Tutorials

Create a Digital Landscape

07/09/2002

On today's show, I will show you how to create a landscape in Adobe Photoshop. Below are the steps I used to create the image.

1. The sky is added to the Background layer with the gradient tool, using a light blue at bottom to a darker blue at top.

2. In a new layer, shapes are created with the Lasso tool to simulate mountain peaks. The selection is filled with a darker blue gradient. The opacity is lowered to about 30 percent.

3. In another layer, more mountains are created to simulate peaks further away. Their opacity is lowered to 10 percent. If there is any overlap, the mountains in the foreground are turned into a selection (Control-click (or Command-click on a Mac) on Layer in the Layers' palette) and delete is pressed for the smaller peaks.

4. A new layer is created and filled with a dark blue. The Plastic Wrap filter is applied by clicking on the Filter menu, pointing to Artistic, and selecting Plastic Wrap.

5. Zoom out to expose work area. Distort layer to simulate water by clicking on the Edit menu, pointing to Transform, and selecting Distort. The top handles are lowered to just below the center area. The bottom handles are pulled way out to the left and right of the image area.

6. In another layer, a shape is created to simulate an island. It is filled with a gradient of brown colors with the lighter tones along the waters' edge. The Noise filter is applied with a small amount. Apply the Noise filter by clicking on the Filter menu, pointing to Noise, and selecting Add Noise.

7. In another layer, simple vertical lines are drawn with a small paintbrush to simulate tree trunks. Using a custom brush, leaves are added to the trees. Bushes are added beneath the trees.

8. A new layer is created. All the layers that make up the island are made visible. All other layers are made invisible. With the new blank layer selected, Option (or Alt)-click Merge Visible from the drop down menu in the Layers' palette. The resulting layer is moved to a position in the palette below the island. The layer is then flipped vertically by clicking on the Edit menu, pointing to Transform, and selecting Flip Vertical.

9. The layer is skewed to line it up with the island. To do this, click on the Edit menu, point to Transform, and select Skew. The Motion Blur filter is applied with a vertical direction by clicking on Filter, pointing to Blur, and selecting Motion Blur. The opacity is then lowered a slight bit.

10. The island procedure is repeated on the left side of the image but smaller and darker.

11. In a layer, a small shape is created to simulate land in the front where the viewer is standing. It is filled with brown colors. The Texturizer filter is applied in Sandstone mode by clicking on the Filter menu, pointing to Texture, and selecting Texturizer.

12. In another layer, with a paintbrush, strokes are added to simulate a large tree in the foreground. The Craquluere filter is applied by clicking on the Filter menu, pointing to Texture, and selecting Craquluere.

13. Finally, leaves are added to the tree with the Maple leaf custom brush and grass is added to the ground with the Grass custom brush.