How To Draw An Aquarium Scene Illustrator

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The ocean depths are the least explored of all the world's ecosystems; and many say that the body of water is truly the last frontier on earth. Beneath the earth'south oceans prevarication rugged mountain ranges, active volcanoes, vast plateaus and almost bottomless trenches that shroud many mysteries.

Today's tutorial will focus on creating a mythical sea creature analogy by blending stock photography and 3D renders. You'll notice how Photoshop's aqueduct extraction techniques can salvage you hours of tedious cut-out work, how clever masking tin can heighten your composing skills, and finally, breath life into your illustrations past adding realistic textures. So permit'southward open up Photoshop and dive in!

Resources

You'll notice some files in the "source" binder. You'll also need the following stock photography to complete this tutorial.

The large version of underwater one
Underwater ii
Underwater 3
Underwater four
Underwater five
Underwater half dozen
The big version of Underwater vii
Barbarian warrior by Marcus Ranum
Hair
The big version of fish 1
Fish 2

Step i

Create a new RGB canvas 28 cm X twoscore cm with the Resolution prepare at 300 pixels per inch and select White nether the Background Contents drop-down card.

Set your Foreground/Background colors to # 2a77a2 and # 42bdea respectively. Now set the Gradient Tool (G) to Foreground/Background in the options bar and Shift-drag a Linear Gradient upward from the canvas base every bit shown.

Double-click your layer thumbnail to unlock information technology and rename it "Grad". Now place the layer inside a group folder called "Body of water SCENE". To reduce the banding upshot, first target the "Grad" layer and choose Filter > Noise > Add Noise and enter a value of 5%, and so cheque the Uniform Distribution and Monochromatic options. Side by side, go to Filter > Racket > Median and utilise a Radius of 4px to soften the outcome.

Footstep 2

We now need to excerpt the rock and plant structure from the commencement underwater epitome. Switch to your Channels tab and cycle through each channel in plow channel to decide which holds the most contrast – in this example it'due south the Blue. Elevate its thumbnail over the Create new channel icon at the human foot of the palette to duplicate it. Now hitting Command/Ctrl + L to access the Levels dialogue box and set up the Input sliders as shown. Don't sweat over any remaining detail; these will be fixed when we refine the aqueduct mask.

Employ the Lasso Tool (L) to roughly encompass the chief rock. Press D to restore your Foreground/Background colors to default black/white, target the duplicate aqueduct and hitting Selection + Delete/Backspace to fill with blackness.

To clean up the aqueduct mask, use the Dodge and Burn down Tools (O) on the midtones and highlights respectively to remove detail. At present clean up the mask's edges using the same technique.

By default, white acts as selective channel areas, so hit Command + I to Invert the channel to negative. Command/Ctrl-click the channel thumbnail to load a selection. Now activate the top RGB composite channel and Copy the selection to the clipboard.

Paste the option into the "Bounding main SCENE" folder. Hit Control/Ctrl + T, and so press Control/right-click and choose Flip Horizontal from the Transform card and resize, rotate and position as shown. Name the layer "Background rocks", then change the Blend Manner to Soft Light and reduce the Opacity to 54%.

Add a mask, and then apply a big, soft-edged brush at a low Opacity to hide the upper quarter area. Because we're using masked layers to assemble the scene, you can re-position layer content and refine their masks later.

Step 3

Place the second underwater image as a new layer within the aforementioned folder and label it "Midground rocks 1", then rotate and resize to the correct as shown.

Because this image has a less divers edge, use an array of soft-edged brushes on a layer mask to blend it into the background.

Choose Colour Residue from the Adjustments console to automatically clip an aligning layer and copy the post-obit settings.

Step iv

Place the third underwater image inside the same folder and label information technology "Midground rocks 2", and then, flip, rotate and resize to the left.

Add a mask and gently alloy the hard border into the background layers.

Footstep five

Add the fourth underwater prototype within the same folder and characterization it "Body of water floor", then resize and place at the bottom of your canvas.

Add a mask and hide the top one-half using a large brush to blend the seabed into your underlying layers. For all-time results use a multifariousness of brush sizes and work at a depression opacity at first, so at total opacity. My mask is shown in isolation in the lower half of the screenshot.

Pace half-dozen

Open the fifth underwater paradigm, then grab the Quick Selection Tool (W). Activate the Add together to option in the options bar to select the coral and fishes. If your selection includes unwanted areas use the Decrease from selection option to remove them. When yous're happy, click the Refine Border button.

In the next window cheque the Smart Radius and Decontaminate Colors options, and so copy the remaining settings as shown and striking OK.

Step 7

Your selection will now appear every bit a new masked layer. Drag the mask into the trash icon at the foot of the palette and accept the Utilize prompt. Place this layer into the same binder in your working file and rename it "Foreground rocks". Now prune a Hue/Saturation adjustment and set the Saturation to -fifty.

Target your "Foreground rocks" layer, clip a Levels adjustment and set the midtone Input slider to 0.62.

As a final modification to this layer prune a Colour Balance adjustment and apply the following settings.

Step viii

Add the sixth underwater image as an uppermost layer within the same binder and label it "Groundwork plants". Transform and place centrally, so reduce the layer Opacity to 85% and change its Blend Mode to Soft Light. Now blend information technology into the composition by masking the hard edges.

Step nine

Add the final underwater prototype equally a top layer within the same binder and label it "Ocean texture". Resize to encompass your unabridged canvas, then reduce the layer Opacity to 51% and alter its Blend Style to Darken. Add a mask, ensure your Foreground/Groundwork colors are set to default and Shift-drag Foreground to Background Linear gradient from the bottom upward.

Elevate the "Ocean texture" layer over the Create new layer icon at the foot of the palette and rename information technology "Sea Ceiling". Reset its Blend Mode to Normal and the Opacity back to 100%, and so squash the layer content vertically and Shift-elevate information technology to the very height of your canvas. Finally, change the mask with a large soft-edged brush to create a white semi-circumvolve at the peak.

Pace 10

In this pace we'll give the scene some dimension and depth; revisit your "Foreground rocks" layer and choose Convert to Smart Object from the fly-out menu situated top right on the Layers palette. At present choose Filter > Blur Gaussian Mistiness and enter half dozen.0 px.

Recall, filters applied to a Smart Layer remain fully editable; simply double-click the filter effect name below the layer and adjust accordingly.

Step eleven

Now lets make the seabed a little more than murky; place an uppermost layer inside the folder and characterization it "Blackness grad". Use the Foreground to Transparent preset to add a Linear Gradient from the bottom up. Adjacent, change the Blend Way to Multiply and reduce the Opacity to 36%, then apply a 5% value of noise.

Add a new layer called "Blackness centre" and drag a Radial Gradient over the middle seaweed. Hit Command/Ctrl + F to reapply the Add Noise filter once again, then change the Blend Manner to Multiply and reduce the Opacity to 32%.

Step 12

Our natural world is subject to light, including underwater scenes – and light shining through a substance or an environment such as water is known every bit volumetric lighting. Place a new top layer inside the folder and name it "Sunday rays". Jump to the Paths tab, set the Pen Tool (P) to Paths in the options bar and draw a series of closed paths every bit shown.

Retrieve, you tin can fine-tune your path at whatever fourth dimension past property the Command/Ctrl key to access the Direct Selection Tool (A) to adjust individual direction/ballast points as required.

Command/Ctrl-click your path thumbnail to load information technology as a selection, the switch back to your "Lord's day rays" layer and press X to transpose the Foreground color to white. Next, shift-drag a Foreground to Transparent Linear Gradient from the height to fill the choice with white.

Note: If you find the "marching ants" annoying, striking Command/Ctrl + H to hide the visibility of the selection – just remember to deselect when you lot're done.

At present go to Filter > Blur > Movement Mistiness and enter an Angle of -xc degrees and a Distance of 646 px. Press Option + F to bring up the Motion Mistiness dialogue box and apply an Angle of 58 degrees and a Distance of 198 px.

Notation: Information technology's worth experimenting unlike Angle and Distance values because your light rays won't exactly match mine.

Finally, apply a Gaussian Mistiness of effectually 10 px, then rotate and position as below.

Step xiii

Open up the barbarian warrior. Set up the Magic Wand Tool (W) to Add together to selection, the Tolerance to 33 and check the Face-to-face option. At present make a pick every bit beneath.

Gear up the Lasso Tool (Fifty) to Decrease and remove the unwanted areas. Yous should now take the torso every bit a clean selection and the spear partially selected. Now choose Select > Modify > Contact and enter 1 px.

Press Control/Ctrl + J to copy the pick to a new layer, so switch off the visibility of the "Background" layer to check the border pixels. You'll notice the selection has omitted some of the spear, which we'll set up next.

Enable the visibility of the "Background" layer, then use the Pen Tool (P) prepare to Paths to draw effectually the spear as indicated in red.

Load the path every bit a selection, target the "Background" layer and copy to a new layer. Position this layer at the top and hit Command/Ctrl + E to Merge Down. You tin now disregard the "Groundwork" layer.

Footstep 14

Drag the barbarian layer into your project file and label it "Man". Resize, rotate anti-clockwise and place inside a new folder chosen "Effigy".

Next, go to Layer > Matting > Defringe and enter 2 px to remove whatsoever edge halo.

Step 15

At present we'll add some long flowing hair to our creature. Attempting to isolate each strand of hair using paths from this epitome would be an incommunicable chore, so we'll use a aqueduct or density mask.

Switch to your Channels tab and determine which one holds the most contrast – in this case it'due south the Red channel. Duplicate information technology, then apply a Levels setting as below.

Hit Command + I to Invert, then load the channel as a selection. Target the summit RGB composite aqueduct and switch back to your Layers tab. Double-click the default layer to unlock it, then hit Command + J to float the selection as a new layer. Trash the original layer, then use a medium, hard-edged Eraser (East) to remove unwanted areas.

Footstep xvi

Add together the hair within the "FIGURE" folder and scale/rotate to fit, then add together a layer mask. Control/Ctrl-click your "Homo" layer to generate a selection, and so apply a modest hard-edged brush on the mask to hide any pilus that overlaps the right eye. Now use a larger, soft castor at a low opacity to blend into the figure's original pilus.

Next, lasso a crude choice from the pilus layer and re-create to a new layer. Position this over the figure'southward neck and change the Alloy Mode to Multiply and mask equally previous. Now label these layers "Hair ane" and "Pilus 2".

Nosotros now need to blend the pilus a footling more. Set the Burn Tool (O) to Midtones and the Exposure to 100%, then use a 70 px brush to advisedly darken the areas indicated on the "Man" layer.

Step 17

We'll now apply some tonal and color modifications to the figure. Target your "Man" layer, then click on the Exposure icon in the Adjustments console and re-create the post-obit Custom settings.

Target your "Man" layer again use the same technique to apply a Hue/Saturation aligning layer every bit shown.

Step 18

Nosotros've supplied a ready-made reptile pare render in the "source" folder; merely I'll briefly run through how it was achieved. First, I took a screengrab of my work in progress, then opened Poser. The screengrab was placed equally a background image, so Poser'southward default David figure was loaded. I then used the background paradigm as a guide to roughly position the figure with the Parameter dials. The right hand and arm were then made invisible in the Properties palette.

I then used Wireframe view mode refine the effigy's size and pose over the guide.

Next, the appropriate reptilian pare texture was applied from the Poses folder. Finally, I rendered the image as a transparent .PNG.

Step 19

Ok, lets add some scales. Open "Render_1.png" from the "source" and lasso, copy the pick equally shown.

Paste the selection as a new layer beneath "Hair i", reduce its Opacity to effectually lxx%, then Transform/position as over the torso.

Pace 20

When you're happy, set the Opacity dorsum to total force and add a mask to the "Man" layer. Now load the 3D return layer equally a selection, target the "Homo" mask and employ a pocket-sized hard-edged brush to hibernate the protruding hip areas.

Now add together a mask to your scales layer and use a big, soft brush to alloy the scales into the upper torso and chest areas.

We at present need to transform the legs into a fish's trunk. First, target your scales layer and lasso/copy a small selection to a new layer. Position over the crotch and use a minor, soft Eraser (E) to blend the difficult edges into the lower layer.

Use the same process to copy additional scale patches to hibernate more of the middle leg area.

When yous're done, Shift-click all your patch layers as well as the original scales layer. Now use the Merge control and click the Use Mask push in the next window. Name the resulting layer "Fish trunk".

Step 21

Add a Hue/Saturation adjustment to the "Fish torso" layer and copy these settings.

At present apply a Levels adjustment layer to lighten slightly.

Finally, add a Color Balance adjustment layer to give the scales a aureate hue.

Step 22

Next, we'll add some fins. Open fish one, Crop (C) and use the aforementioned techniques as before to select the background, then use the Refine Edge command.

Identify the fish beneath "Hair 1" and characterization it "Fish torso". At present Transform to match the bending of the torso.

Stride 23

The upper left fin is non required, and so lasso information technology and hit Delete/Backspace.

Add a layer mask to your "Fish body" and employ an assortment of brushes to advisedly blend it into the "Fish body" layer.

Step 24

Indistinguishable the "Fish body" layer and rename it "Extra tail". Flip Horizontal, Transform as shown then modify its mask accordingly.

Lasso/copy the upper right fin to a new layer and name it "Left fin". Flip Horizontal, Transform, and then blend it to the body with a mask. Now choose Warp from the Transform bill of fare and pull the command points to go far a unique shape and not an identical duplicate.

Step 25

At this bespeak I decided the lower body and tail looked a lilliputian too short; but the dazzler of layers and masks ways this tin hands exist fixed. First, stretch the "Fish torso" layer a fiddling, and so reposition the "Fish body" and "Extra tail" layers and adjust their masks to arrange. Finally, lasso the upper right fin on the "Fish body" layer, select the Motility Tool (5) and use the arrows on your keyboard to nudge the selection downwards and to the right a piddling.

Step 26

Side by side, we'll add together some smaller trailing fins. Indistinguishable your "Left fin" layer and stretch it horizontally.

At present use the Warp command to create a crescent shape.

Continue to create additional fins and vary your Warp settings, then place them effectually the creature's main fins and conform their masks to adapt.

Stride 27

Revisit "Render_1.png" and roughly select/copy the chest. Paste as a new layer above the fins and resize/position as shown. Proper noun this layer "Chest scales".

Draw a closed path around the middle section of the harpoon and the right arm. Load the path every bit a selection, then cull Layer > Layer Mask > Hide Option.

Generate a layer-based selection from your "Man" and press Shift + Command/Ctrl + I to changed. Target your "Chest scales" mask and fill with blackness. Finally use some soft-edged brushes to confine the scales to the chest area, then change the Blend Manner to Overlay.

Step 28

Open the second fish image and draw a serial of closed paths around them. Load your path every bit a pick, hitting Shift + F6 to access the Plume window, then enter 2 px and re-create.

Paste your choice as a new layer at the elevation of the stack within the "Ocean SCENE" folder, resize and label it "Fish". Now lasso private fish and reposition with the Move Tool (V).

Add a Levels adjustment layer to the "Fish" to increase the dissimilarity.

Now add a Color Balance adjustment as below.

Step 29

Load a selection from the "Foreground rocks" layer, target the "Effigy" folder and choose Layer > Layer Mask > Hibernate Option.

Step 30

Duplicate the "OCEAN SCENE" folder, and so press Control/Ctrl + East to Merge Group. Rename it "Ocean blur". Next, catechumen the layer to a Smart Object and utilise a Gaussian Blur of 4.0 px.

Generate a layer-based selection from your "Fish" layer, then target the Smart Filter mask. Now use a small, soft edged brush to paint within the selection to bring the larger fishes into focus. Deselect, then use a larger brush to hibernate the ocean ceiling.

Next, duplicate the "Effigy" folder, utilize the mask and rename it "Figure mistiness". Catechumen the layer to a Smart Object and apply a Gaussian Mistiness of 3.0 px. Create a layer-based choice, Contract by 16 px and Plume past 3 px. Now target the Smart Filter mask and fill the option with black to soften the hard edges.

Step 31

Identify the "Body of water mistiness" and "Effigy blur" layers within a new folder called "EFFECTS" at the top of the stack.

Next, nosotros'll add together some subtle grain. Place an uppermost layer within the same binder, label it "Noise" and fill with black, go to Filter > Dissonance, fix the Amount to the maximum of 400% and also check the Gaussian Distribution method and Monochromatic options. Now set the Layer Blend Way to Screen and reduce the Opacity to 25%.

Step 32

In this step we'll make an overall color/tonal aligning. Add a Black & White Adjustment layer higher up the "Noise" layer, choose the Darker preset and modify the layer Alloy Mode to Multiply. Now hover your cursor between both layer thumbnails and Option-click to unclip the adjustment, which volition now consequence all the lower layers.

Step 33

Echo this process to add together a Hue/Saturation overall adjustment, re-create these settings and reduce the layer Opacity to 58%.

Step 34

To finish off, add together a layer at the acme of the stack within the same folder and label information technology "Shadows/highlights". Hit Shift + F5 and select 50% Grayness from the Contents menu, so change the Blending Style to Overlay.

Now add shadow and highlight areas with a choice of soft, black and white brushes at effectually 20% Opacity. Y'all can at present use the same technique to paint within layer-based selections. If you make a mistake, set your brush color to # 939598 (50% black) and paint at 100% Opacity. This layer is shown in Normal Alloy Mode at the bottom of the screengrab for clarity.

Determination and Telescopic

I hope you've enjoyed this tutorial and as well discovered some techniques that you can apply to your workflow. I also hope yous've been inspired to create your ain mythical sea creature illustrations – remember, the merely limit is your imagination!

Did you find this post useful?

Mark'due south an illustrator and print designer from Cornwall in the Uk, who'due south been using Illustrator and Photoshop since 1995. He also contributes tutorials for some of the worlds leading creative publications. Head over to his website, or his regular tutorial slot over at Psdtuts+.

Source: https://design.tutsplus.com/tutorials/create-a-fantasy-underwater-scene--psd-11368

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