Hi! So this chapter is just a continuation of the first one. Here it is.

Open your Photoshop and click on "File", then click "New". You will see this dialog box where you can rename and change the mode and resolution of your work. For book covers I use these settings. After putting in the name and dimensions just click "OK".

So in the settings the background is transparent so I filled it with black. Just click on the "Paint Bucket" icon on the left then you can choose any color in the right, "Color" and "Swatches".

Again to open a file just click "File" then "Open" then choose your preferred background image. For this one I got it from google I just searched for "Forest background HD". Then viola! Now using the "Move Tool" on the top of the tool bar, just drag that image into your work area.

To resize your image press "ctrl" + "T"  on your keyboard to transform. You can adjust it anyway you want then just press "Enter" when you're done.

We will do the same thing with the model or the png cut-out that we made earlier. Just open then drag it to the canvas. You can resize or place it anywhere you want. For me I just put her on the dead center of the canvas.

At this point you may notice that the lighting, tone, and color doesn't really match right. It looks really edited but we can change that.

You need to click on the layer that you want to recolor. Here I want recolor the girl.

On the upper left part of the screen you can see "Image" then you see "Auto tone", "Auto contrast" and "Auto color". Click those three.

It should look something like this. it's a subtle change but you can see that the photo temperature, saturation, the shadows, and highlights now fits with the background. It's that easy.

Now to make it all come together I added a PSD coloring. These are some of my old stocks in my laptop so I kinda know which looks good with a certain mood. I got most of these coloring packs in Deviantart. Just search "dark psd coloring", "light psd coloring", "neon coloring". It depends on the cover that you're making. 

So I'm really lazy today and I want to show you the easiest way to make your own covers. So instead of playing with the adjustments all day, if you want to save some time you can find some coloring pack in Deviantart.

So after you open the PSD, using the "Move Tool", just drag the layer group (the tiny folder) to your canvas. Here I used two different PSD's both by Raven Orlov. If you think that the coloring is too strong or too dark you can adjust the opacity to suit your taste. Again it's just a matter of personal style so feel free to play around and try out different PSD's.

Now I just added out the title and right clicked on the text layer to customize the blending option. Here I used Emboss, Satin, Inner glow, and Drop shadow to create the effect. the font I used here is Blacksword from DaFont.com.

That is really most of it. It's the simplest and easiest way for me to make a cover. You can carry on working on it and add some texture or alter the lighting. You can experiment and practice. Try to discover your own style. Discover other tools. Once you know the basics it will be easier for you to work on other graphic projects.

This is the finished product. I added some fog and desaturated some parts of her hair to make her look a bit like a ghost or something supernatural.

I hope you liked this tutorial. If you did feel free to leave a vote or a feedback about my work. If you want to try out this style don't forget to tag me so I can also admire your work.

Note:

Credits to Raven Orlov from Deviantart for the great PSD coloring.

The works in this book are made by me. Please do not steal anything or copy my concept without acknowledging me.