Hi. This is Marty from Blue Lightning TV.
I’m going to show you how to create a classic, 1950’s, vintage pin up illustration poster.
I provided a Photoshop template that you can download, so you can follow along.
Its link is in my video’s description below the video or in my project files.
It includes an aged, paper texture background, a large shape, a smaller shape and a retro starburst.
I also included a retro font called, “Maiden Orange” in case you’d like to use it in your poster.
Open a photo of someone that you’d like to use for this project.
I downloaded this one from Shutterstock.
The first step is to make a selection around your subject, so we can separate it from its background.
There are many ways to so this and he method you choose depends of the characteristics of your photo.
For this example, I'll use the Quick Selection Tool.
Starting in CC 2020, you can select your subject automatically by clicking the "Select Subject" button.
To check it, press "Q" on your keyboard to see it as a quick mask.
It does a pretty good job overall, but you still may have to use the quick Selection
Tool to fill in any areas if might have missed.
Press "Q" again to revert it back into a selection.
To refine its edges, go to Select.
If you're using a version earlier than CC 2015.5, click "Refine edge".
If you're using 2015.5 or later, click "Select and Mask".
If you prefer to use Refine Edge, Shift-click "Select and Mask".
I did in-depth tutorials on both of these filters, so f you'd like to watch them,
I provided links to them, as well.
Click "Smart Radius", which detects feathery and sharp edges.
Drag the Radius a bit to the right and drag your tool over the soft or feathery edges like hair.
To prevent the background colors from creating a color fringe around the edges of your subject,
check "Decontaminate Colors", which fill the edges with the subject's edge colors.
I'll drag it all the way to the right.
Output it to a “New Layer with Layer Mask”.
To place it onto the poster template.
press "v" to open your Move Tool and drag your subject onto the tab of the template.
Without releasing your mouse or pen, drag it down and release.
To resize and position it, open your Transform Tool by pressing Ctrl or Cmd + T. Go to a corner.
If your using a version earlier than CC 2019, press and hold Alt or Option + Shift as you drag it in or out.
If you're using CC 2019 or later, just press Alt or Option as you drag it.
To position it, go inside the Transform's bounding box and drag it.
Then, press Enter or Return.
We'll convert our subject into a Smart Object, so we can modify it non-destructively.
To do this, click the icon at the upper, right and click "Convert to Smart Object".
We'll jump our subject to the top of the Layers panel by pressing Ctrl or Cmd and the right
bracket key on your keyboard until the layer is at the top.
Go to Image, Adjustments and Shadows/Highlights.
Check "Show More Options".
Before we start adjusting the Shadows, Highlights and Adjustments, keep in mind that since every
photo has its own characteristics, feel free to play with the setting amounts.
For this image, I'll make the Shadow amount: 50%, the Tone: 50% and the Radius: 30 pixels.
I'll make the Highlights amount: 20% and the rest, I'll keep at their default amounts.
Go to Filter, Stylize and "Oil Paint".
Make the Stylization: 2, the Cleanliness: 0.9 and the Scale: 0.1.
The Bristle Detail is irrelevant, since the Lighting is unchecked.
Go back to Image, Adjustments and Shadows/Highlights.
This time, I'll make the Shadows amount: 70%, the Highlights amount: 10% and the 10 pixels.Radius:
I'll make the Color: 0 and the Midtone: 80.
Go to Filter, Blur and "Surface Blur".
Make the Radius: 10 pixels and the Threshold: 20 levels.
Basically, Surface Blur blurs the image with the exception of the edges.
Double-click this icon to the right of Surface Blur, which opens the Smart Filter Blending Options.
Change its blend mode to “Screen” and reduce its opacity to 30%.
Go to Filter and Filter Gallery.
Open the Texture folder and click "Grain".
The Intensity is 40 and the Contrast is 50.
The Grain Type is "Regular".
Let's save some space in the Layers panel by collapsing the smart filters.
Scroll to the large shape and double-click the Layer to open its Layer Style window.
Click "Color Overlay" and the color box.
Pick a color for the large shape.
I'll type in 598794, but feel free to choose any color you like.
Click "Inner Glow" and color box.
Pick a lighter version of the color you just picked.
I typed in 61BBBA.
The Blend Mode is Dissolve and the Opacity is 90%.
The Source is Edge, the Choke is 100% and the Size is 10 pixels.
Click Stroke.
The color is white, the Size is 20 pixels and the Position is Outside.
The Blend Mode is Dissolve and the Opacity is 70%.
Next, we'll add color to the background.
Click the Adjustment Layer icon and click, "Solid Color".
In the hexadecimal field, type in 5CDBFF.
Then, click OK or press Enter or Return.
Change its Blend Mode to "Multiply".
Next, we'll softly reveal back the paper in the center.
Make the layer mask active next to the color fill.
Open your Brush Tool and Brush Picker.
Pick a soft, round brush.
We'll adjust the brush size is a moment.
Make the Hardness: 0% and the Opacity and Flow both 100%.
To adjust the size of your brush, first, make sure your CapsLock key is off
and press the right or left bracket key on your keyboard.
Make it approximately this size and click twice.
Next we'll add the paper texture inside the shapes.
Make the Background active and make two copies of it by pressing Ctrl or Cmd + J, twice.
Shift-click the bottom copy to make it active, as well, and press Ctrl or Cmd + the left
bracket key until the two paper copies are at the top of your Layers panel.
Hide the top paper copy and and make the lower copy active.
Change its Blend Mode to Screen and reduce its opacity to 70%.
Click the Adjustment Layer icon and click "Levels".
We want the adjustment layer to affect only the background copy directly below it.
Since Adjustment Layers affect all the layers below them in the Layers panel,
we'll need to clip it or restrict it to the background copy below it.
To do this, click the Clipping Mask icon or press Alt + Ctrl + G on Windows or Option + Cmd + G on a Mac.
You can also go to Layer and "Create Clipping Mask".
In the Input Shadows field, type in 253.
Click the Adjustments panel.
If you don't see it, go to Window and Adjustments.
Click the "Black White" adjustment icon and clip it.
Make the top, paper copy visible and active.
Change its Blend Mode to Multipy and reduce its opacity to 30%.
This adds an aged, yellowish color cast to our poster.
Double-click the small retro shape layer to open its Layer Style window.
Click "Color Overlay" and the color box.
Pick a color.
Next, we'll create a complimentary outline.
Ctrl-click or Cmd-click the thumbnail to make a selection of its shape.
Make a new layer and name it, "Outline shape".
Go to Edit and Stroke.
Make the Width: 3 pixels, the color: black and the location: outside.
Deselect it by pressing Ctrl or Cmd + D. Go to Edit, Transform and Flip Horizontal.
Change its Blend Mode to "Color Burn".
Next, we'll change the star's color.
Double-click the thumbnail of the star shape to open its Layer Style window and click Overlay"."Color
I'll move the window over so we can ultimately see the star.
Click the color box and pick a color.
Then click OK on both windows or press Enter or Return twice.
Next, we'll add text.
Make the top layer active.
We'll place our text above it.
Open your Horizontal Type Tool and Type Picker.
Pick a font you like.
I'm using "Maiden Orange", which I provided the link to.
I'll make its size approximately 70 points, but feel free to adjust the size depending
on the font you choose and the amount of characters in your text.
I'll make the aliasing Smooth and left alignment.
Click the color box and pick a color for your text.
Click on your document and type out your text.
If you want to italicize it, highlight your text and click the Character/Paragraph icon
or go to Window and Character.
Click the Italicize icon.
To resize, reposition and/or rotate your text, click your Move Tool and use your Transform Tool.
Then, press Enter or Return or click the check-mark at the top.
Next, we'll add a stroke and a drop shadow to our text.
Double-click the text layer to open the Layer Style window.
Click "Stroke"
and the color box.
Pick a color for the stroke.
I'll make the size: 5 pixels and make the Position: Outside.
Click "Drop Shadow".
The Blend Mode is Multiply, the color is black and the Opacity is 20%.
The Angle is 18 degrees, the Distance is 34 pixels, the Spread is 0 and the Size is 16 pixels.
Lastly, we'll cast a shadow from our subject.
Make your subject active.
Ctrl-click or Cmd-click the thumbnail to make a selection of your subject's shape.
Create a new layer below your subject by Ctrl-clicking or Cmd-clicking the New layer icon.
We'll fill the selection with black, but before we do,
make your foreground color black by pressing "D" on your keyboard.
Press Alt or Option + Delete.
Then, deselect it.
Go to Edit, Transform and Distort.
Go to the top middle anchor point and drag it down to angle that relates to the source
of light on your subject.
Drag the anchor points to manipulate the shape of the shadow.
Go to Filter, Blur and Gaussian Blur.
Blur it 4 pixels.
Next, we'll add more blur to the top third of the shadow.
Open your Rectangular Marquee Tool and drag it over the top third of the shadow.
Go to Select, Modify and Feather.
Feather it 80 pixels.
Go to back Filter, Blur and Gaussian Blur.
Blur it 30 pixels.
Then, deselect it.
Reduce its opacity to 30%.
The last step is to fade out the shadow from the top.
Click the Layer Mask icon to make a layer mask next to the shadow.
Open your Gradient Tool and make sure the Linear gradient icon is active.
Open your Gradient presets and click the Black and White thumbnail.
Go above the top of the shadow and drag down at the same angle of the shadow approximately halfway.
Then, release.
This is Marty from Blue Lightning TV.
Thanks for watching!