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This lesson demonstrates how to create animal clouds from custom shapes. To work along, you will find the start images Here. Unzip the file and open the contents onto Photoshop’s workspace.
Undo and Navigation Steps
Two ways of undoing steps are from the top menu, Edit then Step Backwards. Alternatively, click a previous snapshot in the History Palette.
Navigate (zoom in and pan) your image using the Navigator Palette,
or the Zoom Tool. 
Activate The Hand Tool by tapping the Spacebar, keeping the Spacebar pressed, pan your image in the usual way. 
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Open your start images onto Photoshop’s workspace. If you prefer, create your animal clouds directly onto a photograph.
Note
Prepare your background image by removing its sky - my Extracting Backgrounds lesson can be found Here. I utilised the Magic Wand to remove the church’s sky.
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Set the Foreground and Background colours to the following Blue and White cloud colours.  Lesson.
Tip: Click the Foreground swatch, then use the Eyedropper Tool, to pick a blue shade from your photograph. Eyedropper Tool Lesson Here!
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From the top menu, choose Layer then choose New then choose Layer and name the layer Cloud.
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Now, press your keyboard’s U key to activate the Custom Shape Tool. Then set the following attributes into its Options bar. Custom Shape Tutorial Here!
And drag out a custom shape Path, onto the blue sky image.
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Now, from your Layers palette, click the Paths tab. (if you cannot see Paths, from the top menu, choose Window, then click a tick before Paths).
From the Paths palette, click open the drop-down menu, and left-click Make Selection.
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In the subsequent Make Selection dialogue box, enter a Feather Radius of around 4, then click OK. Feather settings depend on the size of your custom shape, you may need to experiment!
 
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Now, click the Layers tab.  Comprehensive Layers Tutorial.
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Then from the top menu, choose Filter then choose Render then choose Clouds. Your shape will be filled with clouds that represent your Foreground and Background colours.
Tip
If you don’t like the way the clouds have rendered, click a previous snapshot in the History palette, and reapply the Clouds filter.
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Now, from the top menu, choose Filter then choose Blur then choose Motion Blur. You are looking to displace the clouds slightly, and move their direction to follow the direction of the rest of the clouds.
I chose the following settings; however, experiment. Press Ctrl then D to remove the marquee.
Tip
For a whiter cloud, right-click the Cloud layer, then choose Duplicate Layer.
Note
You may want to apply a Gaussian Blur filter to your cloud - depending on the look you are seeking.
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To change the appearance of the dove cloud, from the Layers palette, reduce the Opacity slider, and play with different Blending Modes.
Note
I utilised a Screen Blending Mode for the butterfly, and a Normal Blending Mode for the dove.
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From the top menu, choose Edit then choose Free Transform. Now, transform your cloud until you are happy with its final position and appearance. Free Transform Lesson!
 
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Now, reactivate your background image - the sky should already be removed, as mentioned earlier in this lesson. Then press the V key to activate the Move Tool, and drag the church image onto the blue sky (and cloud shape) image. If necessary, tidy your sky-less image with the Eraser Tool - lesson.
 
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Activate the Move Tool (press V), and reposition the sky and dove cloud, to your liking.
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When you are completely happy with your result, from the top menu, choose Layer then choose Flatten Image, then link here to save your work.
Final Notes
There is so much you can do with this type of photo manipulation; experiment with different shapes and backgrounds, and see what you can create. I am looking for subtle clouds; however, make yours as dramatic as you wish!
Wendi E M Scarth. Top of Page - Home.
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