Ocean
Make sure the ocean layer is active…
Select the Rectangle Marquee Tool.
Click and drag starting outside from the bottom corner and drag the opposite direction to near the horizon to select the ocean. When you let go, you should have something like this…
- CTRL+J to copy that into a new layer.
- Rename the new layer “surface” and the bottom one “sky”
- Delete the Background layer.
Isolate Turtle
Click on the photo below and copy the full-size turtle picture.
Paste it into the same PS document Make sure it’s at the top.
Go to the Properties panel and click on Select Subject.
Your turtle will now be selected.
CTRL+J to copy it into its own layer. Rename the layer “turtle”.
Sand
Make the original turtle layer active again…
Then with the Rectangle Marquee Tool, select the sky/water – start clicking and dragging from the top left corner and down across & down
Delete. You should now see the other sky in the background.
CTRL+D to deselect.
Rename the layer “sand”.
Squish Surface Water
Move the “surface” layer to the top.
CTRL+T and squish it to about this much…
If it changes the width as well, go to the Options bar and unselect the lock icon that’s keeping it proportional…
Apply the transformation and you should have this…
Underwater
Click on the photo below and copy the full-size underwater photo and paste it into your document. Rename the layer “underwater”.
Move it below the sand layer.
CTRL+T and squish it so it’s a bit above the bottom of the surface.
Enter to apply.
Your layers should look like this…
Turtle Head Sticking Out
Select the top surface layer and add a mask.
CTRL+click on the thumbnail for the turtle layer to select the outline of the turtle.
Take the Brush Tool, make it about size 100-150, softness about 50%.
Make sure the foreground color is black and paint in an angled area like this…
CTRL+D to deselect.
Blurred Edges
Change the Brush to totally soft…
On the same layer mask for surface with the same black Brush, brush over the edges a bit to soften the surface edge.
Add a layer mask to the sand layer.
Make sure the mask is active, then brush the edges to get something like this…
So you should have this…
Underwater Copy
Make a copy of the underwater layer (CTRL+J) and move it up under the surface layer.
Add a layer mask to this layer.
Reduce the opacity of the Brush tool to about 10%, you should also make it bigger and make sure it’s totally soft.
Brush over a few times to show some of the turtle’s legs in the water like this…
You’re done. Your layers will look like this.
Reset the Brush Tool back to the default so it’s easier for the next projects you work on. You can either right-click on the tool in the Options bar, or go to the gear wheel…
