Creating an Underwater Effect
This tutorial is written for PhotoShop CS3, but can be recreated in other versions.
In this tutorial, you will learn how to create an underwater scene from scratch.
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We will start with a blank canvas of 400x600 pixels. Then we will add a linear gradient like so:
Then we'll want to add a new layer and create a lightened area for the sea bed. This will be where the sun shines through the top and lights up the floor. You should use a soft brush for this:
Next, make a selection about three quarters the size of the canvas, like so:
Now in a new layer with default colors (press D), goto Filter > Render > Clouds. It might take a few goes to get what you're looking for because clouds are generated at random, but you'll have something like this:
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Goto Edit > Transform > Scale and expend the clouds out to fill the canvas. Then goto Filter > Artistic > Plastic Wrap. For Highlight Strength, choose a value between 10 and 15, Detail between 1 and 5, and Smoothness between 10 and 15. We should end up with something like this:
Goto Edit > Transform > Distort and resize it to fit at the top, like so:
Next, with the clouds still selected, goto Filters > Render > Lighting Effect. We will choose Omni, and play around with the settings until you find a light you like. We are trying to recreate the sun shining through the surface of the water.
Next, take a soft brush and erase around the bottom of the layer we just created, and follow the light curve, like so:
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Now we change the Blend Mode of this layer to Linear Dodge, and reduce the Fill to between 50 and 60%. We should have this:
Now to do the bottom. Duplicate the layer we just created for the surface water, and Edit > Transform > Flip Vertical. Then move it down to the bottom and change its Blend Mode to Color Dodge and the Fill to between 30 and 40%. You should now have something that looks like this:
As a finishing touch, we can add a beam of light being shone through the water from the sun. In another new layer, choose a brush that's almost the size of the width of the canvas and paint a lighter color down the middle, like so:
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Comments
Seyferf Hallendent said on 10/08/2008 at 12:45 AM
I saw one like this since last year.. but its comepletely different... I think its called Alien Water... sorry but Ill rate this 3/5
Unknown.Nirk said on 10/11/2008 at 8:01 PM
It sucks actually...
You don't explain where you can find most of the options...
You should think about this if you're making a "basics" tutorial.
Unknown. Kazin said on 10/13/2008 at 1:24 AM
The tutorial is fare out the scope of beginners, first the gradient has too much different color to create that effect. Second the brush/erase technique to erase the edge off the water in picture 7-8 is very unspecific, and lastly the beam of light is very vague as well.... I got a decent picture from this tutorial, because it pissed me off so much i had to finish it...
Till said on 01/21/2009 at 1:50 AM
I thought this was well written, everything made sense and was not difficult to follow at all. For a simple effect for beginners I found this to be very effective. If you had trouble with this, photoshop may not be the best thing for you.
timmah said on 02/24/2009 at 4:00 PM
Good tut - if you can't follow this, pick up classroom in a book and come back...noob
Amides said on 03/28/2009 at 3:28 PM
COngrats i like it so much!
Tiki said on 04/01/2009 at 3:05 PM
Basic tut? .. huh..
This tut is not for beginners..
You have to explane more what you do if you make basic tuts :)
Tsalagi said on 04/06/2009 at 3:32 AM
I liked the visuals but I have to agree with most of the readers. The direction to the reader to obtain the effects is limited or non-existent. Please provide more detail in your future post. I'm no stranger to CS2 and became bored with the whole thing. Again. I like the outcome. Reminds me of Punta Gorda on a Mid March full moon beach.
Skvo said on 06/20/2009 at 11:01 AM
This tut was good for me, but i have been using PhotoShop for a long time. I quess you should mark this tut as intermediate and then everything should be fine!
Thank you! It's been interesting for me.
shreeya s labde said on 08/07/2009 at 12:26 AM
write the steps in detain so it will be too easy to learn , otherwise we have to search for each option. rather then its good to use this tutorial
HAWK said on 08/18/2009 at 10:48 PM
Nice, helped me a lot
Gagan Swain said on 08/22/2009 at 1:43 AM
Very nice, This tutorials was essential for me,
thank you!
agon said on 10/15/2009 at 6:38 AM
i think that this is not for the scratchers this is for begginers, those who knows which tools can make what can do this, others cannot make this coz there was no explaining of elements that u used, but anyway it was funny for me to make this ...by the way i am begginer too but not scratcher...
FADS said on 10/18/2009 at 2:23 PM
AWSOME!!!
220-601 said on 12/09/2009 at 4:36 AM
Great article.
Lazer-Desgins said on 01/06/2010 at 5:17 PM
yea...I've been using photoshop for sometime now, and only did this tut because I am working on my fundamentals. For a beginner I think this is a good tut. To add an intermediate touch to this tut you could elaborate on the sea floor. I can think of a few different things that could improve this tut, BUT for a beginner I think its good enough...
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Club Penguin Cheats said on 01/18/2010 at 7:26 PM
The tutorial is fare out the scope of beginners, first the gradient has too much different color to create that effect. Second the brush/erase technique to erase the edge off the water in picture 7-8 is very unspecific, and lastly the beam of light is very vague as well....
Chirag Sharma said on 01/23/2010 at 9:28 AM
How to do this:
"Next, take a soft brush and erase around the bottom of the layer we just created, and follow the light curve, like so"
I don't know how to use soft brush.
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