Create an Portrait Artwork with Autumn Colors

 

In this tutorial you will learn to create a portrait of a beautiful lady in a warm autumn background using lights, contrast, colors and other adjustments.

Preview of Final Results

Download the PSD

Autumn Portrait.zip | 19.39 MB

Download now! 

Step 1

Download the Backgrounds pack and open in Photoshop the background number 5. Double click on the layer to unlock it. Flip the image horizontally (CTRL + T > Flip Horizontally). Crop the part we want to be the base of our work.

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Step 2

We want to give to the background some contrast. Duplicate the background twice (CTRL + J). Set the first duplicated background to Screen to enhance the lights. Set the second to Multiply to enhance the shadows. This is what you will have.

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Step 3

Extract the Lady from the background (I used the Quick Selection Tool + Refine Edges, but everyone has their own best method). I previously smudged the model skin, but this is not the aim of this tutorial and it doesn’t affect the final result. Put her in a new layer above the backgrounds layers.

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Step 4

Now we have to blend the Lady with the Background. I desaturated a bit the lady and removed some of brightness. To do that add a Hue / Saturation Adjustment Layer only for the Lady and set the Saturation to -19 and Lightness to -8.

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Step 5

Now we work on the colors. Add a Color Balance Adjustment Layer only to the Lady and put these settings:

Shadows > +14 +7 -16

Midtones > +11 +7 0

Highlights > +10 +5 -5

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Step 6

We want to blend more everything. Open the pack containing the bokeh and add the number 2 in a new layer above everything. Rotate it like in the picture below (CTRL + T).

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Step 7

Set the Bokeh to Soft Light. Opacity and Fill to 75%.

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Step 8

Add a Gradient Map Adjustment Layer and choose the one you see below from the presets.

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Step 9

Set the Gradient Map to Soft Light with Opacity and Fill to 80%.

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Step 10

Add another Gradient Map and set it like below.

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Step 11

Set the Gradient Map to Soft Light with Opacity and Fill 80%.

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Step 12

Let’s work now on shadows and lights. First of all we need to make the background darker. Add a Brightness / Contrast Adjustment Layer above the 3 backgrounds and put:

Brightness -54 and Contrast +48

This is so far what you’ll have.

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Step 13

Create a new layer below the Lady and paint with white below her, going out her edges.

Set the layer to Soft Light.

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Step 14

Create a layer below the one you have just done. Pick the color #572e07. With the Gradient tool (linear – #572e07 to transparent) make a gradient like the image below.

Set the layer to Multiply with Opacity and Fill at 80%.

Step 15

Create a new layer below the one containing the bokeh texture and add the flying bird.

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Step 16

Add a Hue / Saturation Adjustment Layer only for the bird. Check ‘Colorize’ and put these settings:

Hue 44

Saturation 15

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Step 17

Create a new layer over the Hue/Sat you edited in the previous step. Pick the color #ffe7ba and with a soft round brush paint something like the image below.

Set the layer to Soft Light with Opacity 81% and Fill 87%.

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Step 18

Create a new layer above everything and paint with yellow tones some lights as shown before. (I used mostly #efd981, #f6d373 and #f6d373).

Set the layer to Soft Light with Opacity 60% and Fill 80%.

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Step 19

Create a new Layer and paint some light where shown below as you did in the previous step. I did it with color #fff3b0.

Set the layer to Soft Light.

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Step 20

Create a new layer and we’re going to do the same as before. This time we’ll add some shadows. Pick a dark color from the background (not pure Black) and paint something like you see below in the image.

Set the layer to Soft Light.

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Step 21

Create a new layer and fill it with 50% Gray (Edit > Fill > 50% Gray). Set the layer to Overlay. Now we have to Burn and Dodge. I used two different Range: Midtones and Highlights.

Burn: Range > Midtones, Exposure > 10% (It’s where you see dark parts)

Dodge: Range > Midtones, Exposure > 10% (It’s where there is white)

Where you see lighter white I used Dodge with same settings but putting Range: Highlights. Below you can see where I painted shadows and lights.

And this is the result.

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Step 22

Unify the whole work with CTRL+ALT+SHIFT+ E. Go to Filter and choose Lens Correction. Choose the Custom menu and where you see ‘Vignette’ put -50 in the Amount.

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Step 23

Duplicate last layer. Go to Filter > Other > High Pass and put 1 px. Set the Layer to Overlay. You can put the value you want, it depends on your taste. Just make some tries until you are happy with the result.

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Step 24

Unify the whole work with CTRL+ALT+SHIFT+ E. Go to Filter > Gaussian Blur and add some blur (usually 10px is good).

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Step 25

Add a mask to this layer. Choose a big round brush and pick black color. Paint on the mask to make the picture comes back again but leaving the corners blurred. Imagine to paint like a big circle.

Final Results

Download the PSD

Autumn Portrait.zip | 19.39 MB
Download from Mediafire !