All the beauty and glamour of Fashion Week provide fitting inspiration for our latest design tutorial. UK-based graphic artist Vasare Nar created her geometric photo-montage using a mixture of images from Shutterstock. Follow along, and you’ll be able to create a dramatic collage of your own that demonstrates a mixture of the latest fashion trends.
Along the way, you’ll be using different blend modes, pattern fills, and overall color adjustments. Start by sketching out some ideas about how you would like your composition to look, taking note of the fashion trends you want to include in your collage.
Step 1
Draw some sketches of geometric figures to include. (In this case, I looked at gemstones and crystals.)
Draw some sketches of geometric figures to include. (In this case, I looked at gemstones and crystals.)
Step 2
Create a new Photoshop document, sized to the intended dimensions of your final product. This collage was created in A3 Format, which is approximately 29 x 32 cm.
Now bring in the model. Extract him/her from the background and paste into a new layer. To cut out the model, you can use the masking tool or another method, depending on personal preference.
Now, we’ll create a geometric jewel pattern for the background. I combined two shapes from the mixture of vector shapes that I found on Shutterstock. You can do this by selecting the shape you like and placing it on the top of another shape, then grouping them in Illustrator and moving the vector object to Photoshop.
Step 4
To color and fill the geometric jewel shape we just created, we’ll be using a variety of patterns and textures. Select the ones you are going to use and open them in Photoshop. For each separate texture/pattern go to Edit → Define Pattern, and click “OK.”
Step 5
Open the jewel vector you made in Photoshop, and use the magic wand tool to select sections to filled with one of your patterns. Add one at a time, clicking Edit → Fill → Pattern. Your pattern gallery will open, and you will be able to fill your selected area with the pattern you choose.
Step 6
Once you’ve filled selected parts of your geometric object (you can always add more fills as you go), click on the layer of the model to make it visible again, and start working with the overall look and final touches.
Step 7
Duplicate the model and apply the Outer Glow effect to bring her out. (Place the duplicate layer of the model underneath, so the original image without Outer Glow is in the front.
Step 8
Next, we’ll add some fashionable buttons and studs. To do this, remove the white background with the magic wand tool (making sure there is no fill in the background). Then select studs to use with the lasso tool and copy/paste them into your collage.
Step 9
Do the same with some watercolor splash images. Select them and copy/paste them onto the model in your main art board. Then click Layer → Arrange → Send to Back.
Step 10
Once the watercolor texture is in the background, change its opacity to “multiply” and play with Opacity and Fill to create more dimension in the image. Select other objects that you would like to place on the model’s clothing and around her. I used some of my hand-drawn illustrations — a feather and some geometric shapes. Adjust these as you did with the watercolors.
Create a new layer and use the paintbrush to draw an outline on part of the model’s figure. This will add a bit of playfulness to the collage.
Step 12
Double-click on the new layer, then change the layer style to “Pattern Overlay” to choose different patterns from your fill gallery to fill the outline you just created.
Step 13
Now you can create a floral collage for the model’s hair. I found some great Shutterstock images that had a selection of flowers in one file.
Step 14
Remove the background by using the magic wand selection tool, then select the flowers you want to use one by one with the lasso tool. Paste them straight on the model’s hair.
Step 15
Place flowers on top of each other (scale them down or enlarge them as you go) and change their order by going to: Layer –> Arrange, then selecting either “Bring to Front” or “Send Backwards.”
Step 16
Select multiple layers of the cut-out flowers, merge them (in the Layers palette), and duplicate your selection. Scale them down and repeat the process until you are happy with how it looks. Once you’re done, select all the flower layers and merge them down into one. Go to the filter gallery and apply a Smudge Stick filter to create a motion/liveliness effect.
Once you’ve added all the elements you want, continue to adjust your colors and layers until you get the ideal final effect you’re looking for. Remember, this is all about showcasing your creativity, so when it comes to the end result, all that matters is that you love what you’ve created.
