Tutorial9

Wet Paint Acrylic Photoshop Brushes

Nick Pagano — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 06:00:41 +0000

This Photoshop Brush Pack includes 16 High Quality, Wet Acrylic Paint strokes, all at super high resolution. Perfect for art projects, personal use, and commercial use. That’s right, this pack is free to use however you’d like, it just cannot be redistributed!

If you need help installing them, just take a look at our Installing Brushes and Custom Shapes in Photoshop Tutorial.

Download Photoshop Brushes

How To Create An Abstract Floral Explosion in Photoshop

Jay Saputra — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 06:00:52 +0000

In this tutorial, I’m going to show you how I used several floral stock images and Photoshop brushes to compose a fantastic abstract composition.

Materials Needed:

Step 1: Creating a New Document

First of all, create a new document at 1000×1000px and use a white background.

Step 2: Insert The Fiddle

Make a selection around the violin image. The Easiest way to do this step is by using the Magic Wand tool ( see settings below, make sure you activate the add to Selection button (circled on left) and check the (Contiguous option). Click several times to select all of the background area, which is colored white. Then Inverse the selection (just press Ctrl+Shift+I).

Press Ctrl+C to copy the violin (which is now selected), and then paste ( Ctr+V ) it to the document we created before. Adjust the size by using Free Transform Command (Press Ctrl+T).

Step 3: Add The Leaf Image

Open the rose image. Using Polygonal Lasso tool, create selection around the leaf. See image below.

When you’re done with selection, copy and paste leaf image over the violin’s layer in the other document. Clear the white color around the leaf by using Magic Wand tool (just click the white color and then press Delete). Deselect by pressing Ctrl+D.

Drag the leaf layer (Layer 2) below violin’s layer (Layer 1). Using Free Transform command (Ctrl+T), adjust the size and rotate it to right a bit. Press Enter when you’re done.

Step 4: Color Adjustment

Editing would be simpler if we rename layers by it’s content, so feel free to do so. I’ll refer to layers by name to make things simpler from this point on. Just rename layer 1 to "violin" and layer 2 to "leaf".

Select the violin layer, then press Ctrl+L to bring up the Levels dialog. Adjust Input Levels valueas shown below to increase the contrast. Click OK when done.

Activate the leaf layer, use the Levels command to make increase the leaf’s contrast. Then use Hue/Saturation (Ctrl+ U) command to adjust leaf’s color to make the greens more vibrant, green, and saturated. See image below for details.

Step 5: Arranging Leaves Part.1

Duplicate the leaf layer by pressing Ctrl+J. With the leaf layer copy still selected, adjust the position and rotate it right a bit. See image example below.

Repeat this duplicating process until you get 5 leaf layers. Play around with the size, rotation and position of each leaf layers until you get a very nice layout. Remember, we’re using the Free Transform function, so be sure to touch up on the Transform functions if you’re having trouble.

Step 6: Shadows and Highlights

Click the original leaf layer (It should be the bottom leaf layer). Select the Burn tool. Pick a soft round brush and adjust the brush diameter around 30 to 40 px. Reduce the Exposure value to 25%. Now use it to create shadows like shown in this example.

Now we need to make highlights using the Dodge tool. Make sure you pick a soft round brush and reduce the Exposure value to 25% when doing this.

Repeat this process for all of the leaves layer. You should be end with leafs that have much more depth than when we began.

Step 7: Duplicating Leaves

This kind of illustration always ends with a lot of layers, so it’s a better idea to keep these layers organized within layer groups. Below, you can see the simplest way to create a layer group and rename them after.

Now we’re going to balance the composition by duplicated the leaves on the right of the violin to show on the left as well. Rather than starting from scratch, you can just duplicate the group we just created by right clicking on the leaf right layer group, then choosing Duplicate Group from the popup menu.

Name the layer group duplicate’s: leaf left. With the layer group leaf left still selected, click menu Edit> Transform> Flip Horizontal, all leaf layers should be flipped to the left now. Using the Move tool, drag the layer group leaf left so the leaves are positioned on the violin’s left side.

Step 8: Arranging Leaves Part.2

Duplicate layer group leaf left, rename its duplicate to leaf-FL. Drag layer group leaf-FL over the violin layer.

Re-arrange the leaves using Move tool and Free Transform command. Try to make the leaves’s layout like the one below. Because the leaves are different from before, you should re-define the shadow and highlight area of each leave. Use Dodge and Burn tool to do this.

Duplicate layer group leaf-FL, and then rename the duplicated layer group to leaf-FR . Flip the leaves via menu Edit> Transform> Flip Horizontal. Place these leaves on the bottom right of violin.

Step 9: Arranging Leaves Part.3

Duplicate leaf-FL layer group once more, then rename the duplicated group to leaf-BL. Drag this layer group below layer group leaf right.

Re-arrange the leaves using Move tool and Free Transform command. Arrange the leaves’s layout like the one below. Again, redefine shadows as needed, and duplicate this group so that there are leaves along the back left and back right of the violin.

Step 10: Adding the Rose

Open the rose image again. Select the rose petals, using any selection tool you like. The fastest way is using Quick Selection tool ( available only in Photoshop CS3/CS4 ), but you can also use Magic Wand or polygonal lasso tool.

When done selecting, copy and paste the rose
image over the leaf-FR layer group. Adjust rose’s size and then place it down with the leaves.

Rename layer 3 (rose’s layer) to rose. Bring up the Levels Dialogue (Ctrl+L), then adjust theinput levels value until rose’s color becomes more vibrant as shown below. If you’re not satisfied with the result, use the burn and dodge tools to bring out the shadowns and highlights in the Rose.

Step 11: Adding a Blood Drip

For my piece, I’d like to add some flare to the Rose with a drop of blood falling from it. Open the blood image, select it using any selection tool you like. When done, copy-paste it over the rose’s layer.

Rename layer 3 to blood. Now drag it down so it placed below rose’s layer. Adjust the blood’s size and then place it below the rose.

Step 12: Expanding Canvas Size

By using Crop tool, make a rectangular selection like this one below. Then adjust the control point so it’s out of the canvas. Press Enter to finish this step (only effective within Photoshop CS above). The canvas should be expanded right now.

If you don’t have photoshop CS yet, expand canvas size from the Image > Canvas Size menu.

Step 13: Shadow layer

Create a new layer above the violin layer. Name the new layer "shadow".

Grab the Brush tool. Pick a soft round brush with 65px diameter size. Set the Mode to Normal and reduce Opacity to 25%. Start drawing shadows for the leaves (make sure you set the foreground color to black) using the Brush tool. See the example below.

Step 14: Using Floral Brush

Create a new layer below the violin layer. Name the new layer to floral. Load the Suddendly Spring Brushes and make sure you set the brush Opacity back to 100%.

Use these brushes to create some flower shape around the violin. Vary the brush size and shape until you get a nice result.

Step 15: Alter the Floral Color

Create a new layer between the floral and violin layer. Name the new layer to floral color. Set foreground color to red and background color to black. Then use Filter> Render> Clouds to create a red and black cloud..

To put the clouds inside the flowery shape( floral layer ), simply press Alt+Ctrl+G (make sure you still have the floral color layer selected). Now floral color has become a clipping mask, the clouds will now appear inside the floral shapes.

Step 16: Adding Debris

Load the Debris Brush. Then Create a new layer above floral color layer (if the new layer becomes a clipping mask, simply press Alt+Ctrl+G to cancel it). Name the new layer, debris. Use the debris brushes to create some debris around the leaves and violin. For better result, vary the brush size and color so it matches the environment.

Step 17: Coloring Background

Grab the Gradient tool. From the option bar, choose foreground to background color and make sure you activate the linear gradient button. Change the foreground color to #C4DF9C and background color to white. Select the background layer, then use Gradient tool to create the gradient (drag it vertically from bottom to top).

Step 18: Adding Paper Texture

Load the Crushed Paper Brush. Pick pure pea green (#8dc63f) as the brush color.

Show the Brush Pallette by pressing F5. Then open the Brush Tip Shape option. Adjust brush Diameter to 1400px and Change the Angle to 90. Use this brush to create the crushed paper texture (still on the background layer).

Step 19: Adding Smoke

Load the Smoke and Ink Brushes. Pick white as the brush color. Now use it to draw some mystic smoke around the violin. If the smoke is too bright, undo your work and then try lowering the brush opacity before you draw the smoke again.

Step 20: Adding Smoke

Load the Flower Tattoos Brushes. Pick some of this brush to create an ornament below the violin. For better result, vary the brush color. You may end up like this example below.

Step 21: Adding Text

Almost done! I’m going to name my piece, and maybe you’ll choose to do the same. Using the Horizontal Type tool, add some text above the ornate markings created previously.

And you’re done! Hope you enjoy the tutorial and learned something new here!

Download the PSD

40 Top-Notch Print Based Tutorials

Danny Outlaw — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 05:17:40 +0000

There don’t seem to be enough print related tutorials online, so in this round up I wanted to cover as many print specific articles as possible. I also wanted to mix in some that weren’t directly print related, but that help create print related products like movie posters, ads, cd covers, etc.

The tutorials in this post cover the use of Photoshop, InDesign, and even Illustrator. I think when learning about print it is important to understand how to use the programs that are designed for print such as InDesign, and not just using Photoshop as a default application for everything. That’s why I tried to round up as many good InDesign tutorials as possible.

Print Related Tutorials

Create a Five-color Magazine Cover using a Spot Metallic

This is a great tutorial that shows you how to create a professional looking magazine cover and not one of those lame fake magazine cover that doesn’t even look like a real magazine. You know what I am talking about.

Create a Vibrant Drink Ad

This is some text describing the image if needed, and why it was chosen. Usually 2-3 sentences in length.

Planet Terror Style Movie Poster

Create a grungy movie poster that mimics that of the popular movie, Planet Terror.

Design a 6 Panel CD Package Tutorial

In depth tutorial on how to create a full 6 page cd booklet and not just the cd case cover.

From Dull Digital Photo to Sweet Old School Album Cover

Simple tutorial that shows that you can take even the most boring picture and turn it into a cool retro cd cover.

Design a Cool Outlaw Flyer with InDesign Tutorial

A InDesign tutorial that walks you trough the process of creating a flyer using stock graphics, InDesign, and other elements.

Prepare your InDesign files for print production

An older article by Adobe, but still provides a number of timeless tips for getting your files ready for print production.

Create and Print a Brochure with Photoshop, Indesign and UPrinting.com - Part 1

A multipart tutoiral that shows you how to use Photoshop and InDesign together to create a print brochure.

Your Own Crazy Movie Poster

In this tutorial you learn how to create a mock movie poster of the popular movie Pirates of the Caribbean.

Preflight checking in InDesign

Tips for using and tweaking things with Preflight in Adobe InDesign.

Rich black versus plain black

A nice article/tutorial that covers the difference rich blacks and plain blacks. If you don’t know the difference, you should check out this post.

Printing in Photoshop CS4

This is a really good video tutorial about how to properly print files from within the new version of Photoshop CS4.

Design a Ready to Print Brochure in Photoshop

This is another tutorial that teaches you how to create a print ready brochure using nothing more than Photoshop.

Political Poster Art in Photoshop

This tutorial shows you how to create an artistic and political poster with Photoshop.

Design Business Cards in Adobe InDesign

A simple tutorial that shows you how to use InDesign to create your business card layouts and designs.

Creative Uses for Paragraph Rules in InDesign, Pt 1

This is a really neat article that shows you some clever tricks for using paragraph styles in InDesign.

Creative Uses for Paragraph Rules in InDesign, Pt 2

Part Two of the really cool article from above! More cool ideas for paragraph styles.

ACE InDesign and a Few Tips I Picked Up Along the Way

A great article that has some basic tips and advice to make you a star at InDesign and create amazing print media.

Design a Professional Laptop Advert

A popular tutorial that shows you how to create a magazine style laptop ad with a pretty cool end result.

InDesign Project — Bleed and Layering Master Pages

This is part of a series by Creative Curio covers how to use the various areas of InDesign properly and professionaly.

InDesign Project — Lists, Tabs and Final Details

This is part of a series by Creative Curio covers how to use the various areas of InDesign properly and professionaly.

InDesign Project — Working with Text and Images

This is part of a series by Creative Curio covers how to use the various areas of InDesign properly and professionaly.

InDesign Project — Setting Up Master Pages and Styles

This is part of a series by Creative Curio covers how to use the various areas of InDesign properly and professionaly.

How to use Photoshop to create Product Box?

In this tutorail you learn how to create the infamous product box that you see all over the web. This seems to be one of the better ones out there.

CD Cover Design

Here is another cd cover tutorial that uses Photoshop to help you create a graphically powerful cd cover.

Sleek Phone Advertisement Flyer>

Im not sure when cell phones ads starting looking like this, but here is a good tutorial that shows you how to mimic this style.

Linkin Park Album Cover

Here is a cd cover tutorial that shows you how to create a cd cover simialr to one of the Linkin Park cds.

Gig Poster Design

Here is a high quality tutorial with an awesome end product. Leanr how to create a retro look concert poster.

Cardboard And Torn Paper Business Card

With this tutorial you learn how to create a professional business card with a rough paper texture look to it.

Making a grungy business card

Who says grunge can’t look professional? This business card tutorial shows you how to create a slick grunge business card.

Designing a Cover Using Spectrograms>

The name says it all. this photoshop tutorial shows youhow to create a cool album cover using spectograms.

Stencil Poster Effects

Here is another high quality tutorial that shows you how to create a really cool effect. The end product is an awesome looking poster.

How to Create a Hannibal Style Movie Poster

A simple movie poster tutorial that shoes you how to create a Hannible like movie poster in just a few steps.

Design a Print Ready Business Card for Designers

Chris shows you how he created his very own business card, front and back. A neat tutorial witha coolfinished result.

Business Card Design Project Walkthrough

Another interesting tutorial by Chris that covers the business card design process from start to finish.

B Movie Post Art

One of my favorite tutorials on this list; this tutorial shows you how to make a really cool vinatge b-movie style poster.

Abstract Poster Effects

This is a cool poster tutorail that shows you how to make some cool abstract effects.

Create an Inspirational Vector Political Poster

Here is a popular poster tutorial that shares with you the secret to recreating to popular Obama poster.

Create New Business Card

Tutorial master Abduzeedo shows us how to create a web 2.0 style business card that is super slick.

Design a Sleek Nature Themed Phone Advert

Lastly, we have another cell phone ad that uses a nature theme and abstract elements.

Be sure to check out some of our own Photoshop Tutorials for more print based articles.

Create a Clean and Colorful Web Layout in Photoshop

Ciursă Ionuţ — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 06:00:02 +0000

In this tutorial I am going to show you how to create a clean corporate layout in Photoshop. The original layout was created by kuntiz from ThemeForest and I want to thank him for allowing me to write this tutorial.

Materials Needed:

Step 1: Create a new document

Create a new document (Ctrl+N) in Photoshop with the size 1200px by 750px. Then select the Gradient Tool (G) and draw a gradient #792700 to #000000 from the top to the bottom of your document.

Step 2: Add some colors to your background

Create a new layer, select the Brush Tool (B), select a soft brush with the diameter 300px and add some colors to your layout. I have used red, orange and blue. Name this layer "color."

Step 3: Add a texture to the background

Now we are going to create a texture for our background. Open in Photoshop the leafs image which you have downloaded at the beginning of the tutorial and move it into your document using the Move Tool (V). Right-click on this layer and select Convert to Smart Object. Then go to Filter > Artistic > Film Grain and use the settings from the following image. Then go to Filter > Pixelate > Mosaic, and again use the settings from the following image. Set the blend mode for this layer to Difference, the opacity to 30% and name it "texture"

Step 4: Create a dark background for the content

Create a new layer, select the Rounded Rectangle Tool (U), set the Radius to 3 pixels and create a rounded black rectangle. Then double-click on this layer to open the Layer Style window and use the settings from the following image for Drop Shadow. Set the opacity of this layer to 70% and name it "black shape."

Step 5: Use groups to organize your layers

Hold down the Ctrl key and select all the layers which you have created until now and then group them (Ctrl+G). Name the group "background."

Step 6: Create more groups

Create a new group (Layer > New > Group) and name it "home." Then create another group inside the "home" group and name it "logo."

Step 7: Add a logo and a tagline

Create a new layer inside the "logo" group. Then select the Type Tool (T) and write the name of your layout using the color #f4f4f4. Double-click on this layer to open the Layer Style window and use the settings from the following image. Then create a new layer and write a tagline using the color #eeeeee.

Step 8: "Sign up" and "login" buttons

Now we are going to create two buttons in the upper right corner of our layout. Create a new group and name it "Sign up | Login." Then select the Rounded Rectangle Tool (U) and create a rounded rectangle like I did. Double-click on the shape’s layer to open the Layer Style window and use the settings from the following image. Set the foreground color to white and use the Type Tool (T) to write the words "Sign up | Login" on your button. Set the opacity of the text layer to 75%.

Step 9: Create a blue line with the height of 1 px

Create a new group and name it "Navigation." Create a new layer, select the Single Row Marquee Tool and click once on your document to create a selection with the height of 1px. Fill that selection with the color #406f94 and delete what is outside of the black rectangle using the Rectangular Marquee Tool (M). Set the opacity of this layer to 40% and name it "Line."

Step 10: Add a gradient to the navigation bar

Create a new layer, select the Rectangular Marquee Tool (M) and create a selection like I did (note: you can use some guides to help you create the selection). Then select the Gradient Tool (G) and draw a gradient #35423e to transparent from the bottom to the top of the selection. Hit Ctrl+D to deselect. Then go to Filter > Noise > Add Noise and use the settings from the following image. Name this layer "gradient" and leave a distance of 1 pixel between the line and the gradient.

Step 11: Write the names of your layout’s pages

Select the Type Tool (T) and write the names of your layout’s pages in the navigation bar. Then double-click on the text layer to open the Layer Style window and use the settings from the next image. The font which I have used is called Greyscale Basic.

Step 12: Create a separator

Now we are going to create a separator. Create a new layer, select the Single Column Marquee Tool and click once on your layout. Then select the Rectangular Marquee Tool (M), click on the "Intersect with selection" button from the option bar and create a selection like the one from the next image. Fill the selection with white and hit Ctrl+D to deselect.

Step 13

Double-click on the layer which you have created at the previous step to open the Layer Style window and use the settings from the following image. Name this layer "line 1."

Step 14:

Duplicate the "line 1" layer (Ctrl+J) and name the new layer "line 2." Select the Move Tool (V) and hit once the right arrow on your keyboard to move this layer 1 pixel to the right. Then double-click on the "line 2" layer to open the Layer Style window and use the settings from the following image.

Step 15: Convert the "line 1" and "line 2" layers into a smart object

Hold down the Ctrl key and select the "line 1" and "line 2" layers. Then right-click on one of them and select Convert to Smart Object. Name the smart object "separator."

Step 16: Create a blue highlight

Create a new layer beneath the "separator" layer. Select the Rectangular Marquee Tool (M), create a selection like the one from the following image and fill it with the color #35423e. Right-click on this layer and select Convert to Smart Object. Go to Filter > Blur > Gaussian Blur and use the settings from the next image. Then go to Filter > Noise > Add Noise and again use the settings from the following image. Set the opacity of this layer to 60% and name it "highlight."

Step 17: Create a mask for the "separator" layer

Click on the "separator" layer in the Layers palette to select it and then go to Layer > Layer Mask > Reveal All. Select the Gradient Tool (G) and draw a black to transparent gradient from the top to the middle of your separator.

Step 18: Duplicate the separator

Hold down the Ctrl key and click on the "separator" and "highlight" layers in the Layers palette to select them. Then select the Move Tool (V), hold down the Alt and Shift keys and then click on your document and drag the mouse. Now you have duplicated the selected layers. Use the Move Tool (V) to move these new layers to the right. Repeat this step and create as many separators as you need.

Step 19: Group all the separators

Select all the "separator" and "highlight" layers in the Layers palette and hit Ctrl+G to group them. Name the group "separators."`

Step 20: Create a button for the active page

Now we are going to create a background for the active menu page to differentiate it from the others. Select the Rectangle Tool (U) and create a rectangle like I did. Put this layer beneath the text layer which contains all the pages names. Double-click on this layer and use the settings from the following image for Gradient Overlay. Then name it "active menu" and set its opacity to 50%.

Step 21: Create the search bar

Create a new group (Layer > New > Group), name it "search" and put it above the "navigation" group. Select the Rounded Rectangle Tool (U), set the Radius to 3 px and create a rounded rectangle like I did using the color #104f59. Name this layer "text field" and set its opacity to 80%.

Step 22: Create the search button

Select the Rectangle Tool (U) and create a rectangle like I did. Put this rectangle in the right side of the search bar. Double-click on this layer and use the settings from the following image for Gradient Overlay. Then right-click on this layer and select Create Clipping Mask.

Step 23: Write the word "search" on your button

Select the Type Tool (T) and write the word "search" using the white color. Set the opacity of this layer to 75%.

Step 24: Create a vertical line for the search bar

Select the Line Tool (U) and create a vertical line using the color #123036. Name this layer "line", put it beneath the "button" layer and move it between the search bar and the button using the Move Tool (V).

Step 25: Create a blue rectangle

Create a new group (Layer > New > Group) and name it "Showcase." Create another group inside this one and name it "background." Select the Rectangle Tool (U) and create a rectangle using the color #219aad. My rectangle is 983 px wide by 273 px height (you may want to open the Info palette - Window > Info - before you create the rectangle, so you can see the exact size of your rectangle). Set the opacity of this layer to 55% and name it "bg4."

Step 26: Add a texture to the blue rectangle

Open in Photoshop the "pixelated blue rectangle" image, move it into your document and put this image above your blue rectangle. Set the opacity of this layer to 55% and name it "bg3."

Step 27: Add a gradient to the blue rectangle

Ctrl-click on the "bg4" layer’s vector mask to select it, then create a new layer, select the Gradient Tool (G) and draw a gradient #56b8e5 to transparent from the bottom to the top of your selection. Then hit Ctrl+D to deselect.

Step 28: Create a smaller blue rectangle

Create a new layer, select the Rectangular Marquee Tool (M) and create a selection like I did. Select the Gradient Tool (G) and draw a gradient #0f2b42 to #2a607f from the bottom to the top of your selection. Then hit Ctrl+D to deselect. Name this layer "bg1."

Step 29: "Sign up" button

Create a new group (Layer > New > Group) and name it "sign up button." Select the Rounded Rectangle Tool (U), set the Radius to 2 px and create a rounded rectangle like I did. Double-click on this layer to open the Layer Style window and use the settings from the following image. Then select the Type Tool (T) and write the words "sign up" using the white color.

Step 30: "Learn more" button

Repeat the previous step to create another button, but this time write the words "learn more" on your button. Then create a new layer, select the Custom Shape Tool (U) and create a white arrow like I did.

Step 31: Create a button in the left side of the rectangle

Create a new group (Layer > New > Group) and name it "left arrow." Select the Ellipse Tool (U) and create a circle using the color #406f94. Double-click on this layer to open the Layer Style window and use the settings from the following image.

Step 32: Create an arrow inside the blue circle

Create a new layer and use the Custom Shape Tool (U) to create a white arrow. Double-click on this layer to open the Layer Style window and use the settings from the following image. Set the opacity of this layer to 50%.

Step 33: Create another arrow in the right side of the rectangle

Repeat the previous two steps to create another arrow in the right side of the blue rectangle.

Step 34: Create a featured image

Create a new group (Layer > New > Group) and name it "image." Put a small image in this group and name the layer "image." Double-click on this layer to open the Layer Style window and use the settings from the following image.

Step 35: Add a shadow to your image

Go to Layer > Layer Style > Create Layer. This will create a new layer beneath the original one with the style of that original layer. Now go to Layer > Layer Mask > Reveal All, select the Gradient Tool (G) and draw a black to transparent gradient from the bottom to the middle of your small image. Name this layer "shadow."

Step 36: Add some text

Create a new group (Layer > New > Group), select the Type Tool (T) and add some text. Name this group "text."

Step 37: Create a white rectangle

Create a new group and name it "content." Create another group inside this one and name it "shadows." Select the Rectangle Tool (U) and create a rectangle like I did using the white color. Name this layer "white shape" and set its opacity to 90%.

Step 38: Add a top shadow

Ctrl-click on the vector mask of the "white shape" layer to select it. Then create a new layer, select the Gradient Tool (G) and draw a gradient #8f8f8f to transparent like I did. Set the opacity of this layer to 50% and name it "top shadow." Then select the Move Tool (V) and hit the down arrow on your keyboard two times.

Step 39: Create two vertical shadows

Create a new layer and use the Rectangular Marquee Tool (M) to create a selection like I did. Then use the Gradient Tool (G) to draw a gradient #8f8f8f to transparent like I did. Add a mask to this layer and use a big black soft brush to mask the center of the shadow. Set the opacity of this layer to 30% and name it "vertical shadow 1." Duplicate this layer (Ctrl+J), name the new layer "vertical shadow 2" and move it to the right.

Step 40: Create a horizontal line

Select the Line Tool (U) and create a horizontal like with the weight of 1 px and the color #aebcc7. Name this layer "line."

Step 41: Add some text

Select the Type Tool (T) and write the content of your layout. You can also use images and anything else you want.

Step 42: Create a gradient for the footer

Create a new group and name it "footer." Create a new layer inside this group, select the Rectangular Marquee Tool (M) and create a selection like I did. Then set the foreground color to #555555, select a big soft brush and paint with it over the top edge of the selection. Set the opacity of this layer to 50% and name it "gradient."

Step 43: Add a line with the height of 1 px to the footer

Create a new layer, select the Single Row Marquee Tool and click on your document. Fill the selection with white and hit Ctrl+D to deselect. Go to Layer > Layer Mask > Reveal All, select a big black soft brush and mask this layer like I did. Take a look at the following image for reference. Set the opacity of this layer to 15% and name it "line."

Step 44: Add some text to your footer

Select the Type Tool (T) and add some text for your footer.

Final Result

Watercolor Free Icon Pack

Elio Rivero — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 06:00:55 +0000

This Free Icon Pack is for use in your personal and commercial projects, and can be used without attribution. It may not be redistributed.

This Free Watercolor Icon Pack was created exclusively for the viewers of Tutorial9 by Elio Rivero of ilovecolors.

Each icon is in .png format sized at 256×256px with transparent backgrounds. The 36 different icons have varying opaquness that allow the background and texture seep through the icons like watercolor on canvas. This is a freebie you can’t pass up!

Download the Icons

Simple Coffee Cup Icon Photoshop Tutorial

Alex Rogahn — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 06:00:21 +0000

In this tutorial we’ll be going though creating a semi-photo realistic coffee cup, with some nice frothy coffee.

Quick Nav:

Tutorial
Download the PSD (Source Files)

Materials Needed:

Stock Photo

Final Image

See High Resolution.

Step 1

Make a new Photoshop document with the dimensions of 1024×1024 pixels, this is a nice round size and is a good one to use when making large icons.

Step 2

Set a background colour (I went for a light green) and layout some guides, they should snap to the center of the x and y axis.

Step 3

Make an oval shape and center it. Then rename it to “Base”.

Step 4

Get the rectangle tool and set it to “subtract” then cut the top half of the oval, this is just to make it easier to see other shapes.

Step 5

Now make another oval across the half oval to make a bowl like shape, you may want to adjust the colour for visibility. Rename this to “Rim”.

Step 6

We’re going to do a little back step now, but this will help us a lot later on. Grab the path selection tool which is the black cursor towards the bottom of your toolbar, if the arrow is white, hold down the button for a couple of seconds and select the black cursor.

Step 7

Select the oval you just made and copy it, then hide the layer and click on the layer mask of the oval beneath paste the shape you just copied and set it to subtract the shape. Your final shape should look like this:

Set “Rim” back to visible.

Step 8

Ok so we have the cup’s basic shape, now we’re going to tweak it a little and add some layer styles. I decided the cup was a little too wide so using the Free Transform Tool I squished it a little.

Now we’re going to add some layer styles. Change the colour of “Base” to a light grey, I used #f4f4f4. Then apply these layer styles:

Step 9

Duplicate “Base” (ctrl or cmd+j) and remove all the styles then apply this style:

Step 10

Now it’s time to move onto the “Rim” layer. Set it’s colour to #f4f4f4 just like “Base” and add these layer styles:

This is what your cup should look like so far, although it looks more like a japanese rice bowl at the moment.

Step 11

Now it’s time to hollow this cup out, duplicate the “Rim” layer and get the free transform tool (ctrl or cmd + T), then adjust the size to your preference (how big you want the rim to be). Rename it to “Cup_Inner”.

Now apply some layer styles to this:

Here’s what you should have so far:

Step 12

Now we’re going to draw the handle use the pen tool to draw a shape similar to this.

Then we’re going to apply a very simple layer style:

So that’s the cup done, but it would look miles better with some coffee in it.

Step 13

Get the “Cup_Inner” layer and duplicate it, Recolour it as #e7974f and Rename it as “Coffee”. Move it down 10 pixels then copy the “Cup_Inner” vector mask and paste it on “Coffee” and set the mode to Intersect. Your final result should be this:

Apply these layer styles to the “Coffee” layer:

Step 14

Duplicate “Coffee” and set it’s fill opacity to 0%, then add this style:

At the moment this is our coffee cup:

Step 15

Now at the moment it’s not looking at all like coffee, nevermind frothy coffee, so we’re going to use a texture to make it a little quicker and easier.

Stock Photo: Premium, or Free Versions

The texture I used cannot be included with the .PSD I’m afraid. However here’s a link to it here, alternatively if your not willing to fork over a dollar (or 20 if it’s your first Envato purchase or your balance is less than a dollar) you could use my texture for free here. However the result with mine isn’t very good, but of course there is the option of hunting another free texture though, which if you did and posted it in the comments you’d be a star.

Import whichever image you chose to use, name the layer to “Texture” and shrink it down a bit. Then fit it to the perspective of the coffee, you may want to make it slightly transparent so you can see what your doing. Here’s what it should look like:

Set the layer’s blending mode to overlay and set it’s opacity down to 40%, then copy and paste the “Coffee” layer’s vector masks onto the texture and set it to intersect. To soften the edge of the texture just add this style:

Again here’s what it should look like:

We’re nearly done, but those bubbles could do with some more definition and we need some steam and a shadow.

Step 16

Get the vector eclipse tool and start going over the bubbles like this:

Repeat this until you get most of the bubbles covered, that includes some of the smaller ones. Convert the layer to a smart object. Then go to Filters > Blur > Gaussian blur and set it to a value of 1.5. Then turn the layers opacity down to 36%. You can name this layer “Bubbles”.

Step 17

Now we’re going to do the smoke and the shadow, to make the smoke get the pen tool and draw 5 shapes in white like this:

Then merge the layers and go to Filters > Liquify, use this to mess the shapes up a bit, this is what it looked like for me:

Now Gaussian blur the shape you just made with the value of 7.5, then reduce it’s opacity down to 35%.

Step 18

Now to finish this all off we’re going to add a simple shadow, get the ellipse tool and draw a circle, then set it’s fill to 0% and set a black to transparent black radial gradient layer style. Convert the shape to a smart object and squash it into an oval. Set it’s opacity to 40% and put it below the cup.

Conclusion

So there you have it. Making a semi-realistic coffee cup, I hope you enjoyed this tutorial and learned some new Photoshop techniques. If your dying to see the final result again look below.

Download the PSD (or source files)

Creative Bookmarks: Best of May 2009

David Leggett — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 05:28:31 +0000

May’s over, and we’ve got the best from last month to share with you. Take a looksie, there’s sure to be something you’ll enjoy!

Quick Nav:

Photoshop Tutorials
Illustrator Tutorials
Web/Blogging Tutorials
Freebies, Inspiration, & Resources

Photoshop Tutorials

How to Create a Steampunk Style Illustration in Photoshop

Go simultaneously backward and forward in time with this Steampunk tutorial. The main focus, aside from the style of course, is fusing elements from different sources together to create a cohesive whole. There are many tricks to this end and we shall be looking at light sources, shadows, and image grading.

Master 3D Texturing and Rendering

The new version of Photoshop makes importing and handling 3D files a snap. Justin Maller shows you how to go about texturing and integrating 3D with your composition

Awesome Milk Typography Effect in Photoshop

Learn how to create some custom type in illustrator, and then create a stunning Milk typography effect in Adobe Photoshop. This effect is sure to impress.

Great Watercolor Logo Technique for Adobe Photoshop

This tutorial has a great, quick technique for creating watercolor inspired designs in Photoshop. The tutorial includes a free PSD source file.

Design a Stylish Mail Icon in Photoshop

Use this Photoshop Tutorial to create a stylish glossy mail envelope icon. This tutorial is recommended for users with moderate to advanced experience with Photoshop.

Illustrator Tutorials

Creating an Abstract Vector Design in Illustrator

This tutorial shows one way of compiling various geometric shapes and objects to form a dynamic composition in Illustrator, then how to polish it all up with some transparency effects to create a trendy vector illustration.

Blend and Mask Yourself a Great Poster

The always-helpful Veerle lends a hand over at Vector Tuts and shares a great new tutorial showing how to create a poster with a strong geometric central design, which utilizes flowing blends, masks shapes, and subtle gradients, to create a sophisticated final work.

How to Create a Landscape Wallpaper for your Desktop

Want to spruce up your desktop and at the same time impress your friends? Why not create a vector landscape wallpaper? In this simple tutorial, you will learn how to create an eye-appealing wallpaper quickly and effectively. Let’s get to it!

Create A Vector Art Twitter Bird Character Icon In Adobe Illustrator

GoMediaZine has a new Illustrator tutorial that will show you how to draw a Twitter-inspired mascot. You’ll go through the process of turning a sketch into a stylish illustration.

Web Tutorials

Placing a CSS background image horizontally right on an h2 using a span element

Quick and simple tutorial that will help you apply backgrounds to headings without any strange syntax involved.

The CSS Overflow Property

There are four values for the overflow property: visible (default), hidden, scroll, and auto. There are also sister properties overflow-y and overflow-x, which enjoy less widespread adoption. This post takes a look at each and then discusses some common uses and quirks.

Creating Consistently Colorful User Experiences

Color is one of the most important parts of your website. However, far too often color enters the equation as an afterthought, or worse, not all all. This isn’t adequate. Color helps define how users perceive information. To add to the complexity of this issue, most of the judgements people make about your site’s color schemes are subconscious. They may not provide any feedback about your site’s color, but they’re always thinking about it.

See Part 2 as well.

How to Set Up a Killer WordPress Testing Environment Locally

In this tutorial, you’ll learn how to set up WordPress Mu locally so that it can be viewed in VMWare Fusion, a piece of software that allows for cross-browser testing on Microsoft XP and Vista. This tutorial is for Mac users only. It’s possible to run similar setups on PC.

Freebies, Inspiration & Resources

Unbelievable Illustrations for T-Shirt Designs

T-shirts are a dime a dozen. These stylish works of art deserve far more attention than your ordinary apparel.

Download “Gallery”: A Free WordPress Theme

Another free WordPress Theme released by Smashing Magazine. Gallery is a theme that is specially tailored for portfolios and showcases.

Cute Critters Free Icon Pack

The Cute Critters Icon Pack is a free Icon set with 13 painfully cute critters, created exclusively for the viewers of Tutorial9 by Elio Rivero of ilovecolors.

Freebie: 14 Exclusive Floral Stamps Vectors

Asmaa Murad, from Aivault, has created an awesome set of floral stamps for Vectips! Download the set of 14 floral stamps and see what you can create with them.

Business Card Design: Better Than A Plain Ol’ Business Card

If you’re proud of your creative business card, you’ll probably find something here that will quickly put yours to shame. Smashing Magazine has an outstanding roundup of great business card designs.

Burnout

Web professionals are often expected to be “always on”—always working, absorbing information, and honing new skills. Unless our work and personal lives are carefully balanced, however, the physical and mental effects of an “always on” life can be debilitating.

Flavour Extended: The Ultimate Icon Set For Web Designers

Over 450 (yes, four-hundred-fifty) stylish web icons available for free download. The best part: they can be used in any projects commercial or non-commercial without any restrictions. Be sure to spread the word!

Free Vectors: Engraved Ornaments

These free vectors are engravings from currency and old documents. Most of them came from the previous generation of American paper money. Another quality release from BittBox.

Gorgeous Examples of Floral Typography

A beautiful collection of floral typography and also some outstanding tutorials that will help you to master the technique or at least get some understanding of how this technique can be used.

GoMedia Sampler Pack 15

Another outstanding free sampler vector pack release from GoMedia. Their work is always top notch. Don’t forget, you can use the coupon code tutorial9 for a 10% discount for all other packs, and also download an extra exclusive free pack at Tutorial9.

Get Featured in Creative Bookmarks

If you’d like to be featured in the next volume of Creative Bookmarks, simply send us you’re tutorial, resource, or article link before the end of the month. If we think it’s a top notch link, we’ll be sure to share it with all of our readers!

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