Kyle DeTella makes heavy use of Photoshop’s Warp and Burn tools to create an abstraction composition based on his current work.
In this tutorial, we will use Adobe Photoshop to compile various simple elements into a more intricate design. Having a stockpile of assets and self-made elements is invaluable to any designer, whether simply for reference or to actually use in compositions.
Before tackling this tutorial, I would suggest creating abstract mini-compositions to throw into the piece. Make use of Photoshop's Warp, and Displacement features to achieve your look.
Having a clean focal point, such as a photograph of a person, is a wonderful contrast with the scratchy and busy shapes you can place around it.
Step 1 To begin, find a photo of a model in an upright pose. Be sure she has a sense of flow and movement. The model used in this tutorial can be obtained from iStockphoto.com (ref: 1847617). Begin by opening your photo in Photoshop. Using the Pen tool, path out the model (hair is always tricky, however in this instance, precision is not imperative since we will have a white background). Load your path as a selection from the Paths palette and copy-&-paste the model into a new document sized 2,400-x- 2,400 pixels. Fill the background (G) with dark grey (#111111).
Step 2 Resize the model to fit entirely within the frame. The original image was dull. We need to resaturate it. Select the Saturation Palette by pressing Ctrl/Cmd+U. Move the Saturation slider until her skin has a more natural tone. Keep an eye on the entire image to keep it even. Looking at her leg, the colour is very washed out. Use the Burn Tool (O) to remedy this. Use a soft brush set at between 600 to 1,200 pixels and set the range to ‘Midtones’. Run the brush in even passes over her leg and her upper body.