Advanced_Photoshop_Issue_139_-_2015_UK_

CONTROL TONE AND

COLOUR IN SCENES

PAINT A WHIMSICAL LANDSCAPE BY USING THE

POWEROFLINE,VALUE,ANDCOLOUR

I

n the following tutorial, you will become skilled

in painting a digital fantasy landscape in

Photoshop that will resemble magnificent

worlds like the ones in Nintendo’sLegend of

Zeldaor Disney’sMaleficent. Since this

demonstrated painting style is quite loose, a pen

tablet is strongly recommended. Before diving

into Photoshop’s intuitive interface, research the

paintings of Albert Bierstadt, particularlyAmong

The Sierra Nevada Mountains.

Bierstadt and other Hudson River School painters

mimicked Romanticism using atmospheric

perspective in their landscapes to emphasise depth,

and saturated colours for focal interest. Similarly,

after we finish sketching the line art and placing our

grey values, we will explore how different colours

and brush blend modes affect the layer underneath.

Bierstadt also emphasised scale and grandeur.

Mountain ranges, waterfalls, and vegetation were

not necessarily true-to-size, which led to a more

fantasy-like painting. When following this tutorial,

search the web for various landscapes such as

canyons and waterfalls for inspiration, but do not

be hindered by the laws of nature. Let your

imagination run wild. For an effective painting, it’s

also important to understand the elements of

design, such as scale and balance. If you are a bit

rusty, simply search for ‘design elements and

principles’ to brush up so that you can start this

tutorial with confidence.