We will be create a dark, manipulated cover.
Skills you will learn:
- Layer Mask
- Text Effects
- Blending
Resources:
1. Stone Ground
2. Three stocks (dark stocks, graveyards, cemetery, forest, etc)
3. A model (.PNG)
3. A model (.PNG)
4. Wings - Credit StarsColdNight (you can use other wings, if you wish - or no wings)
5. PSD - Credit thousandsof-words
I do not want you to copy my lesson exactly, so I have omitted some resources. If you want to start a graphic design business (on wattpad), you must be able to find some images yourself.
Since I will showing you how to make this cover using three different programs, I will put PS (Photoshop), G (Gimp), or P (Pixlr Editor) beside the appropriate steps.
1. Open program and click File> New (PS or G), or Create a New Image or File> New Image (P).
2. First, open the stone ground stock. G: File> Open as Layers. P: File> Open Image. PS: File> Open.
P/PS requires extra steps:
i) select all pixels (Ctrl + A)
ii) cut (Ctrl + X)
iii) paste onto the cover (Ctrl + V).
3. Position the stone so they take up about 1/4 of the cover.
G: Move tool (M)
P: Move tool (V)
PS: Move tool (V)
The letters in brackets are shortcuts. You only need to press the letter on your keyboard and your cursor will switch to that tool.
Later on, I move the stone ground to the left, so that the dark grey border is gone. You can simply erase it, but moving it is easier.
Warning: DO NOT copy the watermark. That is simply there so I know you did not copy my work.
4. Open one of your stocks and put it over half of the stone ground. Depending on the size of the stock, you may need to scale it.
Tip: Hold Shift as you scale in P/PS or make sure the chain is linked in G, so that the image will remain proportionate while being scaled.
G: Scale (Shift + T)
P: Scale (Edit> Free Transform)
PS: Scale (Edit> Transform> Scale)
5. Next, we apply a layer mask. Make sure your stock layer is highlighted. Each programs has many ways to get a layer mask.
G: (1) Layer> Mask> Add Layer Mask - Initialize layer mask to: white (Full opacity), (2) Right click on the stock layer, and click 'Add Layer Mask'
P: (1) Layer> Add Layer Mask, (2) Click on the layer mask button on the bottom of the layers panel (it looks like the japan flag), (3) Right click on the stock layer, and click 'Add Layer Mask'.
PS: (1) Click on the layer mask button on the bottom of the layers panel (it looks like the japan flag), (2) Layer> Layer Mask> Reveal All (use eraser) or Hide All (use brush)
If you use G, use the eraser tool (Shift + E) -brush name: 2. Hardness 050 - at 130.
If you use P, use the brush tool (B) - soft brush - at 200.
If you use PS (1), use a soft eraser (E) with a hardness of 0% at 100 px.
If you use a soft eraser, erase the top and bottom of the image. If you use a soft brush, reveal most of the stock except the harsh lines of the top and bottom. If you mess up a little with the soft brush, you can use a soft eraser to clean it up.
6. Apply layer mask. Simply, right click on the layer mask and 'Apply Layer Mask' (the layer mask will appear beside the thumbnail of the picture in the layer panel). It is usually white with black or green.
I moved the stock down a bit more after applying the layer mask.
7. Open your next stock that will be on top of the cover. I used a forest. Make sure the stock is large enough that it will go a couple inches over the faded top of the first stock.
Erase the bottom of the second stock with a large, soft eraser.
8. Open a third stock. Do the same thing you did for step 7 except position it on the right side of the cover.
9. Open up a texture (I chose a cloud/smoke texture). Duplicate it (Right click on layer, and click 'duplicate layer')
Then, erase the harsh edges of both the original and the copy so that they blend well together. I merge the textures together by right-clicking on the layer and clicking 'merge down'.
G: Layer> Merge Down
10. I took a stock of a house. I made it on top of the forest layer. Changed the layer mode to darken. I erased the background and some parts I didn't like. Then I adjusted the hue of the house, so that it was brown instead of blue.
G: Colors> Hue-Saturation> Hue: -180
P: Adjustments> Hue & Saturation> Hue: -180
PS: Image> Adjustments> Hue/Saturation> Hue: -180
11. Flatten image. Make the contrast: -33.
12. Create a new layer on top of the flattened image. Put a black to transparent gradient. Drag the gradient from the bottom to half way. Merge down.
13. Open up a png of your model. Optionally, you can put an outer glow on it, but it is fine as is.
14. If you don't want wings, you can skip this step. If you do, you can download the left and right wing, but I like to save space on my computer.
I simply download one wing, duplicate it, and flip layer horizontal. I make sure the wing layer is below the model.
G: Layer> Transform> Flip Horizontally
P: Layer> Flip Layer Horizontal
PS: Edit> Transform> Flip Horizontal
Then, I merge the wings together. And finally, I merge the girl with the wings. Now I can resize if needed.
15. Time for the text!
G: This program has limited options for text (there are some cool effects, but nothing quick). So I'm going to cheat by doing all the text on pixlr (the canvas must be transparent) and saving it as a .png. Then, I will transfer it to the G cover, and adjust it from there.
However, if you'd like to do everything on Gimp, here are some tutorials I think could suit this cover:
chrome beveled text || highlighted chrome metal text || brushed aluminium text effect with layerfx
P: Layer> Layer Styles or you look to the bottom of the layer panel and see the weird shape with something that looks like spark.
Title: An Unfortunate Event DeWarped (color: 808080).
Subtitle: NOVA (color: 808080)
Author Name: An Unfortunate Event DeWarped (color: ffffff)
PS: Layer styles in photoshop is 'fx' at the bottom of the layer panel. After I added the text, I added a PSD coloring at 70% opacity.
Disclaimer: None of these resources belong to me. Only the finished product is mine.
5. PSD - Credit thousandsof-words
Helpful Link:
I do not want you to copy my lesson exactly, so I have omitted some resources. If you want to start a graphic design business (on wattpad), you must be able to find some images yourself.
Since I will showing you how to make this cover using three different programs, I will put PS (Photoshop), G (Gimp), or P (Pixlr Editor) beside the appropriate steps.
1. Open program and click File> New (PS or G), or Create a New Image or File> New Image (P).
Width: 512 px | Height: 800 px | Orientation: Portrait | Background Contents/Fill with: Transparency
 |
| Left to Right: Gimp, Photoshop, Pixlr |
P/PS requires extra steps:
i) select all pixels (Ctrl + A)
ii) cut (Ctrl + X)
iii) paste onto the cover (Ctrl + V).
3. Position the stone so they take up about 1/4 of the cover.
 |
| Step 3 |
P: Move tool (V)
PS: Move tool (V)
The letters in brackets are shortcuts. You only need to press the letter on your keyboard and your cursor will switch to that tool.
Later on, I move the stone ground to the left, so that the dark grey border is gone. You can simply erase it, but moving it is easier.
Warning: DO NOT copy the watermark. That is simply there so I know you did not copy my work.
4. Open one of your stocks and put it over half of the stone ground. Depending on the size of the stock, you may need to scale it.
 |
| Step 4. |
Tip: Hold Shift as you scale in P/PS or make sure the chain is linked in G, so that the image will remain proportionate while being scaled.
G: Scale (Shift + T)
P: Scale (Edit> Free Transform)
PS: Scale (Edit> Transform> Scale)
5. Next, we apply a layer mask. Make sure your stock layer is highlighted. Each programs has many ways to get a layer mask.
G: (1) Layer> Mask> Add Layer Mask - Initialize layer mask to: white (Full opacity), (2) Right click on the stock layer, and click 'Add Layer Mask'
P: (1) Layer> Add Layer Mask, (2) Click on the layer mask button on the bottom of the layers panel (it looks like the japan flag), (3) Right click on the stock layer, and click 'Add Layer Mask'.
 |
| Pixlr Layer Mask (2) |
 |
| Pixlr Layer Mask (3) |
PS: (1) Click on the layer mask button on the bottom of the layers panel (it looks like the japan flag), (2) Layer> Layer Mask> Reveal All (use eraser) or Hide All (use brush)
If you use G, use the eraser tool (Shift + E) -brush name: 2. Hardness 050 - at 130.
If you use P, use the brush tool (B) - soft brush - at 200.
If you use PS (1), use a soft eraser (E) with a hardness of 0% at 100 px.
 |
| Step 5-6 |
6. Apply layer mask. Simply, right click on the layer mask and 'Apply Layer Mask' (the layer mask will appear beside the thumbnail of the picture in the layer panel). It is usually white with black or green.
I moved the stock down a bit more after applying the layer mask.
 |
| Step 7 |
 |
| Step 8 |
Erase the bottom of the second stock with a large, soft eraser.
8. Open a third stock. Do the same thing you did for step 7 except position it on the right side of the cover.
9. Open up a texture (I chose a cloud/smoke texture). Duplicate it (Right click on layer, and click 'duplicate layer')
 |
| Step 9 |
 |
| Step 10 |
G: Layer> Merge Down
10. I took a stock of a house. I made it on top of the forest layer. Changed the layer mode to darken. I erased the background and some parts I didn't like. Then I adjusted the hue of the house, so that it was brown instead of blue.
G: Colors> Hue-Saturation> Hue: -180
P: Adjustments> Hue & Saturation> Hue: -180
PS: Image> Adjustments> Hue/Saturation> Hue: -180
 |
| Step 12 |
 |
| Step 13 |
13. Open up a png of your model. Optionally, you can put an outer glow on it, but it is fine as is.
14. If you don't want wings, you can skip this step. If you do, you can download the left and right wing, but I like to save space on my computer.
I simply download one wing, duplicate it, and flip layer horizontal. I make sure the wing layer is below the model.
 |
| Step 14 |
G: Layer> Transform> Flip Horizontally
P: Layer> Flip Layer Horizontal
PS: Edit> Transform> Flip Horizontal
Then, I merge the wings together. And finally, I merge the girl with the wings. Now I can resize if needed.
15. Time for the text!
G: This program has limited options for text (there are some cool effects, but nothing quick). So I'm going to cheat by doing all the text on pixlr (the canvas must be transparent) and saving it as a .png. Then, I will transfer it to the G cover, and adjust it from there.
However, if you'd like to do everything on Gimp, here are some tutorials I think could suit this cover:
chrome beveled text || highlighted chrome metal text || brushed aluminium text effect with layerfx
 |
| Gimp/Pixlr Text Settings |
Title: An Unfortunate Event DeWarped (color: 808080).
Subtitle: NOVA (color: 808080)
Author Name: An Unfortunate Event DeWarped (color: ffffff)
 |
| Photoshop Text Settings |
16. Done!
You could add some cool textures or topaz, if you want, but I didn't want to make this lesson any longer than it already is.
Extra: Topaz Effect w/o Topaz for PS users who don't have topaz.
Cartoon effect for PS users similar to topaz
Cartoon effect for PS users similar to topaz
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| Left to Right: Pixlr (1st attempt), Pixlr (2nd attempt), Gimp, Photoshop |
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| Left to Right: Pixlr (Glamour Glow @ low opacity) and Photoshop (fake topaz) |
DUE: July 24 at 11:59 PM EST
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