This tutorial shows how you can use extreme shadows and highlights to create a trendy and powerful NFL magazine advertisement. This tutorial is interesting, as it really walks you through the process from start to finish, and the changes that happen along the way. It shows that design aren’t perfect from conception.

Step 1

Find a cool close up picture of a sports player. I used this stock photo from Shutterstock, but there are plenty of free images just like it elsewhere.

Step 2

On your main image, go to Layer > Smart Objects > Convert to Smart Object

Next, go to Image > Adjustments > Shadows and Highlights. Follow the setting below:

Step 3

Next, create a new Levels Adjustment Layer. Change the setting to the following:

Step 4

Now we need to stamp a copy of this layer. Hold down command, ALT, Shift, and then press E.

Next, desaturate the layer by going to Image > Adjustments > Desaturate

Then invert the image

Step 5

Set the blend mode of that layer to Overlay

Step 6

With the inverted layer selected, ad a Gaussian Blur with the following settings:

Step 7

Click on the Levels Adjustment panel and change it to the following settings:

Step 8

To create a more sharper image, add a Unsharp Mask filter. Use the following settings:

Step 9

Create a new layer with the following settings:

Step 10

Get a Brush Tool with a small size and set the Opacity to 10%

Paint over any major creases and facial details to help darken them more.

Step 11

Get a Brush Tool with a small size and set the Opacity to 10% and set the foreground color to white.

Paint over any bright spots to help them stand out, like the eyes or teeth.

Step 12

Select the background of your image.

Step 13

Delete the background of your image and add some sort of storm cloud image to the background.

Set the layer Blend Mode to Overlay.

Step 14

Adjust the Curves of this layer a little to make them a little more stormy looking.

Step 15

Add some Noise using the filter with the following settings:

Step 16

Start adding some text to your poster. I used:

And slight reduced the opacity of the text.

Step 17

Add some finishing touches like the NFL logo and some filler text.

Step 18

I wasn’t liking how the color of the clouds looked with the rest of the image. So I adjusted the Hue/Saturation.

Image > Adjustments > Hue/Saturation to the following settings:

Step 18

Be sure to proof read your designs! I noticed some typos in my design and changed them.