BRINGING IT ALL TOGETHER
FINISH THE BACKGROUND AND ADD THE FINAL COLOUR ADJUSTMENT TO POLISH YOUR ILLUSTRATION OFFQUICK TIP
Use non-destructive adjustments wherever possible so changes can be made easily and updated renders
can be integrated into the PSD file without having to rebuild the entire comp.TIE COLOURS TOGETHER
A great way to bring colours together from
different image sources is to use the Gradient Map
and Black & White adjustment layers. Sometimes
the colours only need a nudge at the end and
these adjustment layers are perfect for that,
especially when used at low opacity. Using them
in Overlay or Soft Light mode can produce nice
effects as well as adding contrast. Don’t be afraid
to add lots of adjustment layers to the image and
experiment with different blend modes and
combinations to develop a unique look.14
COLOUR AND BLENDS
Before blending everything together, all
the photos need to be brought into the same
general colour space. This can be done with a
combination of the Match Color tool for the cloud
layers and the Hue/Saturation tool for the ground
layers. You will be doing overall colour adjustments
at the end, so it’s only important to get it mostly
correct at this stage. We can also begin blending
the layers in the distance using the Eraser tool with
a simple soft round brush.15
FOREGROUND CLOUDS
To correct the edges of the foreground
clouds, you can combine two techniques. First, lock
the layer transparency in the Layers panel, then use
the Clone brush to fill out the white cloud to the edge
so there is no dark edge. Unlock the layer
transparency and then use the Eraser tool with a
cloud pattern brush to erase back the edge slightly
so it looks soft and fluffy. Increase spacing in the
Brush panel and turn on Angle and Size Jitter for a
more random edge.16
FLARES AND EFFECTS
Adding in some effects like light flares,
sparingly, will add a nice touch. You can also add in
some simple exhaust jets with the Lasso and Gradient
tools. Add Filter>Distort>Glass to the background for
some heat effects. Vapour trails can also be added to
the wing tips with a small brush. Finish by adding in
photographed flares from real surfaces over the
specular highlights. This adds nice micro detail around
the highlights, especially on the glass, which will make
it look less CG.17
FIRST ROUND COLOUR CORRECTION
To achieve the look of high altitude, you can
start to experiment with colour adjustment layers.
Push the contrast with a Curves layer. Increase the
saturation slightly with a Hue/Saturation layer. A
Black & White layer set to the Blue filter and Soft
Light at 50% brings out more blue. A Gradient Map
set to Overlay, 11%, shifts the colours towards a
defined palette that goes from cool shadows to
warm highlights. Experiment with a combination of
these layers to develop the desired look.18
FINAL COLOURING
To complete the final look, you are going to
add colour gradient layers to tint the image. This will
help with the illustrative look. Set the layer mode to
Overlay and start to fill in gradients. Again,
experiment here with Opacity and Mode. Pick colours
from the overall palette of blue and orange/red and it
will help tie everything together. Finally, you can add
a vignette to bring focus to the centre of the image
and a Hue/Saturation layer and Black & White layer
for the finishing touches.EXPERT BLENDING