Chuck, can you share how you did this?.
Sure "E"....I didn't record my exact method but I can give you some ideas and I'm sure you can go from there. My process was somewhat trial and error, I added and deleted layers and images until I got something I liked.
I started by creating a new 8x10 file at 300 PPI. I filled it with a warm earthy color. I then took a photograph of dirty cement and placed it over the background layer and played with opacity until I got a texture I liked. I then used dodge and burn tools to increase contrast. I knew I wanted a musical instrument so I added a layer with the guitar neck and head that I had taken before. The guitar was already isolated with a transparent background. I turned it into a smart object and sized and played with placement. I often convert to smart object until I have an added image element sized and placed then convert back to raster so I can play with it. I duplicated the guitar layer and ran the opacity of the lower layer way down then put a mask on the upper guitar and used a black brush to erase much of it so the faded guitar below came through but leaving the upper part of the head (where you see CFMartin) fairly clear. I used a low opacity brush to make the changes slowly so I could control the effect.
Next I added the key image. I occasionally scan objects and turn them into jpegs then mask them to make the background transparent. These objects can be anything that fits on my scanner...such as keys, paperclips, buttons, coins, etc.. I can then have them for uses such as this when I think they might work. I put a drop shadown on the key.
I then added the statue....something we inherited and was around the house so I shot it with my Canon and isolated it from the background (background transparent). I sized and placed it where I wanted it and put a mask on it and erased lower portions...actually I turned them transparent.
I added the rose....also an image already with a transparent background but left the opacity at 100%. I wanted it to be bold and float on top of everything else.
Finally I took an image of my grandson playing my "other" Martin....with background already erased or turned transparent and added him at the bottom. I converted him to black and white and ran the opacity way down so I could see the texture coming through him.
By masking out the lower portion of the statue, it looks like his hand on the fingerborad is in front of the statue but it's actually behind.
Oops, I almost forgot, it took an old picture of clouds at night with the moon shing through them and placed it just above the background layer then ran the opacity way down...it added a mottled look. You could probably do this in photoshop with FILTER - RENDER - CLOUDS. My grandson was on top of this layer.
I moved layers around to decide which sequence looked best and played with opacity, filters and masks and then as a final touch, I went down to the background layer and added a black to clear gradient from the bottom left up to the top right....this worked well.
I had a very general idea where I wanted to go but the final arrangement of images, fades, filters, etc. was trial and error in that I would do something and if it didn't look like what I wanted I would delete it and try something else. In the end I had 9 layers of images and effects.
I've rambled through this description much as I did in creating the image. Hopefully something will give you and idea or help in some way.
Your CD cover project sounds like a fun challenge. Share it with us when you're done if you can.
PS: Thank you Jancie
PPS: Wow Squirrel....Classical Gas, I'm impressed....I don't think he would want a Martin for that but who wouldn't want a Martin.
Chuck
