Happy Birthday Postcard

Learn how to make an illustration by combining several pictures, use some of the program filters and learn using the instrument Custom Shape Tool, increase the quantity of the clouds on the sky and represent the text's reflection also.

Now open in a new window the picture of a girl we want to process next: File - Open (ctrl+o).



Make a copy of the layer with the girl: Layer - Duplicate Layer (ctrl+j) and delete the previous one moving it on the recycle bin's icon in the Layers window. Choose now the Polygonal Lasso Tool and mark out the background around the girl, and then erase it with the Delete button on the keyboard.



Move off the markings: Select - Deselect (ctrl+d) and insert on a new layer the picture of the sky. It's necessary to open the sky in a new window (ctrl+o), mark it out with Rectangular Marquee Tool and copy it: Edit - Copy (ctrl+c). Then get back to the processed picture and insert it on a new layer: Edit - Paste (ctrl+v).



Place this layer lower than the girl's layer and correct the size of both layers referring one to another. Use for this operation the command Edit - Free Transform (ctrl+t).



As you may see, on the girl's right side it's necessary to add more clouds, this is why we need to hide the visibility of the girl's layer by clicking on the eye's icon near the sky in the Layers window and mark out the already present cloud on the sky's layer with Magic Wand Tool. Correct the markings applying the Polygonal Lasso Tool.



Copy this marked zone (ctrl+j) and make the necessary corrections of the new cloud's placement (ctrl+t).



Create a mask out of this layer: Layer - Create Clipping Mask - Reveal all, then select the Brush Tool of a big size with smooth edges and hide all the clear edges of this cloud with very accurate motions:



Select the next command now Layer - Remove Layer Mask - Apply. Start correcting the colors after that. Minimize a little the intensity on the sky's layer by copying it (ctrl+j). Blur it out with the necessary filter (Filter - Blur - Gaussian Blur) and change the layer's type on Multiply.

 

Merge down these layers: Layer - Merge Down (ctrl+e). Then make the operation of inverting the colors, selecting this combination: Image - Adjustments - Invert (ctrl+i).



Change the sky's color after that, using Image - Adjustments - Selective Color.



Applying the same command, it's possible to make the corrections on the girl's layer:





Select now the Smudge Tool and set in the Brushes option the following adjustments:



We have to represent now the wing's edges more fluffy by applying short smudging motions. On a black background it would look this way:



Create now a new layer above the sky's layer and select a star from the table below Custom Shape Tool.



Represent several stars by holding the shift button:



Then take the Line Tool of 3 px, depending on the picture's size and draw the threads the stars are hold on with.



Make a copy of this layer and change the color of the copy, selecting the next combination: Image - Adjustments - Hue/Saturation (ctrl+u).