Realistic Blending
There are loads of ways to blend in Photoshop, I'd fill this page with them, but here's a way that I always use in any graphics program for I think it achieves the most effective and realistic effects. It's done by simply using an eraser, not the feathering. Ok, I'll get on with the tutorial before I bore you to tears.
Above, is what you're going to be making. I did it very quickly so I expect yours to be tons better. We'll be using Keira but you can use different images if you want.
Included in the blend are displacement maps and a cloud image. Download them here.
Arrange the images and start erasing
1. Firstly, create a canvas sized around 700x400. Resize the first image and place it to the right of the canvas, so the stone banister can be seen. With the second image, resize it so Keira looks the same size and nearly covering the first.
2. Choose a soft round brush sized 30-50, opacity 100 at first, gradually going down to 60ish nearer the edge of the two. You might need to smudge parts (using the smudge tool) in to get a more realistic effect. The desired blending look is so it looks like they're on the same step - each dress should be overlapping. Once you're happy, flatten the image. Then do the same process with the third image.
Start decorating
3. Now, go to your brushes palette (window>>brushes) and then in 'Shape Dynamics' set the size jitter to around 50%. Then in 'scattering' set it to 800%. Click ok. Choose a white and soft colour around 10. Click around each part of the image. After a few of those, go to the blending options of the layer, choose outer-glow, change the mode to screen and repeat brush process. This should make it look more glowy; like stars.
4. To me, the colours of the blend are a bit boring, so jazz it up with a gradient (I picked one with light pink, pale orange and pastel blue). The gradient should be done a new layer. Set the layer mode to overlay. Erase parts of the layer you don't want the gradient to affect. Also, I lowered the opacity to 60%. Again, flatten.
Distort the image
5. Select the head and trunk of the left image. Delete parts around the edges so it's like a psd. Set the blending mode to soft light and then put it to the left side of the left image and delete parts, making it look like it's behind Keira. Do a further two times, each time, lowering the opacity. Flatten the image.
6. Duplicate the layer. Go to filter>>distort>>displace and find the first displacement map you downloaded, pixels set to 100x100. Then erase most of the layer but leaving a low-fi, dissolved effect around the top of the dresses. Flatten. Duplicate again and choose the second displacement map, set to 50x50 and wrap around. Erase and then delete leaving a squarish imprint on the bottom of the dresses.
7. Open up the cloud image, resize it a bit, to your satisfaction. Set the mode to soft light. Reduce the opacity and delete parts you don't like, just leaving a cloudy texture. Then flatten. Duplicate a further time and using the thin column selection tool, select a long thin rectangle on any of the Keiras (it works best to one's on the edge - I choose the image furthest to right) and go to edit>>transform>>scale and pull it along. Delete parts with a brush so it appears it's 'falling away' from her. Flatten again.
8. Duplicate again (oh no!) and chop the image up by using sharp shapes with no layer visibility and a little erasing. The creates even more distortion and chops the image up even more! Merge down this time.
9. On a new layer, choose a yellow/orange gradient and set the layer mode to 'hue'. I erased very little here. It's good to have more colour on the dress. Now, select random parts of the image, duplicate them , move them around, erase parts; it's up to you. Just make it exciting.
Finishing Touches
10. The final step is, adding some text and brushes, perhaps some shapes, alternating the blend modes.
And that's it!
