Following this tutorial you will learn how to:
- remove objects from backgrounds
- retouch photos using blending modes
- combine adjustment layers for cool effects
- add shadows and lighting
- blend images to fit the same scenario
- use patterns
- use layer masks
- sharpen the image for a cleaner look
- add textures
- enhance the quality of images via easy techniques
- tips and tricks for a smoother work flow

Resources:

- snail from sxc.hu
- damask pattern  from patternsshop.com
- chair from Yukkabelle
- floor from Chulii-stock
- skull from Designious.com

Difficulty: Beginner
Completion time: 20-30 minutes
Tools: Photoshop CS3, Illustrator CS3 (optional)

Conceptual Vintage Illustration Final Image Preview

STEP 1

Open Photoshop and go to File > New… to create a blank document. Set it to 1680 x 1050 px in RGB color mode at 72 dpi.

STEP 2

Go to Layer > New Fill Layer > Solid color. Select pure black (#000000) and hit OK.

STEP 3

Open the “floor” image. Select all (CTRL+A), copy it (CTRL+C), go back to our document (CTRL+Tab) and paste it (CTRL+V). Hit CTRL+T to enter Free Transform mode, hold SHIFT and click-drag one of the corners. Release SHIFT and click-drag the top middle anchor point.

STEP 4

Go to the Layers palette (F7) and click the “Add Vector Mask” button. Then grab the Rectangular Marquee Tool (M) and make a selection like below. Grab the Brush Tool (B) and paint the entire selected area.

STEP 5

Go to Image > Adjustments > Desaturate (CTRL+SHIFT+U). Go to Layer > Duplicate Layer (CTRL+D) twice and set Blending modes to Multiply.

STEP 6

Grab the Rectangle Tool (U) and draw a rectangle like below. This will be our base for the wall. Use a dark brown color (#2c231c).

STEP 7

Open the “wall texture” picture, select all (CTRL+A), copy it (CTRL+C), go back to our document (CTRL+Tab) and paste it (CTRL+V). Hit CTRL+T to enter Free Transform mode and resize it like below and rotate it. Hold SHIFT to make an orthogonal rotation.

STEP 8

In the Layers palette (F7), ALT+click between the layers. Click when your cursor looks like an eclipse. This will make the top layer use the layer below it as a clipping mask.

STEP 9

Go to Image > Adjustments > Desaturate (CTRL+SHIFT+U). Then open the “chair” picture. Grab the Path Tool (P), set it on Paths and trace the contour of the chair. Close the path and right-click > Make Selection, hit OK in the popup window. Copy it (CTRL+C).

STEP 10

Go back to our document (CTRL+Tab) and paste it (CTRL+V). Go to Layer > New Adjustment Layer > Brightness/Contrast, Color Balance and Black & White. Make sure you check the “Use previous layer to create clipping mask” is checked. For Black & White, set Fill to 70%.

STEP 11

Open the “snail” picture and cut him out of the picture, like you did with the chair. Then copy it, paste it and resize it to look like below. Also rotate it a bit.

STEP 12

Go to Layer > Duplicate Layer (CTRL+J), desaturate it (CTRL+SHIFT+U) and set Blending mode to Soft Light.

STEP 13

Select the original layer and go to Layer > New Adjustment Layer > Brightness/Contrast, Color Balance and Black & White. This combination of adjustment layers controls well the tones and the saturation of your image. Keep in mind that it’s not the only one, you can experiment with others as well.

STEP 14

Create a new layer (CTRL+SHIFT+N or Layer > New > Layer), ALT+click between it and the layer below and set Blending mode to Multiply.

STEP 15

Grab the Brush Tool (B), set Hardness to 0%, hit D to set foreground color to pure black and paint shadows in the area below, marked with green.

STEP 16

Select the layer with the snail, set its Opacity to 40% and click the “Add Vector Mask” button. Grab the Path Tool (P), make sure it’s still on Paths and trace the area shown below. Right-click > Make Selection.

STEP 17

Grab the Brush Tool (make sure the layer mask is still selected) and paint the entire selected area with black. The actual color will not show, but it will hide the area, making the snail fit nicely onto the chair.

STEP 18

Open the “damask pattern” vector. When prompted to input the file size, type in 2000 px in the Width value. For prints, use higher resolutions. Go to Select > Color Range, click the background, hit OK, then Delete.

STEP 19

Grab the Rectangular Marquee Tool (M), select a pattern, copy it (CTRL+C), go back to our document (CTRL+Tab) and paste it (CTRL+V). Go to View > Snap To > Layers and Document Bounds.

STEP 20

Grab the Selection Tool (V), hold ALT and click-drag the pattern shape. Hold SHIFT while dragging to make an orthogonal move. Place the copy near the original, it will automatically snap to its edges.

STEP 21

Repeat previous step to create a large pattern. Then select all these layers (click the first original layer’s thumb, hold SHIFT and click the last copy) and go to Layer > Merge Layers (CTRL+E).

STEP 22

Click the “fx” button and select “Blending Options”. Check “Color Overlay”, click it and set the color to a midtone brown, like below. Hit OK, then go to Layer > Duplicate Layer (CTRL+J).

STEP 23

Double-click the “fx” button”, select “Color Overlay” again, select the color and make it darker, then press the “Down” arrow once. Hit OK.

STEP 24

Select both layers and go to Layer > Merge Layers (CTRL+E). ALT+click between it and the layer below.

STEP 25

ALT+click between this layer and the one below it.

STEP 26

Grab the Rectangle Tool (U), set it on Shapes and draw a rectangle like below.

STEP 27

Click the “fx” button and select Blending Options. Check the “Gradient Overlay”,click it, select the gradient and set it like below. Hit OK.

STEP 28

Open the “Skull” vector file. Grab the Magic Wand Tool (W), click the white background and hit Delete. Grab the Rectangular Marquee Tool (M), select the skull, copy it (CTRL+C), go back to our document (CTRL+Tab).

STEP 29

In the Layers palette (F7), click the “fx” button and select “Blending Options”. Use the settings below. Also add a layer mask to it to hide the extra areas. Select the snail layer mask and paint over the shell.

STEP 30

Select the layer with the chair and create a new layer (CTRL+SHIFT+N). Set Blending mode to Multiply. Grab the Brush Tool (B), hit D and draw a shape like below.

STEP 31

Grab the Eraser Tool (E), grab a soft brush, set its Opacity (not the layer opacity!) to 20% (hit the “2” key) and gradually erase the area shown below.
NOTE: the keys from 1 to 0 set the brush’s opacity from 10 to 100%.

STEP 32

Repeat previous step for the shadow on the floor.

STEP 33

Create a new layer (CTRL+SHIFT+N) and place it above all other layers (CTRL+SHIFT+]). Set Blending mode to Soft Light and Opacity to 46%. Grab the Brush Tool (B), hit D, then X (D sets Foreground and Background colors to default and X switches them) and paint the area shown below.
Use the Eraser Tool (E) to clean up the extra areas.

STEP 34

Create a new layer (CTRL+SHIFT+N). Set Blending mode to Overlay, grab the Brush Tool (B) and paint the area shown below.

STEP 35

Create a new layer and set Blending mode to Multiply. Grab the Brush Tool (B) again, hit D and paint the edges of the image. This will create a nice vignette effect. Feel free to adjust the layer’s Opacity.

STEP 36

Select all artwork (CTRL+A) and copy merged (CTRL+SHIFT+C) and paste (CTRL+V). Then go to Layer > Duplicate Layer (CTRL+J).

STEP 37

Go to Filter > Other > High Pass. Use 1.5 px and hit OK. Set Blending mode to Overlay.

STEP 38

Grab the Crop Area Tool (C) and crop the area shown below.

Done!

For this kind of matter, using vector patterns are a really good idea. So here’s how you can easily use them and save alot of time, stress and tons of feedback from your clients.

Tools: Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop

Completion time: 2 minutes

STEP 1

Open the vector pattern in Illustrator (File > Open or click-drag the file over the Illustrator icon).

STEP 2

Grab the Selection Tool (V), click one of the vectors, click-drag one of the corners and hold ALT key to preserve proportions. Double-click it to enter Isolation mode.

STEP 3

If you want to change colors, grab the Magic Wand Tool (Y), press Enter and set Tolerance to “0”. Then click a color and click a color of your choosing from Swatches (Window > Swatches).
Repeat this step until you change all the colors.

STEP 4

Grab the Selection Tool (V) again and double-click outside the drawing to exit Isolation mode.

STEP 5

Open Photoshop and create a document of 600×600 px.

STEP 6

From Illustrator, click-drag the edited pattern directly into Photoshop. It will have a bit of loading time to re-size the pattern.

STEP 7

Hit Enter to exit Free Transform mode. When you import images or vectors, Photoshop automatically sets the new layer to Free Transform. For vectors, it will scale Width and Height and will pick the max dimension from your canvas size.

STEP 8

Open the Layers palette (Window > Layers or F7) and CTRL+click the “Vector Smart Object” layer thumbnail. This will create a “marching ants” selection.

STEP 9

Go to Image > Crop. This is very important, since it will define the edges for the repeat pattern.
Go to Select > Deselect (CTRL+D).

STEP 10

Go to Edit > Define Pattern (CTRL+F2). Name it, so you’ll know which one it is later on. Hit OK.

STEP 11

To apply it, select the layer you want to apply pattern to, then click the “fx” button in the Layers palette (F7). Select Blending Options.

STEP 12

Check the Pattern Overlay box, click its tag and from the box shown below, select the pattern you created in STEP 10.

The advantage of applying a pattern like this is that you can scale it from the Blending options.
Simply reduce or increase Scale, play around with it until you are satisfied with the result.

Difficulty: Intermediate

Completion time: 1-2 hours

Tools: Adobe Illustrator CS3

Resources:

- Designious Floral Vector Pack 66

What you’ll be creating

Creating the basics

STEP 1

Create a document of 600×600 px in CMYK color mode.

STEP 2

Grab the Rectangle Tool (M), hold the SHIFT key and draw a reasonably large square.

STEP 3

Grab the Rotate Tool (R), hold ALT key and click the middle of the square (toggle on Smart Guides – CTRL+U), press Enter and set Angle to 45 degrees. Hit OK.

STEP 4

Go to View > Guides > Make Guides (CTRL+5). Toggle Rulers (CTRL+R) and drag two guides like below.
To make the placement right, go to View > Smart Guides (CTRL+U). It will tell you when you’re in the right point and also has a magnetic effect.

STEP 5

Open the “Designious Floral Vector Pack 66“, grab the Selection Tool (V) and select the flower I did.

STEP 6

Copy it (CTRL+C) and paste it into our drawing (CTRL+V).

STEP 7

Using the Selection Tool (V), hold SHIFT key and resize it. Then grab an anchorpoint from the middle of the flower and place it on the vertical Axis.

STEP 8

Go back to the “Designious Floral Vector Pack 66” and pick another flower. Paste it in our drawing.

STEP 9

Resize it like in STEP 7. Use the Selection Tool (V) to place it like below. Erase the extra areas with the Eraser Tool (SHIFT+E).

STEP 10

With the second flower selected, copy it (CTRL+C) and paste it in front (CTRL+F).

STEP 11

Go to Object > Transform > Reflect (CTRL+SHIFT+T) and select Vertical. Hit OK. Then place it vertically opposite to its original.
Use the Eraser Tool (SHIFT+E) to erase the unwanted areas.

STEP 12

Select the second flower using the Selection Tool (V). Hold the ALT key and click-drag it.
As you did with the first flower, place this one like in the image below.

STEP 13

Repeat STEP 11, place it symmetrically on the other side. Don’t try to get it perfectly right.

STEP 14

Copy the first flower, then grab the Eraser Tool (SHIFT+E) and erase the bottom area and the left side.

STEP 15

Place the remaining shape like I did. Then repeat STEP 11 for the symmetric one.

STEP 16

Add the same shape in different places, but resize it, reflect it… go wild!

STEP 17

Copy the second flower inserted and place it like I did.

STEP 18

Select the largest flowers from the top, copy them (CTRL+C) and paste them to front (CTRL+F).
Rotate them with 180 degrees, make them smaller and place them like below.

STEP 19

Copy the first flower inserted, grab the Eraser Tool (SHIFT+E) and erase mostly everything, except some nice leaves and the middle area.

STEP 20

Feel free to add more small flower pieces to fill up the shape.

STEP 21

Select all artwork (CTRL+A) and go to Object > Group (CTRL+G). Select the Eraser Tool (SHIFT+E), hold ALT key and erase half of the entire artwork.

STEP 22

Copy the remaining artwork (CTRL+C) and paste it to front (CTRL+F).

STEP 23

Go to Object > Transform > Reflect. Select Vertical and hit OK.

STEP 24

Grab the Selection Tool (V), make sure Smart Guides is toggled (CTRL+U) and move the copied shape.
Use an anchorpoint as gripping point when you move it, hold the SHIFT key and place it like below (place the gripping point on the vertical guide).

Making the pattern

STEP 25

Select all artwork, then go to Object > Group to make it a group.

Now the “geeky” part begins.

STEP 26

Resize the shape to have Width below 300 px. Then click the highlighted buttons below – on the top bar.

STEP 27

Hold ALT+SHIFT keys and click-drag to the left to make a copy of it. Leave a few pixels space between the edges of the two. Do the same in the right side.
Click the highlighted buttons, it will make an even distance between the shapes.

STEP 28

Select all artwork, then use the Selection Tool (V) to resize it till the left and right shapes have their vertical Axises very close to the edges of the Artboard.
Hold SHIFT and ALT keys to preserve the proportions.

STEP 29

Select the middle shape, then delete it. Select the left shape and set X to 0 px. For the right shape, set X to 600 px.

STEP 30

Select both shapes, then go to Object > Blend > Make.

STEP 31

Select all artwork (CTRL+A), hold ALT key and click-drag another copy. Place it with the bottom area of the first shape near the tangent point of the shapes below it.
Set X to 450 px (3/4 of canvas Width) and Y to the closest integer value. In my case it was 465 px.

STEP 32

Select the copy made in STEP 31. Make a copy in a similar way, but place it below the original.
Hold the ALT key to preserve X value when copying. Set Y to 135 px (600-465 px).

STEP 33

Go to View > Outline (CTRL+Y). Toggle on Rulers (CTRL+R) and Smart Guides (CTRL+U). Drag guides from the rulers to the shown axises of the shapes. Toggle off Outline view (CTRL+Y).

STEP 34

Grab the Rectangle Tool (M) and draw a rectangle with the corners in the intersection of the guides.

STEP 35

Select all artwork (CTRL+A) and go to Object > Expand. Then go to Object > Path > Clean up.

STEP 36

Select all artwork again (CTRL+A) and go to Pathfinder window (Window > Pathfinder) and click the “Crop” icon.

STEP 37

Remove Stroke and set the color to pure black #000000.

Saving as swatch

STEP 38

Open the Swatches palette (Window > Swatches). Select All colors (besides “[none]” and “[registration]” – the “no” and “sniper target” icons – these two can not be deleted) and click-drag them onto the “trash can” icon.

STEP 39

Select all artwork and click-drag it into the Swatches palette. Click the bottom right icon in the swatches palette and select “Save swatches”. Name it “Damask”.

Done!

The source file is available for download in the link below.

Arabesque
Damask
Geometrical
Kids
Metal
Nature
Retro
Seasonal

I hope you will enjoy your stay with us.

If you have any suggestions please leave a comment bellow.