May Halloween Never Die
I had the idea for this photo come November 1st when Halloween was over, and everyone was immediately jumping to put up their Christmas trees. I mean... it's 2020. I can't blame anyone for finding magic and comfort in literally anything this year. Including putting up Christmas trees early and celebrating any damn way people want to.
But me? I wasn't ready to put away my cauldrons and pumpkins, or take down the bats off my walls. I absolutely LOVE Halloween. I love dressing up in costumes, I love pumpkin flavored goodies, and I love spooky decorations. So when the world was ready to move on, I just couldn't. And so she was born.
Below I break down the steps it took for me to create my Halloween Mermaid.
Base Image
Terrifying isn't it? So lackluster and missing all the magic.
Base Elements
To get this party started, I created a wallpaper in Photoshop and started gathering some key elements like the bottom of my mermaid fin, the window, and the underwater scene.
Details Pt.1
To start with the details of the photo, I grabbed some flying hair of mine from another photo and dropped it in this image. I also found a red witches hat from PNG EGG and plopped it in.
Details Pt. 2
You'll see the addition of the pumpkin and some bubbles, as well as a wallpaper change, and a new color for my hat. I also started darkening our mood by bringing down some of the really bright light under the table and starting to establish shadows.
Details Pt. 3 & Light Sources
Our underwater friends have now joined us. I've also started establishing our light sources: coming form the above water light beams, and the glow from our candles and pumpkin. And with a new light source, comes new shadows (you'll see them around the window).
Softening Light & Shadows
To make our murky light beams more realistic, I softened them to feel like they were really coming through water. I also created intense under-table shadows to confirm the light source and increase believability by a hair. Oh, I also added that adorable baby spider web and spider.
Details Pt. 4 & Color Grading
I fixed my spider web to reach the length of the window pane and THEN ADDED THE CUTEST KITTEN THERE EVER WAS IN THE CORNER. I felt there was something missing, and I had no idea it was this little baby. Once he was added, I finished the image by color grading it with my usual blue and purple tones. I added a little teal as well to give it an under water feel.
And there you have it. Our Halloweeny Mermaid Witch.
