Create a Vivid Alien Invasion Scene with Photoshop

Open file "Italian alps". This will be our background for the alien invasion scene but it looks dull, with washed out colors and some ugly magentas in the sky. Let's correct that. Add a selective color adjustment layer and use the settings shown below. Than add a color balance adjustment layer and use the settings below. This step will color correct our image.

Next we will improve the luminosity of our image by using some curves adjustment layers. Add a new curves adjustment layer and use the settings shown below.

Add a new curves adjustment layer and make an S curve like shown below. Add a layer mask and mask away the land so only the sky it's affected. Add another curves adjustment layer and drag the curve upwards to lighten the scene. Add a layer mask, fill it with black to hide all than using a soft white brush at 50 % opacity paint in the middle of the image to add some interesting lighting. Add yet another curves adjustment layer and drag the curves downwards to darken the image than add a layer mask, fill with black and paint with a white soft brush at 50% opacity the edges so we will create a vignette effect.

Let's increase the contrast a little more by adding a Brightness/Contrast adjustment layer. The sky looks to magenta to me still so we will make a new layer and change the blend mode to hue. Pick a light blue color and paint with a 100% opacity over the sky. Groups all layers and name the group "Background".

Now our image looks much better. It's time to add the alien. Open the file "Alien". Make a selection of the alien using your favorite selection tool and paste it into our document. Use free transform to place him like shown below. Name this new layer "Alien". This will be the foundation upon which we will build our strange looking alien creature.

Open file "Toads 3" and make a selection likes shown below. Press Ctrl+J to make a new layer from the selection and press Ctrl+C to copy. Paste it in our document. This will be our basic texture. Move and free transform the layer like shown below than add a layer mask. Fill it with black. Ctrl+Click the "Alien" layer to select all opaque pixels than select the layer mask and fill the selection with white ( Select white as foreground color and press Alt+Backspace ). Double click the layer to enter advanced blending mode and use the settings shown below. Name this layer "Texture".

Open file "Hippocampus" and make a selection of the sea horse. Make a new layer from selection, copy than paste in our document. Place and free transform until it looks like in the image below. Add a layer mask, fill with black than Ctrl+Click alien to load selection, go back to our layer mask and fill selection with white. Change this layer blend mode to Hard Light and lower opacity at 85%. Use a black soft brush to mask away the arms and the neck.