[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.] Learn how to create an assassin wielding a deadly flaming arrow! This Photoshop tutorial will show you how to create an out-of-focus background, create a realistic flaming arrow using brushes and color combinations, and finish it off with a vignette and texture overlay.
Preview of Final Results
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]Assassin with a Flaming Arrow Photoshop Tutorial
Step 1: Create a New Image
We will start by creating a new image file, go to the Menu bar and click File > New, and then input the following values on their respective fields:
Preset: International Paper
Size: A4
Width: 2480 pixels
Height: 3508 pixels
Resolution: 300 pixels/inch
Color Mode: RGB Color; 8 bit
Background Contents: Transparent
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]Step 2: Create the Background
In this step, we will be creating the background of our image, which would be a dark and mystical forest where the assassin will be attacking her target. To start, let’s open “Fantasy Forest Stock” by Moonchilde-Stock. Once it is open, just activate the Move tool by pressing V on your keyboard and once this tool is active, left-click on our open stock image and drag it to our canvas.
Position the “Fantasy forest stock” as shown below:
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]Next, we would need to resize this image so activate the Transform tool by pressing Ctrl/Cmd + T and resize it as shown on the images below:
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]When you’re done, the image should now appear like this:
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]Next, we will have to blur this image to make it look like it is far from our subject. To start, make sure that the background image is selected and then go to Filter > Blur > Lens Blur. Once it opens, input the following:
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]After hitting OK, the result should be similar to this:
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]Now, we will be enhancing the light on this forest background. To start, click on the background layer and then create a new layer by pressing Ctrl/Cmd + Shift + N and once the box opens, input “Light 1” on the name box.
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]Activate the Brush tool (B) but before we start, make sure that the active Brushes are the default brushes. The default Photoshop brushes are shown on the image below, if that’s not what you see, then follow the instructions below:
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]Right click the canvas while a layer is selected and while the Brush tool (B) is activated and then click on the button highlighted below:
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]Then click on “Reset Brushes” from the contextual menu.
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]Now, that that is done input the following settings for our Brush tool (B):
Brush size: 1600px
Hardness: 0%
Opacity: 15%
Flow: 100%
#: fffdc7
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]The color of the brush that we need to use is “#: fffdc7” To change the current brush color, follow the steps below:
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]When the Color Picker box opens, input the following on the # space:
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]Now, that your brush has the right color for the intended light, we can now paint, but make sure that the “Light 1” layer is selected:
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]The result:
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]Next, create another new layer and put “Light 2” on the name box.
Once created, activate the Brush tool (B) and input the following:
Brush size: 2500px
Hardness: 0%
Opacity: 15%
Flow: 100%
#: ceb68d
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]Now, let’s paint:
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]The result of that should be similar to this:
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]When you’re done, select all the layers that you’ve created and press Ctrl/Cmd + G to group the layers. Once grouped, rename the layer to “Background”.
Note: To rename a group, simply double-click on the words “Group 1” to prompt a text box to appear and then you may be able to rename it. See image below:
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]Step 3: Create the Assassin
Now, we will be adding the Assassin which will be the subject of our artwork. To start, open “Southron Archer 4” by lindowyn stock. Once open, activate the Magnetic lasso Tool (L) and use it to create a selection area around the assassin. See images below:
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]Once you’ve created the selection area around the assassin, activate the Move tool (V) and drag the selected assassin to our canvas.
Position it above the Background group by dragging it on top of it.
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]Name this layer to “assassin”. Naming a layer is simple and similar to naming a group. Just double click on the words: “Layer 1” etc. and then a text box would appear and then you can name it.
Now, if you’ve noticed that we have to clean up the mess left on the assassin stock image. See image below:
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]To remove that, we would need to activate the Polygonal Lasso Tool (L).
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]Once activated, create a selection area around that remaining grass image from the “Southron Archer 4” image.
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]The result of that should be similar to this:
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]Next, we would have to blur the edges since we need to create a realistic depth of field which was lost during the process of creating a selection area around the assassin and moving it to the canvas.
Activate the Blur tool (R) and input the following settings:
Brush size: 35px
Hardness: 0%
Mode: Normal
Strength: 100%
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]Next, blur the edges of the assassin as shown on the image below:
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]The result:
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]Next, we will enhance the color of this image to make it blend with the background.
Click on the “assassin” layer and then go to Image > Adjustments > Color Balance. Once this is open, input the following:
Color Levels: +15, 0, -15
Tone Balance: Midtones
Preserve Luminosity: Check
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]The result of that color adjustment should be similar to this:
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]Next, we will enhance the shadows on the assassin. To start, create a new layer (Ctrl/Cmd + Shift + N) and name it “Darken”.
Put this layer above the assassin’s layer and right click on it and once the contextual menu is up, click on “Create Clipping Mask” so the paint would only be seen or “clipped” on the assassin. See images below:
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]Next, activate the Brush tool (B) and input the following:
Brush size: 400px
Hardness: 0%
Opacity: 25%
Flow: 100%
#: 000000
#: 000000 is the color black.
Once you’re done, let us now paint:
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]The result of that should be similar to this:
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]Select all the layers that we’ve created for this step and press Ctrl/Cmd + G. Name this group to: “assassin”.
Step 4: Create the fire arrow
In this step, we will be adding flames to the assassin’s arrow rendering it more deadly and efficient. To start, let’s create a new layer (Ctrl/Cmd + Shift + N) above the “assassin” group and name it “fire 1”.
Next, activate the Brush tool (B) and input the following:
Brush size: 600px
Hardness: Default
Opacity: 100%
Flow: 100%
#: fff992
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]Now, let’s paint:
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]The result of that should be similar to this:
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]Next, create another layer (Ctrl/Cmd + Shift + N) and then name it “fire 2”.
Now, we will be using the “Fire Brushes” by Skippy3E, so activate the Brush tool (B) and then right click on the canvas to activate the contextual menu. Once activated click on the drop down menu and click on Load Brushes.
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]Once the Load Brushes option has been clicked, locate the “fire brushes” from the directory you’ve saved it into (as soon as you’ve downloaded it on the computer, its name will be changed to “assorted fire brushes by skippy3e”) and then click OK.
Now when you activate the contextual menu of the Brush tool (B), you’d see a bunch of fire brushes instead of the default circles.
Let’s activate this fire brush, now:
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]Once activated, input the following settings for the Brush tool (B):
Brush size: 1400px
Hardness: Default
Opacity: 100%
Flow: 100%
#: ffb32e
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]Now, let’s paint:
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]The result of that should be similar to this:
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]Next, create a new layer (Ctrl/Cmd + Shift + N) and name it “fire 3”.
Activate the Brush tool (B) and use the following fire brush:
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]nput the following settings now:
Brush size: 1500px
Hardness: Default
Opacity: 100%
Flow: 100%
#: fffbb4
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]Now, let’s start painting:
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]The result of that should be like this:
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]Next, create a new layer once again (Ctrl/Cmd + Shift + N) and name it “fire 4”.
Activate the Brush tool (B), right click the canvas, hit the drop down menu and click on Reset Brushes because we will need to use the default circular brushes.
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]Now that the brushes have been reset, input the following:
Brush size: 700px
Hardness: 0%
Opacity: 15%
Flow: 100%
#: ff8400
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]And, let’s paint:
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]The result:
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]Create a new layer once again and name it “fire 5”. Activate the Brush tool (B). Let’s load the “assorted fire brushes” by skippy3E once again. Use this fire brush:
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]Input the following settings now for the Brush tool (B):
Brush size: 2500px
Hardness: Default
Opacity: 15%
Flow: 100%
#: b76206
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]Now, let’s paint:
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]The result is this orange glow:
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]Next, create a new layer and name it “fire 6”.
Activate the Brush tool (B) and reset the brushes and then input the following:
Brush size: 1000px
Hardness: 0%
Opacity: 15%
Flow: 100%
#: ffa415
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]Next, let’s paint:
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]The result:
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]Next, create another layer and name it “fire 7”. Activate the Brush tool and Load “Star brushes volume 1” by JonasKr. When it’s open, activate this brush:
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]Now, input the following settings for the brush:
Brush size: 1100px
Hardness: 0%
Opacity: 100%
Flow: 100%
#: ffd56c
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]Let us now paint:
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]The result:
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]Group all the layers we’ve created here (Ctrl/Cmd + G) and name this group to “Fire”.
Step 5: Enhance the light created by the fire
Now we will be adjusting the light and shadows created by the fire arrow. To start, create a new layer (Ctrl/Cmd + Shift + N) above the “fire” group; name this layer “glow”. Activate the Brush tool (B) and reset the brushes. Next, input the following:
Brush size: 700px
Hardness: 0%
Opacity: 15%
Flow: 100%
#: ffc262
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]Now, let’s start making the areas around the fire arrow glow:
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]The result of that should be similar to this:
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]Next, create a new layer and name it “Darken 1”. Activate the Brush tool (B) and input the following:
Brush size: 600px
Hardness: 0%
Opacity: 25%
Flow: 100%
#: 000000
Now, let’s paint:
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]The result of that would be like this:
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]Next, create another layer and name it “Darken 2”.
Activate the Brush tool (B) and input the following:
Brush size: 600px
Hardness: 0%
Opacity: 15%
Flow: 100%
#: 000000
Let’s paint:
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]The result of that should be like this:
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]Step 6: Create a Vignette
In this step, we will learn how to create a vignette which will help enhance the focus on our subject. To start, go to the Menu bar and click on File > New and use the same settings we used to create our canvas. (Refer to Step 1).
Take note, the background contents should be: WHITE
Once it has been created, go to Filter > Distort > Lens Correction. Find the tab Vignette and use these settings:
Vignette amount: -100
Midpoint: +50
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]Now that that’s done drag the vignette to our canvas using the Move tool (V) and put it on top of all the layers that we’ve created, and then set the following:
Blending mode: Multiply
Opacity to 40%
To set the blending mode, simply click on the drop-down menu beside the word “Normal” on the top part of the Layer window. The Opacity is located just beside that drop-down menu as well. See image below:
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]The unblended vignette will look this:
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]The blended one will look like this:
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]Step 7: Add a grungy texture
Now, we will add textures to give the image an old and dark feel. To start, let’s open the stock image: “Grunge Texture 4” by darkrose 42 stock. Activate the Move tool (V) and drag that image to our canvas; put it above the Vignette.
Position it as shown below:
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]Activate the Transform tool (Ctrl/Cmd + T) and resize it as shown below:
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]Next, change the Blending mode of this texture to the following:
Blending Mode: Soft Light
Opacity: 40%
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]The result:
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]Next, duplicate the texture (Ctrl/Cmd + J) and use the following Blending mode for the duplicate:
Blending Mode: Multiply
Opacity: 100%
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]The result:
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]Step 8: Enhance the Light and Color of the overall image
Now, we will be adding some adjustment filters to enhance the overall appearance of the image. To start, let’s create a Gradient Map adjustment layer by pressing the “Create New Fill/Adjustment layer button”.
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]Once open, click on the following:
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]Change the Blending Mode and Opacity to the following:
Blending Mode: Soft Light
Opacity: 70%
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]Next, click on the “Create New Fill/Adjustment layer button” once again and then Hue/Saturation.
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]Once open, input the following:
Edit: Master
Hue: 0
Saturation: +25
Lightness: 0
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]Next, create a Solid Color adjustment layer.
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]Clicking the Solid Color option will open the Color Picker box. Once open, input the following on the #.
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]Next, change the Blending Mode and Opacity to the following:
Blending mode: Soft Light
Opacity: 30%
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]Next, we will enhance the Exposure of our image. Click on the “Create New Fill/Adjustment layer button” and choose Exposure.
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]When it opens, input the following:
Exposure: 0
Offset: 0.001
Gamma Correction: 1.00
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]The resulting image should now be similar to this:
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.] 
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and btw Keep it up "+" for you..
