Create an Evil 3D Monkey Icon in Photoshop

Posted by on Nov 29, 2011 in Blog | 10 comments

When creating icons, many designers struggle to decide how much detail to include. Should the icon be simple or complex? In this tutorial, we’ll create a detailed 3D monkey icon using a photo of a toy monkey as a reference. In the process, we’ll add texture and lighting.

Tutorial Assets

The following assets were used during the production of this tutorial.

Step 1

Create a new document with 1024×1024 pixel resolution at 72dpi in RGB color space. Place the Toy photo inside the document from File > Insert.

Step 2

With the Pen Tool (P) trace the toy but use different layers for each body part. I traced and separated the parts so you can see what I’ve done.

Step 3

Add an Inner Shadow Layer Style to each part but exclude the ears. You have to refine the Size Propriety to better match each part. See the image below.

Step 4

Select an ear Layer and add a new Gradient Fill Adjustments Layer above. Then apply the gradient layer as a clipping mask by clicking on the thin separation line between the two layers while holding the Alt key. Repeat this step for right ear, but change the gradient angle.

Step 5

As you can see I did not trace each form perfectly. It’s not required.

Step 6

Now, based upon the toy photo, we’ll create the lights and shadows. I’ll show you a nice and non-destructive method to do this. Basically there are three steps. 1- Create a shape; 2- Convert the shape into a Smart Object; 3- Add to the shape a Gaussian Blur Filter. White color for lights, black color for shadows. And obviously Layer Blending Mode (Soft Light or Overlay).

Step 7

Let’s begin with the head. In the image below you can see how and where I added lights and shadows. You can always use the Free Transform (Command/Ctrl + T) to alter the shapes. Remember to use a blending mode (Soft Light or Overlay are the best option) and play with Opacity settings. The blur radius used is always different; it depends on the type of effect you want. For example, the shadow under the head is very hard so it has a low radius value and an opacity of 90%. I also used a white to transparent radial gradient layer adjustment in Overlay mode and 30% Opacity to boost a little the top light spot.

Step 8

It’s time to do the lighting for the body. Just use the same method that I explained in Step 6. Tip: when drawing a shape with the Pen Tool (P) try to follow the lines of the body and after edit the Smart Object with Command/Ctrl + T, and if needed use a layer mask.

Step 9

So, as usual style the other parts. Below you can see the monkey feet lighting scheme.

Step 10

Here are the arms.

Step 11

And finally the ears. You can notice that i added some black in a separate layer, inside arms and ears junction.

Step 12

Now a quick preview.

Step 13

Let’s start with the face. Follow the usual method and draw a shape like this below.

Step 14

Add a white shape above with this Layer Style.

Step 15

With the Ellipse Tool (U) draw a circle inside the last shape and add this Layer Style.

Step 16

In separate layers add some reflections to the eye, and decrease the opacity if needed. Try to draw some white squares with a soft brush. I also add a little color spot in Color Dodge Blending mode on the pupil. Group all the eye layers.

Step 17

Duplicate the first eye, and reflect it. I paint some gray color in a separate layer to boost the contrast and add a nice 3D looks.

Step 18

For the nose add a new shape layer and apply the Step 6 method.

Step 19

Draw a little black shape for the nostril, use the same method, when finished duplicate the layer and reflect it horizontally.

Step 20

Create a new shape with the Pen Tool (P) and add this Layer Style.

Step 21

Add a dark red shape inside the black one. Then add a strong Inner Shadow Layer Style.

Step 22

A basic tooth is composed by two parts. You can see the associated Layers Style in the next step.

Step 23

Here it is the upper part Layer Style…

Step 24

And the bottom part.

Step 25

Merge the two parts inside a Smart Object and try to compose the teeth as below. When finished group the teeth and convert the group into a Smart Object again.

Step 26

Apply the Smart Object as a Clipping Mask to the mouth shape. You’ll get this. Tip: you can move the teeth by double clicking on the icon thumbnails in the Smart Object Layer to open the .psd associated file.

Step 27

Add this Layer Style to the teeth. In a separate layer paint some black to refine the shadows. Use the image below as a reference.

Step 28

It’s time to create the fur, but first we need a special custom brush. Open the brush panel and select the Dune Grass brush. Apply this style.

Step 29

Let’s see how the brush should be used. Select a high brush size and quickly paint some fur on a new layer. Use a light brown color and set the layer blending mode to soft light and 60% opacity.

Step 30

Create a new layer above the last one, select a small brush size and a dark brown color. You have to fill the body of the monkey with fur. Try to invert the brush angle in the brush panel. The fur should follow the body shape of the monkey.

Step 31

With the Pen Tool draw some white shape and set the blending mode to Soft Light. You can notice that I refined the lights on the face by simply adding some blurred white shape in soft light mode like before.

Step 32

Add a new blank layer on top and paint some fur near the eyes and the mouth with a small brush.

Step 33

Finally I added a red background and a cast shadow to the monkey. We’re almost done!

Step 34

Last thing to do is the tail. The process is very simple: draw a shape with the Pen Tool (P) and add the fur in a separate blank layer and finally use a soft Drop Shadow Layer Style.

Final Image



View full post on Psdtuts+

Vancouver graphic design, Vancouver web design, Vancouver seo, Vancouver internet marketing, Vancouver social media, web design Vancouver

Incoming search terms:

10 Comments

  1. Mirko Santangelo | November 29, 2011

    When creating icons, many designers struggle to decide how much detail to include. Should the icon be simple or complex? In this tutorial, we’ll create a detailed 3D monkey icon using a photo of a toy monkey as a reference. In the process, we’ll add texture and lighting.

    Tutorial Assets

    The following assets were used during the production of this tutorial.

    Step 1

    Create a new document with 1024×1024 pixel resolution at 72dpi in RGB color space. Place the Toy photo inside the document from File > Insert.

    Step 2

    With the Pen Tool (P) trace the toy but use different layers for each body part. I traced and separated the parts so you can see what I’ve done.

    Step 3

    Add an Inner Shadow Layer Style to each part but exclude the ears. You have to refine the Size Propriety to better match each part. See the image below.

    Step 4

    Select an ear Layer and add a new Gradient Fill Adjustments Layer above. Then apply the gradient layer as a clipping mask by clicking on the thin separation line between the two layers while holding the Alt key. Repeat this step for right ear, but change the gradient angle.

    Step 5

    As you can see I did not trace each form perfectly. It’s not required.

    Step 6

    Now, based upon the toy photo, we’ll create the lights and shadows. I’ll show you a nice and non-destructive method to do this. Basically there are three steps. 1- Create a shape; 2- Convert the shape into a Smart Object; 3- Add to the shape a Gaussian Blur Filter. White color for lights, black color for shadows. And obviously Layer Blending Mode (Soft Light or Overlay).

    Step 7

    Let’s begin with the head. In the image below you can see how and where I added lights and shadows. You can always use the Free Transform (Command/Ctrl + T) to alter the shapes. Remember to use a blending mode (Soft Light or Overlay are the best option) and play with Opacity settings. The blur radius used is always different; it depends on the type of effect you want. For example, the shadow under the head is very hard so it has a low radius value and an opacity of 90%. I also used a white to transparent radial gradient layer adjustment in Overlay mode and 30% Opacity to boost a little the top light spot.

    Step 8

    It’s time to do the lighting for the body. Just use the same method that I explained in Step 6. Tip: when drawing a shape with the Pen Tool (P) try to follow the lines of the body and after edit the Smart Object with Command/Ctrl + T, and if needed use a layer mask.

    Step 9

    So, as usual style the other parts. Below you can see the monkey feet lighting scheme.

    Step 10

    Here are the arms.

    Step 11

    And finally the ears. You can notice that i added some black in a separate layer, inside arms and ears junction.

    Step 12

    Now a quick preview.

    Step 13

    Let’s start with the face. Follow the usual method and draw a shape like this below.

    Step 14

    Add a white shape above with this Layer Style.

    Step 15

    With the Ellipse Tool (U) draw a circle inside the last shape and add this Layer Style.

    Step 16

    In separate layers add some reflections to the eye, and decrease the opacity if needed. Try to draw some white squares with a soft brush. I also add a little color spot in Color Dodge Blending mode on the pupil. Group all the eye layers.

    Step 17

    Duplicate the first eye, and reflect it. I paint some gray color in a separate layer to boost the contrast and add a nice 3D looks.

    Step 18

    For the nose add a new shape layer and apply the Step 6 method.

    Step 19

    Draw a little black shape for the nostril, use the same method, when finished duplicate the layer and reflect it horizontally.

    Step 20

    Create a new shape with the Pen Tool (P) and add this Layer Style.

    Step 21

    Add a dark red shape inside the black one. Then add a strong Inner Shadow Layer Style.

    Step 22

    A basic tooth is composed by two parts. You can see the associated Layers Style in the next step.

    Step 23

    Here it is the upper part Layer Style…

    Step 24

    And the bottom part.

    Step 25

    Merge the two parts inside a Smart Object and try to compose the teeth as below. When finished group the teeth and convert the group into a Smart Object again.

    Step 26

    Apply the Smart Object as a Clipping Mask to the mouth shape. You’ll get this. Tip: you can move the teeth by double clicking on the icon thumbnails in the Smart Object Layer to open the .psd associated file.

    Step 27

    Add this Layer Style to the teeth. In a separate layer paint some black to refine the shadows. Use the image below as a reference.

    Step 28

    It’s time to create the fur, but first we need a special custom brush. Open the brush panel and select the Dune Grass brush. Apply this style.

    Step 29

    Let’s see how the brush should be used. Select a high brush size and quickly paint some fur on a new layer. Use a light brown color and set the layer blending mode to soft light and 60% opacity.

    Step 30

    Create a new layer above the last one, select a small brush size and a dark brown color. You have to fill the body of the monkey with fur. Try to invert the brush angle in the brush panel. The fur should follow the body shape of the monkey.

    Step 31

    With the Pen Tool draw some white shape and set the blending mode to Soft Light. You can notice that I refined the lights on the face by simply adding some blurred white shape in soft light mode like before.

    Step 32

    Add a new blank layer on top and paint some fur near the eyes and the mouth with a small brush.

    Step 33

    Finally I added a red background and a cast shadow to the monkey. We’re almost done!

    Step 34

    Last thing to do is the tail. The process is very simple: draw a shape with the Pen Tool (P) and add the fur in a separate blank layer and finally use a soft Drop Shadow Layer Style.

    Final Image


  2. Grant Friedman | November 29, 2011

    As many of you know, Tuts+ is accompanied by an online educational membership called Tuts+ Premium. We’re very excited to announce that the membership has received a huge upgrade, including a new library of courses, 27 top-selling educational eBooks, member forums, and a completely redesigned UI. You can check out all the changes here or read on to learn about what Photoshop lovers will now get as part of Tuts+ Premium.

    Beautiful redesign

    The new Tuts+ Premium was designed by Orman Clark and Envato designer Jacob Zinman-Jeanes.

    Design course #1: 30 Days to Your First Website Design

    Have you ever wanted to design websites in Photoshop, then code them with HTML and CSS? In this course, professional web designer Ian Yates takes you through a day-by-day itinerary for learning web design. He explains every concept in a clear and easy to follow way. At the end of the course you will have designed a complete website in Photoshop!

    Visit 30 Days to Your First Web Design or watch the free preview videos: Course Introduction, What is Web Design?.

    Design course #2: Digital Painting for Concept Art

    Members will get access to an in-depth video course by concept artist for video games Matt Kohr: Digital Painting for Concept Art. The first three lessons are available for free: Introduction, Linework Preparation and Masking Basics.

    Top-selling Design eBooks

    Tuts+ Premium memberships now include 7 eBooks about Photoshop and design, worth $67.

    147 Exclusive Photoshop Tutorials

    Tuts+ Premium includes 147 (and counting) Photoshop tutorials teaching high-end techniques you won’t learn anywhere else. You can browse them all and view free previews of every tutorial here.

    My First Impressions

    Our new premium website is a drastic improvement over the old system. It includes a slick and polished user interface and presents all of our tutorials the way that you would expect, from within your browser. We’ve also included some new features to make Tuts+ Premium even better. We are now providing courses and ebooks from within Tuts+ Premium to make it even more valuable. So what are you waiting for? Head over to the new Tuts+ Premium site and let us know what you think.

    Take a Tour of Tuts+ Premium


  3. Grant Friedman | November 29, 2011

    We know that many of you own tablets. Tablets are fantastic devices for creating artwork in Photoshop but they can be a bit frustrating for people who are used to working with a mouse. In this presentation, Weston Maggio, Application Specialist for Wacom will present you with some excellent tablet tips for Photoshop. Let’s take a look!


  4. Giackop | November 29, 2011

    In this tutorial, I will show you how to spice up a fairly dull and flat photograph. It’s very easy and fast! Go from flat photo to a uniquely lit style.

    Editor’s note: This tutorial was originally published on Psdtuts in March of 2008.

    Source Photos

    For this tutorial, we’ll need two photos that I took. You can download them to follow along. These are my photos: castle photo and clouds photo.

    Step 1

    First of all, my apologies for this step. I waited for a good 20 minutes but that car didn’t move, so I had to take the photo with it!

    Anyway, just use the Patch Tool (J) to remove the car and the Clone Stamp Tool (S) to recreate the pattern of the bricks where it used to be.

    If you’ve never used the Patch Tool, there are a couple of ways to use it. First, make a selection as you would if you were using the Lasso Tool, then click inside the area and drag with your mouse. Depending on whether you are using Source or Destination as your checked option you will either move the image inside the selection, or move the whole selection around. The Patch Tool will blend-in the area you’ve chosen when you let go. You can also use patterns and transparency. All in all, it’s a great tool.

    Step 2

    Once the van has been removed, apply Filter > Render > Lighting Effects to make the light come from the top right.

    Step 3

    With the tool that you prefer, create a selection of the part that you want to hide. For example, I used the Pen Tool (P) to select the sky and the buildings around the castle. With the selection active, add a Layer Mask.

    Step 4

    Duplicate the background layer, desaturate it with Ctrl+Shift+U, apply Filter > Blur > Gaussian Blur with 4-pixel Radius, and set the Blending Mode for the layer to Overlay.

    Step 5

    Now we need a photo with clouds and the rays of the sun coming from the right. I used this photo of mine that was perfect for this situation.

    Send it to the back of the other layers.

    Then duplicate it and set the copy layer Blending Mode to Lighter Color.

    Step 6

    Duplicate again the original background photo (Layer 1) and put the this new layer below the Layer 1 copy.

    Set the Blending Mode to Multiply.

    Step 7

    Now turn off the visibility of the two castle layers, go to the Layer 1 copy, and merge the visible layers into a new layer with Ctrl+Shift+Alt+E.

    Then desaturate it with Ctrl+Shift+U, set the Blending Mode to Overlay, and the Opacity to 50%.

    Step 8

    Make a new layer on the top of the other.

    With a large, white, soft brush that matches the size of the light of the sun, just make a round spot.

    Then apply the Luce filter that you can download free or use the previous tutorial about Lighting Through Clouds here on Psdtuts+, to make this light coming through the clouds. Set the Blending Mode to Overlay.

    This is an example with black background to demonstrate the effect.

    Step 9

    Just Burn the dark side of the castle and Dodge the light part of it with a large, soft brush. By doing this, we make it seem as if the light is coming from the clouds and hitting the right side of the castle, leaving the other side in darkness.

    At this point we’re almost done, but the image is overall quite dark and our blur earlier has left it slightly too blurry, so we’ll fix that next.

    Step 10

    To finish the image, create a new layer above the rest and go to Image > Apply Image, use the settings "Merged", "RGB" and "Normal" for blending. This will create a new layer above the rest holding a copy of the image. Set this layer to Screen and about 70% Opacity. Then go through each layer and apply Filter > Sharpen > Unsharp Mask and use the settings Amount: 250% and Radius .2px (Use a larger radius for larger images). This should sharpen the image back up to give us a good final result.

    Click on the image below to see a larger version:


  5. Mark Mayers | November 29, 2011

    Pop-up cards are normally cards that, once opened, have an element of surprise making them both memorable and fun to the reader. In this Tuts+ Premium tutorial, author Mark Mayers will take you step-by-step through the entire process of transforming initial concept drawings through to a fully functional piece of cardboard engineering. This tutorial is available exclusively to Tuts+ Premium Members. If you are looking to take your print design skills to the next level then Log in or Join Now to get started!

    Preview This Tutorial

    You can view a full preview of this tutorial over at Tuts+ Premium.

    About the Author

    Author Mark Mayers is a talented designer and illustrator from the UK. He has worked as a designer and creative director for several design/advertising agencies and specializes in print, branding, packaging, and exhibition graphics. Mark began his career when the tools of the trade were markers, layout pads, and most importantly, the ability to draw, but he embraced the digital revolution in the early 90′s and swapped his drawing board for a Mac. Today, Mark freelances from his studio in Cornwall for such clients as American Express, BMW, Future Publishing, IDG Communications and Imagine Publishing.

    Professional and Detailed Instructions Inside

    Premium members can Log in and Download! Otherwise, Join Now! Below are some sample images from this tutorial.

    Final Image

    Get Instant Access to Tuts+ Premium

    Joining Tuts+ Premium will get you instant access to this tutorial as well as all the premium content in our archives. In addition, you’ll have access to all the source files for all of our free and premium content. You will also have free access to the premium content of all the other sites in the Tuts+ Network. If you’re already a premium member, Log in and download the tutorial. Otherwise, you can Join Today!


  6. Grant Friedman | November 29, 2011

    Yesterday, on his blog, in an open letter to Adobe, National Association of Photoshop Professionals (NAPP) President, Scott Kelby asked Adobe to reconsider a new upgrade policy that took most Photoshop users by surprise. The new policy would force anyone using CS4 or earlier to upgrade to CS5 before they could qualify for upgrade pricing on the new version. Users who don’t own a copy of CS5 will have to pay full price for CS6.

    In his letter Kelby calls the new policy "unfair" because they didn’t announce the change until the end of the product’s life-cycle, forcing many users to purchase CS5.5 for just a few months. He goes on to say:

    "You’re kind of holding us hostage—–you’re making us buy something we don’t need now, just so we will still have the option to get something that we may want (CS6) when it is released without buying it all over again from scratch. You’re playing hardball with your customers—either upgrade twice or you’re out. That’s not the Adobe we know."

    A fairer option, Kelby says, would be to not start the policy yet, to start the new policy with CS7 and to make CS6 the transition version. That way, everyone is aware of the new policy up front, at the start of the product’s life cycle.

    "That way, we’re not spending money just to spend more money again. Adobe, you can still have what you want—-you can still get everybody on the current version, but it gives us time to save, time to plan, and anybody still left behind at that point will have had more than fair warning," says Kelby.

    Another option that Kelby offers is a tiered upgrade that rewards Adobe’s best customers by giving those who upgraded to the last version the best deal on the upgrade.

    Kelby goes on to say that he fears that the new policy could force many users to abandon the product all together.

    "I also know that the clearest message you can send any company is not to buy their product and I am not suggesting in any way that we intentionally don’t buy Adobe products, but I am afraid for many people, including many of the Photoshop users I represent, that will be the case. Photoshop CS4 will wind up being their last version of Photoshop ever, and I for one would hate to see that happen. I think that would be a lose/lose for everybody."

    Adobe "can still fix this," he says, by making CS6 a transitional upgrade. With everyone knowing that after CS6, a new upgrade policy will be in place.

    "That way you don’t leave anybody behind that wants to stay with you. Nobody can say you pulled a fast one on them at the last minute, or didn’t give them reasonable notice about the next upgrade. You never go wrong by doing the right thing," he says.

    Your Say

    What do you think about Adobe’s new upgrade policy? How will it affect your plans to upgrade to the next version?


  7. David Appleyard | November 29, 2011

    We’re excited to let you know that now, in addition to Twitter and Facebook, you can get involved with the Psdtuts+ community over at Google+! We’ll be using Google+ to let you know about our latest tutorials, competitions, and Tuts+ news. Read on to find out more…

    What to Expect on Google+

    Psdtuts+ on Google+

    Through Google+, we’ll be publishing links to our new tutorials and articles, industry news, graphics and examples from our community, and lots more! It’s going to be an extension of the Psdtuts+ site and community, in the same way we treat Twitter and Facebook.

    Don’t have a Google+ account? You can head over and create one here, or find out a little more about how it works.

    Add Psdtuts+ to Your Circles

    Just use the button above to add Psdtuts+ to your circles, so you don’t miss out on any of our new content. We look forward to seeing you on Google+!


  8. Grant Friedman | November 29, 2011

    Let’s be honest, most of Photoshop’s default filters and effects don’t give you much flexibility and don’t always look very realistic. For the last few months, we’ve been introducing you to Filter Forge, a powerful third-party plugin for Photoshop that allows you to do some pretty amazing things with filters, and even create your own. This month, our friends at Filter Forge have a big announcement, the release of Filter Forge 3.0 and today, we are giving away a copy to 3 lucky Psdtuts+ readers.

    Update: Congratulations to Julio Leite, Joe Whitten, Kaine Menzie. You have all won a free copy of Filter Forge 3.0. Enjoy!

    Version 3.0 features support for multiple source images, improved preview interactivity, over 8,500 amazing filters, and much more.

    See More Examples

    On the surface, Filter Forge is just a Photoshop plugin, a pack of filters that create visual effects, enhance photos, generate textures, and process images. However, there are some things that make Filter Forge unique:

    1. All users get free access to over 8,500 filters. Anyone can contribute their textures and effects to the online filter collection so it grows with every submitted filter.

    2. You can create your own filters. If you cannot find an appropriate filter in the library you’ll love the Filter Editor – a visual node-based tool for creating custom-tailored textures and effects. All filters are constructed by connecting components that represent basic operations such as blurs, gradients, color adjustments, noises, distortions, or blends – without writing a single line of code.

    To win a free copy of Filter Forge, all you need to do is enter using the form below.

    Submit Your Entry

    Up For Grabs

    • 1 copy of Filter Forge Basic to 3 readers

    Rules

    • To enter, submit your entry using the form above.
    • You may only enter once.
    • Make sure to enter a valid email address so that we can contact you.
    • Entries will be accepted until Friday, November 25, 2011 at 11:59 PM, EST.

    To learn more about Filter Forge, visit their website, download the demo version of the software, and check out their gallery.

    Download Demo

    Editor’s note: This post was sponsored by Filter Forge.


  9. Diego Rodriguez | November 29, 2011

    In this tutorial we will demonstrate how to customize a typeface in Illustrator and then use Photoshop to create a stunning vintage detailed typographic design. Let’s get started!

    Tutorial Assets

    The following assets were used during the production of this tutorial:

    Before We Begin

    Before we start this tutorial, It’s important to have a bit knowledge and experience in Adobe Illustrator. Why are we using Illustrator? Because it offers great possibilities to customize any typeface, achieving excellent results and obtaining smooth curves, borders and shapes in a high quality vector file. Also, it’s recommened take the advantages of a graphic tablet. It doesn’t have to be a big one, I work with an A6 Wacom Tablet and It works perfectly for every technique described on this tutorial. Let’s go!

    Step 1

    First, open Adobe Illustrator and create a new document 1000x1000px, RGB, 300ppi.

    Step 2

    By selecting the Type Tool (T), we will select the font for our text. In this artwork, I used a free typeface called “Creampuff” (you can find a link on the assets description).
    This was a tribute artwork to the soul singer Solomon Burke, so I typed “Solomon Burke” on my canvas. For a better view, I wrote my text in small and capital letters to select the most aesthetical for our composition.

    Step 3

    Once we decided what letters we are going to put together, we proceed to write our text. After that, selecting the text with the Selection Tool (V) we go to the top menu bar: Type > Create Outlines. You will see how a lot of anchor points appear on every letter, so this action will allow us to customize our text letter by letter in illustrator during the process.

    Step 4

    Now let’s start creating our composition. Place your cursor over the text and make a right-click; on the menu choose the "Isolate Selected Group" option. This action makes easy to select each letter individually. Use again the Selection Tool (V) to move and place each character; by selecting our letter and then the Free Transform Tool (E), we can manipulate our letters easily. You can distort, rotate, or resize. As you can see, we can make any kind of movement with our font. Once we place, resize and compose our text it’s time to customize our typography (if you want to exit from the Isolation Mode, just click ESC).

    Step 5

    Repeating the first action of our previous step, we proceed to isolate our text again (if we are not on the Isolation Mode, right-click over the type > Isolate Selected Group). I did this to fix some curves and edges from the original font type by type.

    After selecting our first letter, we choose the Eraser Tool (Shift + E). By clicking twice on the tool palette where is placed the eraser tool, we can change different options. In this case, I only changed the diameter to manipulate the terminations of the font. I customized the letters M, N, U, K, R and E by erasing some parts. The goal with this step is create smoother curves and corners. You can check the process on the images below.

    Step 6

    Now we are going to decorate our artwork by drawing some elements and adding some shapes. On this and the following steps it’s recommended you work with a graphic tablet.

    Create a new layer and don’t forget to lock the typography layer to avoid any modification over the letters. Is important to select on the color picker (left tool palette) the fill color option and do not to select any color for the stroke. For the drawing, I personally like to use the Pencil Tool (N) to drawing from the scratch in illustrator (freehand drawing), but you can use the Pen Tool (P) as well for this process. Feel free now to draw the ornaments over the typography. In this particular case I did this from scratch with the pencil configuring the tool options, but you can always draw them before on paper or sketch them in Photoshop.

    Check the images below for a better understanding; you have signed in red all the keys and steps I did before start drawing the ornaments.

    Step 7

    As you can see on the images below, I decorated the O and E letters with an elegant shape. To redefine the ornaments, there is an option into the pencil tool named smooth tool. By holding for a while the pencil tool, it will appear the tab option for the smooth tool. By pressing alt, paint with it over the selected shape. You will notice how the path & corners now are more rounded.mFinally, I modified with the Pen Tool (P) the N and K letters to have a more aesthetical appealing (check the outcome below).

    Step 8

    I added some decorative rhombuses around the artwork. To create them, I started activating the Grid on the top menu bar: View > Show Grid. The grid will help us to create a symmetric triangle with the pen tool. Once we have the triangle done, go to Edit > Copy and then edit/paste in front. Now by selecting the new shape with the selection tool (V), we make a right click over it: Transform > Reflect > Horizontal. Then place the second triangle below the first one to create the rhombus shape.

    After that, choose both shapes with the selection tool (V) and group them: right click over the selection/group. I created several copies of the rhombus and place them between the characters, making variations on the sizes. Also I changed the color to some of them to white. Finally, I created some circles with the shape tool around the rhombuses to give a more decorative touch to the whole artwork.

    Step 9

    We are done with Illustrator! It’s time to export our artwork to make the final retouching in Photoshop. Depending of the quality and the kind of retouching you want to do, you can export the complete artwork into only one transparent layer, PNG, or you can export the artwork into a PSD file, which will save your different paths and layers. Other option is drag the content directly to Photoshop, having an only one Vector Smart Object layer.

    In this case, I exported everything to a transparent PNG layer. The reason is basically because it’s not a very detailed illustration with hundred of paths, plus the format requested was for website, but I highly recommend to export in PSD format, especially if the illustration is complex. To export go to File > Export and choose your favorite image format; recommended 300ppi.

    Step 10

    Ok, first stage is completed. We customized our typography and we created some decorative elements around it. Once satisfied with the outcome, it’s time to open Photoshop and have some fun with textures and lightning.

    We open a new document: 1500x1500px, 300ppi, RGB color. That’s going to be our canvas and the first thing we are going to do is fill the background with a soft brown color, regarding the vintage looking we have in mind to achieve on this piece. Secondly, we open the grunge background texture image (you can find a link on the assets description). Then retouch the texture a bit before placing it on your canvas. Desaturate (Image > Adjustments > Desaturate). Curves (modify the contrast). New layer on top, soft light mode, opacity: 100%. Apply some black soft brush over the corners to get a vignette effect. Merge all the layers and drag it to our canvas fitting with the dimensions. Then, drag the texture set onto the canvas and set the layer to multiply mode, 100% opacity, but feel free to change it with your own settings.

    Step 11

    Above of our texture, I created a new adjustment layer to give to the background a little bit of red tone. Go to the menu: Layer > New fill layer > Solid color. I picked a tone between red and brown and changed the layer mode to multiply, Opacity 6%. Below the layers panel you know there is a quick menu to create new fill and adjustment layers. Use the way you feel more comfortable. On the tutorial I will be describing the different process through the top menu bar because I use to work with shortcuts; on that way I think it’s more clear to everyone.

    Step 12

    I like to have the composition in mind applying some rules and spaces on my canvas. To place my artwork I added some guides around the canvas, marking the workspace. Having them help me to make things in a more controlled way. Now open and drag the customized typography (illustration exported image) into the canvas on top.

    First effect we are going to apply is related to the volume of the typography. Duplicate the typo layer and make a right click over the layer/blending options. Apply the following settings on the layer.

    Step 13

    Once the previous step is done, we are going to apply the first texture directly over the typography. Open the Dollar Bill Texture (you can find a link on the assets description) and invert the image: Image > Adjustments > Invert. Place the texture on top and create a clipping mask over the typo layer where we applied the bevel effect: right click over the layer > Create clipping mask. Once the clipping mask is done, you can modify the texture opacity, apply curves or clone over the texture as much as you want to achieve a good looking.

    It is very important to have texture on every letter and shape; I highly recommend apply curves over the texture to increase the whites in this particular texture, It will help us to get a similar "wood" looking.

    Step 14

    Now we are going to have a good time playing with shadows and highlights. Create a new layer on top and set it on normal mode, opacity 60%. Change the brush settings as is shown on the image below and set the flow option to 40%. Pick white color and select the typo artwork by making Command/Ctrl + click over the layer thumbnail on the layers panel. Here is very important to control the pressure of the brush, a graphic tablet is highly recommended to have total control over the brush pressure. For a better result, I recommend to pick a medium size brush, not bigger than the letters. Paint with patience and if it’s necessary erase with a soft brush some borders to get a better feather.

    We are going to apply this painting effect over every letter and shape, mostly trying to achieve some basic highlight, visualizing how the volume is going to look on them. After that, we are going to duplicate the layer and drag it below the first brushing layer. Set the opacity to 40% and go to the blending options: right click over the layer/blending options. We are going to apply some coloring on the color overlay setting by choosing a vivid brown color (normal mode, 100% opacity inside the color overlay option).

    Step 15

    I made some different painting inside the rhombuses. By selecting them individually with the polygonal tool or your favorite method, make a right click over the selection and pick transform selection; by holding alt + Shift you will conserve the original proportions of the selection and that will help you to get a perfect extract of it. Transform the selection and when you have a smaller selection inside the rhombus, apply the soft brush.

    Another good and quick effect I did to get a better appealing of the rhombuses was to create smaller rhombuses inside them. Select one of the small rhombuses on the layer with the bevel applied and duplicate directly by clicking Command/Ctrl + J. You will get a brand new layer with a rhombus and the bevel already applied too. I duplicated the new rhombus several times, changed the color to sepia and I started to put them into the rest of the rhombuses. Later I joined all these new rhombuses on a new group by selecting them and clicking Command/Ctrl + G. This process will help to have the same looking in every rhombus. Every new inner rhombus gives a great overall perception of the typography artwork.

    Step 16

    It’s time to apply more textures. Take the plastic texture (you can find a link on the assets description) and place it on top. First thing I did with this texture was desaturate the layer (Image > Adjustments > Desaturate). Secondly, I started to play with hue/saturation by clicking Command/Ctrl + U. I got some soft brown tone by playing with the colorize option. Finally apply some curves to increase the contrast. Once you’re satisfied with the result, change the layer mode to overlay / opacity 84%. I erased that blending mark at the left over the B because I wanted the typography clean of that mark, but feel free to keep it if you like the effect.

    Step 17

    Duplicate the texture and desaturate it again. Now we are going to modify the texture to an almost 100% white layer applying curves. Once you’re done, change the layer mode to Multiply, opacity 100%. This layer will help us to kill a little bit the highlights on the background. We are almost done with this texture, but let’s duplicate this latest white layer again and change the layer mode to Soft Light, opacity 20%. Finally pick the erase tool (E) and clear with a soft brush the texture outside the typography range. It has not to be perfect, just let the center zone of the texture alive.

    Step 18

    The artwork starts to look good and the plastic image gave the letters some nice texturing. The next step is something that I use to do a lot on my illustrations.

    Select the typography as we did in a previous step (Command/Ctrl + click over the layer thumbnail on layers panel). Once we have the selection, create a new layer above all the layers (on top) and go to the menu: image/apply image. Keep the custom settings on the apply image tab and click ok.

    We have now a copy of the typo but with all the textures and painting effects created in only one layer. Feel free to play with this new layer: curves, hue/saturation, color balance or any adjustment layer. In this case I applied some curves (Command/Ctrl + M) to increase the contrast and a little bit of desaturation (Command/Ctrl + U). I modified also some rhombuses. The outcome is not very different, but the goal here was to make a difference between the typo and the background; this retouch over the new layer helped us to achieve a better depth of field and contrast. You can hide the initial typo layers at this point if you want.

    Step 19

    Let’s apply some curves to give the vintage feeling. Create a layer on top and set the layer mode on Color, opacity 10%. Apply these settings:

    Step 20

    Now this step is very important to give a special looking to our typography. Make a new layer on top (over the curves layer) and set the layer mode in Overlay, opacity 100%. We can name this layer "Reflections". Select again the typography through the same method that we applied previously: Command/Ctrl + click over the layer thumbnail on layers panel. Once you have the selection made, go to the menu Select > Modify > Expand. On the expand tab, select a range between 1px and 3px. Now that we have the new selection done, we can hide the selection marks by pressing Command/Ctrl + H. This action will help us to have clearer looking typography and consequently, on the effects we are creating. If you want to be able to view again the selection marks, press again Command/Ctrl + H.

    Pick a small soft brush in a range between 25px and 50px, stay with the same brush presets that we applied on the step 14 and choose the white color on the color picker. Start to brush with a lot of patient and taking advantage of the pen pressure. It’s important to follow the light references of our bevel effect and respect in some way the light direction, but is not mandatory on every letter. Try to not exaggerate the shine/bright on the borders. Finally, with the dodge tool we can give some extra bright over the reflections, especially on the biggest letters.

    Step 21

    Ok, we have the lightning done but we need more depth of field on the artwork. Time for shadows! This is a really easy step to execute, basic tools and brushing, but it can take a while to be satisfied with the outcome. Cast shadows are important to be kind of realistic and smooth. We don’t want to call the attention with an exaggerated shadowing, but improve the artwork in overall with a good blending of them.

    Create a new layer behind all the typo layers and name it "Shadows". Place the layer just above the color fill layer that we created on the Step 10. I set this layer mode in Normal, 80% opacity, but depending on your taste and vision, you can change it for a better looking. With the same brush presets that we are using through the whole tutorial, we are going to brush behind all the typo content with a soft black brush, setting the opacity of the brush at 20%, flow 40%. Light direction is again an important reference, but you will realize that some parts need a different shadow for a better looking, so feel free to play with it. Don’t be afraid using the soft brush and also to erase some parts and get a better feather.

    Step 22

    Our artwork is almost done, let’s put attention on some details. To make the thin borders on the artwork I used the plastic texture that we used before. Process is simple, just duplicate the layer (the plastic texture or any other texture you want to use) and arrange it on top going to the menu: Layer > Arrange > Bring to front. After that set the layer mode on soft light, opacity 70%. Make a square selection leaving a 4px-5px of margins regarding the overall canvas and press delete.

    We have now a white frame. With a very small soft brush or default texture brush, delete carefully inside the borders leaving a 1px-2px line. With a 1px-2px soft brush you can paint also in some parts to emphasize the borders.

    Step 23

    Time for the last lights and shadows retouching layer. Select all the typography shape and create a new layer on top. Go to Edit > Fill > 50% gray. Set the layer mode on soft light, opacity 40%, fill 50%. With the same brush presets that we used on the tutorial, pick a 75px-90px brush and paint in white inside the letters, in black for the borders. The soft white will improve the volume and the black will help to separate a little bit more the typo with the background. It’s a technique that is used a lot on high end retouching (fashion, beauty, product photography). It helps to redefine parts and increase the volume.

    Remember to do not exaggerate the lights and shadows, they have to be applied in a moderated way. You can use also the dodge tool (O) over this gray neutral layer to emphasize even more the reflections.

    Step 24

    The final layer will be an adjustment layer to increase a bit the contrast of our artwork. Go to the menu: Layer > New adjustment layer > Gradient map. Click ok, and pick a black & white gradient, then change the layer mode to normal, opacity 10%.

    Step 25

    Artwork is finished. Remember to save your .PSD if you didn’t do it before, go! I also recommend to make a copy of the .PSD to resize the artwork for website resolution. Go to the menu: Image > Duplicate and here you go, you have now a perfect copy of your .PSD; save it with another name and you can now resize the document resolution: Image > Image size uncheck the resample image option and change the resolution to 72dpi. Save again!

    Step 26

    Finally there are a couple of things that I like to apply to the artwork before sending the client, upload to the Internet or make a cool print. Create a new layer on top and go to Image > Apply image. Over this layer I use to apply. Unsharp mask (Filters > Sharpen > Unsharp mask). Noise (Filters > Noise > Add Noise > Gaussian > Monochromatic. The amount of sharpen and noise depends directly of the artwork’s size.

    Final Image


  10. Grant Friedman | November 29, 2011

    Recently, I had the opportunity to chat with Matt Kloskowski. Matt is the author of "Photoshop Compositing Secrets," a new book that demonstrates some excellent techniques to help you create better and more realistic Photoshop compositions. In our interview, we discuss why it’s important to bring a camera with you wherever you go, some techniques that you should always apply to your images, and much more. Please take a moment to review this roughly 25-minute video interview, and enjoy!

    More Information

    You can purchase “Photoshop Compositing Secrets" on Amazon below.