--

1 - When you first open your photoshop, you're going to need to make a blank base that is suited for a banner. I usually use either 500x175 or 450x200, but it all depends on what it's going to be used for. If you want to make a header, it's obviously going to need to be a lot larger. For this purpose, I only used 450x200 pixels. Next, you'll need to think ahead about what images you're going to use for it. I only chose three for mine: two large images and a full body shot that is smaller: Image One, Image Two, Image Three.

Now you need to put the pictures into the banner in the order you want them. I used the feathering technique, because it can create some smooth edges. The square marquee tool is an excellent helper in this situation. I highlighted around the area of the images that I wanted stronger opacity, feathered at 30%, and then dragged the image over to the banner. I arranged them to my liking and took care of blending whatever was going to be too sharp later. I really disliked how bright the backgrounds were on the first and third images. For the first, I cut out the bright spot next to Alan's face and lowered the opacity. I did the same thing for image three, except I completely cut Alan out from the background. I blended where I needed to with the smudge and blur tools. You're going to have to work with what you have. If you like bright spots, keep them. Get rid of dark spots if you want. I just prefer darks to lights, and that's why I chose to lower the opacity of the backgrounds.

Sharpen or blur where needed. Think about what your focus is going to be.



2 - You've obviously discovered this looks very blurry and just messy. That's all right, because it really does not have to look perfect right now. You need to now focus on fixing up the images. Since my focus is on a dark banner, I chose to work with mostly Overlays and Soft Lights. In my case, Image One needed to be darkened so that the edges blended better into Image Two. I duplicated Image One and set it to Soft Light. Blending looked better.

Image Two was trickier. I knew I wanted it to have a faded look, so I could not do the same thing that I did for Image One. I went ahead and duplicated and created a Soft Lighted effect at a lower opacity. Then, I took it into Enhance -> Enhance Color -> Adjust Color Curves.



To help create a future faded effect, I decided to increase the midtone contrast (move towards the left), darken it a bit by adjusting the shadows. Adjusting highlights and midtone brightness was slightly more difficult, but this is why I set the layer to Soft Light to begin with. To help keep Alan's face bright enough, I slid them both over greatly to the right, creating something of a counter contrast with the latter two options.

It did not look like I did much, but for a faded look, your image does not need to look dramatically different now. You'll help it further along later.

I really needed to darken Image Three so that the darks would bleed together and create smokey contrast with those surrounding grays. Overlays and Soft Lights are good for that.

To start the next step, I created a blank layer. Using a normal brush with black and whites set to Soft Light, I went over the images where I needed to darken or lighten them up a little bit. If you do too much now, it could become overpowering later when you start adding layers. So, for the sake, I kept it at a lower opacity with Soft Light.



3 - At this point, I needed to know what the banner was going to look at with layers, so I started to work with them. This will involve patterns, levels, gradient maps, color fills, etc. I started out with a favorite pattern of mine. All it did was create small black dots throughout the image at a low Soft Light layer. I followed the same step with another pattern I like (it will give a very faint blue/green hue), except I set it at Multiply, for color. The patterns are completely freelance. Choose what you like, and what you're comfortable with. With black/white, it probably would not be a bad idea to choose a pattern fill with a bit of color. Not too much, because you're not coloring a book.

I still really wanted more contrast between the images. For this, I chose a Soft Lighted Level (Layer -> New Adjustment Layer -> Levels). For mine, I did not alter too much, nor did I set it on a high opacity. It was just to create contrast between the lights and darks, and to boost up the color a bit with the Reds/Greens/Blues sections. Adjust them to assist the pattern fill you used previously. The master option will control the darks and lights.

I like gradient maps (Layer -> New Adjustment Layer -> Gradient Map). They can usually be altered and used with other options, but I find them easier to use. First thing I decided to do was set a gradient map to white Soft Light (you can probably achieve the same effect through color fills). Wow. Now it's bright and almost undid everything I previously worked on to achieve those darks. Not really, because this why I almost always back that white layer up with another gradient map. The black/white one under the Metal section set to a Soft Light helps achieve that contrast that I wanted so bad.



As you can see, none of those coloring tips from patterns and levels overtook the black/white image. Before I went on with more filled layers, I decided to backtrack and put in some brush effects. I now have a good idea about where the banner is going to be headed, so I need to help finish the images before effecting them with filled layers.

Let's go back.

4 - To acheive that darkened-over look to Image Two, I needed some blacks. A generic brush will take care of it. Create a blank layer above your desired image with your black brush and go over wherever you want to create a really black shadow. As aforementioned, I chose Image Two, because I wanted that pic of Alan to have a faded back effect. Setting the layer to Soft Light took care of that. But now it's almost too black. So, going now above the first pattern fill with a blank layer, I did something similar - only with whites and set to Color Dodge. I brightened up areas I really wanted highlighted.

For just effect, I created another blank layer. Using the generic grass brush that comes with Photoshop, I darkened over the area between Images Two and Three. It's just for blending, really, but I liked how the brush looked for this. Choose whatever darkened layer suits you, whether it be Multiply, Color Burn, Overlay, etc. I chose Color Burn.



5 - Go back to the top layer.

This next step, I did for just personal preference. I really like the use of the red/black gradient set to Lighten. All it does is splash a very faint red across any desired area (I chose between Image One and Two). You can use whatever color you want, if you even want to keep this step. It won't change much if you don't.

Now comes for a part that most of us seem glued to - Exclusion. For my purpose, I used a mid-toned blue. Not dark blue. Not light blue. Just mid-toned at a low opacity. All it's going to serve is to give a solid layer of hue to the black/white images. As so often accompanies Exclusion, comes Color Burn. A light/dull-colored green, red, or blue will take care of it. All this does is keep Exclusion from overcoming the image sand return some contrast to the banner.

It became too dark even for my liking, so depending on how you use Color Burn fill, you might need to create another Level. Setting it to Screen or Linear Dodge (not too high) will take care of any deep darks you have. You might be able to skip over this step if you lowered the opacity of the Color Burn, but again it depends on what you needed for your banner. Mine called for a screened layer.

But now mine is too blue. This is easily taken care of with a mid-opacity Multiply. I chose a flesh-toned color, just because warms help tone down cools. All together, it helps create a very distinct gray. I really loved this color, so I stopped layering here.



6 - Text can be easy or difficult, depending on how eye-catching you want it to be. Pick whatever you want your banner to say (I just chose words/quotes from the movie). For the effect I went with, I first picked out a single word for the background focus. Choose a big font, but lower the opacity. It's not the text I wanted to have the focus on. That's the simple one.

Choosing a different font with a different size, I wrote out a different message below the first text. I wanted this to glow. If you want glowing text, here is what I use: set it to Linear Dodge (at the opacity of your choosing), and go into Artwork and Effects (mine was already a bar on the side). Apply both a small Inner Glow and Outer Glow. This will automatically set your font to Normal, so I just switched it back to Linear Dodge. At this point, it really does not matter.

I chose a different font with a very small size, and created a tiny text. Fill it with what you want, no one is going to be able to read it if you don't want them to.

That's the final step. Work on from there if you need to.