07
THE MIDDLE BACKGROUND MOUNTAIN
Now you can repeat the same techniques
as used in the steps before. Try to match the shape
of the 3D render to the scene as much as possible,
as well as the lighting direction. Create a new group
and call it something like ‘midground mountain’.
Import the images into your Photoshop file and place
them by using the Move tool. Then create a layer
mask for every image you want to add and paint the
shapes. Here, tree images were used to create a
base for the mountain.06
OVERPAINT THE WATERFALLS
Now you need to match the waterfall size by
painting on top of the waterfall. Create a new layer on
top of the waterfall layer and use a chalk brush. Pick a
dark colour from a nearby area and just paint some
lines on the waterfall. Then add some smaller islands
and stones. Go to Image>Image Rotate>Flip Horizontal
to have a fresh eye and check the perspective and
scale. Create a new layer and set it to Lighten. Pick the
sun colour and paint some highlights over the waterfall
where the light hits.05
ADD THE WATERFALLS
Other than the sun rays, the background
needs another interesting element – the waterfalls.
To create these, use two different waterfall images.
To paint the shapes of the waterfalls, create a layer
mask by clicking on the layer mask icon in the
Layers panel and paint with the round brush in black
to change the shape. It’s important to look at the size
of the trees – the waterfalls shouldn’t be bigger than
the trees on the mountain. After that, match the
colours again with Color Balance.QUICK TIP
If you want to select a part of a reference image you picked for the painting, use the Quick Selection tool to
create a fast and accurate selection. Sometimes the Quick Selection tool creates better results than Color
Range selection or the Magic Wand tool.08
OVERPAINT THE MOUNTAIN
The next step is another overpaint and colour matching. You
need to match the grassy top and the forest to the rocky mountain
image. To match the colours, use the Match Color adjustment. Go to
Image>Adjustments>Match Color. Select the PSD file as a source and
the layer you want to match this layer. After you have done this, create a
new layer for the overpaint and paint the edges between the images, as
well as painting in some trees on the light side of the mountain.09
PAINT THE SNOWY DISTANT MOUNTAINS
Flip the image again to get a fresh eye. Create a new group. Use the 3D part as a
base, but extend the shape a bit more with the Lasso tool. Import a snowy mountain and
put it into the PSD file. Use Color Balance to match the colours. When you have done this,
create a new layer over the mountain. This layer will be a cloud layer. Use the Brush tool
and a cloud brush. Pick a cloudy colour from the sky layer and paint the clouds.EPIC FANTASY LANDSCAPE