Learn how to create a photo manipulation based on the HBO series, Game of Thrones. This Photoshop tutorial will give you in-depth instructions on compositing, adding snow, and lighting/blending techniques.

Preview of Final Results

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Tutorial Resources

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Step 1 - Open a new file

Open Photoshop and go to the top of the screen select the option File New. The size has to be Width: 2249 and Height: 2000

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Step 2 Model

Place the model in the new file and resize it if is necessary. I resize it here pressing Ctrl+ T and holding shift change the size. Is important that you hold Shift because in that way the image will not distort.

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Step 3 Selection

You can select the model with pen tool or polygonal lasso tool.

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Step 4 Layer Mask

Now add a layer mask to hide the models background, you will have something like this. You will find the layer mask button at the botton of the layers menu.

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Step 5 Duplicate

Duplicate the models layer and change the layer mode to Soft light to add more contrast to the model. Change the opacity to 60% and the fill to 85%.

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Step 6 Skin

Select only the models skin with lasso tool like you did before.

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Now change the saturation of the skin to get a pale tone. Press Ctrl + U and in the option saturation reduce it to -25 like this:

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The result is this one:

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Step 7 Coat

Now you have to desaturate the coat. To do this is the same process as the skin, go to the model original layer and using lasso tool select only the coat, then press Ctrl+J to duplicate the layer.

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Step 8 Coat Saturation

Press Ctrl+U to se the color menu and reduce the saturation completely. Press ok to save the changes.

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Step 9 Coat details

Duplicate the coat layer Ctrl+J. To give the coat movement press ctrl+T and choose the option warp to modify the coat. Dont worry if it doent look perfect you can hide undesired parts passing a black brush over the layer mask.

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Step 10 Darker

To make the coat darker you have to duplicate the coats layer and change the mode to soft light to have something like this:

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Step 11 Background

Tip: Before you continue with the model is important to add the background. You may asked yourself why? Well if you have the background you will know where the light is coming, remember that lighting is something that will make your art realistic.

Star with a base color, in this case since is a winter art blue is a great color you can create a gradient like this:

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Step 12 Sky

Add a picture of a sky to give texture to the background.

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Use the picture in soft light mode.

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Step 13 Mountains

Now add the mountains background. And like before place the background resize if you think if necessary and use the layer mode in soft light.

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Step 14 Light

Create a new layer and paint over that layer with dark and clear tones. Like this: If you have a tablet set the opacity to the pressure of your tablet. Use a soft round brush.

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Step 15 Soft Light

Use the layer in soft light mode to get this result

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Step 16 Colors

Make a new layer and choose soft ligth mode and paint in the top of the image with a yellow and orage tones, with a soft round brush also add black and blue around the model. Mixing colors is important to get a great result. This is a sutil change cause the opacity can be set to 20%

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Here is the layer in normal mode so you can see the painting. Also you can use Gaussian blur (Menu Filter blur Gaussian blur) to get more softer look.

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Step 17 Colors

To get a dramatic change use a image with sunrise color and place it over the image.

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Step 18 Gaussian blur

Now go to filter Blur Gaussian Blur. Use 100 of radius. Press ok to save tha changes.

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Change the layer to soft light

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Step 19 Model

Go back to work with the model now that the background is almot done.

Tip: The result will be better if you have a tablet. That doesnt mean you cant do it without it.

You need to fix some details is the models coat so pick a small soft round brush with a similar color ( you can use the eyedropper tool) paint in the edges of the coat. Set the opacity to the pressure of your tablet.

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Step 20 Skin

With the Eyedropper pick the color of the model skin and paint over a new layer with a soft round brush.

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Step 21 Make up

You can add some blush to the model and a little more color on the lips, to do this work with the layer in multiply mode and pick a pink tone.

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Step 22 Eye shadows

To make the eye shadows you have to follow the models original make up a little bit stronger in the bone of the eye and brighter around that area. This Step is hard to explain cause you can be creative with the colors you use. Here is a 4 [b]Step s. Paint all with a soft round brush with natural colors.

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[b]Step 23 Eyeliner

Now choose a really small brush like 3px to make the liner you can make a black liner and paint a lil small white liner as well, also you can paint over the models eyebrows to make them stronger. Look here:

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Step 24 Eye lashes

Also with a small round brush paint the eyelashes 100% of opacity.

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Step 25 Hair reflections

Choose a 1px soft round brush, color red and orange and start making strokes in the models hair

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After you made all the hair you will have this result:

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Step 26 More hair

Duplicate the strokes layer Ctrl+J, and made the strokes white.

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Set the opacity to 80% and the fill to 50%

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Step 27 Details

Add more strokes to make the hair look better.

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Step 28 - Nails

Pick a hard round pressure brush and pain over the models nails.

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Step 29 Reflects

With a soft round brush with a 75% gray color paint over the models nails, this one is has to be a small brush 3px .

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Step 30 Ball

Create a layer mask and hide the undesired parts just leave the ball.

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Step 31 Screen

Reduce the saturation (Ctrl +U) in the option saturation -100. Change the layer mode to screen

Change the layer mode to screen
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Step 32 Rezise the ball

Press Ctrl+T to make the size of the ball fits the models hands.

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Step 33 Layer mask

Hide the parts that are over the models fingers.

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Step 34 Paint

Paint with a white soft round brush over the ball the opacity has to be low 25%

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Step 35 Shadow

To make some shadow in her hands you create a new layer and paint with a black brush also with 25%. The layer mode has to be overlay.

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Step 36 Snow

To add snow to the ball, use a snow brush.

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Now you have to make it into the ball

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Step 37- Snow in the background

You can use the same brush as before, but you have to change size and opacity. The first layer is going to be apply just in the background.

Modify the brush settings use more spacing and more scattering.

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Step 38 Motion Blur

To make the snow look realistic add a motion blur to the flakes (Menu Filter Blur Motion blur) Angle: 30 and Distance: 28

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Step 39 layer settings

Change the opacity to 50% and the Fill to 70%.

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Step 40 Emphasis

To give more emphasis to the model paint around her with a white soft round brush, to give the effect that light is coming from behind her.

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Step 41 More Snow

You still need to add snow in front of the model, so repeat the process before, but this time create two layers one with flakes almost the same size as before, and another one with bigger ones.

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Step 42 Snow

Paint over the models hair and coat to give a look like its having snow on it, also do this to the mountains in the background, pick a chalky brush, a white one and paint, reduce the opacity if you need to get a natural look (Its optional, just if you think is to strong) . Change the settings of the brush mark brush dynamics and Scattering.

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Step 43 Light

In a new layer paint over the model with a orange soft round brush, the opacity is 30%

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Step 44 Light

Another layer of light, but in this one you have to use a white brush and the layer in normal mode with 65% of opacity.

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Step 45 White Details

Pick a white soft round brush with 2px (Pen Pressure set to the tablet) and paint in the siluette of the model like this:

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Step 46 Shadows

To make the shadows pick a black soft round brush, you can use a big one, and to make details use a smaller one. I set the pressure to the tablet, so if you want it darker just have to make more pressure and if you want it sutil apply just a lil bit of pressure.

If you dont have a tablet you can use a 20% of opacity and then go and change it to 50% if you want darker spots.

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Step 47 More Shadows

Make more shadows in the model dress and arms, with the same technique.

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Step 48 Touch of yellow

With a yellow soft round brush with 20% of opacity paint around the ball and hands. Use the layer in soft light mode.

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Step 49 Light and shadow

Create a new layer and paint with black and gray. Black in the corners and gray in the middle.

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Step 50 Layer mode

Change the layer mode to soft light.

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Step 51 Color Lookup

To end this manip, you need to use some colors changes. Go the icon create new fill or adjustment layer at the bottom of the layers, and choose the option Color lookup.

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Now choose the one with the name fall colors and reduce the opacity of the layer to 50%

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Step 52 Color Lookup II

Repeat the process but this time choose the color lookup Crisp Warm look and reduce the opacity of the layer to 30%.

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Final Results

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