GATINEAU HOT AIR BALLOON FESTIVAL

My festival wallpaper.

                                         GATINEAU  HOT AIR BALLOON FESTIVAL

 Hi, now I'm done with my wallpaper. I use so many ways to make this wallpaper. The picture I use in this wallpaper is from the web, I use three picture and combine it to one wallpaper. By doing this wallpaper, now I know how to make a layer, duplicate a layer, and merge a layer. I also know how to create a mask, or using a quick mask and the channels. down HERE are the steps by steps that I use to make my festival wallpaper.


                                                                  Starting~

Go to file menu and click open,

Open the files in my desktop and choose the pictures, I open three pictures in one time, because I will use this three in my wallpaper.

I start with this picture (1st) first,  I go to crop tool and crop the area that I don't want in this picture.

After that, the most important thing is I duplicate the layer, so that if i do a mistake, i still have the original picture. I just drag the layer to the "create new layer" icon and drag the lock icon to the trash can to unlock the layer.

Next, now I will do the same thing in the picture above to this picture (2nd). Crop and duplicate a layer.

And then, what I'm want to do is, make this picture as my wallpaper background, so, i use "lasso tool" and draw a big square outside this picture, then i go to the edit menu and click copy and past it on another photo (2nd).

The picture will look this small, and i don't want it, so i go to image menu and click on canvas size, i change the size a little bit bigger than this size.

I click on the background layer and go to edit menu and click free transform and drag it until it full the canvas size.

It will look like this, then i drag the hot balloon layer to the top, because I want it to be on top.

Now, I use the magic eraser tool to erase the background in my first layer, the magic tool will remove the same color in this layer, so it is easier way to delete a background.

I continue delete the background in this photo.

 I'm done. Now the next picture turn.

I use the same way like another last two picture, crop, copy and paste it to picture above, and delete the background using magic eraser tool.

After I had finish do all the steps, as you can see the small balloon just 3 here, I had remove one of them because i really just want this three. The next step is, I use the quick selection tool and click on the balloon one by one, because i what to separated each of them into a layer.

This is the step, after the whole balloon was selected I go to edit menu and copy, make a new layer, and paste it in that layer, I do the same thing with another two small balloon.

Its done, now I can easily move the balloon one by one. Now, I go to edit menu, and click free transform and change the big balloon to a little bit bigger.

and adjust it until I had satisfied, I do the same thing with another three balloon, but I change it a little bit small. Then I drag the biggest balloon layer to the top layer and arrange the balloon position 

Layer style  . .

Now, I want to make a outer glow style for my balloon layer, I click layer menu, and go to layer style and select outer glow.

the dialogue box appear and I do a little bit change to the opacity and the size. I make the opacity bigger and the size a little bit bigger.

I do the same way to all my balloon layer.

                                                         Gradient . .

First, I make two new layer. 

Then I click on rectangular marquee tool,

                                                                           

For the first layer, I draw the marquee on the upper side of this wallpaper.

I click on the gradient tool and when the dialogue box appear , I change the opacity to zero and hit "ok". then I draw a straight line in this marquee tool and this is the results.

Then, for the next layer, I do on the bottoms side. After that, I click on edit menu and hit free transform to adjust the gradient to the location that I want.

And, this is the results.

                                                  
                                             Quick Mask . .

I make a new layer for this step, what I want to change from this quick mask is the clouds color to make it more dramatic.

I hit "Q" button on the keyboard for "quick mask" use a brush and color on the clouds. I don't want to change all the color, just a little bit changes.

After finish mask the clouds, I hit the "Q" button again and go to select menu and click inverse.

Then I go to layer menu and click new fill layer and select solid color, the dialogue box appeared and I choose "soft light" mode then press "ok".

after that, the color dialogue box appeared and I choose this color.




Shadows/ highlights

 now I want to make my balloon layer to have a shadows, so, I go to image menu, go to adjustment, and select shadows/highlights and change the shadows amount and hit ok.




Fonts / text 

Fisrt, I make two new layer.

And the first layer is for my upper fonts and next layer for my bottoms fonts.  I choose my font style, the size and start to type.

After done with typing, now I want to change my fonts color. so, i just click on that layer, 

  click the color box on the top, and the dialogue box appear and i start choose my color.

after choose suitable color, now I want to make a style on my fonts, so I go to layer menu, go to layer style and select  drop shadows.

the dialogue box will appear as shown, and I choose my color and hit "OK"

 


 
Sharpen and brightness/contrast.

A few more last step is, I want to adjust the sharpen of this wallpaper's background.  So, I click on the layer, and go to the filter menu and go to sharpen and select unsharp mask. I change it to the lowest amount. so my background look smooth

 The last thing is, I change the contrast of my background wallpaper so that it look life. so I go to image menu and go to adjustment and select brightness/contrast.

 The dialogue box appear and I change the contrast until i had satisfied. and DONE!