Tutorial Vote:

.

Here is a little piece we just finished and were wondering if you’d all be interested in learning how to create this composition.  It’s not too advanced and will help you create a stunning electric text effect in Photoshop.

Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.

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What We’ll Create:

Things You Need:

1. Trajan Font
2. Crow Picture
3. Splatter Brush

Introduction:

Big thanks to everyone who voted on the Incubus tutorial “to post or not to post.”  It’s always good to engage readers and get opinions.  It gives us a better understanding of what our students (you guys and gals) want to learn when you vote.  This is a fairly moderate tutorial but it brings in the use of Adobe Illustrator so you need to make sure you have that program as well.

Creating Abstract Shapes in Illustrator:

The first thing we’re going to do is open Adobe Illustrator and create a new document with the following settings:

Then we’re going to select the Ellipse tool (L) and draw an oval on the stage.

Now we’re going to use the Warp Tool (Shift + R) and click and drag to push the corners of the ellipse in.

With this funky shape and we’re going to apply some transformations to make it look sweet.  So select the shape we’ve made and select Effect > Distort & Transform > Transform. Enter the following settings:

Click ok.  This is what we should have:

Now we’re going to add the exact same effect by clicking the object again and applying these settings.  (Just ignore any warning dialogue boxes that might pop up and select apply new effect if asked).  Here is what we have now.

This is the basis of our design and we’re going to copy and paste it into Photoshop.  First, open a Photoshop document with the following settings:

Go back into Illustrator and copy our shape by selecting it and pressing Command + C to copy.  Then switch over to Photoshop and push Command + V on the keyboard to paste it.  You’ll be asked how you want to paste it and just select “pixels.”  Press enter to commit the object.

Creating Background in Photoshop

Double click the white background layer and push enter.  This simply unlocks the layer so we can edit it. Now, with the white background layer selected, go to Filter > Distort > Lens Correction.  Enter the following settings:

We should now have this:

We’re now going to add some noise to the background.  To do so, create a new layer above the white background we just edited.  Then, with the newly created layer selected, in the layers palette click the little half white half black circle and select “solid color.”  Select white as the color.  Now with that same layer still selected go to Filter > Noise > Add Noise and put in the following settings:

Then, reduce the opacity of this layer to 33% by selecting it in the layers palette and clicking the “opacity” box and sliding the slider down to 33%.  This is what we should have:

Create a new layer above the noise layer we just created and then push “D” on your keyboard (without the quotes).  This will reset the foreground and background colors.  With the new layer we just created selected, select Filter > Render > Clouds.  Then set this layer to “Overlay.“  This is what we have so far:

We’re going to now add a slight blur behind our abstract shape we pasted in earlier.  Duplicate the abstract shape layer by clicking it in the layers palette and pushing Command + J on your keyboard.  Make sure this duplicated layer is below the original abstract shape layer.  With the duplicated layer selected, select Filter > Blur > Gaussian Blur in the Photoshop menu and enter the following settings:

After these images are entered, change the opacity of this blurred layer to 46%.  This is what we should have so far:

Adding the Crow and Splatter:

This part is really basic and easy.  Simply open the crow image you downloaded earlier and place it in the Photoshop document by selecting File > Place in the Photoshop menu.  Place it inside the circle and using the eraser tool, fit it in the circle.  The crow layer is directly above the original abstract shape layer.  This is what you should have:

Create a new layer above the crow layer and with a splatter brush, paint one simple black splatter, like this:

Modifying and Masking Text in Photoshop:

Now we’re going to add the cool masked text effect using the original abstract shape.  This part is a bit tricky but is something you’ll use in Photoshop compositions a lot.  At least we do!

First, using the Type Tool (T) click on the stage and type “Incubus.”

Now, duplicate the original abstract shape layer 3 times, and place these duplicates over the text like this:

It looks crazy but we’re doing this because we’re going to trap this abstract shape within the INCUBUS lettering.  Flatten the three duplicate layers by selecting them in the layers palette and pushing Command + E on your keyboard.  This flattened layer should still be directly over the incubus text in the layers palette:

Now, Command + Left mouse click the thumbnail of the INCUBUS text layer.  This will give you the selection of the text.

With the “dancing ants” still showing the selection of the “INCUBUS” lettering, select the layer we just flattened with the 3 abstract shapes and click this button at the bottom of the layers palette:

Now we can delete the original “INCUBUS” text layer and you’ll see the masked INCUBUS lettering.  Cool!

That’s pretty much it.  We added some blurring behind the text and added more text to make it look a bit more like an album cover but overall pretty simple.

If you enjoyed this.  Subscribe to our RSS feed to get frequent updates.  Also, leave a comment and tell us what you think!  Thanks!

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Introduction:

Here are 5 Photoshop master that just can’t be missed.  Below is an inspiring selection of photo manipulations with exuberant colors and sophisticated detail that makes each image a masterpiece.  Creativity is at the heart of any good composition.  Study the details of the photo illustrations and manipulations and draw inspiration for your next Photoshop composition.  Even if it is something as simple as a creative gradient background used with popping color schemes.  Maybe it’s a splash of color where you wouldn’t have thought would work.  Check it out, comment, and enjoy!

Jerico Santander

David Waters

Olli-Pekka Jauhiainen

Alberto Seveso

Benjamin Delacour

If you enjoyed this.  Subscribe to our RSS feed to get frequent updates.  Also, leave a comment and tell us what you think!  Thanks!

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Introduction:

We all have been there before.  Sitting in front of our computers, wanting to learn Photoshop but not knowing where to begin.  You open Photoshop and stare blankly at all of those little buttons and menus, or you are in the middle of a graphic design project and you need a brush and you need it quick!  Well, here are 5 must read articles for Photoshop Rookies that can help you get past some of these stumbling blocks.

35 Basic Tutorials to Get You Started with Photoshop

18 Exceptionally Useful Photoshop Shortcuts

12 Common Photoshop Mistakes and Malpractice

Simple and Effective Photographic Results for Beginners

Top 50 Free Photoshop Brushes Resource Sites

There are tons of other sites out there that can help you sharpen your Photoshop skills.  We’ll do our best to compile some more for you!  Happy Photoshopping!

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Introduction

Hi there everyone!  This is kind of a random post for a Photoshop tutorial site to feature but I wanted to spotlight a blog that I just did a redesign for.  The blog can be found here and is a popular baking blog, it’s called BonnieTheBaker.com .  I’ll probably be releasing some tutorials on how I created the logo and headers.  I know that  a lot of you who visit our site are actually men but if you have a wife or lady friend that likes to cook for you, it might be in your best interest to pass it along!   Here is the logo I created for the blog:

Interview

1.) Hey Bonnie, it’s great to see you’re success in building your baking blog, could you please introduce yourself and tell our visitors how you got started?

Ever since I was younger, my mom has always been in the kitchen.  I grew up around Snicker Doodle cookies, fresh Peach and Strawberry Pies, Brownies, Red Velvet Cakes with Cream Cheese frosting, and Ice Cream. Lots of ice cream.  So, as I grew up and moved away from home, my taste buds craved these delicious bites, and I began to learn how to make them on my own.  Although I enjoy making all of the above, my specialty is making unique ice cream flavors.

2.) There are so many different ingredients that you incorporate in your baking.  For example, “Olive Oil Ice Cream With Balsamic Strawberries”…  that sounds interesting, how do you decide what to add to a recipe?

I agree, that ice cream flavor is definitely an interesting one.  I get lots of ideas and inspirations from other bakers and cooks.  The Pioneer Woman has a website full of receipes and David Lebovitz is like the ice cream superman.  I get ideas from them, and then I ask myself, “If this were something I would eat apart from ice cream what would I add to it?”  And I go from there.

3.) Do you have any professional culinary training? What would you suggest to bakers who are just beginning?

No I don’t have any professional training, but I have years of practice.  In a way, I am almost glad that I don’t because I don’t think that I would ever get out of the kitchen.  Honestly, it is something that I would like to explore in the future but the best advice I can give, is to develop one’s palette and experiment with flavors, textures, and ratios first.  Once you get a knack for this, then it will all be enhanced as you get professional training.  However, one of the best resources I have found is in the food blogging community. Foodbuzz is a great example. I have a dear friend that is a fellow food blogger and we get together and try new combinations out, or new ways to cook things.  If they work, then we are excited and we work on duplicating it and perfecting it.  If they don’t, then we do some research on the chemistry behind it: heating times or mixing methods, and try to figure out where it failed.  It’s all a process of being ok with failing a few times before getting it just right.

4.) One of your more recent Ice cream flavors is S’mores Ice cream.  S’mores are generally served hot, so how did you think of making it an ice cream flavor?

This is part of the process I am talking about.  Some things, like cold pizza, should never be eaten cold.  They should remain hot. However, when it comes to sweets, it is my philosophy that almost anything can be made into an ice cream.  The basic components of ice cream are milk, heavy cream, sugar, and eggs.  I can’t think of a single dessert that is not delicious with these additions.  The real trick, is putting them together in such a way that brings out every flavor that you are trying to incorporate.

5.) Can you give us an example where the flavors of the ice cream stood out, and the method you used to make them?

Absolutely.  As part of a challenge on FoodBuzz, a food community where I am a Featured Publisher, we had to make a unique recipe using Pace Picante Salsa.  I went out on a limb and decided to make a Roasted Corn Ice Cream with a Dark Chocolate Salsa Swirl.

To begin, I roasted the corn by covering it in butter and brown sugar, wrapped it in aluminum foil and baked it for 15 minutes at 350 degrees.  While it was cooking, I began on my ice cream base.  I knew for Roasted Corn I didn’t want the base too creamy as to take away from the essence of the corn, so I adjusted my milk, cream, and egg ratios a bit.  I used 1 cup whole milk, ½ cup of heavy cream, 1/3 cup of granulated sugar, and only 2 egg yolks.  The yolks are whisked into the base after the sugar melts and the milk, cream, and sugar are uniform. Usually, for a thicker, more custard-like base I will use at least 5 or 6 egg yolks.

After it cooled, I cut all the corn off the cob, and placed it into my ice cream base.  I then allowed the mixture to get thicker, and then let it cool in an ice bath (or refrigerator) to room temperature. I placed it into the ice cream maker that had been frozen according to manufacturer’s instructions.  While it was churning, I made the dark chocolate/salsa component.  I melted the dark chocolate over medium heat, and slowly added the salsa. I used one jar here, and added enough chocolate to make sure every ounce of salsa was covered in melted chocolate.  I then added Cayenne Pepper to taste.  Once it tasted the way I wanted, I removed it from heat and let cool to room temperature.  When the Roasted Corn Ice Cream had finished the churning process (about 30-35 minutes) I place 1/3 of it into my air tight container.  I then did a layer of the chocolate salsa swirl, and repeated until all the ice cream and chocolate swirl was used up.

Then it was time to try it out.  The first flavor that hit the tongue was the cream of the base.  Slowly, one began to taste buttered corn brown sugar, plus the creamy dark chocolate.  All these flavors were very distinct, and didn’t mesh until the first bit was being swallowed.  Then, a big surprise, and the Cayenne Pepper hit the back of the throat out of nowhere.  It was crazy.  Every flavor was very present, and very distinct, each showing up a different points as it hit the taste buds, yet all blending well together.  This ice cream was involved and took some time, but it was worth it.

6.) What types of new flavors can we expect to see from you in the future?

Well, I have a Bacon Chocolate Ice cream that I am in the works of perfecting right now.  I also just made a Snicker Doodle Ice Cream that is up on the blog currently.  I am dying to try a basil Ice Cream form David Lebovitz and am toying with the idea of adding other greens such as sage and thyme to make it a Garden Ice Cream.  I also love trail mix and am dying to try that out in ice cream form, along with Peach Cobbler Ice Cream, and a Violet Vanilla that I am working on. Also, I recently submitted a recipe for a really unique flavor to the Chocolate Adventure Contest, but I am not allowed to discuss it until the winners are announced.  Win or loose, I will be sure to share it because it was one of my favorites!

7.) You share all of your recipes in full on your blog, why have you decided to do that?

Sharing is the only way that we can learn from one another.  Each time I share, I am delighted to see someone who has taken the recipe and done something different with it.  In addition, I hope to be coming out with a cookbook soon, and am looking into doing video tutorials, as I know that ingredient placement, cooking times, and the like all take skill and are easier to pick up on watching rather than reading.

8.) Thanks again for providing KingTutz  with this opportunity to interview you. Any final thoughts for our readers?

Thank you so much for having me, this is a real treat.  Also, a big thanks to Newfire Creations for the new blog redesign.   Be sure to keep your eyes out for new recipes, video posts, and more.  And please stop by the site and tell me what flavors you want to see, I love being adventurous and trying new things.

www.bonniethebaker.com

bonnie@bonniethebaker.com

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.

1. Welcome to KingTutz, please introduce yourself. Could you tell us where you’re from and how you got started in the field?

I’m a 22-year old freelance graphic designer & illustrator currently living and working in my hometown Umeå, Sweden. I recently took the plunge for a shared office space, I’m renting from a communication agency down town called “Racer”. I do all my work from here and I love it, beats working from home not to mention all the good people that work here. I got into this by excitement and the curiosity to solve problems with a aesthetic appeal to the outcome. I know this is what I’m suppose to do. I formed Diftype in 2006 mainly to showcase all my personal work but over time it developed into a business and a brand, somewhat synonym with my name. My alter-ego

2. There are so many different elements that you incorporate in your art, from hand drawn sketches to photo manipulation. How do you blend all these styles in a harmonious way?

I love to incorporate different elements and experiment with new techniques, I often try to bring in hand made elements in the mix with stocks or own drawings, whatever is needed to execute my ideas. My main focus is the composition and color palette to make it as interesting and appealing as possible. It feels natural to just place elements here and there and I think that’s what builds one’s style, sometimes I can’t really explain why it just feels right.

3. You help run the amazing ad agency of Ars Thanea.  Please tell us a little more about the company, how you ended up there, and your involvement.

You have to reach out. Communities are good for these sort of things, I’m a part of a collective called Depthcore which consists of top artists around the world producing extraordinary visuals. This place is somewhat like a family and you get to know people that I would never have gotten to know otherwise, it can also be people who eventually start a studio of their own. So the main key is connections.

So far all my work have gone through the inbox of my mail and I think they went directly through my site. There is so many ways you can go though, for me the portfolio have always been the main focus and it worked out very well so far.

4. “Filling the Void” is one of your newer designs, it has some amazing imagery so can you please walk us through how you created it and what is the meaning behind the design.

It was created for Desktopography which is basically nature themed desktop images, I wanted to make something industrialized and and nature-catastrophic that looks neat on your desktop. When I made the piece I was thinking “how can I incorporate my style to fit this subject?” since I usually work more flat collage style but It worked out fine and set some new standards for myself. I want to give some credit to the original photographer who is a friend of mine, without his photo it would have been hard to get this done. I’ll share some links below.

5. Are you a self-taught designer? What are the pros and cons to formal graphic education and learning on your own?

I am completely self-taught and proud to be. Sure sometimes it would be easy to have a nice degree in your backpack to show around, but the work is far more important, I focused on that instead and learnt the hard way. There is plenty of good design books to help you out as well. I think whatever works best for you, I’m not gonna say that school sucks it just wasn’t for me. To be self-taught also shows dedication and passion, in my experience it often results in better work. The main thing I missed out on by not getting a formal education is the connections that you make, but if you are dedicated and passionated about your work good things will come to you I am sure.

Hence my brand and alter-ego “Diftype” I strive for a different approach. So I think the most important thing is that you do YOUR own thing.

6. A lot the art in your portfolio like “Losing is a Good Thing” and “Rewind is Death” have a very hand drawn/collage effect to them. What inspired those two pieces and the rest of your hand drawn illustrations?

I like to implement and experiment with different styles and how they can integrate to form something interesting together. Losing is a Good Thing is probably one of those pieces I will only experience once, it came to me so quickly and the whole piece went so smoothly to create. The piece itself was a poster for an art competition held here in my hometown, where young people can create art in any medium they want fitting the theme of the years exhibition. I was also a part of the jury and will be this year as well, so stay tuned for a new upcoming poster.

7. If you could go back in time and tell your old self one bit of advice concerning design what would you say and why?

That is a hard nut to crack, would I want to say anything? If I did would I be writing this interview? I think it’s best not to look back, even if one made bad choices time goes one, in order to succeed you need to focus on the future not the present.

8. Thanks again for providing KingTutz  with this opportunity to interview you. Any final thoughts for our readers?

Thanks for having me and be sure to keep an eye out for new work at my site, got lots of interesting things planned for 2010 including a complete make over and lots of new experiments with different styles and techniques including a webshop.

My portfolio www.diftype.com
David Lundmark “Photographer” www.lundmarkdavid.com
Depthcore Collective www.depthcore.com
Racer www.racer.se

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Final image preview:

First we’re going to open a document with dimensions:

Creating the background:

We’re first going to create the background.  Click the little black and white circle that’s at the bottom of the layers palette and select “Gradient” like the picture below:

Make sure the dialogue box looks like this:

Then select the rectangle next to the word “Gradient” and insert the following settings:

Rename this new gradient layer “Gradient.”  After you rename it copy it by selecting it in the layers palette and selecting Command + J.  With the new duplicated layer flatten it by adding a new layer above it, selecting them both in the layers palette and pushing Command + E. You should now have 2 layers in the layers palette… the original gradient and the flattened duplicated gradient.

Now, we’re going to add an inner shadow to the duplicated layer.  Select the duplicated layer in the layers palette and click the little “fx” in the bottom of the layers palette and select “inner shadow” and enter the following settings:

This is what we should now have:

Now we’re going to add some glows to make the background look a little more unique than just a gradient.  Grab the brush tool and select a circular brush with a hardness of 0% and a foreground color of #ccffff.  Create a new layer above the duplicated background layer and click once in the middle of the background image.  Set this layers blending mode to “Overlay”  Do the same for another dot but on the left side of the image and with a color of #336666. Here is the result:

It’s a subtle change but enough to add a cool effect.  Now, select all of these layers and push Command + G on your keyboard to group them.   Name the group “background.”

Creating the Text

Now we’re going to add the text.  First go here to download the Star Avenue font that we’ll be using.  Select the text tool (t) and type “king tutz” on the stage (or whatever you want your composition to say).

Find a good floral brush on the web (there are tons out there). Using your floral brush paint a new floral on it’s own separate layer.  Make sure each floral is black so it best blends with the text.  Here is what we came up with:

Group all of these floral layers and the text layer and name the group “text.”  Duplicate this layer as we did before with the background group and flatten the group (command + E) as we also did with the background layer before.  Name this new flattened layer “kingtutz.”  We flatten this so we can add different effects like a drop shadow and a gradient overlay.  Click the “kingtutz” layer in the layers palette and select the little fx in the bottom of the layers palette and click “drop shadow.”  Enter the following settings:

Then select the check box next to “gradient overlay” and add the following settings:

We should now have this:

Background Revisited

We want to add some more cool effects to the background using the brush tool as we did before.  However, this time we’re going to set the layer blending modes to “saturation.”  We only added 2 different layers. We grouped these layers and named the group “random glows”  Here is the effect we got:

Now, we’re going to add some blurred dots to the background so we need to create a custom brush.  To do this, we need to select the brush tool (b) and select a round brush with a hardness of 53% and a size of 102 px.  Then in the Photoshop menu at the top of the screen select window > brushes.  Enter the following settings for the brush:

Use a nice green (00cc99) and create a new layer and start clicking to create random circles.  Click about 4-5 times and then create a new layer, change the brush color and click again.  Repeat this a few times until you get the desired amount of dots.  You can even select a dots layer and select filter > blur > gaussian blur and increase blurring to add perspective.  Set the dot layers to overlay ( you can also experiment here to create your desired effect).  Once you have the effect you like.  Group all of these dot layers and name the group “dots.”  Here is the effect we came up with:

Adding Jellyfish

This is a cool part.  We’re going to add jellyfish but first you need to download this jellyfish Photoshop brush.  After you’ve downloaded and installed the jellyfish brush, create a new layer beneath the “kingtutz” text layer.  Click to add various sizes and shapes of jellyfish on the stage (make sure each jellyfish is on it’s own layer).

After you have the desired jellyfish, we’re going to add gradient overlays to each jellyfish.  Click one of the jellyfish layers you just created and select the little fx at the bottom of the layers palette and select “gradient overlay.”  Enter the following settings:

Add this same gradient overlay to each jellyfish.

We want the jelly fish to pop more so we’re going to duplicate each jellyfish layer and set the layer blending mode to normal.  Here is what the layer palette should look like (after some grouping and organizing of the jellyfish layers). Also, here is the effect we have so far:

Jellyfish Glows

Now we’re going to use the brush tool to click and paint a white dot (on it’s own layer of course) on top of each jellyfish.  We’ll then set the blending mode of these new layers to normal.  Group the layers and name the group “jellyfish glows.”  Make sure this group is above the jellyfish group.  This makes the middle of each jellyfish look like it’s glowing  We should now have this:

Adding Bubbles

To create a more underwater effect we’re going to add some bubbles.  First download the bubbles here.  These are istock photos so if you plan on using these for a publication make sure you have proper rights.  Open the bubbles in our Photoshop document.  With the bubbles selected select image > adjustments > invert.  Then, set the bubbles layer blending mode to “screen.”  Then, grab the eraser tool and erase some of the harsh lines around the image.  After you’ve done this, push command + U on your keyboard and set the saturation to -100.

The bubbles need to pop more so select the bubbles layer and then select image > adjustments > brightness/contrast and enter the following settings:

Now, we’re going to duplicate this layer, and erase pieces of it as we place it around the text.  Here is what we came up with:

That’s it!  If you made it this far… congrats!  You’ve just created a pretty cool composition and learned some advanced moves.

If you enjoyed this.  Subscribe to our RSS feed to get frequent updates.  Also, leave a comment and tell us what you think!  Thanks!

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“In photography, bokeh is the blur, or the aesthetic quality of the blur, in out-of-focus areas of an image, or “the way the lens renders out-of-focus points of light.” Differences in lens aberrations and aperture shape cause some lens designs to blur the image in a way that is pleasing to the eye, while others produce blurring that is unpleasant or distracting— “good” or “bad” bokeh, respectively.

Bokeh characteristics may be quantified by examining the image’s circle of confusion. In out-of-focus areas, each point of light becomes an image of the aperture, generally a more or less round disc. Depending how a lens is corrected for spherical aberration, the disc may be uniformly illuminated, brighter near the edge, or brighter near the center. Lenses that are poorly corrected for spherical aberration will show one kind of disc for out-of-focus points in front of the plane of focus, and a different kind for points behind.”

The Bokeh effect can be seen all over the web right now in the latest and greatest layouts.  Use this effect correctly and it can add a nice finishing touch to any composition.

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Effects

This tutorial is going to show you a lot of different useful effects that you can use with various Photoshop project.  If you follow the steps closely you will find out how to:

• Create a Gradient
• Apply Motion and Linear Effects using filters
• Work with layer blending modes
• Add styles to text using blending options
• Add a gloss to text or objects
• Use brush settings to create effects
• Use the pen tool and blending options to create a stunning glowing effect

Final Outcome:

Here is what we will be creating in this tutorial.  Pretty huh?!  It ’s more than just creating a polished composition, it’s about learning valuable skills along the way.  The effects used in this tutorial can be used in an infinite amount of ways, allowing you to add valuable tools to your creative tool belt!

Creating the Background Swirl

The first thing we’re going to do is create a new document with the following settings:

Now we’re going to add a gradient in the background from black to white.  First hit the letter “D” on the keyboard to reset the foreground and background colors to default.  Then, select the Gradient Tool (G) and drag from the bottom of the window to the top.  You should come up with something like this:

Next we’re going to select Filter > Distort > Wave in the menu bar and use the following settings.  You can change these to generate various effects.

Now choose Filter > Distort > Polar Coordinates, and use the default settings.  This is what it will look like:

With the layer selected choose Filter > Distort > Twirl and set the angle to about 140 degrees.

This is what we should have so far:

Now that we have our swirl base we’re going to add some cool colors.  To do this select the little circle at the bottom of the layers palette and select Gradient.

After this select the rectangle to the right of the word “Gradient:” and select the gradient that looks like a rainbow and select ok.

Then, with the “Gradient Fill” box still selected, set the style to Angle and click ok.

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