Create Epic Surreal Volcanic Wasteland Matte Painting in Photoshop

In this tutorial, I will show you how you can Design a Surreal Volcanic Wasteland Matte Painting in Photoshop. This is an intermediate level Photoshop tutorial so some steps can be a little tricky, but why not have a try :)

The PSD file of this tutorial is available via the PSD Vault VIP members area.

Along the way, you will learn tricks on combining objects, and add special effect (such as lava, smoke, laser ray) onto them. I have also included some techniques I have shown in the past such as cloud warping, rain brush creation and hair creation (video tutorials) if you’re interested.

Here is a preview of the final effect I have for this tutorial: (click to enlarge)

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Space Brushset

Step 1

Create a new document sized 1440 * 900px with black background. Load the mountain stock image into Photoshop and select the mountain portion with the quick selection tool:

Copy and paste the selection onto our document, position it on the lower half of the canvas, and use a soft eraser to remove the top edge as shown below:

Add the following 3 adjustment layers as clipping mask for this mountain layer:

Black and White

Levels

Layer Mask on the levels adjustment layer: (Use the explosion brushset as eraser to remove the bottom left portion of the levels adjustment layer)

Curves

Layer mask on the curves adjustment layer: (Use the explosion brushset as eraser to remove the bottom portion of the levels adjustment layer)

Also add some cloud effect with the explosion brush on top edge of the mountain: (Do not paint too much cloud, a subtle effect would do)

Here is the effect so far:

Step 2

Load the tower stock image into Photoshop, select the tower portion as shown below:

Cut out the selection and paste onto our document, resize and position it to the place shown below:

Add the following 3 adjustment layers as clipping mask for this tower layer:

Black and White

Levels (Important: Use a small soft brush to erase the right side of the tower on the layer mask of this levels adjustment layer, otherwise the whole tower would turn black)

Curves

Reduce the layer opacity of the original tower layer to around 60%, this will create a fading effect for the tower:

And add some cloud around the tower with either the cloud filter, and the explosion brush set. Remember don’t add too much cloud, a subtle effect will do:

Now let’s add some light shooting from the top of the tower – create a new layer and paint a single dot as shown below:

Perspective this layer as shown below:

Rotate and attach this light to the top of the tower, adjust its perspective angle again:

Use the explosion brush as an eraser, set 40% flow and opacity for this eraser, apply it on this light layer to create this “light through smoke/cloud” effect:

Here is the effect so far:

Step 3

Now use the cloud brush, add some cloud on the sky portion: (you can use surface blur filter to soften the cloud a bit if you like)

Let’s create this laser ray effect – add a new layer and paint a small dot on the the canvas, then compress and rotate it as shown below:

Use the explosion brushset as an eraser, erase some part of the laser light as shown below:

Now let’s a some splash light on the bottom to create some ground impact for the laser. Create another new layer and paint a single white dot on it, compress it down as shown below:

Change the blending mode of this layer to “overlay”, duplicate it a few more times for more effect:

and here is the effect so far:

Optinal: you can add some warped cloud around the laser:

If you’re interested in learning this effect, I have a video tutorial here:

Use the debris brush, add some particles on the bottom of the laser: (Use the sharpen filter to sharpen the particle a bit)

Step 4

Now let’s add the planet onto the image. Create a new layer and use the elliptical marquee tool to draw circle on the top right corner as shown below:

Keep this selection, use the grunge brush to add some texture inside it:

Deselect the selection, use the soft eraser to remove the edges on the planet object:

Add some light effect to the bottom by adding a soft white dot on a new layer, then warp it as shown below:

Create a new layer and paint another single dot with a soft white brush, and here is the effect so far:

Step 5

If you’re having difficulty with this part, here is video tutorial I made:

Now let’s add some lava effect onto the image. Load the fire texture into Photoshop, select the fire as shown below:

Copy and paste the selection onto our document, resize it to a smaller scale:

Change the layer blending mode of this new fire layer to “Vivid Light” – you will have the following effect:

Duplicate this fire layer once, and you will see the effect increases:

Now duplicate this layer a few more times, and scatter them around the mountain – you will have the following effect:

Step 6

Ok let’s add a human figure into the image. Load the model image into Photoshop and select the model:

Copy and paste the selection onto our document, resize and position it as shown below:

Add the following 3 adjustment layers as clipping mask for this model layer:

Black and White

Levels

Curves

Optinal: Because the hair of the model is still from the original stock photo, I added some vexel hair to make a flying/windy effect: (If you’re interested in the vexel hair technique, I have a video tutorial below to show you the steps)

Although the video tutorial above is for another model, the technique should be the same and can be applied to this image as well:

and here is the effect so far:

Step 7

OK for some final touches, I added some star patterns on the sky with the space brushset:

And add some meteor shower effect with the rain brush I created previously -if you’re interested, I have made video tutorial on how you create this rain brush in Photoshop:

I then added a few colours to dramatise the effect, and here is the final effect I have for this tutorial: (click to enlarge)

That’s it for this Photoshop tutorial! Hope you enjoy it and find it useful and inspirational! Till next time, have a great day!