Create a Dark and Gloomy Photo Manipulation in Photoshop

Photoshop is great because it allows us to combine several images into a scene that can’t always be created in real life. In today’s tutorial we will demonstrate how to combine several stock images into one gloomy scene. Let’s get started!

Tutorial Assets

You can download the following pictures, fonts and brushes from the links below. Just sign up for free (if necessary) to download the assets below.

Step 1

Open the image of the room in Adobe Photoshop. First thing which you need to do is to unlock the background layer. To do this, double click on the "Background" layer in the layers palette and name it "Room."

Step 2

Next, you need to remove the garbage in the lower right corner. Use the Clone Stamp Tool (S) to remove unwanted areas. Use a 130px brush with 0% Hardness, then Alt-click in the area to the left of the garbage and paint over the areas you want to remove.

Step 3

Now, using the same process remove the graffiti on the pillar, only this time, Alt-click on the pillar above the graffiti, as indicated below.

Step 4

Create a new layer above the "Room" layer and name it "Fog". Select the Brush tool (B) and load brush pack DarkFog.abr, which you downloaded. Using those brushes paint on the "Fog" layer, until you have results similar to below.

Step 5

Fog should have lesser opacity, and should not be so strong. To achieve this effect add a mask to the "Fog" layer (a), and Alt-click on the mask to edit (b).

Step 6

Use the Brush tool (B), soft rounded with #000000 and paint on the mask as shown below. You may have to lower the opacity of the brush for areas which are next to the bottom edge of the Vector mask.

Step 7

Now click on the "Fog" layer thumbnail to exit mask mode. You should have the similar results as shown below.

Step 8

Next, add the girl. Open the image 867275_95262327.jpg. Unlock the "Background" layer the same way as you did already, but this time name it "Girl". Right-click on the "Girl" layer and choose Duplicate Layer. In new window, change Document to ReFuge.psd, and click OK.

Step 9

Now place the "Girl" layer below the "Fog" layer to achieve some realism and add a mask.

Step 10

Now while you're on the "Girl" layer, go to Edit > Free Transform or use shortcut Cmd/Ctrl + T to enter Free Transform Mode, and scale down the image and position as shown.

Step 11

Using the Pen tool (P), create a path around the girl.

Step 12

Right click on the canvas and click Make Selection. For Feather radius enter 0px, with Anti-aliased checked. Click OK.

Step 13

Next, inverse the selection. To do this, go to Select > Inverse or use shortcut keys Cmd/Ctrl + Shift + I. Now click on the "Girl" layer mask, and using Brush tool (B), with #000000 colour, paint until everything is invisible except the girl, as shown below. After that, deselect the image by going to Select > Deselect, or use shortcut Cmd/Ctrl + D.

Step 14

Using the Rectangular Marquee Tool (M), select the part of the girl as shown below. Make sure that you are still on the girl's mask layer, and go to Filter > Blur > Gaussian Blur. Apply Radius amount of 3.0 and click OK.

Step 15

While you're still on the mask layer, inverse the selection by going to Select > Inverse or use shortcut keys Cmd/Ctrl + Shift + I and go to Filter > Blur > Gaussian Blur and apply amount of 1.9 pixels. Deselect the image by pressing Cmd/Ctrl + D on your keyboard.

Step 16

Next, click on the "Girl" layer thumbnail and go to Edit > Transform > Skew and move upper right point slightly down, and bottom right point up.

Step 17

Create a new layer, place it under the "Girl" layer and name it "Shadow". Turn off the visibility of the "Fog" layer and go back to the "Shadow" layer. Set opacity of the "Shadow" layer to 84%. Using the Brush tool (B), with soft brush paint with black colour, to create shadow as shown below.

Step 18

Turn on the "Fog" layer. Create new layer, call it "Blue 1" and place it above the "Fog" layer. Using the Paint Bucket Tool (G), with #001d3e fill the layer. Set blending mode to Soft Light and Fill of the layer to 80%.

Step 19

While you're still on the "Blue 1" layer, press Cmd/Ctrl + J to Duplicate layer. Rename new layer to "Blue 2" and set Fill of the layer to 69%.

Step 20

Again, duplicate layer "Blue 2", rename it to the "Blue 3" and set Fill of the layer to 47%.

Step 21

Now select layers "Blue 1", "Blue 2" and "Blue 3". Press Cmd/Ctrl + G on your keyboard to create a new group, rename it to "Blue blending". Now add new mask to the group.

Step 22

Alt-click on the group's mask. Using the Gradient Tool (G), with gradient set from #000000 to #FFFFFF, hold down the Shift key click and hold left mouse button somewhere around the left edge of the image and release it at the right edge of the image. The mask should look similar as below.

Step 23

Click on the group's thumbnail to exit mask mode. Create new layer, name it "Green blending" and position it above the group "Blue blending". Using Paint Bucket Tool (G), fill the layer with #00e610 colour, change Fill of the layer to 53% and change Blending mode to Multiply.

Step 24

Now add a mask to the "Green blending" layer, Alt-click on mask and with Gradient Tool (G), with gradient set from #000000 to #FFFFFF, hold down the Shift key click and hold left mouse button somewhere around 1/3 of the image from the right edge of the picture and release it at the left edge of the picture.

Step 25

Click on the "Green blending" layer's thumbnail to exit mask mode. Now we need to adjust the lightning of the girl to achieve better results. Select the "Girl" layer, go to Layer > New Adjustment Layer > Levels and check Use Previous Layer to Create Clipping Mask. Use the following settings for the Levels.

Step 26

Now, go back to the "Girl" layer. Go to Image > Auto Color or press Cmd/Ctrl + Shift + B and after that go to Image > Auto Contrast or press Cmd/Ctrl + Alt + Shift + L. Next, using the Burn Tool (O), burn the parts of the girl which should be covered with shadow created from the light which comes through the windows on her right side. Using Dodge Tool (O), highlight the parts of the girl which should be more highlighted.

Step 27

We need to darken the right side of the picture. Just above the "Room" layer create another layer and name it "Darker Parts". Turn off visibility of all layers except "Room" and "Darker Parts". Using Brush Tool (B), with large soft brush using #000000 colour paint on the layer until you get results similar as shown below.

Step 28

Set Fill of the "Darker Parts" layer to 16% and turn on the visibility of other layers. Now you need to make a frame. To do this, create new layer at top of the others and name it "Frame". Now, go to Select > All or press Cmd/Ctrl + A on keyboard. Now select Rectangular Marquee Tool (M) right-click on the canvas and click Stroke. Set the following settings and press OK.

Step 29

Now Ctrl-click the "Frame" layer's thumbnail to make a selection. Go to Select > Inverse or press Cmd/Ctrl + Shift + I. Now, go to Select > Modify > Expand for 12px. Now, using Rectangular Marquee Tool (M) right click on the canvas and choose Stroke. Use the following settings.

Step 30

Using Horizontal Type Tool (T) in top right corner of the canvas type "Refuge" (but NOT over the frame) with SF Iron Gothic Extended font, Regular style, 18pt size of the font, Strong anti-aliasing and white colour.

Step 31

Right-click on text layer you just created and go to Blending options. Insert values as shown below for Inner Shadow and Satin.

Step 32

Now open the 471469_37266465.jpg paper texture and duplicate it to the project (as done with girl). Position the layer at top of the others and name it "Paper texture 1" and go to Edit > Transform > Rotate 90 Degrees CW. And position it like shown below.

Step 33

Set "Paper texture 1’s" layer blending mode to Multiply.

Step 34

Next, and final step is to open the 256004_5343.jpg image, duplicate it to the project, position it at top of the others and name it "Paper texture 2". Rotate the image, scale it down a little bit. Set Blending mode for the layer to Overlay and opacity of layer to 70%.