very cool how the green light is reflected on the dragons scales and the elfs skin !

arent elfs normally tiny and dragons gigantic ? or is that different on Lysergica ?

The process is very simple and quick and does not require mask or complication

1 Do as usual the BG in bg, the render(s) on top
2 Duplicate the BG twice, BLUR a lot the 1st duplicate
3 Set the blurred BG copy (just above the render ) in COLOR mode lower opacity ( 50% may be a good starting point )
4 The second BG copy, above the first go in SOFT LIGHT (or overlay) mode, again lower opacity
5) now lower a bit (no too much !! may be 70 or 80%, ) the opacity of the render(s)
6) to fine tune copy again the render(s) put on the very top in NORMAL mode and lower opacity to taste

yes are 6 steps but very simple

just remember to BLUR a lot (on the 3200x2400 original i used 14 of gaussian blur ) the "BG copy layer" in Color mode
(if not instead then sort of nice coloured reflex you will get ugly sharp colour blotches )




In Lord of the Ring (movie) the elves have a size similar to humans , more, and this also in the Tolkien book not only in the movie there was a love story between a elf and a human.
(the elf princess and the future king )

We may suppose that the children born from similar love story will be tall almost as humans ...

I think that this is an excellent piece. Your skills seem to continue to grow and develop over time. You are very good at bringing work from others into your own and making it a unique and creative work of art. Well done.

Thank Ccbarr i really appreciated your comment, glad you like my last works

wow, all your latest stuff is really good, pc!
ha, i just wondered how you got the renders to blend in so well and here i have it in writing ! i'll definitely try that technique.

yes that (damn..now i am to lazy to search the link, but you already have found it ) for the lights and harmonize colour cast

Also i usually chose BIG renders and when i known i will add the render in normal mode i always
do layer/transparency/alpha to selection , then invert selection/grow selection of 1px and then i apply a generous dose of gaussian blur , when the render is really big i do even twice, growing the selection again but lowering the intensity of gaussian blur

To say it all i often do 3 time, the third with a almost imperceptible amount of blur ( between 1 and 2 then i grow the selection again of 2 ,INVERT selection !, feather selection and i apply unsharpmask 2 (or Gmic "unsharp)

More long to explain then do...anyway take care of a detail, the blur on the edges is fine ONLY when the render is applied only in Normal mode ...but with different merging mode may give problem (so is good that most of the renders offered have sharp or at least not too softened )

PS I use much unsharpmask2 also because i often have to scale down a LOT the renders , it balance well that type of blurriness from scaling down

and unsharpmask2 because i try to not sharpen highlights but only boost and darken the ..lineart (not finding a better word ) but normal unsharp mask doesn't permit to differentiate
(again GMIC "unsharp" is also fine...what designed for offer the same option or unsharpmask2 and does offer even more ...i.e. to be applied only on a lightness channel (i.e value, Luminance,L of Lab...not synonyms but all indicate the ...greyscale , the not coloured component of the image ) limiting the effect on the colours.
I often like the effect on the colours but when i don't that is handy

uff i hope to not be boring...