Create a Powerful Mental Wave Explosion Effect

Fabio on Dec 22nd 2010 with 548 Comments Tutorial Details

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Final Product What You'll Be Creating

Have you ever wanted to use your mind to move an ob ect! "se the #orce to flin$ thin$s out of your way! "nfortunately% we all &now those types of abilities are impossible but usin$ the power of Photoshop anythin$ can be accomplished. 'n today(s tutorial we will demonstrate how to create a powerful mental wave effect usin$ Photoshop. )et(s $et started* This tutorial was original published in April 2008

Step 1

+pen a new document. ' used ,--./--p.. )oo& for a road photo on the 'nternet. 0he one ' used can be downloaded here. After downloadin$% place the photo in your document.

Step 2
1ow we need a photo of a person. 0he one ' used can be found here. +nce you have your photo% it(s time to e.tract the $uy from the bac&$round. "sin$ the Pen 0ool2P3 create a path li&e in the ima$e below. After that $o to the Paths Palette and create a selection from that path. 0hen $o to )ayer 4 )ayer Mas& 4 5eveal Selection. )astly% ' named this layer 6dude.7

Step 3
Go to 8dit 4 0ransform 4 Scale and reduce the si9e of the $uy. 0hen $o to 8dit 4 0ransform 4 #lip Hori9ontal. :e do that to match the li$ht direction.

Step 4
Go to 'ma$e 4 Ad ustments 4 ;urves. 0he idea here is to dar&en the $uy a little bit so he will fit better with the bac&$round. "se the ima$e below as a reference.

Step 5
Holdin$ ;md<;trl clic& on the mas& thumb of the 6dude7 layer. 0hat will create a mar=uee selection of the $uy. After that create a new layer. 5ename it to 6shadow7 and fill it with blac&. 0hen $o to 8dit 4 0ransform 4 >istort and move the vertices to ma&e the shadow in perspective. 0he last thin$ here is $o to #ilter 4 ?lur 4 Gaussian ?lur.

Step 6
Grab the 8llipse 0ool2"3. Select Paths instead of Shape )ayer. ;reate a ;ircle% li&e the ima$e below. After that $rab the >irect Selection 0ool2A3 and ad ust the bottom of the circle.

Step 7
;reate a new layer. 5ename it to 6clouds.7 0hen $o to #ilter 4 5ender 4 ;louds. :hile holdin$ Alt% clic& on ;louds. After that $o to the Path(s Palette and create a selection from the path and mas& the layer. Tip: As ou will be using the !ender " Clouds# ou will probabl need to appl the $ilter se%eral times until ou got the clouds &ust right' (eep wor)ing with it until the light and dar) areas are in a good position'

Step 8

Go to #ilter 4 )i=uefy. 'n the )i=uefy >ialo$ ?o. select the ?loat 0ool 2?3. 0hen for the settin$s use@ ?rush Si9e AA-% ?rush >ensity 1--% ?rush Pressure 1--% ?rush 5ate /-% and 0urbulent Bitter CA. 0hen select the Show ?ac&drop +ption. 0hat will allow you to see the clouds and the bac&$round. 't will be necessary to use the ?loat 0ool in the ri$ht place. ;lic& a few times and deselect the Show ?ac&drop. 0hen you will see the effect and will be able to repeat it more times in the correct place.

Step 9
;han$e the ?lend Mode of the cloud layer to Soft )i$ht. 0hen create another layer and rename it to 6;louds 2D and repeat Steps C and ,. :e will need another cloud to ma&e it more turbulent. 0his time% however% use Multiply for the ?lend Mode. After that% create yet another layer. 5ename it to 6;louds ED and repeat Steps C and ,. #or this layer use ;olor >od$e for the ?lend Mode. 0he last thin$ here is with the 8raser 0ool 283 delete some parts. 0his layer is used to $ive hi$hli$hts to the clouds.

Step 10
Group the 6;louds ED layer and $o to )ayer 4 )ayer Mas& 4 5eveal All. After that% select the ?rush 0ool 2?3% $ive it a blac& color% and mas& some parts of the clouds that are close to the $round.

Step 11
Select the 6;louds7 layer and $o to #ilter 4 Sharpen 4 Sharpen More. 0hen repeat this Sharpen filter on ;louds 2 and E layers.

Step 12
;reate a new layer. 5ename it to 6Glow.7 #ill it with white and $o to the Path Palette. ;reate a selection from the clouds path as we did in Step F. 0hen mas& the layer. After that $o to )ayer 4 )ayer Style 4 +uter Glow. "se the default settin$s. 0hen $o to )ayer 4 )ayer Style 4 ;reate )ayer. 0his command will create another layer from the +uter Glow. Gou can delete the white layer and leave ust the +uter Glow layer.

Step 13
;reate a folder called 6)i$hts.7 Move the 6Glow7 layer to this folder. 1e.t select the 6Glow7 layer. 0hen $o to )ayer 4 )ayer Mas& 4 5eveal All. 0hen select the ?rush 0ool% blac& for the color% and start mas&in$ the $low. :e need ust the outlineH however% some bri$ht spots in the middle will $ive a nice result.

Step 14
;reate a new layer beneath the clouds $roup. "sin$ the 8lliptical Mar=uee 0ool create a selection li&e the ima$e below. #ill the layer with blac& and use I-J +pacity.

Step 15
Go to )ayer 4 )ayer Mas& 4 5eveal All. After that select the Gradient 0ool2G3 and use a blac& and white $radient. 0hen mas& the layer% li&e in the ima$e below.

Step 16
>uplicate the layer and $o to )ayer 4 )ayer Mas& 4 Apply. 0hen $o to 8dit 4 0ransform 4 >istort. 5epeat the same thin$ we did for the shadow of the $uy on this layer. Group these two layers and rename the $roup to 6Shadows.7

Step 17
;reate a new layer ri$ht above the road photo. Go to #ilter 4 5ender 4 ;louds. 0hen $o to #ilter 4 >istort 4 Ki$Ka$. "se 1-- for the Amount and A for the 5id$es. #or the Style use Pond 5ipples.

Step 18
1ow $o to 8dit 4 0ransform 4 >istort. >istort the layer until you $et the ri$ht perspective. After that% chan$e the ?lend Mode to +verlay. A$ain% as we are usin$ 5ender ;louds% the results may vary so you mi$ht need to erase some parts to ma&e it more realistic.

Step 19
;reate an 8lliptical Selection li&e the ima$e below. 0hen fill it with blac&. After that% create another 8lliptical Selection% but smaller. 0hen delete that part of the layer. :ith the Ma$ic :and 0ool2:3 select the blac& part of the layer.

Step 20

>uplicate the road(s layer and select it. Ma&e sure that you still have the Mar=uee Selection from the Step 1F. 0hen $o to )ayer 4 )ayer Mas& 4 5eveal Selection. Gou can delete the blac& ellipse layer from the Step 1F or ust hide it. Go to )ayer 4 )ayer Styles 4 ?evel and 8mboss. 0his is another way to create the ripple effect. Gou could use >isplace as well.

Step 21
Go to )ayer 4 1ew )ayer #ill 4 Gradient. "se 5adial for the Style. #or the colors use LddcEF/ and L2f1e--. ;han$e the ?lend mode to ;olor >od$e.

Step 22
Here ' used another ima$e from Stoc&.Mchn$% ima$e. Bust place it on top of all layers and chan$e the ?lend Mode to +verlay.

Step 23
1ow let(s ma&e some ad ustments. #irst% lets dar&en our Ma$neto dude a bit more. Select the ?urn 0ool2S3 and burn the bac& of the $uy. After that% chan$e the ?lend Mode of the 6ripples7 layer to Soft )i$ht. Gou can delete some parts of the clouds as well.

Step 24
;reate a new folder% beneath the 6dude7 layer. 1ame the $roup 6power7 and chan$e the ?lend Mode to ;olor >od$e. After that% create a new layer inside of this $roup. 0hen usin$ the ?rush 0ool with white color% create some li$hts comin$ from the hands of the $uy. Tip: use a regular brush with 0* $or the hardness' After that you create another layer. "se some brushes to add more effects. ' used some abstract brushes from http@<<brushee9y.com. 0hen add a Pin& +uter Glow )ayer Style.

Step 25
'mport the truc& ima$e% you can download it at ima$e. 0hen with the Ma$ic :and 0ool2:3 select and delete the bac&$round of the photo. )eave ust the truc&. After that $o to 8dit 4 0ransform 4 #lip Hori9ontal. Move the truc& to the side of the road.

Step 26
Go to 'ma$e 4 Ad ustments 4 ;urves and ma&e the truc& a bit dar&er. After that% usin$ the 5ectan$ular Mar=uee 0ool2M3% create a rectan$ular selection a bit bi$$er than the truc&. 0hen $o to #ilter 4 ?lur 4 5adial ?lur. #or the settin$s use Amount 2% Method use Spin% and set ?est Nuality. 1e.t $o to #ilter 4 ?lur 4 Motion ?lur. 0hen use -CA de$rees for the an$le and E pi.els for the >istance.

Step 27
1ow we will create the truc&(s shadow. 0o do that select the 0ruc&(s layer% clic& with the ri$ht button of the mouse and choose Select Pi.els. 0hen create a new layer and fill it with blac&. Put this layer beneath the truc& layer and $o to 8dit 4 0ransform 4 >istort. >istort the shadow to ma&e it loo& more real. 0hen $o to #ilter 4 ?lur 4 Gaussian ?lur. ;han$e the +pacity of this layer to /-J.

Step 28
Group the truc& and the shadow layer and rename it to 6truc&.7 0hen or$ani9e your folders in the )ayers Palette.

Conclusion
Gou can add more elements to the ima$e% li&e a traffic cone or more cars. ?ut always chan$e the curves in order to ma&e the ob ects have the same li$htin$. 0hat will ma&e the ima$e more realistic. #or some effects% there will be many other ways to achieve a similar result. 8.periment with different methods of achievin$ an effect% li&e we did with the ripples. #inally% stic& with the ones you thin& are the best for that ima$e.