The series shifts gears into photo manipulation. Part one of this three-parter covers the concept, source assets and background prep.
2026 note: This lesson was recorded on Photoshop CS6 in 2014. Adobe no longer sells the CS line — Photoshop now ships via Creative Cloud subscription. About 95% of the menus and shortcuts shown in the video still match the modern version; only the iconography is a bit fresher.
What We Build in Part 1
- The concept sketch — rough out what you see in your head.
- Gather sources (model, sky, textures).
- Open a new project at the right resolution (300 DPI for print, 72 DPI for screen).
- Place the background, align, crop.
- Apply an atmospheric gradient on the background.
Tip
Group every asset into its own layer group: “Background”, “Model”, “FX”, “Color Grade”. As the scene grows, this discipline pays for itself.
In the next part we’ll integrate the model into the background and lock down light consistency.
