Create a Dark and Rainy Crime Scene in Photoshop
Tutorial Details
- Program: Adobe Photoshop CS5
- Difficulty: Beginner
- Estimated Completion Time: 1 Hour
Download Source Files
Final Product What You'll Be Creating
We can all imagine what a dark and rainy crime scene looks like. We have all scene them in television and movies. Today, we will learn how to use different tools and techniques to create a scene of our own in Photoshop.
Resources Used
You can download the following textures from the links below. Just sign up for free to download the image.
Step 1
First, create a new file with a size of 900 x 700 px and a resolution of 300 ppi.
Step 2
Next, open Brick.jpg then resize it and duplicate it as shown below. We did this because we need smaller looking bricks to be more realistic with this scale. Make sure to overlap each layers seamlessly so that it looks like as a one big wall. Merge all the layers and name it as "Wall."
Step 3
Desaturate the "Wall" layer. To do this go to Image > Adjustments > Desaturate or use the shortcut keys Shift + Cmd/Ctrl + U. After that, go to Image > Adjustments > Levels, Cmd/Ctrl + L and change the values with the ones indicated below.
Step 4
Next, use the Burn tool (O) as indicated below.
Step 5
Using the Rectangular Marquee tool (M), make a rectangle (a), then fill it #000000. Next, using a soft brush with #ffffff, apply subtle amounts in the areas indicated below, (b).
Using the Brush tool (B), make a curtain-like silhouette on the left-side of the rectangle.
After that, open the files Splattersmear.jpg and Splatterlong.jpg, then resize then inside the rectangle.
Step 6
Next, open the file Window.jpg. Using the Rectangular Marquee tool (M), select only the window from the image, (a). Next, using the Magic Wand tool (W), select the glass paneling of the window then hit delete (b), this will leave only the frame of the window, (c). Next, desaturate the image. To do this, go to Image > Adjustments > Desaturate or use the shortcut keys Shift + Cmd/Ctrl + U, (d). The final step is to change the Levels of the image, to do this go to Image > Adjustments >Levels, Cmd/Ctrl + L and change the values with the ones indicated below, (e).
Place the window frame as shown below.
Step 7
Next we’ll add the garbage container, to do this open Garbagecontainers.jpg. Using the Pen tool (P), select the garbage container leaving the background behind, right-click and select Make Selection from the drop-down menu and from there change the feather radius to 0 px then hit OK, (a). Next by using the Burn tool (O), burn the areas indicated below, (b). The final effect should look like (c).
Place the garbage container in the lower right corner of our image. The final effect should look like the one shown below.
Step 8
Next is to add the Air conditioner. Open Aircon.jpg, using the the Pen tool (P) make a path all over the outline of the air conditioner including the support structure. Right-click and make a selection from the drop-down menu and press OK, (a). Next, using the Burn tool (O), burn the areas indicated below, (b). Finally, using the Brush tool (O), set to 20 px and hardness 90%, draw some shadows under the air conditioning and the support member. After that go to Filter > Blur > Gaussian Blur and apply the indicated value below, (c)
The final effect is shown below but the image looks rather flat, so for the following steps we need to add some shading and highlights.
Step 9
Using the Burn tool (O), burn the areas indicated below.
Next, using the Brush tool (B) with a size of 60 px and Hardness of 0%, brush the areas indicated below. After that, decrease its opacity level to 50%.
Step 10
Next, using the Polygonal Lasso tool (L), draw a shape like the one shown below, then using the Paint Bucket tool (G), fill the entire selection with #ffffff.
Now go to Filter > Blur > Gaussian Blur and change the value for the radius to 60 px.
Next, using the Eraser tool (E), erase the areas indicated below.
The final effect should look like the one shown below.
Next, we’ll add some light rays for that extra effect. To do this, use the Pen tool to draw the paths which is then defined to use the Brush tool with a Master Diameter of 19 px and a Hardness of 0%.
Next, go to Filter > Blur > Gaussian Blur and change its radius to 20 px.
The final effect should look like the one shown below.
Next, by using the Brush tool (B) with a size of 15 px, draw some lines like as shown below.
Next go to Filter > Blur > Gaussian blur and change its radius to 30 px. After that decrease its opacity level to 40%.
Step 11
Next, create a new layer and fill it with #000000. Go to Filter > Render > Clouds. Set this layer’s blend mode to Overlay.
So far so good, the final effect should look like the one shown below.
Next using the Brush tool (B) with color #000000, Master Diameter of 175 px and Hardness of 0%, brush the areas indicted below, then decrease its opacity level to 60%.
Add a new layer and fill it with #006773 then set its Blend mode to Soft Light and Opacity level to 50%.
The final effect should look like the one shown below.
Step 12
Next add a new layer and name it "Rain." Now using the Paint Bucket tool (G), fill the entire layer with #000000. Next, go to Filter > Render > Fibers and follow the indicated values as shown below.
Next, press Cmd/Ctrl + T to activate the resizing tool, rotate this layer to about 45 degrees as shown below. After that, set its Blend Mode to Overlay and decrease its Opacity level to 20%.
Note: If you would like to use another method to create rain, check out this tutorial How to Create a Photo Manipulation of a Flooded City Scene or this one How to Turn Humdrum Photos into Cinematic Portraits.
Final Image
That’s it! I Hope you had fun producing our Crime Scene image.
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By Patrick Lopez
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Very good idea but the outcome could be better (for example the bloody hands).
Nevertheless a good tutorial keep your good work.
Agreed, the final outcome hmmm… It could be a good tutorial, but the white lines, that You made at 8th photo in step 10 looks just awful and unnatural man. Without them, the overall look would be much better. Maybe You should lower the opacity of those lines to about 15-20%?
You’re right, the white lines should have a lower opacity
They look very intrusive like a grid over the image.
Nice idea! You can also use a Fill layer instead of filling a layer with a color.
The highlights are too much neon-like and the board/sticker on the container looks fake. I also agree on both comments before me. For the rest, a good try.
Nice turtorial… great effect with the opportunity to expand or add more detail if you want, and yet very simple steps.
Great tutorial, a fantastic idea and very well written
My only complaint would be that the bloody hand prints could’ve been a tad more realistic and i think there was a point where the lighting effects could’ve been pulled back a bit for a more realistic, less “photoshopped” look.
I think this one will be lots of fun to play around with, thank you!
It’s a solid tutorial. Yes, I have conflicting feelings with the final result. But no one should ever just do a tutorial step by step. Instead follow it and then try to add on to it.
Great Tutorial !! I Didn’t Thought These Elements Can Do That Amazing Look
Thanx From Algeria
awesome!!!
Will try it tonight
Very nice tutorial.
The dark moody blue colors with the bright red blood reminds me of Sweeney Todd.
I like the outcome with the exception of the extremely bright and bulky highlights on the garbage can and the air conditioner. I think you could have kept them that bright, but only if you made them much thiner. They look really unrealistic and stick out to me due to their massive (unrealistic) thickness.
I was going to say the same thing about the highlights on the trash can and the air conditioner. The should have been more precise….they are too large and distracting. Other than that, pretty cool.
Nice, helpful tutorial that is easy to follow. Thanks! : )
I’m usually not a fan of slapping photos together to make a picture…I guess I’m a bit of purist and like to hand-draw stuff from scratch, but the techniques you use here could be applied in many different areas to achieve some really nice effects.
Thanks again.
Wonderfull stuff and nice information… Thanks
I think this image would work well for a comic book!
Yeah, great tutorial, the result is a bit cartoon like. I would have added more contrast and more dirt to make it believable.
Anyway, great techniques !
Great tutorial!!! Love stuff like this. For more tutorials and resources, check out my new design blog.
Thanks…Very nice tutorial
I like it! Of course it’s not what it could be, but let’s be honest: a) it’s for beginners, and b) to make it all it could be we’d be looking at a 100 step tutorial at least … and then you’d all be complaining even louder.
If you think you can do better, do it and show us.
As it is I think it’s a very evocative scene and it’s given me an idea or two.
Great work, Patrick, thank you. I hope to see more tutorials like this one. It’s much better than anything else we’ve seen on Tuts+ lately.
It has similar style to Max Payne – nice
i think it’s great tutorial……………………………
BAD
great as always! very nice, I really love this site for these quality tutorial. very very helpful for me and others
must say the final result is truly amazing. loved this tutorial, easy to follow to. love the coloring and the lightning!
great tutorial
The idea is really interesting, you could do so much with this theme! The final result has certain things that i don’t like but nothing is perfect!
Great Effect i Like it , i don’t like Picture u can change it To the best
This is something that I would tag as “awesomeness”!!
I am a real beginner and I think it’s a great tut for following along, well made. Using the simple tools in an exercise that is well written gives me the experience of using the app and features. Best learning method.
Nice tutorial, really appreciate it. Keep it up dude.
it’s really cool and my outcome was close to this onebut i hate the pen tool it’s a headache to me
honestly didnt use it..thank you loads after all
nice designing… thanks for aplouding.
wheres the garbagecontainer.jpg?
yeh where is the garbagecontainer.jpg?
Found it!
http://www.cgtextures.com/texview.php?id=9980&PHPSESSID=45804bfeb4e7a8294753b355efa3a9df
cool, thanks!
Why are the colors that we are supposed to use not right? for example, why is color “ffffff” not red?
Awesome! Thank you
Awesome Effect!
this is awesome..just like in CI
Excellent tut, nice work..
However i’m amazed at how many tuts on here start with something like
quote= “First, create a new file with a size of 900 x 700 px and a resolution of 300 ppi.”
If working with a document size in pixels, you can enter anything you like in ppi and it will make no difference at all, as your document is a fixed size in pixels.
ppi only works when working in measurement such as inches or cm etc.
Hi bro,
how r u bro awesome tutorial i try it and i do it i learn a lotz frm it thx dude tc
Many thanks for a lesson it is very grateful to the author =) the result was pleasant, though and it was necessary to make a little on the THANKS =)
hey thanx is good,sometimes complicated but excelent job!