Blending help!!!! please!!!!!!!

[Jord - El]

I love doing boxes, infact Im studying graphic design so I can mak it a career but theres one thing Im dieing to find out how to do! How do you belnd images together like the examples below in photoshop? Is it something to do with the blending options? please take a look at the examples and see if u guys can help me!

http://img236.imageshack.us/img236/1887/8632halo3wc6.th.jpg (http://img236.imageshack.us/my.php?image=8632halo3wc6.jpg)

http://img236.imageshack.us/img236/907/10081johnwoosstranglehood4.th.png (http://img236.imageshack.us/my.php?image=10081johnwoosstranglehood4.png)

see how the images on the front cover blend into eachother seamlessly?. Master chief blends into the image of the landscape, chow yun fat blens into the image of the city!. How do I do it? its killing me lol

thanks guys!

[blinkofeye]

See blending tutorial for ps by DS11 http://vgboxart.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1699 or by Timmeh

[Ayron]

I have my own method.
I first , like DS11 and Timmeh, Put the pictures on top of eachother.
Than, i add a layer mask to the top one,i make it invisible[ click the eye ]
And brush/draw/select away the parts i don't want in, and to make it 'blend' more,i use the quick mask gradient trick[ go to quick mask[ small square with circle ,right one, in tool bar, than make a gradient,go back to normal mode[click square next to it] and with the selection, delete the edges]

[MARKER]

I would agree with Ayron.

The Chow yun fat one is pretty easy since both background and Mr Fat has a dark background. I would roughly cut round 'Fat' leaving black around him and place him on top of the city layer. Then add a layer mask on 'FAT' layer.
Then with a high'ish opacity (say 70%) but using a LOW Hardness (say 10% or 20%) with small-medium size brush 'remove' the edges of the black on 'FAT' layer on the mask. Now you'll have a nicer blend.
Next... reduce the opacity -- say 10% with low hardness -- say 10% or even 0% and 'remove' more closer to MR FAT himself so that he blends in more :)

Also, you might like to add a bright Green layer underneath (acts like a green-screen), so you can see areas you've done/missed -- turn it on/off whenever. ;)

[Jord - El]

Thanks guys, but Ive tried everything you've said, everything on the blending thread and I still cant get it, the attempts that have worked end up looking crappy and nowhere near as good as boxart I see on here, there has to be another way!

[VGMaster]

What I do is create a layer mask on the one that's being blended (make sure it's over the other image) and select 'Reveal All' or something like that. Then take a gradient and make sure it's on the one that's half transparent and make a gradient. The picture will fade and if it's positioned correctly, look like it's blended. You can see how that turned out on my Raving Rabbids Guitsr Hero box here:
http://www.vgboxart.com/view/10833/raving.rabbids.guitar.hero/?replies=17
Notice how the bar on the front fades into the background? That's how I did it!

[Radioactive Bob]

You guys make it so complicated with all these layer masks and multi-step techniques. :p

I just use the lasso tool or Polygon Selection (Polygon Select = Photoshop. Lasso = GIMP) and set the feathered edges to a right number to get a good blend and just cut out what I don't need.
I sometimes use the rectangle tool as well to get a straight blend if I need it.
If I remember correctly, to delete what you have selected in Photoshop, you simply hit Delete or Backspace. But in GIMP, you press CTRL+K
I'm sure the other ways mentioned here are a lot more precise and accurate. But hey, to each their own.

[ELCrazy]

Someone used my boxes as examples.....I feel so loved :D

xD