A Work in Progress: Message from Faraway...



This guide was made for entry:
Message from Faraway...
In Contest:
bath filling


Original image


step 1 of 33

Initial selections from source image using pen tool.

Creation of Message from Faraway...: Step 1

step 2 of 33

Helmet reconstruction

Creation of Message from Faraway...: Step 2

step 3 of 33

Added helmet on top of head.

Creation of Message from Faraway...: Step 3
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step 4 of 33

Body and neck reconstruction.
You can see a colored final result as well.

Creation of Message from Faraway...: Step 4

step 5 of 33

Added bottom part of body and neck.

Creation of Message from Faraway...: Step 5
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step 6 of 33

Designing elements.

Creation of Message from Faraway...: Step 6

step 7 of 33

Adding elements in different shapes.
Also removed backround from initial girl image which I didn't need (using a layers mask)

Creation of Message from Faraway...: Step 7
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step 8 of 33

Nose creation.

Creation of Message from Faraway...: Step 8

step 9 of 33

Other elements and joints.

Creation of Message from Faraway...: Step 9

step 10 of 33

Adding elements, joints and nose.

Creation of Message from Faraway...: Step 10
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step 11 of 33

Construction of the "see through" mask for eyes and mouth.

Creation of Message from Faraway...: Step 11

step 12 of 33

Added the mask on top of the eyes and mouth.

Creation of Message from Faraway...: Step 12
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step 13 of 33

Construction of the "alien" looking hair.

Creation of Message from Faraway...: Step 13

step 14 of 33

Added the "hair".

Creation of Message from Faraway...: Step 14
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step 15 of 33

Added more hair in front of helmet to cover edges which I didn't like very much. Used the first shape that I have created using warp, copy/paste multiple times, resizing, flipping and repositioning.

Creation of Message from Faraway...: Step 15
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step 16 of 33

Hands construction.

Creation of Message from Faraway...: Step 16

step 17 of 33

Added hands.

Creation of Message from Faraway...: Step 17
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step 18 of 33

Added backround and a gradient layer on top (from green to yellow).

Creation of Message from Faraway...: Step 18
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step 19 of 33

Brain construction.
Used a PNG file, warped and resized it.

Creation of Message from Faraway...: Step 19
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step 20 of 33

Added brain and colored helmet (hue/saturation). Also added some glow to it using outer glow and different layers with screen blending mode and a lowered opacity.

Creation of Message from Faraway...: Step 20
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step 21 of 33

Started to color different elements (hue/saturation) and used the burn tool along the way for shadows.

Creation of Message from Faraway...: Step 21
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step 22 of 33

Colored eyes and mouth mask.

Creation of Message from Faraway...: Step 22
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step 23 of 33

Colored body and face.

Creation of Message from Faraway...: Step 23
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step 24 of 33

Colored the rest of elements.

Creation of Message from Faraway...: Step 24
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step 25 of 33

Colored hands.

Creation of Message from Faraway...: Step 25
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step 26 of 33

Added flares and light beams, blending mode screen, lowered opacity.

Creation of Message from Faraway...: Step 26
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step 27 of 33

Flattened image, darkened some areas (burn tool), duplicated layer and added gaussian blur (multiply, 51% opacity)

Creation of Message from Faraway...: Step 27
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step 28 of 33

A series of effects:

bm - stands for blending mode;
op - stands for opacity;

1. High pass filter (for better definition): bm overlay, 60% op;
2. Vignette: bm overlay, 34% op;
3. Gradient map adjustment layer for coloring (green to yellow): bm luminosity, 78% op;
4. Selective color adjustment layer;
5. Two channel mixer adjustment layers: bm luminosity; one layer with 100% op, second one with 57% op;

Creation of Message from Faraway...: Step 28
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step 29 of 33

A different gradient map adjustment layer (from brown to green) to calm down the green tones by using brown: bm color, 46% op.

Creation of Message from Faraway...: Step 29
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step 30 of 33

Duplicate layer, desaturate, changed bm to multiply and lowered opacity to 46%.
This is a good method to make shadows and highlights really stand out.

Creation of Message from Faraway...: Step 30
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step 31 of 33

Finally last step:
1. Added more lens flare on the helmet, right underneath the brains.
2. Added some highlights on hair and elements using a soft yellow brush. Added gaussian blur to them and changed bm to soft light.
3. Added a grunge texture: bm overlay, 25% op.

Creation of Message from Faraway...: Step 31
sources used for this step:

step 32 of 33

Note to Katanaz on deviant art for source 1 and 6.

Creation of Message from Faraway...: Step 32

step 33 of 33

Note to Superior Stock on Deviantart for source 2.

Creation of Message from Faraway...: Step 33

Final result

Creation of Message from Faraway...: Final Result

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uservoted
akasha
Stoli4naq
SOLARIS
nasirkhan
Score:
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Comments

avatar ponti55
ponti55 says:

You.. are.. amazing...

(5 years and 3775 days ago)