This tutorial will show you how to create, fast and simple, but effective, winter scene in Photoshop. Use it for your own postcard, greeting card or scrapbook page.

1. Create a new document 6”x4” and color the background using Linear Gradient Tool with light blue (cyan) to white like this:

Winter scene, Photoshop tutorial

2. To make hills landscape use the Elliptical Marquee Tool and make some ellipses on a new layer holding down the “Shift” button like this:

Winter scene, Photoshop tutorial

3. Fill the hills shape with the same linear gradient fill you used for the background. Copy the “hills” layer and flip the layer horizontally. Now, lower the upper “hills” layer a bit. Reduce the opacity of the hills in the background (lower „hills“ layer) to 50%

Winter scene, Photoshop tutorial

4. It should look like this:

Winter scene, Photoshop tutorial

5. Add some white thick brush strokes in the blue area and

Winter scene, Photoshop tutorial

6. use the Blur Tool (50) to create the clouds effect.

Winter scene, Photoshop tutorial

7. It should look like this:

Winter scene, Photoshop tutorial

8. Now we need some trees? Yes. Use Polygonal Lasso Tool and create triangle as shown on the following screen shot.

Winter scene, Photoshop tutorial

9. Then, press Shift key and while holding it down make another two triangles and the trunk as presented on the following screen shots.

Winter scene, Photoshop tutorial

Winter scene, Photoshop tutorial

Winter scene, Photoshop tutorial

Winter scene, Photoshop tutorial

Winter scene, Photoshop tutorial

Winter scene, Photoshop tutorial

10. Now it’s time to fill the trees with some color. For that purpose we will use the gradient that we used earlier in this tutorial. Convert the tree to a Smart Object – later you can duplicate it and change it’s size without loosing it’s quality.

Winter scene, Photoshop tutorial

11. When done with trees, merge all layers that contain trees and copy it.

Winter scene, Photoshop tutorial

12. Duplicate the trees layer. Drag one of them between two layers with hills. Flip that layer horizontally (that hill is already flipped so the tress will match).

Winter scene, Photoshop tutorial

13. Now we need some snowflakes. A perfect opportunity to use my “Snowy skies” Photoshop brush. Let’s make it white.

Winter scene, Photoshop tutorial

14. set the snowflakes layer opacity to 50%.

Winter scene, Photoshop tutorial

15. Simple winter scene in Photoshop is done!

Winter scene, Photoshop tutorial