Turn the kids into superheroes

James Paterson creates the movie poster superhero-look by showing you how to master Photoshop blending skills and utilizing special effects

- James Paterson

THE MISSION

Blend a portrait with a selection of images using layer skills in Photoshop

Time needed

20 minutes

Skill level

Intermediate

Kit needed Photoshop CC

Why not give the kids a superhero makeover? By utilizing the power of layer blend modes and a range of free downloadable images, it’s easier than it might look to create a portrait that could pass for a movie poster.

The key skill here is in mastering Layer Blend Modes. These let us combine our portrait with our set of other images. The most useful blend mode for this is Screen, which adds together the brighter parts from each image while cancelling out black areas. It means we can start with a black background, then build up layers on top of one another – either in front or behind our subject. By using Screen we can blend images of fireworks, flames and stars to build our special effect with ease. The images were downloaded for free from pixabay.com – search 2585843, 3860177, 5456206, 1285364 and 3129573.

We’ll also make use of Select Subject command, which lets us cut out our subject in an instant. We’ve provided a portrait for you to practice with, but why not shoot your own for this effect? All you need to do is capture a person in a suitably heroic pose. Try and place them against a plain backdrop, so they’re easier to cut out. You could even take it a step further than we have here by adding a movie title or other graphic elements to the scene to finish it all off.

STEP BY STEP GET THE SUPERHERO LOOK