First (as a disclaimer)  I am not Photoshop whiz but I really enjoy getting  stuck into the software now and then.  My results are usually self-taught trial and error and a lot of help from forums, but I particularly enjoyed this project which was for an upcoming magazine cover for the Florida Cemetery, Cremation & Funeral Association (FCCFA).

I hope that someone who feels like “I can’t do that!” stumbles across this post. I thought the same thing and in the past I’ve turned down projects because of my skill level with Photoshop. But really, this project uses basic skills. None of this is super advanced stuff.  What I’ve found is that if I get stuck into the software and allow myself time to play, then I can usually work it out. And there are many, many awesome tutorials out there for those who want to learn more.

Original image from istockphoto

So, here’s the project: the original image (above) had a compass on top of the books and we loved everything else about the image. But the compass had to go. Now,  a Photoshop master could do this in his/her sleep, but it was slightly more challenging for me. Removing the compass would be easy, but making the book cover look as if the compass had never been there? Mmm.

The first step was to clip out the chalkboard background. With that done, I focused on removing the compass using the Clone Stamp Tool.  You see how it hangs over the spine and has a shadow in the original? That was my first area to tackle.  I used the Clone Stamp Tool to cover up this area, adjusting the brush sizes as I went and undoing many times until it looked natural. With that cleared to my satisfaction, it was time to get the top cover sorted out.

Compass removed

I’ve found that using the Clone Stamp Tool for large areas always looks fake and messy. So, for the top cover I needed a bit of the actual cover material (that blue, canvas looking surface). Using the Lasso Tool, I selected as much of the spine as I could, and copied it to my clipboard.

Next, (still using my Lasso Tool) I selected as much of the TOP cover as I could, using the straight lines and perspective as a guide. With that new area now highlighted, I went to Edit/Paste Into. This pasted my previous selection into the top cover.  Because the book cover has a grain to it I had to experiment for a while to get the grain going the right way for the top of the book. I used a mixture of image rotation, stretch and Gaussian Blur to get the cover looking as natural as possible. I then tided up with the Stamp Tool and Smudge tool until I was happy.

The final image

The book titles were added and made to look as if they were imprinted on the book using a few special effects such as Bevel, Satin and Pattern Overlay to get the final image and, “Voila”!