COMPLETE THE BASE COMPOSITION
ADD TEXTURE AND FINALISE ARRANGEMENTTECHNIQUES CREATE A DISPLACEMENT EFFECT
QUICK TIP
We’ve given new meaning to the term organic
food. To help lend an organic feel to the various
surfaces, we blended and masked some broccoli.
Be sure to keep a well-stocked and varied image
library within easy reach. You never know what
type of subject or textural qualities you’ll need!WORKINGWITHSHAPELAYERS
Shape layers can be created by using one of the
Shape tools or by plotting a custom shape with
the Pen tool (be sure to tick Shape in the options
bar). Whether you start with a geometric or
custom shape, you can edit the vector path by
using the Direct Selection tool. Click and drag on
the anchor points to adjust. You can use the Add
and Delete Anchor Point tools to add/delete
points on the path. These tools allow to you start
with stock shapes and make them your own. To
save a shape, go to Edit>Define Custom Shape.14
ADD GLOW
We’ll save the majority of our colour
adjustments and glows for the end phase, but we’ll
take a moment here to pause from our shape
building to add a bit of colour. Click the Create New
Fill or adjustment layer button at the bottom of the
layers palette then choose Solid Color – pick
#479784. Set the layer’s blend mode to Screen.
Then move it up or down the layers’ stacking order
until you find a suitable position. Invert the mask
(Cmd/Ctrl+I), then paint it back with white and a
large soft round brush.15
ADD ORGANIC TEXTURE
We’ll use some broccoli to add a touch of
texture. Place (Embedded) Broccoli.jpg above a
specific area, or simply place at the top of all the
current layers. Set to Soft Light blend mode. Add a
layer mask and then invert it. Paint back with white
to selectively apply the texture. If you need to peek at
the texture, you can Shift+click the mask to disable
(Shift+click again to enable). Place more broccoli in
other areas. To get a deeper blend, try a darken
mode like Color Burn.16
ADD WATER SWIRLS
Now we’ll borrow some foamy ocean water
shots to add some interesting swirls to the mix.
Place (Embedded) Water1.jpg and position it in an
area where you want to add the swirl effect. Add a
layer mask, invert, then paint back with white to
apply. To better blend the swirls, you can drop the
opacity or try changing the blend mode (we used
Screen and Overlay). To add more swirls, duplicate it,
re-position, and adjust the mask. For some variety,
you can also use Water2.jpg.17
FINALISE SHAPES
Add or create any last shapes to complete
the base composition. Layer some shapes at the top
to push the dimension. Paint some black in a layer
below to add shadows if needed. Also, go through
and see if any shapes and areas need to be moved or
altered. Don’t be afraid to remove elements that don’t
add value to your piece. If you’re afraid to delete, turn
off the visibility until you can make a definite
decision. Zoom in and out, and use the Rotate
Canvas tool to help with your judgment.18
MERGE AND BLUR
With the top layer selected, press Cmd/
Ctrl+Option/Alt+Shift+E to merge the visible
layers then right-click on the layer and choose
Convert to Smart Object. This will allow us to
apply Smart Filters to the merged layer. Go toFilter>Blur>Gaussian Blur. Set the Radius to 2.2
pixels and click OK. Restore some clarity in key
areas by painting black in the Smart Filter mask,
reducing the blur. If you want to adjust the blur,
double click on the Smart Filter, adjust the
Radius, and click OK again.