In this tutorial I’ll show you how to paint a fantasy woman portrait with Photoshop. You’ll learn how to use brush to paint properly as well as take care of details. A graphic tablet is highly recommended for this tutorial.

Let’s get started!

What You’ll Be Creating:

Here’s a look at the outcome you’ll be able to produce by the end of this lesson:

Step 1

Create a new document in Photoshop with the settings below:

The background color should be black.

Step 2

Press Cmd/Ctrl+Shift+N to make a new layer. Active the Brush Tool (B) and paint with the color #2d0f02 on the black canvas:

Step 3

Make a new layer and use a hard brush with the color #ddbeb1 to paint a shape of a woman so you can know where to paint the details.. You can look at your reference to know how to form it but there is a very important rule : don’t trace your reference and copy every detail of it. Reference is for you to learn about anatomy, perspective, lighting, shadow, etc,..and from it you can paint your own. It might be very hard and needs practice, especially if you’re a beginner but trust me, it’s worth.

Create a new layer and use a soft brush with the color #c99b89 to paint behind the head, shoulder and neck for a basic shading:

Step 4

Make a new layer and use a soft brush with the color #7b6055 to paint on the nose part.

Click the second button at the bottom of the Layers Panel to add a mask to this layer. Use a black brush to form a nose for the face, remember to increase the brush hardness with the nostril and lower the hardness for other details. Also determine the light source so you can paint the light/shade properly later. In this case I am to make the light from the front of the model.

I made a new layer, changed the mode to Multiply 100% and used the same brush to darken inside the nostril:

Step 5

Create a new layer and use a hard brush with the color #ddbeb1 (same with the skin) to paint a shape of the ear.

Add a mask to this layer and use a soft black brush to blend the ear with the head:

I made a new layer, changed the mode to Overlay 100% and filled with 50% gray:

Active the Dodge and Burn Tool (O) with Midtones Range, Exposure about 20-30% to create the details of the ear. Look at the references to see how the ear formed. You can see the result of mine with Normal mode and Overlay mode:

I used a layer mask to reduce the highlight on some parts below:

Step 6

Make a new layer with Clipping Mask and use a soft brush with the color #7b6055 to strengthen the shade inside the ear and make it more realistic:

Step 7

Make a new layer under the ear layer, use a soft brush with the color #7a432c to make a shadow for the ear. Don’t worry if it does not look neat, it will be mostly covered by the hair later:

Step 8

Make a new layer and use a hard brush with the color #e8b5bb to paint a lips base:

Create a new layer under the lips one and use a soft brush with the color #7a432c, the opacity and flow about 20-30% to paint the shade under the lips and on the chin:

I used a new layer with the same settings like in the step 5 and used the Dodge and Burn Tool to create light/shade on the lips, Notice that the light come from infront so the front of the lips must be brighter and the edges darker:

Step 9

Make a new layer above the lips one, use a hard brush with the color #fbf3f4, the size about 10-15 px (it depends on the size of your document) to paint the lips texture:

I used a new layer, took a hard brush with the color #452c2e to paint the thin shade between two lips:

Step 10

I made two new layer and used the Dodge and Burn Tool to create more details, add lighting/shade to the face and body. Now the reference is necessary to know where to paint properly.

Step 11

It’s time for the eye. Make a new layer on the top and use a soft brush with the color #8e5b46 to paint on the eye part. Use a layer mask to form an eye base:

I used another with the same brush to paint some wrinkles under the eye, remember to lower the brush size :

Step 12

Make a new layer under the eye one and use a hard brush with the color #d8d6d6 to paint the sclera. Don’t use white color for it as it would look flat and unatural:

I used the Dodge Tool to brighten the edge of the sclera more:

Step 13

Make a new layer and use a hard brush with the color #231917 to paint a shape of the iris (feel free to choose the color you like but it should be a dark one):

I used a new layer and a soft brush with the color #ced0d0 to paint the details inside the iris and make the pupil visible:

Make another layer, use a hard brush with the color #f1f7fb to paint a reflection for the eye. The reflection can be anything so you’re free to paint as you see fit:

Step 14

On a new layer, use a hard brush with the color #231917 to paint the eye contour and the eyelid:

I used a new layer and a brush with the color #e9e4e2 to paint a line inside the lower eye contour:

Step 15

Create a new layer and use a hard brush with the color #231917 to paint the eyelashes, remember to make the lower eyelash thinner:

Step 16

On a new layer use a brush with the hardness about 40%, the color #6c4e49 to paint the eyebrow shape. Don’t make it solid to avoid a rigid look:

Create a new layer and use a hard brush with the color #5e483f to paint the eyebrow hairs following the shape:

Step 17

Make a new layer under the eye group ( you should group your layers). Use a brush with the color #7a432c to paint more shade under the chin and the face contour:

I used a new layer and a soft brush with the color #c99883 to paint more shade on the head and body. Change this layer mode to Multiply 100%:

Create another layer and use a soft brush with the color #e9e4e2 to make more light on the face and body, especially around the eye, on the chin, cheek and shoulder:

Step 18

To make the skin more realistic, I created a new layer on the top and used a hard black brush with the settings below:

Paint some freckles on the nose, cheek, chin, forehead then use a layer mask to reduce their opacity:

Change this layer mode to Soft Light 100%:

Step 19

I use two adjustment layers to change the model color. Go to Layer > New Adjustment Layer > Hue/Saturation:

I used Photo Filter to add some cool tone to the model:

Step 20

It’s time for my favorite stage: painting the hair. Make a new layer on the top and use a brush with the color #3a1f27, the hardness about 60-65% to paint the hair base. I want to paint a long flying one but you can paint in the style you like.

Step 21

Make a new layer and use a brush with the color #5e334c to paint the basic strands for the hair:

Step 22

On a new layer use a lighter brush (#784262) to paint more smaller strands for the hair:

Step 23

I used a new layer and a brush with the color #9d5981 to paint smaller, flying hair strands and make the hair more detailed:

Step 24

Make a group for all the hair layers and change the mode of this group to Normal 100%. Make a Hue/Saturation adjustment layer to change the hair color:

Step 25

To make a depth for the hair I made a new layer and used the Dodge and Burn Tool for the light and shade, try to create a smooth look:

Step 26

In this step I used a hard brush with the color #fff0bd to make the light inside the eye stronger. Alter this layer mode to Hard Light 100%:

Step 27

On a new layer, use a soft brush with the color #d1ff74 to paint a green light effect on the left of the model and on the contour of the face and body:

Step 28

Make a new layer, use a hard brush with the color #481b07 to paint some curly lines at the eye edge:

I used another color for the brush (#74f4ff) to paint some lighter lines around the eyes, eyelashes, eyebrow:

Step 29

Create a new layer, use a hard brush with the color #e47361 to spot randomly around the eye:

Step 30

Make a new layer on the top. Use a hard brush with the color #e47361 to paint randomly around the model, remember to vary its size. Change the mode of this layer to Color Dodge 100%:

Add a mask to this layer and reduce the dots opacity:

Double click this layer, choose Outer Glow:

Go to Filter > Blur > Gaussian Blur and set the radius to 1 px:

Make a group for this layer and change its layer mode to Color Dodge 100%.

Step 31

Create another layer (within this group) and use the same brush to spot on the hair and model body:

On a new layer, use a hard brush with the color #74f4ff to paint some little sparks on the model:

Step 32

Make a new layer (within this group) and use a hard brush with the color #ff642a to paint over the picture (except the model), remember to vary its size and opacity:

Apply Gaussian Blur with 15 px:

Step 33

Make a new layer, use a hard brush with the color #bcff00 to paint some curly lines as shown below:

Duplicate it several times, transform and arrange them around the model. I applied Gaussian Blur with 2 px to the one at the bottom right of the pic:

Step 34

I used Hue/Saturation to change the color of some of them:

Step 35

I used a soft brush with the color #bcff00 to paint on the left side of the picture to make some glowing green light there:

Step 36

It’s time for coloring the scene. Make a Color Fill layer on the top and change its layer mode to Exclusion 100%:

Step 37

I used Color Balance to continue coloring:

Step 38

I used Curves to increase the picture contrast:

Step 39

I used Selective Color and adjust the Reds and Yellows settings:

On this layer mask use a soft black brush to erase the parts I don’t want to be affected by this adjustment layer:

Step 40

I used Levels to increase the contrast a little:

Step 41

In this step I used a hard brush with the color #bcff00 to paint some green hair strands on the top of the head (reflected from the green light on the background):

Congratulations, You’re All Done!

Awesome job making it this far! You should be proud of what you’ve created. Show it off to your friends and colleagues and get some feedback.

You can also comment here with your version, or any questions you had about the techniques used. We love to see what you guys create and we’re always here to give helpful feedback and tips to help you to improve.

Moreover we will look into the process of using layer masks and how effectively they can control your artwork in a non-destructive way. You’ll also learn how to manage your project when working with many layers and many more time saving tricks. So let’s start!

What You’ll Be Creating:

Here’s a look at the outcome you’ll be able to produce by the end of this lesson:

Step 1

Open a new file in Photoshop with the following settings and save as Retro Rocket.psd. During work always remember to frequently press Control + S to save and update the file.

Step 2

First let’s take a look at the concept image of this tutorial. It’s is a very rough sketch, but the purpose is to have a basic idea. There is a strong light source from left. So the highlights of the rocket are mostly left facing. But at right side we also create some subtle highlights due to diffuse light.

Step 3

Back in the Retro Rocket.psd file select the Polygon tool from the Toolbox. Then in the Options Bar select Shapes and at the right end in the Sides Field type 3. Now drag a triangle with the color red (RGB 255, 0, 0), using the following settings:

Step 4

Select the Direct Selection Tool (White arrow), then select and drag the top anchor point of the triangle upwardly making the triangle taller. Now we have to change the sides of the triangle from straight lines to curves. We will do this with Convert Anchor Point Tool.

Step 5

Select the Convert Anchor Point Tool from the Path Creation Tools group (looks like an inverted “V”). Then click and drag on the top anchor point to extend the Direction Points. To move the handles (i.e. Direction Lines) individually, press the ALT key and drag the Direction Points. Direction Points are the solid circles or dots at the end of the Direction Lines. This will create the pointed looking rocket shape. Rename this shape layer to “rocket body top”.

Step 6

Select the Rectangle Tool and create a rectangle below the previous shape. This will create a new shape layer below the “rocket body top” shape layer. Name this layer as “rocket body dn”. Following the previous process select the Convert Anchor Point Tool and change the rectangle to match the below screenshot. We are basically dividing the rocket body into two shape layers, i.e. “rocket body top” and “rocket body dn”. We are working this way, because there is a groove in the middle of our rocket design. Notice there are three straight lines. One straight line in the “rocket body top” layer and two in the “rocket body dn” layer. Change them into curves by using the same techniques. Make sure that their curve amount is equal. This will give the rocket a more 3d perspective.

Step 7

Create one more triangle with the Polygon Tool on top of the “rocket body top” layer and name it “rocket nose”. The color will be black with a slight red tint (RGB 25, 0, 0). Match the size of the triangle to the top of the rocket body by moving the Anchor Points with the Direct Selection tool. Then bend the lower straight line with the Convert Anchor Point Tool. The direction of the curve should be upwards.

Step 8

It’s time to create the wings or the three stand like structures on top of which our rocket stands. They are also used for direction and balance during flight. We will start with a rectangle shape layer and edit the Anchor Points to change the shape into a wing shape. For this we will use the same Direct Selection Tool and Convert Anchor Point Tool based process. Let’s review the process once more.

We create the shape either with shape tool like rectangle or with the Pen tool. Then edit Anchor Points with Direct Selection tool. For creating curves we change the Anchor Point type from corner to smooth with the Convert Anchor Point Tool. Smooth points are those with extended lines (i.e. Direction Points) from both sides of the Anchor Points. The Direction Points controlling the height and direction of the curves. To add Anchor Point, click on any empty portion of the path with Pen Tool. To delete, click on any existing Anchor Point with the Pen Tool. Working with Pen Tool or editing paths are itself complicated subjects, which is beyond the scope of this tutorial. But the above discussion should help you to start your journey with path editing. I hope that the process of shape editing as well as Anchor Point editing is clear now.

Follow the screenshot below for a basic idea of how you can change a rectangular shape to the wing shape. As this is a trial and error process, expect to spend some time here. When you are satisfied with the wing shape then change the layer name to “wing left” by double clicking on the text of the shape layer.

Step 9

Right click on the “wing left” layer and select Duplicate Layer. Then change the position to the right side of the rocket and rename the layer to “wing right”. Now select the Path Selection tool (black arrow) and click on the path to select it. Then press Control + T to get the bounding box around the selected path. Now right click within the bounding box and select Flip Horizontal from the menu.

Layer “wing right” after flipped and positioned.

Step 10

Duplicate the “wing right” layer and rename the new layer to “wing mid”. Now edit the Anchor Points to create the middle wing just like before.

Step 11

Follow the same technique and create a yellow (RGB 255, 242, 0) color rectangle shape layer below the “rocket body dn” layer. Change the shape like the screenshot below. Name this layer as “engine mid”. Let’s create two more parts of this engine.

Step 12

Create another rectangle shape layer (RGB 0, 0, 0) with upper and lower sides curved on top of “engine mid” layer and name it to “engine upper”. Position this shape on top of the middle part of the engine.

Step 13

Duplicate the “engine upper” layer and position it on the lower part of “engine mid” layer. Name this layer to “engine lower”. What we have done basically is to create the three parts of the engine. Think of the middle part of the engine as it is fitted within two rings. The Top ring is “engine upper” and bottom one is “engine lower”. Both “engine upper” and “engine lower” are black in color, while the middle part is yellow in color.

Step 14

Now we will create the left side of the engine. This is actually an extended part of the rocket body (“rocket body dn” layer). So create another red (RGB 255, 0, 0) color rectangle position like the screenshot below. Name it to “engine left side”. Change the position of this layer below “rocket body dn” layer. You can always change the layer order by dragging up or down in the Layers Panel.

Step 15

Now change the Foreground color to RGB (149, 149, 149) from below the Toolbox. Select the Ellipse Tool and create a circle like the screenshot. You can create a perfect circle by pressing the Shift key while dragging.

Step 16

Select the circle with the Path Selection Tool, then Edit > Copy and Edit > Paste. So we have now two shapes within the same shape layer. Select these two circles with the Path Selection Tool by Shift clicking method i.e. select one path and Shift click on another. When any path is selected then Shape Options appear in the Options Bar on top. Select the option Exclude Overlapping Shapes.

Step 17

This will produce a ring shape. Rename this layer to “outer ring”.

Step 18

Create another circle layer on top of the “outer ring” layer with the name “glass”. Match the size of “glass” layer circle with the inner circle of the “outer ring” layer.

Step 19

Layers are increasing in the Layers Panel. So it’s time to Group the layers in the Layers Panel. This is a good habit for a project when you are working with many layers. Select the “rocket nose”, “rocket body top” and “rocket body dn” layers. Then click on the panel option of the Layers Panel at the upper right corner. Then select New Group from Layers option.

In the next New Group from Layers Option Box type “rocket body” in the name field and click OK to accept. This will create a Layer Group with the selected layers.

Step 20

Similarly, create three more groups namely; “rocket engine”, “rocket wings” and “rocket cockpit”. Follow below arrangements:

Step 21

Now select the “rocket cockpit” group and move a little towards the left side of it. This will give more 3d perspective look.

Step 22

Expand the “rocket body” group by clicking the arrow at the left side of the folder icon. Create a new rectangle shape (RGB 25, 0, 0). Adjust the shape according to the screenshot. With this shape we complete the rocket shape. It’s time for shading and creating the look of the rocket surface.

Step 23

About Shading

Before starting with the shading part lets discuss our general shading workflow for this tutorial. Remember, the shading part is going to be a repetitive process, as we apply the same steps again and again.

Creating Highlights

The technique will be a little different for users of old and new versions of Photoshop. For users of old versions of Photoshop where there is no Properties Panel as well as no Mask Feather option, the process is: create the highlight shape with pen tool; Rasterize it; then apply Gaussian Blur filter and finally create a mask, as well as adjust the layer opacity to control the strength of the effect.

For users of Photoshop CS6 , the steps are: create the highlight shape with pen tool like before but then instead of applying Gaussian Blur filter open the Window > Properties. In the Properties Panel adjust Feather amount, which will produce similar effects like Gaussian Blur. The difference is you can again open the Properties Panel and adjust the previously applied Feather amount. Then adjust the layer opacity as before.

For those, who are using Photoshop CS5, you have to open Window > Mask after selecting the vector mask thumbnail of the shape layer. Then we will add another mask on that layer (i.e. either it is a rasterize layer or a shape layer) to further control the visibility or appearance of the highlight shape.

Another simple technique is: go to the Paths Panel and create a New Path by clicking the New Path Icon from the status bar below. Then create shape with the Pen Tool here and Control on the Path in the Paths Panel to load as a selection. Selection is still active, go back to the Layers Panel and create a new layer. Then fill that selection with a color and deselect. Then apply Gaussian Blur to soften the shape and use mask and layer opacity to control the visibility of the shape.

Yes, I know. A lot of information here! But what I want is you to try all of them then select the process you feel most comfortable with. Then use the same process again and again throughout the tutorial to master it.

Creating Edge Highlights

Edge highlights are a little different than the general highlights. They are the thin or narrow streaks of bright white areas visible on the edges only. For this, we will create a path (open not closed) running along the edges with the Pen tool and then stroke that path with a small brush. Then use a mask to control the visibility as well as reduce the opacity of that layer to adjust the layer further.

Creating Shadows

Shadows are fairly simple here, as comparing to highlights we don’t have that much amount of shadows to deal with. First we Control click to select the layer. Then we create a new layer on top of that layer and paint with a black brush within the active selection. After that we reduce the opacity of the layer and if needed add a mask to further control the shadow amount.

Step 24

So let’s go back to where we left our rocket project. Expand the “rocket body” group and Control click on the mask thumbnail of the “rocket body top” layer to load the shape as a selection.

Step 25

Create a new layer named “top shadow” on top of it. Then paint both sides of the selection with a large soft brush with black color. Position the brush in such a way that more or less half of the circle of the brush is outside the selection edge. Check screenshot for reference. Now position this “top shadow” layer in between the “rocket cockpit” and “rocket wings” group.

Step 26

Then create a new shape layer with a white color shape like the below screenshot with the Pen Tool. Rasterize it by right clicking on it and then apply two to three pixel Gaussian Blur. You should have something like the below screenshot.

Step 27

Rename the layer as “rocket body top highlight mid” and reduce the layer opacity to 70%. Then apply a mask by clicking the Add Layer Mask icon from below the Layers Panel. Now with soft black color brush, paint within the mask. First, I paint the top and bottom area to hide some part with a soft brush with opacity 100%. Then with a 50% opaque brush, slightly reduce the opacity of the white shape at both top and bottom edges.

Step 28

Now create seven more highlight layers on top of “rocket body top highlight mid” layer. Then apply a Gaussian Blur of 6 pixels on all of them.

Six layer names and their corresponding positions.

Step 29

Next change their layer opacity by following the screenshot below. Also check the screenshot for the number of masks I applied on them. Mostly, I painted at the edges and create a gradual opacity reduction by painting with a low opacity brush (30-50%). Remember the exact placement and look is not important. The objective here is to create a series of highlight shapes with variable opacity to show the glossy and reflective nature of the painted surface of the rocket.

Step 30

Similarly create three more white color highlight layers for the rocket nose area. Check screenshot for the layer placements and their opacity values.

Step 31

Let’s create our first edge highlight of the rocket body. Create a new layer on top of our last layer, which is “rocket nose highlight right side up” layer. Name this layer as “rocket body top edge highlight dn”. Now select a soft white brush with 1 to 2 pixels radius. Then take the Pen Tool and create an open path along the lower edge of the rocket body top shape. Go to the Paths Panel, target the newly created path and click Stroke Path with Brush icon (second from left) below the Paths Panel. Click any empty area within the Paths palette to deselect the path. Go back to the Layers Panel and add a mask to that “rocket body top edge highlight dn” layer. Paint within the mask with a black brush to hide some portion of the edge highlight. Change the opacity of this layer to 70%.

Step 32

Create a new layer on top of this, named “rocket nose highlight edge dn”. Follow similar process to create a thin highlight on the lower edge of the rocket nose. Here use 1 pixel brush for adding the stroke to the path. After that change the layer opacity to 70%.

Step 33

Now we will create two thin shadow lines for rocket body top shape. Later we will place some bolts on top of them. Let’s create the shadow line of the rocket body top upper edge. Create a new layer with the name “rocket body top edge up shadow” on top of “rocket nose highlight edge dn” layer. Select the Elliptical Marquee Tool and drag a large ellipse by matching the lower edge curve line of rocket nose shape.

Then add a 2 pixels black stroke from Edit > Stroke.

Add a layer mask to the “rocket body top edge up shadow” layer and follow the previous adjustment process like the “rocket nose highlight edge dn” layer mask. Finally, change the opacity of the layer to 50%.

Step 34

Below this layer create similarly “rocket body top edge dn shadow” layer. Opacity of this layer will be 50%.

Step 35

Now on top this two edge shadow layers, we will create two more highlight layer with small white oval shape. Select a white color soft brush, then pres F5 key to open the Brush Panel (or, Window > Brush). Use screenshot for brush settings.

Step 36

Create two new layer with the names “rocket body top highlight edge up mid” and “rocket body top highlight edge dn mid” respectively. Basically we are going to create two small oval highlights on top and bottom of previously created “rocket body top highlight mid” layer. Name of these two layers will be “rocket body top highlight edge up mid” and “rocket body top highlight edge dn mid” respectively. Check screenshot for reference what will be the opacity of both layers.

Step 37

Next select all the highlight layers and create a new layer group with the name “highlights”. Another thing you should do is select all highlight layers from within “highlights” group and change the Layer Blend Mode from top of the Layers Panel to Screen. This will make the highlights look a little brighter.

Step 38

Following the same process create a “shadows” layer group with all the shadow layers within it. All shadow layers blend modes will be Multiply.

Step 39

Target the “rocket body dn” layer and double click on the shape layer thumbnail (left side of mask thumbnail) to open the Pick a solid color window. Then change the color to RGB (25, 0, 0) and click OK. Now the color of the rocket body down shape is black with a red tint.

Step 40

Create a new layer with the name “rocket body dn ring” on top of “rocket body dn” layer. Then Control click on the mask thumbnail of the “rocket body dn” layer to load as a selection. Fill this selection with red (RGB 255, 0, 0) color.

Step 41

Selection still active, change your current tool into any selection tool (example: Rectangular Marquee tool). Then right click within the selection and select Transform Selection.

Move the selection down to match the screenshot below.

Then apply the selection by pressing ENTER key. Then from Menu > Select > Inverse to inverse the selection. Press DELETE key to delete the area. So now we have a new red color ring on top of the rocket body down shape. So why didn’t we create another shape layer for this? Actually we are creating shape layers for only major shapes. Because we could edit them in future if needed. But the rocket body down ring layer is not a major shape. So a normal pixel based layer is sufficient for this.

Step 42

Now we will create some text, which will serve the purpose of logo on the rocket body down portion. Select the Type Tool and type some red (RGB 255, 0, 0) color text vertically. I first typed the letter “P” with Impact font and then duplicate the layer three times. You can press Control + J to duplicate layer. Then double click on the type thumbnail and change the letter. After that arrange the “S” and “D” layer vertically. Then select all three layers and rasterize them by right clicking on the selected layers. Then again right click on the selected rasterize layers and select Merge Layers. Press Control + T on this merge layer to get a bounding box around the merge layers. Now if you right click within the bounding box we will get the distort option.

Distort by dragging the six handles (square shape) around the box to give the “PSD” a slightly perspective look. Press ENTER key when you are happy with the distortion. Similarly scale the “PSD” if needed. Change the opacity of this layer to 60%. Check screenshot for position and size.

Step 43

Now Control click on the mask thumbnail of “rocket body dn” layer to load selection. Then within the “highlights” layer group create a new “rocket body dn highlight mid” layer. Select a soft brush and paint a straight line from top edge to bottom edge. You can press Shift key for straight lines while using brush. Size of the brush should match to the lower edge of the white highlight shape of the “rocket body top highlight mid” layer.

Step 44

Add a layer mask to this layer and paint within the mask to match look of the below screenshot.

Step 45

Now turn of the “wings” group visibility by click on the Visibility Toggle icon (i.e. eye icon) at the left side of the layer group. Create a new layer with the name “rocket body dn red glow” within the “highlights” group. Then load the selection of the “rocket body dn” layer by Control clicking . Then back in the “rocket body dn red glow” layer with soft red (RGB 255, 0, 0) color brush with 30 – 50% opacity paint some red color glow using the screenshot below. This is basically the reflected red color from the wings and top body.

Step 46

We have a problem. Our rocket right wing is on top of the rocket body down shape. We have to hide the visible portion on top of the rocket body down shape with a mask. So go to “wing right” layer from within the “wings” layer group and add a layer mask. Yes we add another pixel mask on shape layer where there is already a vector mask (i.e. the vector shape). This is a great advantage of the Shape Layer. After applying the mask go back to “rocket body dn” layer and load the selection from it by Control clicking. Then come back to the “wing right” layer and click newly added mask thumbnail to activate it. Then with a black brush paint within the selection to hide the portion of the right wing, which is visible on top of the rocket body down shape. Below is the screenshot of the process.

Step 47

Next Control click to load the selection from the “wing left” layer from within the “wings” layer group.

Step 48

Then Menu > select > Contract. Use 6 pixels as the contract value.

Step 49

Then create a new layer “rocket wing left shadow” within the “shadows” layer group and fill the selection with black (RGB 0, 0, 0) color.

Step 50

Then add a layer mask to this layer and use screenshot as a guide to paint within the mask. Change opacity of this layer to 30%.

Step 51

Next we will create a highlight on the edge of the wing. First we will create a new highlight layer with name “rocket wing left edge highlight” within the “highlights” layer group. Create the white highlight shape with the Pen tool and rasterize it. Then apply Gaussian Blur (2 radius).

Step 52

Then add a mask on this layer and adjust like before. At last reduce the opacity of this layer to 50%.

Step 53

Duplicate this “rocket wing left edge highlight” layer twice with the names “rocket wing left edge highlight 2” and “rocket wing left edge highlight 3”. Opacity of these two layers will be 50% and 30%. Check screenshot for reference. The idea is to gradually build the highlight from low to strong effect.

Step 54

Let’s create a spot highlight on top of our previous left wing highlights. Create new layer named “rocket wing left edge highlight spot” on top of “rocket wing left edge highlight 3” layer. Take a small elliptical soft white brush. Remember in the Brush Panel, we can squash and rotate the brush tip shape, which we did previously. Click on center of the upper bended edge of the left wing one or two times. Check screenshot below. After that reduce the opacity of the layer to 70%.

Step 55

Follow the same process and create rocket mid wing highlight layers.

Step 56

Now create rocket right wing highlight layers with same process.

Step 57

Create a new layer on top of “rocket body dn highlight mid” layer with the name “rocket body dn highlight mid 2”. Follow the screenshot and create a highlight with the same brush based technique like before. Adjust opacity of layer.

Step 58

Now within the “shadows” group create a new layer at the top named, “rocket body dn ring shadow”. Then load the selection of the “rocket body dn ring” layer by Control clicking. Back in the “rocket body dn ring shadow” layer select a soft brush with black color and 50% opacity. Then paint to gradually build the shadow below the left wing and middle wing portions. Check screenshot for reference.

Step 59

Load selection form “rocket engine upper” layer. Then in the “highlights” group create a new layer named “rocket engine mid highlight”. Use same brush based technique and creates a highlight there. Change the opacity of layer to 50%.

Step 60

Control click on “engine mid” layer to select. Then create a new layer with the name “engine bars” within the “shadows” group. Select a 2 pixels soft black brush with 50% opacity and paint some horizontal lines. Again paint on top of these lines with the same 50% opacity brush. But this time not all the way from top to bottom. Stop painting at the approximate midway. So the lines are coming down from top strongly and then slowly reduce their strength. You can do this in another way also. First paint lines with 100% opacity brush and then fade with a soft Eraser with 50% opacity from the bottom to top strokes .These line will serve the purpose of some ridges. Below is the screenshot.

Step 61

Next we will add a Outer Glow layer style to this “engine bars” layer. Double click on the “engine bars” layer to open the Layer Style window. Check screenshot for Outer Glow settings.

Reduce the opacity of this layer to 30%.

Step 62

Select “engine mid” layer by Control clicking.

But we want to paint within the visible portion of the “engine mid” layer. So we have to exclude some portions from this active selection. You can add or subtract areas from an active selection by pressing Shift (add) or ALT (subtract). Here we want to subtract areas from the active selection of “engine mid” layer. Selection of layer “engine mid” still active, Select the Elliptical Marquee Tool. Then press ALT key and drag a selection covering the upper portion of “engine mid” selection. Notice the minus (“-”) sign below the Elliptical Marquee Tool icon, indicating that you are in subtract from selection mode.

Then Control + ALT click on the “engine left side” shape layer’s mask thumbnail.

Next Control + ALT click on the “engine lower” shape layer’s mask thumbnail.

Next Control + ALT click on the “wing mid” shape layer’s mask thumbnail.

So only the visible area of “engine mid” is now selected. Now within the “shadows” group create a new layer named “rocket engine bright” below the “engine bars” layer. Paint in the middle of the area with RGB (253, 232, 0) and around the top and side edges with RGB (74, 61, 0). The objective is to create a bright lower middle part and darker sides. Take a look at the screenshot below but exact match is not important here.

Step 63

It’s time to start with the cockpit portion of the rocket. The good news is, cockpit is the easiest part. Mostly we will use Layer Styles and then a little manual adjustment. We will start with the “outer ring” layer. Double click on the “outer ring” layer to open the Layer Style. First, is the Bevel and Emboss settings.

Gradient Overlay settings. Click on the Gradient Bar at the right side to open the Gradient Editor.

Drop Shadow settings. This completes the outer ring.

Step 64

Next is the “glass” layer. Here is the Bevel and Emboss settings.

Bevel and Emboss Contour setting. Click on thumbnail besides Contour text to open Contour picker and select Linear.

Inner Shadow settings.

Color Overlay settings.

Gradient Overlay settings. This completes the glass.

Step 65

We will keep all cockpit related layers within the “cockpit” group. So on top of “glass” layer create a new shape layer named “glass highlight left blur”. This will be a crescent shape filled with white (RGB 255, 255, 255) color. Then Rasterize it, apply Gaussian blur and finally select a soft Eraser with 50% Opacity to erase and blend some part. No need to create mask here as we will never need any further edit on this one. Even if you want, you can create the highlight shape with a low opacity soft white brush also. Feel free to experiment with it.

Step 66

Create a new layer named “glass highlight left soft spot” on top of “glass highlight left blur” layer. Select a soft white brush with small radius and paint the small soft highlight on top the previous blur shape. Reduce layer opacity to 80%. Check screenshot for reference.

Step 67

Now create “glass highlight left spot bright” on top of the previous layer. This will be the bright highlight spot visible on very shiny surfaces like glass. You can change the brush bigger or smaller by pressing the “[” and “]” keys. Change your brush size to smaller than the previous soft spot size. Hardness should be 50 – 70% not 0%. Then create the brightest of the glass highlights. Below is the screenshot.

Step 68

Now look at the glass. The inner portion of right side of the outer ring should have a reflection on the right side of the glass. First Control click on the “glass” layer to select, then create a new layer named “glass refl right” on top of “glass highlight left spot bright” layer. Then press “D” key to change foreground and background colors to default black and white. Now press “X” to make white as your foreground color and fill the selection with ALT + BACKSPACE keys. So we have a white circle now. Again Control click on the “glass refl right” layer to select. Select any selection tool and RT click within the selection to get the Transform Selection option. Scale up the selection by clicking and dragging on any corner handle. You can also press Shift and ALT while you are dragging to constrain the selection shape. Press ENTER to apply selection. Now move the selection towards the left side a little by pressing the left arrow key. Change your tool into the Move Tool (V) and then press DELETE key to delete the left side. So we end up with a crescent shape.

Apply 2 pixels Gaussian Bur and reduce the opacity of the layer to 20%. Glass reflection complete.

Step 69

Next we will create a series of screws for the outer rings. Create a new layer on top of “glass refl right” layer. Select the Elliptical Marquee Tool (M) and drag a small perfect circle by pressing Shift in this layer. Then fill the selection with black color and deselect by pressing Control + D. Position the circle in the middle of the width of the top part of the outer ring. Then duplicate this layer and position the new circle similarly in the lower part of the outer ring. Then Shift click to select both screw layers and duplicate these two layers together. Now press Control + T while this two duplicated layers still selected. Then RT click within the bounding box and select rotate. Press Shift while rotating to rotate 45 degree incrementally. Now we have four screw layers. Select all of them then duplicate all four layers. Four newly duplicated layers still selected, rotate 45 degree by Shift rotate. We have perfect circle of screws.

Select and merge all these layers and rename the merged layer to “outer ring screws”.

Step 70

RT click on the “outer ring screws” layer to open the Layer Style window. Apply the following Drop Shadow settings:

Outer ring screws after layer style.

Step 71

Double click on the Background layer and in the next New Layer window type “bg grd”.

Then apply the Gradient Overlay settings.

Layer “bg grd” after layer style.

Step 72

Change your Foreground and Background colors to RGB (122, 28, 31) and RGB (25, 0, 25) respectively. Then create a new layer on top of “bg grd” layer. From Filter > Render > Clouds. Apply then press Control + F to reapply couple more times. Clouds filter generates random cloud pattern with each application. Stop when you like one particular pattern.

Then change the layer blend mode of this layer to Color Dodge. So cloud pattern is now prominently visible in the lighter parts only. Change layer opacity to 70%.

Step 73

Select “rocket mid” by Control clicking and then create a new layer within the “highlights” group with the name “rocket mid highlight”. Select a soft white brush with low opacity. Then create three subtle highlights like the screenshot below. Change layer opacity to 70%.

Step 74

We will create the engine blast now. We will create the engine blast from brush. Select a large yellow color soft brush. Then reduce the Roundness value from Brush Options (F5) to make it look more elliptical. Click once to create a large elliptical shape. Then Edit > Transform > Warp or press Control + T and click Warp from the Options Bar on top. Check screenshot.

Expand the “rocket engine” group and create new layer named “engine blast yellow” below “engine mid” layer. The width of the brush after roundness reduction should match the width of the lower portion of the “engine lower” layer shape. Click on the “engine blast yellow” layer to create the engine blast. More or less half of the brush should be hidden below engine part.

Step 75

Create another layer on top of “engine blast yellow” named “engine blast white”. Change the color of the brush to white and reduce the size by pressing “]” key. Then click to create white elliptical shape on top of the previous yellow shape. Use Warp mode to stretch the lower portion of the white brush below the yellow brush shape.

Step 76

Let’s create the engine glow now. Within the “highlights” group create a new layer named “rocket engine glow mid”. Select a 30% opacity soft brush with a pale yellow color. While you are using brush, if you press ALT key then Brush Tool will temporarily change into Eyedropper Tool. In this temp mode you can also select color from the bright colors of the engine blasts. Basically you click more with the brush right on top of the blast area, but click less when you are going away from the blast area. Below is the screenshot for reference.

Step 77

Now create three more layers on top of “rocket engine glow mid” layer, namely; “rocket wing left glow”, “rocket wing mid glow” and “rocket wing right glow”. Use same technique like “rocket engine glow mid” layer and complete them. Just remember that the glow amount of three wings will be little less than the “rocket engine glow mid”. Check screenshot below.

Step 78

We need to adjust the opacity of “rocket nose highlight right side up” a little. Now surrounded by dark background its looking somewhat strong. So reduce the opacity of this layer to 15%. So what’s the point of coming back and do this now? I just want to show you that things will look different based on their changed surroundings. So feel free to adjust here and there if you want. But before that let’s complete what we are doing. Because we are almost there!

Step 79

Let’s check the lower part of the engine. In the blast area if you check “engine left side” closely you will probably find it a little flat looking. Though the bright glow is there, but still we need to add a little shadow here. So Control click to select “engine left side” layer and then within “shadows” group create a new layer on top named “rocket engine left side shadow”. Select a small soft black brush with 30% opacity and paint a little shadow closer to the upper portion of the below the “rocket body dn” shape. You can exclude the “rocket body dn” layer before painting to help you more with the previous subtract from selection technique.

Step 80

We have to create the bolts on rocket body top now. But here we will create the “rocket body bolts” layer group first then create the layer within it. You can create layer group before layer also. So create the new “rocket body bolts” group below the “rocket cockpit” group. Then “rocket body bolts” group selected create a new layer by pressing Control + Shift + N. In the New Layer window type “bolt 1” in the name field. With the Elliptical Marquee tool create a small circle on the middle portion of the lower edge of the rocket body top shape. Fill the selection with red color.

Step 81

We will create two Layer Styles: Inner Shadow and Drop Shadow for the bolt. Below is the Inner Shadow settings.

Drop Shadow settings.

Step 82

Now duplicate this “bolt 1” layer multiple times and arrange like the screenshot below. We will create two series of bolts: one upper and one lower.

Step 83

Then create a new layer within the “highlights” group with the name “rocket body bolt highlights”. Then resize a soft brush matching a bolt size and select white as brush color. Then click on top of each bolts to create the highlights.

Then reduce the layer opacity to 40%.

Step 84

Now the white highlight of the “rocket body top highlight mid” layer is hiding one lower row bolt. So go to “rocket body top highlight mid” layer and take a soft 30% opacity black brush to paint within the mask of that layer to reveal some portion of that hidden bolt. Check screenshot below.

Step 85

Rename the layer with the clouds pattern on top of “bg grd” layer to “cloud”. That’s it! Below is the final layer order.

Congratulations, You’re All Done!

Awesome job making it this far! You should be proud of what you’ve created. Show it off to your friends and colleagues and get some feedback.

You can also comment here with your version, or any questions you had about the techniques used. We love to see what you guys create and we’re always here to give helpful feedback and tips to help you to improve.

Luckily for you, today we’ve put together 7 solid-as-a-rock techniques for quickly improving your work.

Interestingly enough, they’re all based around a single premise: referencing.

Let’s get started by diving into exactly what referencing is, and how it can help you.

Step 1 – What is a Reference?

A reference is something you look at to inspire your own art, and possibly draw direct elements from. It may be a photo, a sculpture or anything from the real world. Everything you draw is based on a reference, even if that reference is based on a memory, as drawing itself is a way of copying the reality. Using a reference in the moment of drawing highly increases your learning speed.

In Photoshop you’ll usually use a reference from the Internet. It means you need two documents open – the reference and your new document. There are two ways to place your reference for comfortable work. If you’ve got a big screen, you can work in Standard Screen Mode (it’s default), with the reference window on the top. Just grab it and move it out of its place to get this effect.

When you work on a laptop, you’ll probably want to use Fullscreen (click F for it). In this mode you’re not able to use multiple screens, so you need to place the reference in the workspace. Go to Image > Canvas Size to make the canvas bigger and paste your reference. Lock its layer to avoid mistakes.

Step 2 – I Can’t Find The Perfect Pose!

References can be great for estabilishing a pose, and you don’t even need the same object/creature you want to draw (they just should have similar anatomy). If you take a good look at your reference, you’ll realize every object consists of simple shapes, like circles and lines.

Now you just need to draw these simple shapes. Forget about rulers – you need to see and understand the measures. See proportions, not distances! As a result of this process, a lot of concepts will be planted in your mind. It will be a vector type structure, easy to reuse and modify!

Here’s the simple sketch. It may not be perfect, measuring with your eyes instead of other tools takes time to master. It’s worth the effort though – everytime you do this you’ll improve.

Now you need to get the skeleton dressed. You can imagine you’re using a tight stocking for every part – it will bulge on the circles and straighten on the lines.

If you were using the reference in the step before, now it’s time to get rid of it. Forget about that stock picture, you don’t need it anymore. Create something that’s really yours (like this fire goathorsepard).

Step 3 – The Colors Don’t Match

Sometimes a picture draws your attention even if it’s not very realistic or skillfully painted, and vice versa – the technique is perfect, but it still doesn’t look ok. There may be a problem with colors – they’re more important than you think. Look at these two dragons: the first is artificial, like a toy, while the other gives more realistic feel.

How can a reference help? Just find a photo with colors that you’d like to use in your work – you can create your own palette of colours with it. First, clear your current Swatches palette (hold Alt and click them very fast or just download an empty set and load it.

Now use the Eyedropper Tool (I), pick a color you like and click New Swatch icon. You can name it and then it’s being added to your list. Don’t pick more than 5-10 colors – they should be a base for you, something to create more shades of. The colors you pick should be as varied as possible.

Once your list is ready, save it for future use (a meaningful name of the file will help you find it later).

You can also use this trick to prepare a list of colors of particular object, like an animal’s skin. This way you’ll be able to use its realistic colors without any reference in the future.

And here’s a sample of how you can use it:

Step 4 – I Want the Picture to Look Interesting

Composition is a way of how particular elements of a whole are placed. If it’s correct, the viewer sees exactly what the artist wanted them to see. Otherwise, their eyes may wander and pass over the most important elements. It’s because the composition tells what’s most important and what to look at.

You may have heard about golden ration, but if you still doesn’t understand how to use it in practice, you can find a reference with a good composition and analyze it.

Once you understand where to place the most important elements, you can draw your own picture using the same composition:

Step 5 – I Don’t Know How to Make This Part…

Even if you’re an experienced artist, sometimes you struggle with a detail. You can try to guess how the details should look, but what’s highly recommended is finding a reference image to complete your knowledge.

A detail reference is the easiest to find, because it doesn’t need to be perfectly accurate. You don’t care about the perspective or other elements of the picture – you just take this one object and analyze it, step by step.

Step 6 – Biceps, Triceps, Quatrceps?

References are a perfect way to learn anatomy. No matter what your style is, if you want to break the rules, you need to learn them first. The Internet is full of references for both humans and all kinds of animals.

When you want to learn anatomy from the reference, first you need to establish the pose (Step 2). Then you can look for other basic shapes (mostly loose ellipses) and redraw them on your own. It’s good to treat it as an exercise and do it regularly until you’re familar with body structure.

Step 7 – Endless Possibilities

References aren’t just learning tool – they bring inspiration and let you create complex pieces. You can prepare “raw” (unblended) photomanipulations of references and then create something totally new of them! See where your imagination can take you.

Step 8 – Where to Find Reference Images?

It would be the best if you had your own base of photos (visit the zoo!), but if you don’t, you can still use these sites:

• deviantArt stock gallery
• posemaniacs.com – a base of human anatomy references
• anatronica.com – interactive human anatomy
• practice all kinds of animals
• practice human poses
• a huge base of chargeable materials

Wrapping Things Up

As you can see, references are very powerful tool to become better artist. But, be careful – references are just a part of your learning process and you should treat them as a way to get better. Use them for exercises mainly, because the more you rely on a reference, the more originality and your own creativity you lose. Use them as long as you need to get skills you want, and then enjoy your knowledge!

What Do You Think? Leave a Comment Below!

Hopefully this article has helped you better understand how to use references in your artwork.

We would really appreciate you leaving a comment below. Did you find the techniques explained helpful? Perhaps you have something to add?

We’ll respond to every comment, so let’s get a discussion going.

If you have ever tried to paint metal, you probably know how tricky this kind of surface is.

It tends to reflect everything and distorts the reflected image. It’s also very difficult to mix in the natural colors reflected in the metal without flattening the metallic surface.

In today’s design lesson digital painting master Monika Zagrobelna will teach you how to paint metal that is richly detailed, reflective and never flat. Once you’ve mastered this technique you can apply the techniques to most reflective surfaces, across a range of works.

Ready to master a new skill? Let’s get started!

Final Image

As always, this is the final image that we’ll be creating:

Step 1

Most tutorials about metal teach you how to paint a metal ball. But who really paints metal balls? Full, complicated armor will be better example. You can read this tutorial only, or draw something yourself – the rules I’ll be explaining are quite universal.

So, let’s say you painted something (some background, the character) and suddenly you don’t know how to paint the armor. To make whole process easier you should use Clipping Mask. The base – borders of your armor – will be the mask, and everything above it will be clipped to it. How to do it? You just need to use Alt + Ctrl + G after creating a new layer above the base.

The best and the most universal painting brush ever is simple round hard brush with low Flow. It lets you mix the strokes in a very natural way, and also simmulates a real brush – the harder you press, the stronger color you get.

Step 2

Every surface (not only metal) depends on the light, so you need to find the light source first and check where eventual shadows will be placed. In my picture there’s a fire on the left, reflecting from something slightly purple on the right. As fire gives an yellowish-orange flow, I chose a low saturated yellow as a base color for my armor (it’s a kind of grey too for most eyes!). For the general shadows I used even low saturated and darker shade of the same color. Paint on a layer between the base and the sketch.

Add some lights too, just where the light had the best access. To find the right shade add some brighntess to the base color.

Now add more shadows. Remember, the body (and the armor on it) isn’t flat, it has “walls” – when the light hits one wall, it’s bright, but the rest of the walls is darker.

It’s this rare moment when you can use black. Mix it with the darkest parts of the armor, but never touch the lighter parts – don’t even come close to it.

Step 3

Now we’ll use a bit of color theory to give a depth to darker parts. Since our base color is yellowish grey, we need to find a contraryshade for it. First, copy the code for your base color.

Go to Color Scheme Designer and paste your color code in the field shown below.

Now select “complement” to see what color is a complement to our base color. You can just remember it or export full palette to Photoshop swatches.

Select “Load Swatches” from Swatches Menu to load your new set of colors. We’ll also need some darker shades that weren’t included on the list.

Step 4

Since we have our perfect dark shade (and it’s not black!), we can stress the sketch lines again. This time create a layer over the sketch and cover its lines. When it’s done, hide or delete the sketch’s layer.

Now use the same shade to draw darker parts again. If you’re curious why we cover what we painted before, here’s the answer – low Flow lets you mix the colors.

This is how it looks with these new shades:

Step 5

Time to define the shapes a bit. Use black to draw thin lines between the elements.

You should now have clear black lines, and they give an artificial effect. To fix this, you need to add a contrast between both sides of the lines. So, imagine where the light can’t reach and cover these areas with black. Remember, it cannot cross the lines!

Now blend these black areas with one side of the lines. Make the lines practically invisible, but only from one side.

Step 6

Pick a color from some lighter part and use soft brush (lower Hardness to 0%) to cover all the visible elements. One rule: don’t come close to the lines! Paint only a center of every element to give it a smooth look.

Come back to 100% hardness and choose your blending mode to Screen. This mode makes the strokes lighter. Using the same color as before, add some well defined lights – paint the edges next to dark lines and add a few light spots near.

This is the final effect of this phase. As you can see, combining black and white lines together makes really nice, sharp edges.

Step 7

As we noticed before, metal catches everything around it, including colors. Pick the colors that are the closest to every side of the armor and cover the elements slightly with them. Again, don’t cross the lines, but covering darker parts is allowed.

Use our dark shade of the complementar color again and paint some creative shades. Why “creative”? They’re going to pretend shapes reflected in the armor. Paint them thickly, it’s not the time to be smooth.

Now go into Screen mode again and use reflected light colors (here orange and purple again) to cover the dark you’ve just painted. While it seems pointless, it makes an interesting effect. The goal here is to cover it without hiding it at all.

Time to be creative again. Look at the shapes that came out when you were adding more and more layers. Can you see some more regular lines in the reflections? Define them even more! You can also pick colors from the skin and hair if the element is close to them enough.

And here’s the final effect again:

Step 8

Another element of every armor is a chainmail. As you probably know, it’s made of little metal links bound together. Yes, it’s metal element again, so it’s going to be quite reflective. Drawing them all one by one would be very time consuming, so we’re going to prepare a special brush for it. Create a new document and draw a single black link (use 100% Opacity and 100% Flow to prevent semi-transparent spots). Then go to Edit > Define Brush Preset.

Your new brush now appears on the list, but it has default options. Select Brush Tip Shape from brush options and move Spacing slider until single links are visible. They should slightly overlap each other.

Now create a new layer and double click it to get to Blending Options. Select Bevel & Emboss and change Higlight color to a bright shade from the rest for the armor. This way it’ll be more natural.

Now draw the chainmail on the layer with this style applied. I suggest to draw every row on a new layer (copying and pasting the style) – otherwise all the links will blend into each other. To avoid a mess, group (Ctrl + G) these layers.

Now merge the group and select Add Layer Mask in that little panel under the layers. Select the white rectangle that appeared next to your layer. Now you can use two colors to blend the chainmail into the picture – black will make it transparent, white – visible, and grey – semi transparent. Use black with low Flow to get various shades of grey.

You can now paint the surface under the chainmail to give it a right shape.

Since you know how to create a chainmail easily, you can add it to other places too. Put it wherever there’s some flexibility needed. At this moment I also fixed the rest of the picture to fit the armor that get’s more and more complicated with every step.

Step 9

The armor is almost ready, but we need to polish it yet. Use black brush to paint some sharp fake reflections. They look best when they touch some light line on one side.

That’s the effect I got:

Merge all the layers of the armor. If you still want to use Clipping Mask, just copy the resulting layer and clip the copy. Go into Screen blending mode, pick some light color from the right (purple here) and draw strong lights on that side. They should be sharp and rather rare, because they fake a reflected light, not a direct one.

Just like this:

Time for more colorful, direct light. Pick a color from the left and paint some reflections in Color Dodge mode.

Come back to Normal mode and paint some reflected light blobs. They should be smooth, quite light, but not lighter than the side reflecting direct light.

Polish the elements you’ve just covered with dull color in Screen Mode. We’re almost done now!

Step 10

Use Color Dodge mode and direct light color again to draw the edges of the element that are most lighted. Keep them sharp.

That’s how I did it:

Another characteristic of metal is it influences the environment by its reflections. Add some “light spots” near the strongest reflections (soft brush in Screen mode will work the best here).

It’s your rare chance now to use Smudge Tool. If you use it wisely, you may achieve very nice effect.

Here’s my result:

Step 11

Despite all the colors our armor still looks flat. Use Overlay mode to paint some darker areas (use black and very light pressure).

If you feel the armor needs more grey, you can just add a new layer in Saturation mode and paint black wherever you want to take the color off.

Time to add strong shining at the edges. Use soft brush (0% hardness), white, in Screen mode.

Now I added even more shadows…

…and some lights again.

Here I added some sharp, light lines, that fake reflections of the armor (yep, armor refletcs itself too!).

It’s almost done (probably your picture is done now), I just fixed one element that didn’t fit here:

And, to make it more interesting, I added third main color as a blue fog.

And We’re Done!

You can now use these tricks to paint every metal surface you need!

The Internet loves cats. The Internet loves zombies. What if we create a mix of them both? Well that’s exactly what you’ll be creating in today’s design lesson!

Today you’ll be learning the incredibly useful skill of digital painting using a photo reference. This is a fantastic method to learn the basics of digital painting, and can really improve your design skills.

By using the reference photo as a solid base you’re able to focus less on anatomy, and more on lighting, details, creativity and your painting technique.

Follow along with today’s lesson to learn some great new skills. Let’s get started shall we?

Final Image

As always, this is the final image that we’ll be creating:

Step 1

First place your reference (you can use this picture by KB-Fotowelt) inside a PSD file (or just open it in Photoshop and save as a new file). Lock the reference and create a new layer for every important change. Before we start painting, we need to define the colors of the scene. Dark blue and orange should play well together. So, grab a hard brush, lower Flow and cover the right half smoothly with dark blue.

Now do the same with the left half, using orange. We can imagine it’s a night (dark blue) and there’s a lantern (orange light) near.

Cover the ground too. Keep in mind that the cat’s casting the shadow to the right.

Change the file’s resolution (Ctrl + Alt + I) to as high level as you can. 10k width would be perfect, but 6k should be enough. The higher resolution, the more detail you’ll be able to put in your piece.

Step 2

Zoom into the eye. Use black and the same brush as before to draw the edge of the eye and the pupil.

Now cover the inside of the eye with different shades of green. Don’t be afraid of covering the pupil, it’s never really that black.

Play with brightness of the colors we’ve used before to draw some details of the iris.

Hide the reference for a moment to check if you didn’t rely on its colors too much. If the eye seem semi-transparent now, create a new layer under it and cover it with black.

Merge all the eye parts, copy the layer (Ctrl + J) and go to Edit > Transform > Flip Horizontal, to reflect the copy. Then move the other eye to its place.

Time for some fun. Use bright green in Linear Light brush mode to add some lights to the eyes. Remember – they shouldn’t be symmetrical! Paint directly on the eyes’ layers, or they won’t be affected. Be careful here, this effect is easy to overdo!

Change the color to darker green and the brush mode to Overlay. Now you can add some shadow under upper lid.

Our cat is a zombie, so its eyes shouldn’t be so bright and alive! Take a soft brush with some light blue in Screen mode and add some fog to the eyes. Don’t touch the edges!

Now, create a layer under the eyes and paint some dark around them. It shouldn’t work the same as with human zombies, but look how nice this effect is!

Step 3

Paint a rough shape of the nose with some brownish shade.

Use black to add more details to it. Look at the reference every time you need some help.

Add more details, lights and shadows, using the same color we’ve used for the general shape, but changing its brightness.

Again, turn off the reference layer and check if this part was really painted by you. Fill all the empty spots.

Step 4

Add some light to the left part of the head. Just sketch the lighted parts, precision isn’t important here.

The right part isn’t really lighted, but some of the reflected light will land there.

Add some blue shadows on the right…

…and some brownish orange ones on the left.

Hide the reference photo layer and fill in any gaps as needed:

Step 5

Time for the ears. The left ear is backlighted, so it should be painted with bright and warm colors.

The other ear can be ripped off. Erase the part we’ve drawn before and cover the inside of the ear with dark blue.

Now add some dried blood on the ear and lighten it a bit with red.

Step 6

Time to go crazy! Pick all the colors you see around, dark and light ones, and draw the hair with them. Don’t even try to be precise, just splash the colors around, defining all the shapes roughly.

Take an orange light and put it on the left as we did before.

And the right part again.

Now grab a soft brush and cover the messy spots between orange and blue lights, using colors you picked from these spots. Be subtle, don’t blur it all by accident.

Step 7

Create a layer under all the previous ones and draw the general shape of the rest of the body. Pick the colors from the head and use brighter, less saturated version of them.

Yes, it’s this step again.

Now cover the background completely, so that you could remove the reference and forget about it.

Step 8

We’re going to be more precise from now on. Let’s fix the jaw line to give the kitty more innocent look.

If you have a cat, you know sometimes they forget to hide their tongues after washing themselves. It’s looks pretty funny when they do it, doesn’t it? We can use it to make our illustration more surprising.

Add some light and shadow to the tongue, picking the colors form the head.

Add stronger light and draw some details using brush in Linear Light mode.

Add these little holes for the whiskers (do they have any name?), drawing them as a mix of hard and soft brush.

Now cover the holes with the colors around, so that they don’t stand out too much.

Step 9

Now we’ll add some depth to the picture. The part that we focus on mostly is the head, but the rest is less important for us. Select the layer with the body and go to Filter > Blur > Gaussian Blur. Change the radius to the level where the body becomes slightly blurred.

Get into Quick Mask Mode (Q) and use soft brush to select the parts of the body that are even further form us (in this mode you’re actually painting the selection).

Get out of the Quick Mask Mode (Q) to create the selection (click Ctrl + Shift + I to reverse the selection) and apply some more blur to this part.

Step 10

I’ve just noticed the nose is too straight for this cat (of course, it all depends on the kind of cat). Here, fixed!

Add dome veins inside the left ear. You can play with brush modes to get an interesting effect.

Draw all the hair, quickly and loosely. Set minimum diameter of your brush to 0% to make it sharper.

And again, some more lights. You can use Color Dodge or Linera Light Mode for more vibrant effect. Just be careful!

Darken the lower jaw a bit.

Let’s come back to the ripped ear. Add some fresh and dried blood here.

Step 11

Whiskers! Whiskers are very important for a cat. Use your sharp brush with 100% Flow to draw them.

Create another layer above this one and create a clipping mask (Ctrl + Alt + G). Now you can easily paint over the whisker’s tips.

Step 12

Time for another element of the illustration. Our cat was caught on eating a mouse’s brain. As a reference you can use this picture by mslissome. Place it inside your file.

You can skip these steps, if you already learnt how to paint something from the reference. If you stil need some hints, there they are: first you can draw some outlines.

Then draw the inside of the body (pick the colors from the reference).

Draw some rough details (for example, the part of the head where the brain will be visible).

Place the reference of a brain (you can use this one by absurdwordpreferredon the mouse’s head.

Sketch the surface of the brain using the reference.

Now add some lights. The mouse basically is lying in the cat’s shadow, so reflected light will be mostly visible on it. Add some more details too.

Draw the fur roughly, just to define its direction.

Cover the fur with more appropriate colors, and define all the parts of the body.

Use soft brush to add lights.

Define the brain surface, covering the sketch and adding some lights.

And the last touches.

Step 13

Now we’ll add some surface to the ground. You can download any texture from texturemate.com and paste it inside the file. Transform the texture to fix the perspective (Ctrl + T, then hold Ctrl to drag a single point).

Make the texture black and white (Image > Adjustments > Black & White), and set the texture’s blend mode to Overlay. It should now fit the image.

If the ground turned out to dark, you can always add some colors under the texture layer to fix it.

Now, when the ground is defined, we can blend the mouse’s body into it. Cover it with black until it stops standing out.

We need to define the background too. Use Rectangle Tooul (U) to draw some random shapes. Try to use matching colors.

Gaussian Blur will do the rest!

Step 14

Now we’re going to add some creepiness and start to think about the wider movement and actions inherent in this scene.

The cat was probably starting to eat the mouse before we caught him, and now it has just raised it’s head to look at us. Some blood could have stuck to its mouth. Use your imagination and draw it!

Add more details. Remember about lights, blood is shiny!

A zombie without its naked body visible under ripped skin isn’t a zombie! So, draw some part without any hair, covered with blood.

Cover it with dried and fresh blood, as if it was going to be a scab soon.

Add some light too.

Check if the ripped ear doesn’t need any more details.

A stylish wound on the nose.

Step 15

Our cat seems to have too clean fur for a zombie. Let’s paint it a bit with red. Use Overlay blend mode not to lose the details.

Add some more creative wounds. It’s all up to you! Just use dark red and then cover it with wet fur.

With so many wounds there must be some blood on the ground too. Use Multiply mode to get a dark shade of red.

Now let’s add a bit of atmosphere by creating a new layer, filling it with some dark color and going to Filter > Noise > Add Noise.

Resize the layer to get a bigger mess.

Change its mode to Overlay and lower the Opacity until it’s barely visible.

And We’re Done!

It’s done! Isn’t it a cute kitty? I’d love to know what you thought of the process by leaving a comment below:

Have you ever wanted to learn how to digitally paint?

I don’t blame you, it’s an awesome skill to have!

Digital painting can really let you show off your artistic side, and by being digital and therefore non-destructive can be a very forgiving progress when done right.

Whilst a lot of the techniques you’ll need are similar to traditional drawing, the workflow can be quite different.

In this tutorial we are going to digitally paint a photo-realistic portrait of a model in photoshop. This tutorial explains the simple steps behind creating a complex digital art work.

Tutorial Requirements:

1. Wacom Bamboo or Intuos.

2. Basic knowledge in Photoshop.

3. Proficiency in Traditional drawing and painting skills.

Final Outcome:

As always, this is the final image that we’ll be creating:

Step 1

Open a new canvas in Photoshop and fill the canvas with colors #dedcdd and #4e4c4d gradient.

Step 2

Before going further with the tut go to Window>Arrange>2-Up Vertical. Now you can have the reference image and workspace side by side, so that it would be easy to review your progress with the reference image.

- Create a new layer and draw a rough outline sketch of the model as shown.

Step 3

In this step we will be painting rough structure of the model, which will be the base of whole process.

1) Using the color #b7b7b7 paint the skin area of the model as shown.

2) Now by using the Black color paint the hair of the model.

Step 4

Create a new layer under the base color layers and paint dark shades behind the shoulders as shown.

Step 5

Now paint the eyes and lips of the model as shown in different layers. Just remember, this is the initial concept stage so you can keep the shapes rough because we will work on every part in detail later.

Step 6

In this step we are going to work on the details of the hair.

1) Select a hair brush and paint the dark black hair over the previously painted hair shape. Make sure the sharp edges of the hair shape are not visible.

2) Now by using the same hair brush paint the shade part of the hair with white color as seen in the reference image.

3) Paint the details of the hair roots and scalp on the head as shown.

Step 7

Create a new layer above the skin tone layer and paint the light shade on the body of the model as shown using the color #dbdbdb.

Step 8

In this step we are going to paint the nose. Nose is one of the vital parts of the face, which could define the whole beauty of the image, so we need to concentrate and take time in painting it.

1) Using the soft round brush paint the nose as shown with the colors Black and #dbdbdb. This is where your traditional drawing and painting skills are put into serious action. People proficient with pencil shading could find this easy.

- Use of Wacom Bamboo is required to get this right. Wacom Intuos5 is recommended as it has 2048 pressure levels, which could help you get much better result.

2) Now paint a thin shadow on the left side of the nose as shown.

3) Using the Soft Round Brush paint dark shadow under the nose as shown in the reference image.

Step 9

Now paint the shade of the upper lip fold as shown. Every small facial detail is vital while trying for photo-realism.

Step 10

In this step we are going to paint the shadow under the lower lip.

1) Using the Soft Round Brush paint the shadow under the lower lip as shown.

2) Now darken the lower lip shadow to define the shape of the chin bone.

3) In a new layer paint the light shades as shown and reduce the Opacity of it’s layer to 41%.

Step 11

In this step we will be working on painting the eyebrows.

1) Create a new layer and paint the basic shape of the eyebrows as shown. Make sure the shape of the eyebrows is accurate with the reference image.

2) Now darken the eye brows using the Black color with Soft Round Brush in a new layer.

3) Now duplicate the previously created dark eyebrow layer and go to Filters> Blur>Gaussian Blur and set the Radius to 2.9px.

4) Group all the eyebrow layers into a single folder and create an Exposure adjustment layer to it and set the Exposure level to -7.82 and Gamma Correction to 0.23.

Step 12

In this step we will be concentrating on refining the facial details.

1) By using the Soft Round Brush paint the shadow of the eyelids and the nose bone as shown.

2) Now darken the previously painted shadows to make them more visible and match the reference image.

Step 13

In this step we are going to paint the cheeks shadow to define the cheeks shape.

1) Create a new layer and paint the cheeks shadow as seen in the reference image. This shade is very crucial as this defines the shape of the whole look of the face.

2) Now create a new layer and paint darker shade on the cheeks as shown.

Step 14

In this step we are going to define the body shapes by painting the shadows on.

1) Create a new layer and paint the body shadow as shown. Be very careful while defining the shoulder, chest and neck bone shapes.

2) Now darken the body shadows in a new layer as shown.

Step 15

In this step we are going to work on detailing the armpits.

1) Using the Soft Round Brush darken the armpits as shown.

2) Now by using the same brush paint the dark curved shadow as shown to depict the shoulder joint.

Step 16

In this step we are going to work on the Neck.

1) Create a new layer and paint dark shadow on the sides of the neck as shown.

2) Now paint the shape of the throat in the center on the neck as shown.

Step 17

In this step we are going to work on detailing the body and neck.

1) Using the Soft Round brush enhance the shadows and light shades near shoulder bones, neck and chest.

2) Now duplicate the previously created shadow-enhancing layer to make the shadows look a bit darker.

3) Create a new layer and paint dark shadow on the sides of the neck as shown to make it look darker.

Step 18

Create a new layer and paint the dark shadow under the chin as shown. This defines the accurate shape of the chin.

Step 19

Now paint the hair shadow on the left side of the face as shown. This is one of the small details that add great value to the portrait.

Step 20

Select the eye layers and add a Gaussian Blur of Radius 2.4px, to make the eyes shape blend with the portrait rather than leaving it to look distinct with sharp edges.

Step 21

In this step we will be painting the details around the eyes.

1) Using the Soft Round brush paint the wrinkle under the eye as shown.

2) Now enhance the shadow over the left eyelid and eyebrow as shown.

3) Similarly paint the dark wrinkle under the right eye and enhance the shadows over the eyelid.

Step 22

In this step we are going to paint the eyeballs and eyelashes with every minor details involved.

1) Using the Hair brush paint the eyelashes as shown over the eyes, then by using the Soft Round Brush paint the eyeballs as it is in the reference image.

2) Now create a new layer under the previously created eyeballs layer and paint a slight gray color on the right eye as shown.

3) Merge all the eyelids and eyeball layers into a single layer and add a Gaussian Blur of Radius 1.0px.

Step 23

Select the Skin Texture Brush and paint the skin texture all over the body as shown to make the skin look natural rather than leaving it smooth.

Step 24

In this step we are going to work on the details of the lips.

1) Using the Soft round brush make the lips look darker with black color.

2) Paint the lip-gloss on the upper lip as seen in the reference image.

3) Now paint a thicker dark shade in-between the lips as shown.

4) Now create a new layer under the lip-gloss layer and paint the lips texture using the lips brush.

5) Similarly paint the lip texture on the upper lip as shown to make the lips look natural.

And We’re Done!

You can view the final outcome below. I hope that you enjoyed this tutorial and would love to hear your feedback on the techniques and outcome.

Often even more advanced Photoshop users shy away from illustration in Photoshop, despite it having some very robust drawing tools at your disposal.

Often times the issue is the lack of a clear guide to help you through the process. Well today our resident expert Andrei Marius will show you how to create a super clean coffee maker illustration using some of Photoshop’s advanced drawing tools.

Despite this being a long and in depth tutorial, each step is broken down into clear step by step instructions, so whatever your level of design expertise you can follow along and learn some great techniques in the process.

Clean design couldn’t be more on trend right now, some being able to create slick illustrations like this one will allow you to create incredible custom icons and graphics to support your (or your client’s) clean website design.

Final Image

As always, this is the final image that we’ll be creating:

Step 1

Open Photoshop and hit Control + N to create a new document. Enter all the data shown in the following image and click OK. Enable the Grid (View > Show > Grid) and the Snap to Grid (View > Snap To > Grid). For starters you will need a grid every 5px. Simply go to Edit > Preferences > Guides, Grid & Slices and focus on the Grid section. Enter 5 in the Gridline Every box and 1 in the Subdivision box. Also, set the grid color at #a7a7a7. Once you set all these properties click OK. Try not to get discouraged by all that grid. It will ease your work later. You should also open the Info panel (Window > Info) for a live preview with the size and position of your shapes.

Step 2

Focus on the Toolbar and set the foreground color at #ed4505. Pick the Ellipse Tool and create a 185 by 30px squeezed circle. Make sure that this new vector shape stays selected and switch to the Rectangle Tool. Focus on the top bar, check the Add button and simply add a 185 by 10px vector path as shown in the second image. The Snap to Grid should ease your work. Get back to the Ellipse Tool and make sure that your orange vector shape is still selected. Check the Add button from the top bar and add a new 185 by 30px squeezed circle as shown in the third image. Move to the Layers panel and double click on the existing vector shape to open the Layer Style window. Activate the Inner Shadow and the Gradient Overlay then enter the properties shown in the following images. The white numbers from the Gradient Overlay image stand for Location percentage.

Step 3

Pick the Ellipse Tool, create a 185 by 30px vector shape and place it as shown in the first image. Move to the Layers panel, open the Layer Style window for this new orange shape and enter the properties shown in the following images. The yellow zero from the Gradient Overlay image stands for Opacity percentage.

Step 4

Set the foreground color at black, pick the Ellipse Tool, create a 140 by 15px vector shape and place it as shown in the first image. Move to the Layers panel, open the Layer Style window for this new vector shape and enter the properties shown in the following images.

Step 5

For this step you will need a grid every 1px. Simply go to Edit > Preferences > Guides, Grid & Slices and enter 1 in the Gridline Every box. Set the foreground color at #ed4505 and pick the Rounded Rectangle Tool. Set the radius at 5px, create a 24 by 15px vector shape and place it as shown in the first image. Send this new vector shape to back (Shift + CTRL + [ ), open the Layer Style window and enter the properties shown in the following image.

Step 6

For the following steps you need a grid every 5px. Simply go to Edit > Preferences > Guides, Grid & Slices and enter 5 in the Gridline Every box. Set the foreground color at #ddf1ff and make sure that the Rounded Rectangle Tool is still active. Set the radius at 20px, create a 170 by 155px vector shape, place it as shown in the first image and go to Edit > Transform > Warp. Select Arc Lower from the Warp drop-down menu, enter 7 in the Bend box and hit Enter. With this blue vector shape still selected switch to the Rectangle Tool. Check the Subtract button from the top bar and draw a 170 by 25px vector shape as shown in the third image.

That’s the end of the preview!

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Today we have an expert lesson for you in digital painting. It’s very important for an artist to be familiar with human anatomy. Even if you’re not a regular digital painter, digital painting and drawing techniques can come in handy for tweaking photo manipulation work, adding depth to illustrations and understanding light and shadow.

There are a lot of books that can help you in this topic, but they’re usually created for medical students and seem to be too complicated for the rest of us. I’ll show you how to paint an anatomically correct arm – one of hardest parts to learn – without any specialist knowledge.

Let’s get started!

Final Image

As always, this is the final image that we’ll be creating:

Step 1

This is the first and the most important step. Look at the template below. You don’t need to know the names of all these muscles – you’re an artist, not a doctor. Look at your right arm, touch it and try to locate all the muscles (muscle simullations, actually) you can see. Check how they interact with each other, how they change their positions when you turn your forearm. Take your time, you shouldn’t go further before you’ve fully understood it.

Step 2

Are you sure you understood it? Ok, now we can start drawing. Create a new file in big resolution and fill it with some dark background. Choose a pose you want to draw and build it with some simple shapes on a new layer. You can use any tool you want, but I suggest Pencil Tool – it’s great for defining the shapes.

It’s time to test your knowledge in practice. Quickly draw the muscles using the template and your own arm as references. You can use the colors if you find it helpful, just remember to create a black sketch afterwards. Forget the hand – it’s not what we’re learning now.

Here’s the sketch without colors. Messy, isn’t it? But it’s totally ok, we will need it just for a while.

Step 3

Create a new layer and draw the outline of the arm using general skin color. Make it quite solid.

Use Magic Wand Tool (W) to select everything outside of the arm, then go to Select > Modify > Contract and pick a few pixels. Now you can fill the inside of the arm with Paint Bucket Tool (G).

Move the sketch above the “body” layer and change its Opacity to 10%. Now, with this layer selected, use Ctrl + Alt + G shortcut (Clipping Mask) to fit the sketch into the base. You’ll use this shortcut after creating every new layer above (try to create a new layer for every sub-step, it may help you to fix something).

Step 4

Create a new layer (remember about Clipping Mask!) and define the edges of the muscles again. Pencil Tool still works great for it.

Now, draw basic shadows on the arm. They don’t need to be perfectly accurate, but try to guess them.

Use a lighter, more saturated color to blend the shadows into the skin. Still, rough effect is intentional.

Come back to darker color to define the edges again. Be precise now.

Step 5

Grab a fully soft Brush with low Flow (20-30%) and basic skin color. Now, use it carefully, filling the spaces between the dark edges. This way you’ll emboss the muscles.

Change color to darker shade and use the same Brush to cover the dark edges and blend it more.

Grab the basic color again to blend the skin even more. Be careful, leave as much roughness as possible. Draw lines rather than areas.

Now, back to darker color – add some shadows again.

Step 6

Change your Brush to hard one and lighten some parts with light color. Be subtle, paint the lights with quick clicks.

Use black to add some shadows in the opposite of lighted parts. Again, do it softly (even if the Brush is hard).

Look for the areas that need more skin and cover them with colors picked from around. Don’t cover them all at once with big color splashes, use thick lines again.

Step 7

Time to add even more lights. Use basic skin color (not the lightest one we’ve used!) and paint a thin stroke at the edge of the forearm. Then, paint some blobs of color next to it, leaving a border of darker color between them. Do the same with the arm, just don’t make the stroke so sharp anywhere else.

You can now draw some veins, picking the colors individually. Don’t make them too detailed, they’re just details themselves.

Step 8

This is very subtle trick (you may not even see the difference, but there is one, I swear!). Grab a soft Brush and paint very, very subtle blobs of colors in selected areas. Don’t go too far on this, or it will give unnatural effect.

Check if there are any areas still needing shadows. If you find them, you know what to do!

Create a new layer with Overlay as Blending Mode. Now you can use white to add some lights without losing colors or defined edges.

Step 9

Create a new layer, change the Brush Mode to Dissolve and paint some white spots with it. This will fake the skin pores.

Change the layer’s Blending Mode to Overlay and lower the Opacity until the pores are barely visible.

Step 10

If you think the arm is too pale, you can add some tan to it. Just create a new layer filled with orange…

…and change it’s Blending Mode to Overlay. Then move the Opacity slider to adjust the color’s strength.

And We’re Done!

Congratulations on making it this far! You now know how to digital paint an arm using anatomy basics and lighting/textures techniques.

If you enjoyed this tutorial we’d love to hear your feedback in the comments section below.

Drawing in Photoshop can be a scary learning curve to start with. Beyond the basic shape tools there are a host of more complex features that can make the difference between an intermediate and an advanced user.

Today we’re going to explore some of these features and learn how to create a realistic alarm clock vector. This will be an entirely non-destructive process, that results in a clean, scalable vector outcome. Simply put, you’ll follow the workflow of a true professional and learn how to use Photoshop’s advanced drawing tools the right way.

Each step is carefully explained, so you should be able to follow along with ease.

Let’s get started!

Final Image

As always, this is the final image that we’ll be creating:

Step 1

Open Photoshop and hit Control + N to create a new document. Enter all the data shown in the following image and click OK. Enable the Grid (View > Show > Grid) and the Snap to Grid (View > Snap To > Grid). For starters you will need a grid every 5px. Simply go to Edit > Preferences > Guides, Grid & Slices and focus on the Grid section. Enter 5 in the Gridline Every box and 1 in the Subdivision box. Also, set the grid color at #a7a7a7. Once you set all these properties click OK. Don’t get discouraged by all that grid. It will ease your work later. You should also open the Info panel (Window > Info) for a live preview with the size and position of your shapes.

Step 2

Set the foreground color at #4b4b4b, pick the Ellipse Tool and create a 410px circle.

Step 3

Select the vector shape made in the previous step, make sure that the Ellipse Tool is still active and focus on the top bar. Check the Subtract button then create a 350px circle as shown in the following image.

Step 4

Focus on the Layers panel and double click on the existing vector shape to open the Layer Style window. Activate the Inner Shadow, the Inner Glow, the Bevel and Emboss and the Gradient Overlay then enter the properties shown in the following images.

Step 5

Duplicate your vector shape (Control + J). Focus on the Layers panel, right click on this copy and go to Clear Layer Style. Make sure that your copy remains selected, lower its Fill to 0% and open the Layers Style window. Activate the Bevel and Emboss then enter the properties shown in the following image.

Step 6

Set the foreground color at #feffef, pick the Ellipse Tool, create a 350px circle and place it as shown in the first image. Focus on the Layers panel, open the Layer Style window for this new shape and enter the properties shown in the following image.

Step 7

Set the foreground color at #414141, pick the Ellipse Tool, create a new 350px circle and place it as shown in the first image. Make sure that this new shape stays selected, continue with the Ellipse Tool, check the Subtract button from the top bar and draw a 340px circle as shown in the second image.

Step 8

Set the foreground color at black, pick the Ellipse Tool, create a new 320px circle and place it as shown in the first image. Make sure that this new shape is selected, lower its Fill to 0% and open the Layer Style window. Enter the properties shown in the following image and click OK.

Step 9

Pick the Ellipse Tool, create a 310px circle and place it as shown in the first image. Make sure that this new shape is selected, lower its Fill to 0% and open the Layer Style window. Enter the properties shown in the following image and click OK.

Step 10

For the following steps you will need a grid every 1px. Simply go to Edit > Preferences > Guides, Grid & Slices and enter 1 in the Gridline Every box. Set the foreground color at red and pick the Rectangle Tool. Create a two, 6 by 5px shapes and place them as shown in the following image. Next, you need to turn these two rectangles into a simple smart object. Focus on the Layers panel, select both shapes, right click on one of them and go to Convert to Smart Object.

Step 11

Duplicate the smart object made in the previous step (Control + J). Select this copy, hit Control + T and focus on the top bar. Enter "90" in the Rotate box and hit Enter.

Step 12

Reselect the smart object made in the tenth step and duplicate it (Control + J). Select this new copy, hit Control + T, enter "30" in the Rotate box and hit Enter.

Step 13

Reselect the smart object made in the tenth step and duplicate it (Control + J). Select this new copy, hit Control + T, enter "-30" in the Rotate box and hit Enter. Select all four smart object and turn them into a single smart object.

Step 14

Pick a light blue for the foreground color and grab Rectangle Tool. Create a two, 2 by 5px shapes and place them as shown in the following image. Select both rectangles and turn them into a simple smart object.

Step 15

Duplicate the smart object made in the previous step (Control + J). Select this copy, hit Control + T, enter "6" in the Rotate box and hit Enter.

Step 16

Reselect that blue smart object made in the fourteenth step and duplicate it (Control + J). Select this new copy, hit Control + T, enter "12" in the Rotate box and hit Enter.

Step 17

Duplicate the blue smart object made in the fourteenth step (Control + J). Select this new copy, hit Control + T, enter "18" in the Rotate box and hit Enter.

Step 18

Select the blue smart object made in the fourteenth step and hit Control + T. Enter "24" in the Rotate box then hit the Enter. Select all four, blue smart objects and turn them into a single smart object.

Step 19

Duplicate the smart object made in the previous step (Control + J). Select this copy, hit Control + T, enter "30" in the Rotate box and hit Enter. Select both blue smart objects and turn them into a single smart object.

Step 20

Duplicate the smart object made in the previous step (Control + J). Select this copy, hit Control + T, enter "60" in the Rotate box and hit Enter.

Step 21

Duplicate the blue smart object made in the nineteenth step (Control + J). Select this new copy, hit Control + T, enter "-60" in the Rotate box and hit Enter. Select all blue smart objects and turn them into a single smart object.

Step 22

Select the blue smart object made in the previous step along with the red smart object and turn them into a single smart object. Open the Layer Style window for this new smart object, enter the properties shown in the following image and click OK.

Step 23

Pick the Type Tool (T), set the text color at #1e1e1e and add the numbers as shown in the following image.

Step 24

Switch back to Gridline every 5px. So, go to Edit > Preferences > Guides, Grid & Slices and enter 5 in the Gridline Every box. Set the foreground color at #282828, pick the Ellipse Tool, create a 30px circle and place it as shown in the first image. Open the Layer Style window for this new shape and enter the properties shown in the following images.

Step 25

Set the foreground color at #c0c1b4, pick the Ellipse Tool, create a 10px circle and place it as shown in the first image. Open the Layer Style window for this new shape and enter the properties shown in the following images. Make sure that you edit the positioning for that radial gradient used in the Gradient Overlay section. Open the Gradient Overlay window, focus on your circle and simply click and drag to modify the starting point for that radial gradient.

Step 26

Focus on the little circles made in the previous steps. Set the foreground color at #323232, pick the Rectangle Tool, create a 10 by 170px shape and place it as shown in the first image. Make sure that this new vector shape stays selected and focus on the bottom side. Pick the Add Anchor Point Tool and add a new anchor point as shown in the first zoomed image. Switch to the Convert Point Tool and simply click on that new anchor point. Keep focusing on the bottom side of this rectangle and grab the Direct Selection Tool. Select the left and right anchor points and drag them 5px up. In end things should look like in the second image.

Step 27

For the following steps you will need a Gridline every 1px. So, go to Edit > Preferences > Guides, Grid & Slices and enter 1 in the Gridline Every box. Set the foreground color at #c0c1b4 and pick the Rounded Rectangle Tool. Focus on the top bar, set the radius at 10px then create a 2 by 45px shape and place it as shown in the first image. Move to the Layers panel, select this thin rounded rectangle along with the dark shape made in the previous step and drag them below those two central circles. Open the Layer Style window for the thin rounded rectangle made in the beginning of the step and enter the properties shown in the following image.

Step 28

Open the Layer Style window for the dark vector shape made in the twenty-sixth step and enter the properties shown in the following images.

Step 29

Select both vector shapes made in the last three steps and group them (Control + G). Select this new group and hit Control + T. Focus on your group, hold the Alt key from your keyboard, click on the reference points (the little circle that you can find in the middle of your shapes) and drag it in the center of those little circles. Now, move to the top bar, enter "15" in the Rotate box and hit Enter. In the end your rotated group should look like in the second image.

Step 30

Set the foreground color at #323232, pick the Rectangle Tool, create a 14 by 120px shape and place it as shown in the first image. Make sure that this new vector shape stays selected and focus on the bottom side. Pick the Add Anchor Point Tool and add a new anchor point as shown in the zoomed image. Switch to the Convert Point Tool and simply click on that new anchor point. Grab the Direct Selection Tool, select the left and right anchor points and drag them 8px up. In end things should look like in the second image. Set the foreground color at #323232, pick the Rounded Rectangle Tool, create a 2 by 32px vector shape and place it as shown in the third image.

Step 31

Focus on the Layers panel, select both vector shapes made in the previous step and group them (Control + G). Select this new group and drag it below those tiny, central circles. Keep focusing on this group, open the Layer Style window for the dark vector shape and enter the properties shown in the following image.

Step 32

Keep focusing on the group made in the previous step. Open the Layer Style window for thar thin rounded rectangle and enter the properties shown in the following image.

Step 33

Select the group made in the thirty-first step, hit Control + T and rotate it -60 degrees. Make sure that you don’t forget to drag the reference point in the center of those little circles.

Step 34

Set the foreground color at black, pick the Rounded Rectangle Tool, create a 4 by 75px vector shape and place it as shown in the first image. Select this new shape, hit Control + T, drag that reference point in the center and rotate it 45 degrees. Open the Layer Style window for this vector shape and enter the properties shown in the following images.

Step 35

Set the foreground color at #9f0b0b, pick the Rectangle Tool, create a 164 by 2px vector shape and place it as shown in the first image. Focus on the right side of this thin rectangle, make sure that it stays selected and switch to the Rounded Rectangle Tool. Focus on the top bar, set the radius at 2px, check the Add button from the top bar then draw a 20 by 6px vector shape as shown in the second image.

Step 36

Focus on the Layers panel, select the vector shape made in the previous step and drag it below those central circles. Open the Layer Style window for this red vector shape and enter the properties shown in the following images.

Step 37

Duplicate the light yellow circle made in the sixth step (Control + J). Bring this copy to front (Shift + Control + ] ), clear the existing layer style properties and lower its Fill to 0%. Keep focusing on this copy, open the Layer Style window and enter the properties shown in the following images.

Step 38

Switch back to Gridline every 5px. So, go to Edit > Preferences > Guides, Grid & Slices and enter 5 in the Gridline Every box. Set the foreground color at #ccd3d5, pick the Rounded Rectangle Tool, set the radius at 50px and create a 170 by 100px vector shape. Make sure that this new rounded rectangles is selected and go to Edit > Transform > Warp. Focus on the top bar, select Arc Upper from the Warp drop-down menu, enter 10 in the Bend box and hit Enter.

Step 39

Make sure that the vector shape made in the previous step stays selected and pick the Rectangle Tool. Check the Subtract button from the top bar and create a 180 by 55px vector shape as shown in the first image. Switch to the Ellipse Tool, make sure that the Subtract button is still active and draw a 170 by 20px vector shape as shown in the second image.

Step 40

Open the Layer Style window for the vector shape made in the previous step and enter the properties shown in the following images.

Step 41

Duplicate the vector shape edited in the previous step (Control + J). Focus on this copy and clear the current Layer Style properties. Lower its Fill to 0% then open the Layer Style window and enter the properties shown in the following image.

Step 42

Duplicate the vector shape edited in the previous step (Control + J). Focus on this copy and clear the current Layer Style properties. Lower its Fill to 0% then open the Layer Style window and enter the properties shown in the following image.

Step 43

Duplicate the vector shape edited in the previous step (Control + J). Focus on this copy and clear the current Layer Style properties. Lower its Fill to 0% then open the Layer Style window and enter the properties shown in the following image.

Step 44

Duplicate the vector shape edited in the previous step (Control + J). Focus on this copy and clear the current Layer Style properties. Lower its Fill to 0% then open the Layer Style window and enter the properties shown in the following image.

Step 45

Pick the Ellipse Tool, create a 170 by 20px vector shape and place it as shown in the first image. Open the Layer Style window for this squeezed circle and enter the properties shown in the following image.

Step 46

Pick the Rectangle Tool, create a 20 by 45px vector shape and place it as shown in the first image. Open the Layer Style window for this new rectangle and enter the properties shown in the following images.

Step 47

Duplicate the vector shape made in the previous step (Control + J). Focus on this copy and clear the current Layer Style properties. Lower its Fill to 0% then open the Layer Style panel and enter the properties shown in the following image.

Step 48

Focus on the Layers panel, hold Control and click on the squeezed circle made in the forty-sixth step. This should load a simply selection around your shape. Make sure that it stays active, select the rectangle made in the previous step and simply click on the Add layer mask button from the bottom of the Layers panel. Hit Control + D to get rid of that selection then double click on your masked rectangles. Check the "Layer Mask Hidden Effects" box and click OK.

Step 49

Hit Shift + Control + Alt + N to create a new layers, select it and make sure that it goes in the top of the Layers panel. Select this new layer, set the foreground color at white and pick the Brush Tool. Right click inside your document to open the Brush Preset picker, enter 50px for the size and 0% for the Hardness. Select the new layer made in the beginning of the step and add a simple white brush as shown in the following image.

Step 50

Focus on the Layers panel and load a selection around the vector shape made in the fortieth step. Once you get your selection, select the layer made in the previous step and hit the Add layer mask button from the bottom of the Layers panel. Select this masked layer, lower its Opacity to 75% and change the Blending Mode to Overlay.

Step 51

Pick the Rounded Rectangle Tool, create a 20 by 10px vector shape and place it as shown in the first image. Send this tiny rounded rectangle to back (Shift + Control + [ ), open the Layer Style window and enter the properties shown in the following images.

Step 52

Select all the shapes made in the last fourteen steps and turn them into a smart object. Select this new smart object and rotate it -30 degrees.

Step 53

Select the smart object made in the previous step, send it to back (Shift + Control + [ ), place it as shown in the first image then duplicate it (Control + J). Select this copy, flip it horizontally (Edit > Transform > Flip Horizontal) then drag it to the right as shown in the third image.

Step 54

Create a new Layers, drag it in the top of the Layers panel and select it. Set the foreground color at black and pick the Brush Tool. Open the Brush Preset picker window and set the size at 20px. Focus on your illustration and add two simple brush lines as shown in the following image.

Step 55

Focus on the Layers panel and load a selection around the left smart object made in the fifty-third step. Hold Shift + Control then click on the other smart object made in the fifty-third step. Finally, hold Alt + Control and click on the vector shape made in the third step. In the end your selection should look like in the third image.

Step 56

Make sure that the selection made in the previous step is still active. Select layer made in the fifty-fourth step, change its Blending Mode to Soft Light then simply hit the Add layer mask button.

Step 57

For the following steps you will need a grid every 1px. Simply go to Edit > Preferences > Guides, Grid & Slices and enter 1 in the Gridline Every box. Pick the Rectangle Tool, create a 6 by 22px vector shape and place it as shown in the following image. Switch to the Ellipse Tool, create a 40px circle and place it as shown below.

Step 58

Open the Layer Style window for the rectangle made in the previous step and enter the properties shown in the following images.

Step 59

Open the Layer Style window for the circle made in the fifty-seventh step and enter the properties shown in the following images.

Step 60

Switch back to Gridline every 5px. So, go to Edit > Preferences > Guides, Grid & Slices and enter 5 in the Gridline Every box. Set the foreground color at blue, pick the Rectangle Tool and create a 25 by 40px vector shape. Make sure that this new rectangle stays selected and focus on the left and right sides. Pick the Add Anchor Point Tool and add two new anchor point as shown in the first image. Switch to the Convert Point Tool and simply click on these new anchor points. Grab the Direct Selection Tool, select the bottom, left anchor point and drag it 5px to the right then select the bottom, right anchor point and drag it 5px to the left. In end things should look like in the second image. Make sure that this vector shape stays selected and pick the Ellipse Tool. Check the Add button from the top bar and add a 15 by 10px vector vector shape as shown in the third image. Open the Layer Style window for this little shape, enter the properties shown in the following image and click OK. Move to the Layers panel and turn this vector shape into a smart object.

Step 61

Select the smart object made in the previous step, rotate it -30 degrees, send it to back (Shift + Control + [ ) and place it as shown in the second image. Open the Layer Style window for this little smart object and enter the properties shown in the following image.

Step 62

Duplicate the smart object edited in the previous step (Control + J). Select this copy, flip it horizontally (Edit > Transform > Flip Horizontal), drag it ot the left and place it as shown in the following image. Open the Layer Style window for this copy and inverse the angle used for the Inner Shadow.

Step 63

Set the foreground color at red, pick the Pen Tool (P) and create a vector shape as show in the first image (use the grid as a reference). Focus on this new shape, replace the red with black and lower its Opacity to 15%.

Step 64

Make sure that the foreground color is set at red, pick the Pen Tool (P) and create a new vector shape as show in the first image. Select it, replace the red with black and lower its Opacity to 10%.

Step 65

Duplicate the vector shape made in the previous step (Control + J). Select this copy, raise the Opacity to 100%, turn it into a smart object and go to Filter > Blur > Gaussian Blur. Enter a 3px radius and click OK. Select the smart object made in this step along with the two vector shapes made in the last two steps and group them (Control + G). Select this new group and send it to back (Shift + Control + [ ).

Step 66

Go to the Layers panel. Hold Alt and double click on that "Background" layer from the bottom of the Layers panel. This will immediately unlock it. Open the Layer Style window for this layer, enter the properties shown in the following images click OK and you’re done.

And We’re Done!

Here is how your final result should look.

Have you ever needed a good notepad for your RPG, but without paying for stock images? Well, I can show you how to easily create your own from scratch!

In this tutorial you’ll learn a variety of drawing techniques, mixed with professional filter application, coloring, lighting and more.

Final Image

As always, this is the final image that we’ll be creating:

Step 1

First, create a new file. It shouldn’t be too small, don’t forget about good resolution too (300dpi at least). Fill the background with black.

Step 2

To draw the first sheet we need some irregular brush. Create a new file and draw some black blob with disorted edges, then go to Edit > Define Brush Preset.

Open Brush window and select Shape Dynamics option for your brush. Move the Angle Jitter slider, so that your line could be made of rotated “blobs” – it will make the brush even more rough.

Step 3

Select some glum color for your paper (it’s supposed to be old, saturated colors fade over time).

Create a new layer and use Rectangle Tool (U) to draw a template shape for your first sheet. You can use any size you need.

Change the layer’s opacity to 10% (you can do it simply by clicking “1″ with Move Tool on). It’s just a template, so it shouldn’t be too disturbing.

Create a new layer again and draw the borders of the sheet with your new, rough brush. Hold Shift to keep the lines straight.

Use Magic Wand Tool (W) to select the area outside of your sheet, then click Ctrl+Shift+I to inverse the selection.

Go to Select > Modify > Contract to contract to selection. Select 2 px for it. Now you can fill the inside by using Paint Bucket Tool (G) without fear it will fill your smooth edges too (you can remove the template now, it’s not needed anymore).

Your first sheet should look like this:

Step 4

Now it’s time to add some texture to the sheet. Of course, you could download some free paper texture, but I want to show you how to create your own using patterns built into Photoshop. First, duplicate the sheet layer clicking Ctrl + J. Then make it a clipping mask, selecting Create a Clipping Mask from Layer Menu (or simply with Ctrl+Alt+G shortcut).

With the clipped layer selected, go to Filter > Render > Clouds. Then select Overlay as blending mode and lower the opacity to achieve natural effect.

Let’s rumple this paper even more! Create a new layer above the clipped one, fill it with any color and create a Clipping Mask of it too. Now double click it to get into Blending options, and select Patter Overlay. Choose any pattern you think looks good on it (you may need to load some other texture packs like Erodible Textures or Rock Patterns – they’re not shown on the list by default). Then select Rasterize Layer Style from Right-Click menu of the layer.

Again, use Overlay as blending mode and lower the opacity. Looks better now, but it still resembles some kind of marble. That’s not what we were looking for.

Once more, create new layer, fill and clip it. There’s a nice white texture that’s perfect for paper…

…but because it’s white, it may not look so good. Rasterize it’s style, click Ctrl + I to inverse the colors and select Substract as blending mode. It should look good even with full opacity now (if you feel lost with all these blending modes, just click once on the list and use mouse roll to do a quick review of them all. Experiments are good!).

As the last texture we’ll use noise. Create a new layer, fill it with dark brown, clip it and go to Filter > Noise > Add Noise. Again, use Overlay and lower opacity to blend it into the sheet.

First sheet is done now! Just merge all the clipped layers with the base.

Step 5

It’s time to create other sheets. Duplicate the layer (Ctrl + J) and double click it for blending options. Select Drop Shadow and change its options as shown below.

Now move the duplicated layer a bit left and up using arrow keys with Move Tool on.

Repeat the step above as long as you need.

Step 6

Since it’s an old notepad, its sheets can’t be so steady. Select the layer on the top and put a layer mask on it (it’s this little circle-in-rectangle icon under layer list). A white rectangle should appear next to the layer – select it, grab black, rough brush and draw ragged edges with it. When you draw on the mask, black makes part of picture disappear, white makes it appear again.

Repeat the step above to all the layers. Don’t make them all the same, they should be naturally chaotic.

Step 7

Now we’re going to create the ripped sheets. Copy a full-lenght strip of one sheet…

…then move it to the left and apply the sheet’s style to it. To do it, just select the layer with style you need, right click it and select Copy Layer Style. Now come back to the layer you want it to be applied to, and right click it to select the Paste Layer Style option.

Step 8

Add Layer Mask to the strip and draw ragged edges with black, rough brush.

Then duplicate (Ctrl + J) the layer to create a few ripped sheets.

Use technique from Step 6 to rip the strips too.

Step 9

Now we’ll make holes to bind the notepad. Create new layer and draw something like this with your rough brush.

Select Drop Shadow from Blending Options and change the options as shown below.

Place the copies of the hole wherever you find it fit.

Step 10

Time for ribbon that will keep the sheets together. Use rough brush with some glum, dark color and draw a ribbon on a new layer.

Duplicate the ribbon and clip it to the original. Then put some pattern on it to simulate ragged surface.

You should know what to do now – rasterize, overlay, maybe some lower opacity.

Create a new clipped layer and put some shades around the edges. Use normal brush with low (~20%) Flow for it. Then draw the edges with the main color, and take some color of the sheet to reflect it to the ribbon. When you think it’s done, merge the ribbon with its clipped layers and duplicate it to the rest of the holes. You can use Free Transform (Ctrl + T) to change their shape a bit (and make them various).

That’s the final effect of this process:

Step 11

Now create a new layer and draw a knot on the middle ribbon. Use the techniques you just learnt to make it similar to the ribbons.

Some shadow will make it more natural:

Duplicate the it to simulate strong, tight knot.

Step 12

Create two new layers and draw two loose ribbons. Make them drop a shadow too.

Use our tricks again to simulate the same material as before. The ribbon beneath should be more shaded, so use Curves (Ctrl + M) to darken it.

Step 13

Create a new layer under all the ribbons and paint some shadow using black brush with low Flow. Then change this layer’s Blending Mode to Soft Light. You can also add some light on the ribbon, it’s all up to you.

Step 14

For the text I used free font Aquiline Two. You can find it in the resources section.

And We’re Done!

Doesn’t it look nice? It’s ready to be taken into fantasy world!