer mask I use soft black brush with low opacity (20-25%) to blur dark effect on the right:
Final Results
Download the PSD
Tutorial by Jenny Le
Thank you for reading this tutorial, I hope it was useful for you. If you want to view my other arts and tutorials, you can follow me on Facebook or visit my website . Enjoy photoshopping!
– Jenny
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