Wednesday 26 Nov 2008
Go back to the future with Photoshop know-how from Sakke Soini.
In this tutorial, Sakke Soini guides you step-by-step through the process of creating this cool old school sci-fi poster image, based on Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey. The tutorial includes tips on all the ageing effects you’ll need to make your poster art look as though it’s been in a garage for the last 30 years, not created on a computer in 2008.
The tutorial covers colouring and texturing layers, colour ful glow effects using the Render Clouds feature, and how to create stars using the Noise filter. When making a poster with a retro feel, try not to do too much research beforehand: instead, brainstorm childhood memories of similar posters and graphics.
Your memory isn’t perfect – and this can be a good thing for the creative process: rather than faithfully duplicating an old movie poster, you’ll be bringing your own flavour and creativity to the piece.
01. Create a blank A4 canvas in RGB, at 300dpi resolution. Create a new folder and name it ‘Obelisk’. If you’re planning to print the image, make sure you have the CMYK Proof Colors checked (Cmd/Ctrl + Y). Open the images obelisk.tif and obelisk_ fragments.tif from the cover CD, and drag them into the ‘Obelisk’ folder. Place them where they’ll appear in the finished piece, with the obelisk in the top layer, and the rock fragments beneath.
02. Go to http://tinyurl.com/46xd77 and download the large version of the metallic sheet texture; alternatively, use a suitable image of your own. Align it above the obelisk and select the obelisk by holding down Cmd/Ctrl and click ing on the layer. Invert the selec tion (Cmd/Ctrl + I), delete the excess texture and set the layer blending mode to Overlay.
03. Change the background colour to black. Duplicate the ‘Fragment’ layer and add a small outer glow to the bottom layer. Use Gaussian Blur (Filter > Blur > Gaussian Blur) on the top layer, setting the amount to 10, and set the blending mode to Linear Dodge. Next, grab a soft 50-pixel white brush with an opacity of 30%, and add dabs of glow to some of the fragments on the ground. Then use a large oval brush at 1,100 pixels, set the opacity to 15% and create the ground for the fragments.
04. Now it’s time to create the light burst coming from behind the obelisk. Create a new folder and name it ‘Background’, setting a new blank layer within it. Set your foreground colour to black, and the background to white, then select Filter > Render > Clouds. Apply Radial Blur to the render (Filter > Blur > Radial Blur), and set the amount to 100. Set the blur method to Zoom and the quality to Best. Apply this one more time by pressing Cmd/Ctrl + F. Bring up the Levels menu (Cmd/Ctrl + L) and enter the Input Level values 110; 1; 175.
05. Use the Polygonal Lasso tool (L) to select parts of the render. Add feather of 100 and delete the selection. Delete the bottom part of the burst with a large, soft eraser. This gives the burst a more random look.
06. Use the blending options to apply a radial spectrum gradient from the presets to the render. Scale it to 150%, make sure Reverse is ticked and set the blending mode to Multiply. Create a blank layer and merge it with the render (Cmd/Ctrl + E).
07. Set the blending mode to Linear Dodge and duplicate the layer twice. On the top layer apply Filter > Distort Twirl and set the amount to 350.
08. Create a new blank black layer and add noise to it (Filter > Noise > Add Noise). Set the amount to 50, select Gaussian Blur, and set it to Monochromatic. Apply the Radial Blur filter as in Step 04. Bring up the Levels controller (Cmd/Ctrl + L) and set the Input Level values to 50; 1; 88. Use a soft eraser to delete the edges, set the blending mode to Linear Dodge and bring down the opacity to 90%.
09. To enhance the ‘sun’ colours, create two layers with the blending mode set to Linear Dodge. Grab a large soft brush, and add dabs of colour behind the obelisk. Try using magenta on one layer and orange on another, but also feel free to experiment.
10. Next we’ll create the stars in the background. Open a new black document with the dimensions 1,000-x-1,000 pixels, at 300dpi, and add some noise (as in Step 08). Use a monochromatic Gaussian Blur set to about 10, adjust the levels (Cmd/Ctrl + L) and set the input values to 65; 1; 106. Delete large portions of the ‘Stars’ layer, then grab a soft Clone Stamp, setting the brush size to 250 pixels and the blending mode to Linear Dodge. Now have some fun creating a believable-looking star field.
11. Duplicate the star layer twice and add a Gaussian Blur of 30 points to the first layer, and one of 10 points to the second. Set the blending mode of both layers to Linear Dodge. Flatten the image, add some colour to it using Color Balance (Cmd/Ctrl + B). Experiment with different options, but make sure you have Preserve Luminosity ticked. Finally, make a Gradient Layer Mask beneath the stars. Copy it to the Obelisk piece behind the colour burst, stretch to fit then sharpen it (Filter > Sharpen > Sharpen).
12. Now let’s add a retro feel to the piece. Create a new folder and name it ‘Colour Adjustment’. In this folder, create three new solid-fill layers (Layer > New Fill Layer > Solid Color). Make one orange layer (R = 236; G = 167; B = 0), one blue layer (R = 0; G = 30; B = 255) and one green layer (R = 0; G = 176; B = 58). Set all blending modes to Color and bring the opacity down to 24% for the orange layer, 16% for the blue layer, and 11% for the green layer. This gives the image a warm feel. Use the layer mask to eliminate parts of the colour over the obelisk.
13. Next, we’ll dirty things up by adding some dust and other specks. Open the two paper layers on the cover CD (paper1. jpg and paper2.jpg). Desaturate paper1.jpg (Cmd/Ctrl + Shift + U) then invert it (Cmd/Ctrl + I). Set the blending mode to Screen. Set the blending mode for paper2.jpg to Multiply. Adjust the levels and opacity for both layers, depending on how dirty and dusty you want the piece to look.
14. Make some final minor tweaks, such as adjusting the levels. For dramatic effect I finished off the piece by adding an ape (which I downloaded from here: http://tinyurl.com/3f65lj) holding a sharp rock. For an extra sci-fi feel, I also added lens flare coming from behind the obelisk. Flatten the image (Layer > Flatten Image) and sharpen it up using the High Pass technique (see Tip Box, left), and we’re done.
Sakke Soini
Learn about our amazing creative tutorials as soon as they're published -- click here follow @digital_arts on Twitter.
Question of the day!
Do you share your creations online?
% of Digital Arts readers agree with you
What do you create and how do you share it?
Follow the conversation at @TabletChat
paintings & illustrations, mostly, which i upload to flickr.RT @fragmentedm
I draw manga/anime characters. I also do graphic design and photography.RT @spialelo
Yes. I usually put them up on my #deviantart account for feedback on how to improve.RT @spialelo
Submit to:
Question of the day!
Neil Bennett
Editor
Do you share your creations online?