Contextualising 3D Models - Symmetry

I am now at the point where I need to get my 3D model, find an interesting angle that I would like to work with and then export it as a 2D graphic into Adobe Photoshop in order to begin contextualising it and adding entourage.

The following is the progression of contextualising and adding entourage to my final Rhythm 3D model:

So I searched flickr and came across this amazing sunset image. Because I felt that my final 3D Sketch-up model had the look of the sun, therefore I felt that this image was perfect for the idea that I had in my mind. The only thing I have changed on the image at this stage from getting it straight off flickr was to change the blending option to Overlay - 100%.

So the first step was to import my 2D graphic of my model and place it on the sunset image. I tried to place it so that the centre of my model was as close to the centre of the glow of the sunset in order to make it look more realistic that my model was what was shining.

The next step was to duplicate the layer of my model in order to make parts of my model bolder. I then scaled the new layer down slightly to create the effect that you can see in this screen-shot. The bold parts are where the two layers overlap.

I duplicated the layer one more time to make it slightly bolder.
*This was necessary when it came to adding the glow and overlaying it as without this third layer, the smaller of the two previous layers almost disappears.

The next step was to begin creating the inner glow behind my model. I did this with a large circular brush with a hardness of 0%. I took the colour from a shade of orange in the sky of the original image. 

What I did next was create the light glow that came out from the central glow. I did this the same way as above, but firstly I used a much larger brush that was almost as big as the whole canvas, and secondly I took a slightly darker shade from the sky. Both of these glow layers are underneath both the background and all three layers of my model.

The next step was to duplicate the large outer lighting glow that I made for the previous screenshot and move the duplicate layer to the top layer of my Photoshop file. I then changed the blending mode to Hue with an opacity of 100% to allow all of the layers below, to show through just with this new orange tone.

Now was the time to add some entourage. I searched up silhouette seagulls - because it is a beach sunrise, and then placed it underneath the first large lighting glow. Thus being the bottom layer of the Photoshop file. By doing so, it took a lot of the harshness of the silhouette out of the seagull and made it more realistic that it may have been flying in the image when it was originally taken.

Second to last step was to repeat the step above and add two more seagulls lower down on the canvas and scaling them both down so that it creates a sense of depth - that they are further away than the first seagull.

My final step was to go back to each layer of my model and create a layer mask in which I could hide and reveal certain parts of the layer as I desire simply using the brush tool. I did this to make my model seem as though it was setting on the horizon, and secondly because it is in the background, I needed to hide it when it passed over the palm trees in the foreground.