Photoshop Edit (Internal Arguments)

Hello there, today I will be showing you how to do an edit in Adobe Photoshop. If you don't have Photoshop, then this might not help you. There may be some other program that has the same tools as I am using, and if this is true, then this might help you. In this edit I am using the quick selection tool, refine edge, transformation tools, and smudging. The title of this is called Internal Arguments, in the edit the same people are fighting against each other. Have you ever fought with yourself? Well this might just be what's actually going on in your head.

For step one, you need to import a picture of you (or a friend) sitting on a step-stool, or a chair. You need to look like your getting hit with a ball of fire. You can take your picture anywhere, if you sit in front of a solid color wall, it might be easier to make your selection, later. Then, select your quick selection tool (the tool the arrow is pointing to).

When you click the quick selection tool, a new menu will appear. Click the plus sign (+), you can then make a selection. You almost never make a correct selection on the first go, so if you select the minus sign (-) and go over the part you made too big, it become smaller.

After you've made your selection click 'refine edge' on the top bar. Go down to the drop-down menu and chose 'New Document'. Your picture will now separate from the background, and it will open in a new document. This is one of my most used tools. I use it in almost all of my edits, because I like creating fantasy effects, and the background in my normal pictures aren't nearly close enough to what I envision.

You will also need a picture of you (or a friend) standing like the photo. You need to look like your shooting fire from your hands, you need to look upset too. Once you have this picture do steps 1-3 with this one.

You then need to find a background. I chose trees because this background looks like a fantasy forest. You can do a beach, a secret passage way, or anything in between. The background can be whatever your heart desires, or could even make your own!

Now you will import the two pictures you cut out earlier. Go to the page they are on and right click the layer. You can find the layers on the right hand side. Click 'duplicate layer' and when you click on the drop-down menu, select the layer that is your background. Do this with both cut out pictures, then resize. To resize click the 'Edit' menu on the top go down to 'Free Transform' and you can resize your photo. To keep proportions hold shift while changing the size.

Now, you need to find a picture of some sort of fire. Or not. You could do something else. Like water! It's up to you, but I'm going to be using fire. When you find the picture you like, import it then do steps 1-3. You also need to duplicate it onto the background and resize it. It needs to look like it's coming out of your hands and hitting the person getting attacked.

Now, this is the cool part. This is where you give the edit some depth and some action! Click the smudge button, it looks like a finger. Drag your mouse over the part of the fire by the person getting attacked. It will start to look like it's exploding.

Now we are going to add a filter. This part is not really needed, but it gives me the fantasy effect I love so dearly. On the top bar menu select filter. A dropdown menu will pop up, click 'filter gallery' and all of the filters will be at your disposal.

There are a lot of filters, and I encourage you to try them all! But right now I am going to be using Brush Strokes, Ink Outline. Click the drop down menu of Brush Strokes and select Ink Outline. You can change how big the strokes are, and how dark they are. I encourage you to explore and use your imagination!

You have now completed the edit. This is a more simple edit, using some of the basic tools. In the edit you have used the quick selection tool, the filter option, the smudging tool, and importing backgrounds. Some of my next Instructables will have tools that require a little more insight, and there will be more used. There were a lot of steps in this project, but they were simple steps. If you have any feedback, or suggestions of other edits to do, comment below!

~Pheonix Skye