Developing a PhotoShop Illustration

Original image from digital camera

Image brightened, contrast increased (both from Adjustments sub menu under Image), sharpen more filter applied (Filter menu, sharpen sub menu).

Image cropped (crop tool on tool bar) and elongated using transform tool (from edit menu)

Layer duplicated, from layer menu (to enable editing). Using magic wand selection tool (tool bar) background selected and cut away. Appropriate background image found and added as seperate layer behind "background copy" layer

Threshold effect applied to image (found on Adjustments sub menu under Image menu).

Magic wand selection tool used to capture black areas, paint bucket tool (tool bar) used to replace black with blue.

On the layer palette I selected the bottle layer so I could adjust this, I applied a cutout filter (from the Filter Menu, Artistic sub menu).

I selected a font I liked from www.dafont.com (chinese rocks) and downloaded it. Using the text tool (toolbar) I added a text layer in my downloaded font, I then rotated this (transform, rotate under the edit menu) and added a drop shadow (layer menu, layer style sub menu, drop shadow).

I then selected some areas on either side of the image using the Rectangular marquee tool (toolbar) and filled these with black using the paint bucket tool. I also added a drop shadow to the main image at this stage.

Going back to the original image (saved as a separate file) I cut some sections from this with the rectangular marquee selection tool then applied a graphic pen filter to them (Filter menu, sketch sub menu). I pasted these sections over parts of my image.

To fill the central space I found a diagram of a bottle and pasted this in, I removed the white background by using the multiply layer blending mode (at the top left of the layer palette). I used transform again to rotate the bottle and the move tool (tool bar) to place it.

Another image grab (of pouring water) was added, and an additional emboss effect on the text layer (bevel and emboss from the Layer, layer style menu).

Finally I selected an area behind the bottle with the Polygonal lasso tool (toolbar) and on a new layer filled this with white with the paint can, I then adjusted the Opacity of this new layer on the layer palette to let some of the blue underneath partially show through. I also added one more graphic pen section to bring some definition to the arm.


I would add that even better things can be achieved, particularly if you produce illustrations by hand then scan them then add backgrounds and text layers. 
PhotoShop is a great tool - when used wisely!


"One button wonders" - images with just a simple filter or effect applied are easy to spot and impress nobody!

Ivan