[tweetmeme]In this tutorial I’ll show you how to create the mythical Pegasus. We will play mixing different images, blending effects and techniques to create a very nice effect.  I’ll also show you different methods of color adjustment to get the most realistic results in your photo.

Before We Get Started

For this tutorial you are going to need 3 Images:

HORSE: http://www.sxc.hu/browse.phtml?f=download&id=1213061

WINGS: http://www.sxc.hu/browse.phtml?f=download&id=339551

SKY: http://www.sxc.hu/browse.phtml?f=download&id=1272711

Step 1 Extracting the horse and the wing

a)   Open the wing image as is and double-click on the “Background” layer to make it editable.

b)   Then use the pen Tool to select the wing

c)   Go to Select> Modify > inverse.  Next Select > Modify > Feather and in the dialog box apply .5px.

d)   Delete the background

e)   Repeat the same procedure with the horse

Step 2 Adjusting the horse to the background

a)   Drag and Drop the horse layer itself into your work document the sky photo.

b)   We must scale and rotate the horse so it adjusts to the background.

Edit > Transform > Scale

Edit > Transform > Rotate

c)   Drag and Drop the wing layer above the horse

d)    Reflect the wing to match the horse Edit> Transform> Flip Horizontal

e)   We must scale and rotate the wing so it adjusts to the background.

Edit > Transform > Scale

Edit > Transform > Rotate

f) We duplicate the wing layer and drag it behind the horse. Again we adjust it size and rotation

Step 3 Adjusting the wings

a) Adjust the color of the wings to match the horse’s body: image> adjustments> hue / saturation. We select the colorize box. Do the same with the second wing.

b) Select Dodge tool to clarify the union of the wing with the horse.

c) Now select Smudge tool to drag a little of the union to the horse’s body and create the illusion of a member.

d) Darken the second wing using the Exposure tool: Image> Adjustments> Exposure and use as it appears in the next image:

e) With the burn tool we darken the the inside of the wing and the horse’s back, very mild with 12% of Exposure

Step 4 Creating the lights

a) Create a new layer below the horse layer and name it lights.

b) Open de Gradient Tool Editor (double click on the gradient) and select:

Gradient Type: Noise

Roughness: 100%

Color Model: RGB

Restrict Colors (select)

Add Transparency (select)

c) Select the angle gradient and in the lights layer Paint with the gradient Tool.

d) Now desaturate: Image > Adjustments > Desaturate

e) We apply overlay layer style in a 100%

f) Now with the Eraser Tool with diferents flows erase some parts of it

g) Create a new layer above all others, and name it lighting.

h) Open the gradient editor and create a gradient from white to a dark brown, leaving a very definite white circle in the center and the rest in a dark brown.

i) Paint the layer with radial gradient and apply Color Dodge layer style to 90%

Step 5 Color Adjustment

a) Start by applying a Photo Filter adjustment layer to your image. Change the filter color to Sepia and set the density between 90 to 100 percent. Make sure the preserve luminosity box is checked.

b) Add a Hue & Saturation adjustment layer next. Desaturate the image anywhere from -10 to -50. Do what looks good to you.

c) Add a Black & White adjustment layer then, the only alteration we need to do is in the blending mode: change it from Normal to Overlay at 72 %.

e) Finally we use the Dodge tool to create lights in the horse which reflects the sun

f) With a brush add a splash in the horse leg for the final details.

Final Image