vibrant coloring feat. Ellen Pompeo
This is a new tutorial where you can learn how to go from this to this:



+ Photoshop 7
+ using selective color , color balance, curves


(01.) Open the picture you want to use in a new document. I used one picture of Ellen Pompeo, but you can use as many pictures as you want and blend them ( 1 ).


(02.) Now we are going to improve the coloring.

Add a "selective color" layer
. choose "neutrals"
. cyan: -12
. magenta: -25
. yellow: -37
. blacks: +25
. see

Add a "color balance" layer
. shadows: +12 , 0 , -24
. midtones: -24 , 0 , +12
. highlights: +24 , 0 , -12
. see

Add a "color balance" layer
. shadows: -24 , 0 , +18
. midtones: +18 , 0 , -24
. highlights: -18 , 0 , +24
. see

Add a "curves" layer
. choose "RGB"
. input: 110
. output: 135
. see

Add a "hue/saturation" layer
. saturation: +18
. see

Add a "color balance" layer
. shadows: +12, 0 , -6
. midtones: -6 , 0 , +12
. highlights: +6 , 0 , -12
. see

Add a "color balance" layer
. shadows: -6 , 0 , +12
. midtones: +12 , 0 , -6
. highlights: -12 , 0 , +6
. see


(03.) Now comes the texture part:

Add a new layer
. fill with #9D9D9D
. go to filter -> noise -> add noise
. choose 6%
. fade the saturation to -100
. see

Add a new layer
. set your colors to black and white
. go to filter -> render -> clouds
. blend mode "soft light"
. oppacity: 75% , fill: 75%
(. you can do the "clouds" thing until you like the result)
. see


(04.) Now we are going to give the art it's actuall look:

. make your texture layers invisible
. go back to your last "color balance" layer
. go to select -> all
. go to edit -> copy merged
. make your texture layers visible again

Now paste the whole thing on top
. Go to edit -> paste
. blend mode "soft light"
. oppacity: 50% , fill: 50%
. see

Duplicate the image layer
. blend mode "multiply"
. oppacity: 50% , fill: 50%
. see

Duplicate again on top
. blend mode "screen"
. oppacity: 50% , fill: 50%
. see

Duplicate again on top
. blend mode "saturation"
. oppacity: 100% , fill: 100%


(05.) You are now finished with the coloring.
. You are free to add other pictures, textures or text if you want