Full Wallpaper
[updated on the 24/09/09]
This tutorial will show you how to make a wallpaper like this one.
*Please remember that this is about Learning, not Copying.
If you're new to Photoshop, here are a couple of things you should know before we get started...
How to apply a gradient map - 2 ways:
1) Layer > New Adjustment Layer > Gradient Map > Load Gradients
2) Layer > Duplicate Layer > Image > Adjustments > Gradient Map > Load Gradients
For a more complete and detailed explanation about gradient maps, check out Wendy's great tutorial.
How to change a layer's blend mode - 2 ways:
1) With the Blending Options Window : Layer > Layer Style > Blending Options > Blend Mode
2) Directly on the Layers Window : Window > Layer > Drop boxes at the top
Step 1 : Basic blending
The idea behind the wallpaper: This is about Bella's depression after Edward's departure during New Moon. My main goal was to create an effect simililar to the beautifully made wipe we saw in the latest trailer [0:37 - watch it here].
Reproducing a wipe with static images is pretty near to impossible, so I decided to go with a dissolve effect instead. I superimposed a resized version of this screencap of Edward on this other screencap, linked them together (Window > Layers > Select layers > Right click > Link Layers), duplicated them (Layer > Duplicate Layers) 3 times and placed each of the pairs next to the other in an horizontal line while gradually lowering the Edward screencap opacity until it completely faded [preview].
I finally added a screencap of Bella and placed it on the left side of the canvas, under the other screencaps. I softly erased some parts of the right and bottom sides of the screencap.
result:
screencaps are from nicolemissing
Step 2 : Stock Pictures
Here are the stock pictures I used for this wallpaper. I will refer to them by their numbers in my explanations.
stocks are from stock xchng & flickr
I already explained in details how I generally choose my stock pictures in my Stock pictures and Light effects tutorial so I'll just say that the stocks I used for this wallpaper had advantages that I felt complimented my overall concept and composition, which is why I used them instead of any others.
Stock #1: I placed it on the left side of my canvas over Bella's screencap and set its blend mode to Screen: opacity @ 100%. I erased the borders but kept the right side of the stock, which covers the right side of Bella's face and some of the Edward caps, intact.
Stock #2: I placed it over the previous stock picture (approximately in the middle of the canvas), erased most of it except the parts that interested me and again set its blend mode to Screen: opacity @ 100%.
Stock #3: I placed it on the left side of my canvas over Bella's screencap and set its blend mode to Soft Light: opacity @ 100%. I erased the borders and some other parts I didn't want (especially on Bella's body) and kept some of the interesting splashy paint around Edward's first screencap.
I created a new layer (Layer > New > Layer) and with the brush tool applied some black on the bottom left side of Bella's screencap; where the truck is.
I merged these layers together (Layer > New > Layer > Alt + Ctrl + Shift + E).
Image > Auto color, Auto tone and Auto contrast.
result:
Step 3 : Coloring
First, I applied this gradient (from my SotD_14 gradient pack) and set its blend mode to: Soft light opacity: 100%.
Then, I created a new layer (Layer > New > Layer), filled it with the following color :
(#6eaae0) and set its blend mode to: Overlay opacity: 50%Again, I created a new layer (Layer > New > Layer), filled this one with the following color :
(#9e3e40) and set its blend mode to: Soft Light opacity: 50%result:
Step 4 : Filters
I used some nice and subtle effects to icrease the quality of my main blending. I learned some of the following tricks from Wendy's very useful tutorial, which I really recommend you guys check out as well.
I merged all of my layers together (Layer > New > Layer > Alt + Ctrl + Shift + E) and increased the saturation : Image > Adjustments > Hue/Saturation > Saturation: +20.
I duplicated this layer (Layer > Duplicate Layer) and applied an Anisotropic filter (Filter > Stylise > Diffuse > Anisotropic) and set the opacity of this layer to 60%.
Again, I merged all of my layers in one (Layer > New > Layer > Alt + Ctrl + Shift + E) and applied a Paint Daubs filter: Filter > Artistic > Paint Daubs; brush size: 1; sharpness: 3.
With the smudge tool (brush size approx. 15px; opacity @ 30%) I gently softened some spots of Bella's face and neck that looked a bit too rough while trying to keep all of the shadows intact. I did the same with her hair.
result:
Step 5 : Text
This step is a bit more complicated than the others.
1) I created a new text layer with these words : "The absence of him is everywhere I look" (Font = Times New Roman) and placed it between the Edward caps and the Bella one, just above Bella's head. I set the Character options (Window > Character) to uppercase (
), set the font size to 6pt and and set the tracking (
) to 800. The words "The absence" and "I look" were filled with white while the rest was filled with black. The text layer opacity was set to 70%.I duplicated this text layer (Layer > Duplicate Layer), filled it completely with white and rasterized it (Layers window > Right click layer > Rasterize Type) and applied a Motion Blur filter: Filter > Blur > Motion Blur; distance: (approx.) 19px.
I set the blend mode of this layer to Screen: opacity @ 100%.
2) I created a new text layer with these words: "love, life, meaning..." (Font = Times New Roman, Color = white) and placed it approx. in the middle of the canvas, a tiny bit above Bella's right shoulder. I set the Character options to: font size: 14pt; tracking: 200. I rotated the text toward the left a bit. I applied a gradient map and shadows to the text (Right click layer > Blending Options > Gradient Overlay; black and white (default); blend mode: overlay; opacity: 40%; angle: 0 > Drop Shadow; blend mode: multiply; opacity: 100%; distance: 1px; spread: 0%; size: 1px; angle: 120).
3) I created a new text layer with this word: "over" (Font = Foutain Pen Frenzy, Color = #e05d5e), placed it beneath the previous text layer, set its blending mode to Multiply: opacity @ 100% and set the Character options to: font size: 36pt; tracking: 200. I rotated this text layer a bit toward the left, like the previous one. I also applied a gradient map and shadows to it (Right click layer > Blending Options > Gradient Overlay; black and white (default); "Reverse" option checked; blend mode: overlay; opacity: 100%; angle: 90 > Drop Shadow; blend mode: multiply; opacity: 100%; distance: 1px; spread: 0%; size: 5px; angle: 120).
Decorations: I created a new layer (Layer > New > Layer) and with the brush tool created a sort of roughly-made and bold white line beneath my second text layer ("love, life, meaning..."). I set its blend mode to Hard Mix: opacity @ 40%.
Again, I created a new layer (Layer > New > Layer) and with the brush tool (Brush around 1px with an hardness of 100%, Color = black) wrote the word "over" and set its blending mode to Overlay: opacity @ 70%.
result:
Step 6: Final touches
I created a new layer (Layer > New > Layer) and with the brush tool applied some black beneath my "over" text and on the right side of the top of my canvas, where the last Edward caps (the one where he's completed vanished) is. I set the opacity of this layer to 70%.
I merged all of my layers together (Layer > New > Layer > Alt + Ctrl + Shift + E).
Image > Auto contrast.
Final result:
'Absence'
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