Photoshop Extreme: Heavens Door

Step 1

Create a new document sized 1440px * 720px with black background. Load the Forest image into Photoshop and select a portion as shown below:

Copy and paste the selection to our document, and use the Eraser Tool with a 40% flow, 100% opacity to remove some parts of the image, to create depth:

Add the following Image Adjustment layers on top:

Black and White

Hue and Saturation

Levels

and here is the effect so far:

Step 2

Load the Boy stock image into Photoshop and select the boy’s body, copy and paste into our document, re-size and place it shown below:

Add the following adjustment layers as clipping masks to this boy’s layer:

Black and White

Levels

And here is the effect so far:

Make sure you paint some dark shadow with a soft brush on the ground where the boy is standing so it blends into the forest:

Step 3

Load the Gate image into Photoshop. Select the entire image and copy + paste it onto our document, re-size and place this new layer in front of the boy (underneath the boy’s layer):

Use a soft eraser to remove some parts of the image as shown below:

Add the following adjustment layers as clipping masks to this gate layer:

Black and White

Levels

and here is the effect so far:

Step 4

We will add a pair of wings for the boy. Load the Nebula 1 image into Photoshop and select the following piece with the Lasso Tool (40px feather):

Copy and paste the selection to our document, re-size and warp it as shown below:

Hit Ctrl + L and apply the following levels adjustment:

Repeat the above process and add another wing, and there is the effect so far:

Step 5

Load the Nebula 2 image into Photoshop and select the following area with a 40px feather Lasso Tool:

Copy and paste the selection to our document, set its blending mode to “Lighter Color”:

Resize and duplicate this layer a few times, scatter them around the canvas as shown below:

Use a particle brush, paint some particles around gate, as shown below:

Paint some cloud with a cloud brush around gate as well:

Step 6

We want to add some flame inside the gate. Let’s go back to the forest layer, and use a eraser to remove the part inside the gate:

Go to the Nebula 1 image and select the following piece:

Copy and paste the selection to our document and place this layer below the forest layer, put it behind the gate: (make sure you adjust the size of the layer to fit the gate)

Step 7

We’re almost done! For final touches, we can flatten the image, and create a new layer on top, then use a big soft black brush to paint some darkness around canvas.

This will make the centre part of the image stand out: