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Making of Dolphins

Tips about how I made the Dolphins wallpaper ( see wallpaper ).

Dolphins - making of - Step 1

Let’s start with underwater background. The easiest way to draw it is radial gradient. Set

foreground color to lighter blue and background color to darker blue. Select Gradient tool, then select Radial on toolbar,

then draw gradient from top-center of image to right-bottom (or left-bottom).

 
Dolphins - making of - Step 1

I used wonderful photo by Leandro Stanzani as a reference for my drawing. Locate the photo

inside your image…

 
Dolphins - making of - Step 2

..and set its layer opacity to 15-25%.
 
Dolphins - making of - Step 3

Set foreground color to lighter blue. Switch to Pen tool, create shape of big dolphin body,

carefully outlining it from the photo.

 
Dolphins - making of - Step 4

In new layer, use Pen tool and make white shape of dolphin’s belly. Set layer opacity to

10-20%…

 
Dolphins - making of - Step 5

… then Create Clipping Mask (Ctrl-Shift-G or from Layer menu), so that shape of belly is

limited by shape of dolphin.

 
Dolphins - making of - Step 6

In new layer, use combination of large and small soft brush (black and white) to draw

lightlights and shadows.

 
Dolphins - making of - Step 7

Set layer mode to Overlay and Create clipping mask again (Ctrl-Shift-G or from Layer

menu).

 
Dolphins - making of - Step 8

I decided I wanted to have edges a bit mor glowing, so I used small soft white brush to outline

the edges (in new layer)…

 
Dolphins - making of - Step 9

…then set layer opacity to Overlay and Create clipping mask again.
 
Dolphins - making of - Step 10

Zoom in, set foreground color to dark blue, switch to Pen tool, carefully draw shape of

mouth.

 
Dolphins - making of - Step 11

Switch to Brush tool, with small soft white brush, add some highlight…
 
Dolphins - making of - Step 12

… then – you guessed! – set layer mode to Overlay, and Create clipping mask.
 
Dolphins - making of - Step 13

… in new layer, with Pen tool, add an eyebrow shape (as always, layer blend mode = Overlay,

opacity – to your liking).

 
Dolphins - making of - Step 14

Switch to Pen tool. Using the same color as body shape, create shape of a fin.
 
Dolphins - making of - Step 15

Create a layer mask (Layer menu – Layer mask – Reveal all). Switch to Brush tool, set color to

Black, use black brush to remove unnecessary part of fin.

 
Dolphins - making of - Step 16

In new layer, with white and black brush, draw highlights and shadows.
 
Dolphins - making of - Step 17

… as always, Create clipping mask…
 
Dolphins - making of - Step 18

Set layer blend mode to Overlay, then adjust layer opacity carefully, until the top line of fin

is the same lightness as dolphin body.

 
Dolphins - making of - Step 19

Small but important detail – use dark blue soft brush to add a shadow (in new layer under layer

with fin shape).

 
Dolphins - making of - Step 20

Under layer with dolphin body shape, use Pen tool to draw another fin (with dark blue

color).

 
Dolphins - making of - Step 21

This dolphin is ready! Using the same techniques, create a dolphin child. The instructions are

the same, so I’m only show the screenshots…

 
Dolphins - making of - Step 22

 
Dolphins - making of - Step 23

 
Dolphins - making of - Step 24

 
Dolphins - making of - Step 25

 
Dolphins - making of - Step 26

 
Dolphins - making of - Step 27

 
Dolphins - making of - Step 28

Create new layer between layers with Dolphin and Dolphin child. Use very large black soft brush

to draw shadow that falls on dolphin body. Make sure shadow is inside body shape – use Eraser tool to remove brush outside

body.

 
Dolphins - making of - Step 29

Set layer blend mode to Overlay or Soft light. Adjust opacity to your liking.
 
Dolphins - making of - Step 30

The dolphins are ready! The final detail I added was bubbles, but you should already know how to

do them from my previous tutorials 🙂 Thanks for reading!

 

Author: Vlad Gerasimov
URL:    http://www.vladstudio.com

Dolphins - making of - Step 31

Author: Vlad Gerasimov
URL:    http://www.vladstudio.com

See Full Screen Wallpaper.

Dolphins - making of - Step 1

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