How to Create a Fantasy Scene with Adobe Photoshop

In this Photoshop tutorial, I’ll show you how to create a fantasy scene featuring a cat watching a magical fish.

You’ll learn how to combine several stock images and textures, retouching, make the light effect, enhance the color and more.


Final Image

How to Create a Fantasy Scene with Adobe Photoshop 1


Tutorial Details

  • Program : Photoshop CS3+
  • Estimated Completion Time : 60 minutes
  • Difficulty : Beginner

Resources


Step 1

Create a new 2000×1221 px document and fill it with white. Open the cat image and drag it into the white canvas using the Move Tool (V) . Use the Free Transform Tool (Ctrl+T) to resize the cat image to fit the size of the document.
How to Create a Fantasy Scene with Adobe Photoshop 1


Step 2

The cat seems a bit desaturated than the background. Hit Ctrl+Shift+N to make a new layer and activate the Brush Tool (B) . Use this brush with the color #ecc700 to paint over the cat. Change this layer mode to Color 20% .
How to Create a Fantasy Scene with Adobe Photoshop 1


Step 3

Cut out the fish and place it in the upper of the right side, remember to move it to fit the look’s direction of the cat.
How to Create a Fantasy Scene with Adobe Photoshop 1


Step 4

Go to Filter > Liquify and use the Forward Warp Tool to tweak the tail and fin, make them more curvy. It gives the fish a fantasy feel.
How to Create a Fantasy Scene with Adobe Photoshop 1


Step 5

Click the second icon at the bottom of the Layers panel to add a mask to the fish’s layer. Use a soft black brush with the opacity about 20-30% to reduce the fin and tail visibility.
How to Create a Fantasy Scene with Adobe Photoshop 1


Step 6

Double click the fish layer, choose Outer Glow. See the color of glow to #fadb15.
How to Create a Fantasy Scene with Adobe Photoshop 1


Step 7

Make a Hue/Saturation adjustment layer and set it as Clipping Mask. Change the Master settings:
How to Create a Fantasy Scene with Adobe Photoshop 1


Step 8

Create a Curves adjustment layer to bring more light to the fish. On this layer mask, use a soft black brush to paint on the upper of the fish’s body to reduce the light there.
How to Create a Fantasy Scene with Adobe Photoshop 1


Step 9

To make the fin and tail more golden, use a soft brush with the color #fadb15 to paint on there. Alter this layer mode to Color 100%.
How to Create a Fantasy Scene with Adobe Photoshop 1


Step 10

Create a new layer (non-Clipping Mask) and use a small brush with the color #fabc15 to paint several curvy lines along the fish body, especially the tail and fin. It helps to increase the fantasy feel for the fish.
How to Create a Fantasy Scene with Adobe Photoshop 1


Step 11

On another layer, use the same brush but increase the size to spot on the tail of the fish. Change this layer mode to Soft Light 50%.
How to Create a Fantasy Scene with Adobe Photoshop 1


Step 12

Open the light image. Use the Liquify Tool to tweak the light form become like below:
How to Create a Fantasy Scene with Adobe Photoshop 1
Place this image onto the tail and fin of the fish and change the layer mode to Screen 100%.
How to Create a Fantasy Scene with Adobe Photoshop 1
Use a layer mask to reduce the opacity of the effect as shown below:
How to Create a Fantasy Scene with Adobe Photoshop 1


Step 13

Duplicate this layer twice and put the over the fin and tail area. Use Ctrl+T with the Warp mode to make the lines of the effect follow the form and movement of the fish.
How to Create a Fantasy Scene with Adobe Photoshop 1


Step 14

Select all the effect layers and press Ctrl+G to make a group for them. Change this group mode to Screen 100% and use a Curves adjustment layer within the group to remove the unwanted white edges.
How to Create a Fantasy Scene with Adobe Photoshop 1


Step 15

Make a new layer on top of the layers and change the mode to Color Dodge 100%. Turn the foreground to #f9641b and hit F5 to alter the settings of this brush:
How to Create a Fantasy Scene with Adobe Photoshop 1
How to Create a Fantasy Scene with Adobe Photoshop 1
How to Create a Fantasy Scene with Adobe Photoshop 1
Paint sparkling spots around the fish and ca and remember to press [ and ] to change the size of the brush while painting:
How to Create a Fantasy Scene with Adobe Photoshop 1


Step 16

Hit Ctrl+G to make a group for this layer and change the group mode to Color Dodge 100%. Double click this layer, choose Outer Glow. Set the color of glow to #fabc15.
How to Create a Fantasy Scene with Adobe Photoshop 1


Step 17

Make a Color Fill layer on top of the layers and pick the color #281602. Change this layer mode to Exclusion 100%.
How to Create a Fantasy Scene with Adobe Photoshop 1


Step 18

Create a Curves adjustment layer to increase the contrast of the whole scene.
How to Create a Fantasy Scene with Adobe Photoshop 1


Step 19

Open the star texture pack. Use “starry 6” image to add to the canvas and change the mode of this layer to Screen 100%.
How to Create a Fantasy Scene with Adobe Photoshop 1


Step 20

Use a Curves adjustment layer (set as Clipping Mask) to change the color and contrast of the effect, making it blended well with the existing background.
How to Create a Fantasy Scene with Adobe Photoshop 1


Step 21

Final step: Use a small brush with the color #fadb15 to paint yellow strands on the front of the cat where the yellow light of the fish reflects on.
How to Create a Fantasy Scene with Adobe Photoshop 1


And We’re Done!

I hope that you enjoyed this tutorial.
How to Create a Fantasy Scene with Adobe Photoshop 1