Andy's second calendar tutorials

Well, hope you all enjoy reading the previous tutorials and now I am goin to show a different approach for the second calendar design.

1) Firstly, I created a new file with the following set-up:

     - width 297mm

     - length 210mm

     - 300 pixels for the resolution

2) Next, I created a background by using brush tool and apply Gaussian blur effect for this layer.

This was how it looked like after using the effect of Gaussian blur.

3) Then, I created the first cloud layer. In this layer and I applied the brush tool (select the cloud brushes-downloaded from Qbrushes) 

This was how it looked like after applying the cloud brushes.

4) I duplicated the layer of the cloud to make the cloud background more blurry and created a random composition for them, therefore now the background had turned to:

5) Then, I used another brush style to give the effect of glowing effect to the background. The background now turn towards sky blue in color..

6) Next, I used another type of common brush to add some purple effect to the background which was as shown below:

7) I decided to placed a small tower or castle image on the bottom of the background so I chosen the following picture:

Once again, I used the quick mask method to do the selection for the huge castle and I flipped horizontally and that was the reason the background turned as followed:

8) Since the color of the castle was quite dull and it was not clear, hence, I decided to duplicate the layer of the castle that I had pasted. In fact, the outcome was very satisfied and it was as shown below:

I was sure this was far better as what I expected^^

9) Next, I decided to have the idea of floating castle on the sky,so, I needed to select the floating castle from other picture again.

Once again, I used the quick selection tool and then applied quick mask technique to do the selection.

After selected the portion of the image, I pasted it to the calendar design and I applied certain effects as following to get the above outcome:

10) I duplicated the above layer and modified the settings of the above effects as below:

The outcome was then to be:

11) I redo the steps as above but I changed the settings of outerglow and color overlay to give a different and better outcomes to overall background.

This was the better result after creating few layers for the castles..

12) Since there was stil some spaces left over there, I decided to add in another small castle to have the variation of sizes of the floating castles which as shown below:

Well, this seemed better after applying the above settings.

13) Next, I would like to make another layer of extra glow to my castles. I used the brush tool to render the layer and I apllied Gaussian blur effect to make the color to be blended well with the background.

Pretty nice right? After applying the extra layer the whole outcome turned even better.^.^

14) Next, I decided to ad some glowing aura circles by applying the brush tool to draw circles and applied the outer glow effect and it turned as followed:

However, the glowing circles not perfect yet..

15) Hence, I duplicate another layer of the glowing circles...

Eventually, I applied the vivid light as my blending mode for this layer.

Well, the glowing circles now really seemed to be glowing after duplicate another more layer.

16) Then, I created extra cloud layer to fill in the cloudy background,by merely using brush tool. 

17) Last but not least, I decided to add in an elf this time to my overall design to make the whole composition more like fantasy..

Well, it was once again done by using the technique of quick mask.

The image was flipped over towards the horizontal and as a result, the image was as shown above. (eventually, I did applied the hue/saturation, that was the reason you can notice the elf was having a fairer skin as compared to he previous version)

The outer glow effect was to add effet to the elf.

18) Once again, I duplicated the layer of the pretty elf and applied the effect of outer glow and color  overlay.

19) I created another Gaussian blur layer to make the elf to be brighter and the color would be more natural, as shown below:

20) Then, I decided to create an aura above the hand of the elf so I decided to create the smoke effect as shown below,by using brush tool:

21) Next step was to create the aura ball on the hand by using simple brush followed by applying outer glow effect:

22) The aura ball was duplicated once again to give a clearer effect of the glowing effect:

23) Once again, I created another Gaussian Blu effect layer to make the color more natural and blend better.

In fact, this made the elf glowed and created an aura around her body.

Finally after add in the calendar details, the design should be:

Andy's first calendar tutorials^^

First of all, before I start on this tutorial, I would like to ask you all download or install adobe photoshop.. because I used this particular software in this project.

Here we go after you got that software in your laptop or pc...hehe^^ lets get it started:

1) Firstly, I created a new file with the following set-up:
     - width 297mm
     - length 210mm
     - 300 pixels for the resolution

2)Then, I created a background by using gradient tool (combination of  blue and black)

3) Next, I selected a portion from the first image that I was going to used, by using quick selection tool followed by the masking techniques for a very clean selection. 

The above was the example of entering a quick mask mode...by pressing Q

 

After you had editted the portion that I wanted, I lef the quick mask mode by clicking on Q again..T                                                                                                                                                                               his time you would see any of the selected areas which would be my selection.

This was the portion that I wanted.. I only wanted                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       this part for my first calendar background.

4)  Next, I placed another image into the photoshop.

5) From this image, I would select the grassy part to be the forest for my first calendar design. Once again I made the selection using quick selection tool,then creating quick mask and made the selection..

6) Later, I pasted the above selected area into the calendar design artboard as shown below:

7) Well, I believed some of you may wonder why there was a light ray there on the background.. Good question!! It was indeed one of the filter effects that I had applyied. That was the filter effect of lens flare which fell under the category of render.

     

8) Next, I made another copy of selection from the previous image to be the right portion of forest in my overall design of the first calendar. 

Once again, I applied the quick mask technique for a clean selection.

                                                                                                                                                                    

oh yea!!this was the part that I wanted to be the second forest design.

  

It was as shown above of what I wished to create by using the forest layers.

9) However the forest layers did not really blend well in overall view, so I decided to edit the color of those layers. First I clicked Image, then clicked on the adjustments option, and                                                                          there was an option known as hue/saturation.

10) After editted the hue/ saturation, you will definitely see the changes of colors for the layers of forest 1 and 2,as shown below:

11) Then I opened another image again to select the flying bird that I wanted.

12) Once again, I would paste the selected area to the calendar design..

(noted that the color changed? This wass because I applied hue/saturation once again to make the flying bird to be in a bit purple color)

13) Next, I created a bright star using the brush that I downloaded from Qbrushes...I applied the effect of outer glow and color overlay for this star to make it more attractive. 

The above showed the option of outer glow.

The above showed the option of color overlay.

14) Next, I added another more flying bird on the sky and of course I applied the adjustments of hue and saturation...

15) From the above picture, it was obviously seen that there were some empty spaces so decided to place the flower to overlap them..

16) Then, once again I played with hue/saturation to make the flower color more towards purple or pink which quite similar to the background color.

17) In order to make the whole design more fantasy, I added in a pretty angel from other picture as well...

 For sure, I did modify the setting of hue/saturation to make the angel to blend into the overall design.

18) I flipped the image of the above angel towards the other side...

19) Once again, I applied the hue/saturation for the second time for this angel layer due to I wanted  the color to become more towards purple red. 

20) The sky seemed to be quite empty without the apperance of bright stars so I decided to design some stars on the sky background. (once again I was using the brushes from Qbrushes)

 

this is only the first layer of stars...

21) I applied the Gaussian blur effect and outer glow to produce the above stars and of course I used brush tool to draw to stars...

22) I duplicated the layer of the stars and what made this layer so important was that the blending mode of this layer I somehow changed to overlay..

23) Last but not least, it was essential to insert the numbers for particular month..My calendar is to design for the month of march,therefore I inserted all the dates of march of 2011...

Since the original file was in illustrator, I would have to drag the file to photoshop in order to use it..

In order to make the dates of the month more interesting, I applied the folowing effects:

This was outer glow effect and it was used for making the overall numbers and label more outstanding.

This was bevel and emboss..However, this situation, I preferred emboss and I would like to have above settings to make my wordings have 3dimensional feeling.

Lastly, it was color overlay to make the overall typography more easily to be read and seen.

FInal artwork of first calendar: