QUICK TIP: CREATE NONDESTRUCTIVELY
Use all the error-proofing capabilities that Photoshop offers. Once
you are confident in the path of your piece, go to Image>Duplicate to
create an identical canvas.
Make a habit of using the fill and adjustment layers, located at the
bottom of the layers window. These steps will ensure you won’t
have to keep tapping Undo.13
ADD SOME COLOUR DETAILS
Now is a good time to open your Color panel by going to
Window>Color. Use a variety of the loaded brushes, and set them to an
Opacity above 80%. The Drawer brush is excellent for grass or rough
textures, and the Texture Draw brush, rotated 90 degrees, is great for
grass. Use a big soft brush for the waterfall mist, and a 15px Hard
Round brush for distant lightning. Remember, Color Dodge and Overlay
painting modes can convey highlights so use those in conjunction with
your brush selection and colour choices.14
INSERT RAYS
OF LIGHT
There are two methods to
achieving rays of light. One is
painting with the Light Beam
brush in Overlay mode. Or as
shown in the video, you can
create a new layer and select
either the Render Scratches or
Rock Highlights brushes at
1400px and 100% Opacity and
paint a light beige and light blue
colour. Go to Filter>Blur>Motion
Blur and set the angle to -90°
and the distance to about 250
pixels. Then go to
Edit>Transform>Distort and pan
the bottom corners outward and
the top corners inward so the
light beams appear more radial.15
FINALISE COLOUR
During the final portion of the greyscale painting, you detailed the landscape. Refer
to Step 10 and repeat this process while exploring all brushes. Load Photoshop’s default
Dry Media brushes and select the Charcoal Flat brush at high opacity for streams, refining
the waterfall, and mountain ridges. Use a 400px soft brush at low opacity and Color Dodge
painting mode to really emphasise the waterfalls, sun, and clouds. Finally, create a new
adjustment layer for Color Balance, Brightness and Contrast, or Hue and Saturation and
tweak your painting to perfection.Control tone and colour in scenes
The Professional Photoshop Book 109
104-109 Colour Control.indd 109 06/10/2015 15:37