In this video walkthrough, watch as Dean Samed shows you all the steps it took to create this evil Santa composite portrait in Photoshop. This is a full walkthrough showing Samed's process from beginning to end.
In the video, you will not only hear the thoughts running through Samed's head as he edited the image, but also see the piece come together at the same time. The video starts with Samed explaining how using a stock image of Santa, he will cut it out from the background with the Pen Tool. This is to create a good base for the manipulations to come. I especially like the quick way that he used the Freehand Lasso Tool is used to select the fur. This is the first time I have seen it used in this way.
As the video moves along, you will see Samed take the stock images and start to build up the portrait. Other images are cut and brought into the image and then blended naturally, including an Orc photo, which becomes Santa's face adding to the creepiness. From here, more elements are cut out and placed into the sack. In photo manipulation, a large portion of your time will be cutting out from various photos, so you need time and patience, which Samed clearly has.
This video walkthrough is great for people of all levels who want to see how a composite like this is pieced together. When I was learning, I found it of great benefit to watch other artists' processes and workflow, taking what I needed and applying it to my own. And that is what you should be doing all the time, learning and then putting that into action. You need to do both together.
