Icebergs are melting. The ocean is rising. And polar bears are fighting to survive.
Climate change affects the bare necessities of life
Icebergs are melting. The ocean is rising. And polar bears are fighting to survive. With the melting of ice due to climate change, the polar bear is venturing further south as the Arctic ice melts. The polar bear is a poignant reminder of man’s impact on the planet and the other species we effect.
To create this poster in Adobe Photoshop, I used five images. The different images include the background picture of the sea and sky, the iceberg, the rearing polar bear, the polar bear used in the “cloud bear” and the “sky polar bear.” Using so many images took a long time. The most difficult part was selecting the polar bears’ fur. My index finger was sore by the end. For the background photo, I only added a curves adjustment layer
First, I used the polygon lasso tool and the magnetic lasso tool to select the iceberg. I moved the iceberg into my main background and made a layer mask. However, the blue color of the iceberg did not look the best so I changed the layer blending mode, luminosity, to tone down the blue. I also created a drop shadow of the iceberg but changed the blend mode to divide. The opacity was also fairly low.
Second, I made the cloud bear in two steps. First I cleaned up the sky with the clone tool and the healing brush tool to remove the clouds from the left side of the picture. I outlined a polar bear and used the clone tool to create a cloud in the shape of a polar bear. Later, I superimposed the picture of the polar bear on the cloud with the opacity fairly low. I also used the burn tool to darken the polar bear’s eyes, nose, and mouth. I also created a trail of clouds behind the bear with the clone tool and the healing brush tool. I also made a layer mask out of the image of the polar bear.
Third, I selected the rearing polar bear picture with the polygon lasso tool and the magnetic lasso tool. This took a while since the original image is fairly large. After moving the image into my background, I made a layer mask. I added a hue and saturation adjustment layer to tone down the yellow of the bear’s fur. I also added a drop shadow effect. I also used the burn tool on his nose, eyes, and mouth, and the dodge tool to highlight parts of his fur.
Fourth, I added the sky bear using the magnetic lasso tool and the polygon lasso tool. I added it to my background photo and made a layer mask. I reduced the opacity to 21 percent. I also added a hue and saturation adjustment layer. I also used the burn tool to darken his eyes, nose, and mouth.
Images used in the artwork were labeled for reuse.
Kelly's Portfolio 