In this tutorial, you will learn how to create a simple mailbox icon in Photoshop.

This tutorial is aimed or beginners. We are going to use simple tools like the pen tool and layer styles so it’s important to have a basic grasp of Photoshop’s key features.

This lesson will show you how to put them to work and create a practical outcome.

Final Image

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

Step 1

Create a new file and gather some reference images from Google.

Step 2

Create a new layer, from reference image, start creating the base of the top part, pick up the pen tool (P), click and drag to create curved surface and draw the outline like screenshot below.

Step 3

While using the pen tool, right click and choose Fill Path.

Step 4

Choose color in fill window and choose some basic grey color.

Step 5

Double click the layer in layer panel to open layer style, check gradient overlay, click on gradient to open gradient editor, on top right corner, click the gear like button to open preset types, choose Metals.

Step 6

Apply settings from the screenshot below and then modify the gradient a little bit, making the second white mark a little longer by extending it using a third white marker.

Step 7

Use move tool (V) while layer style is open to place the gradient as shown below.

Step 8

Create a new Layer, Pick up the brush tool (B) and set it to sharp 4 pixel with grey color, then choose pen tool and draw an outline at the right end of the drawing, right click and choose stroke this time instead of fill. Choose brush in stroke option and click ok.

Step 9

Double click on layer to open layer style, and set bevel and emboss from the screenshot.

Step 10

Same way, stroke a line with pen tool on left side, and apply gradient overlay instead of bevel. In gradient, choose same silver metal preset. Use move tool to position it to match with lighting.

Step 11

Keep things organize, create a new group in layer panel, select layers and drag and drop them on group icon to group them.

Step 12

Create the shape with pen tool in new layer, and feel it with color.

Step 13

Apply simple gradient overlay to match the lighting.

Step 14

Like we did previously, stroke outline with pen tool with brush of 4 pixels in grey color. Apply these settings.

Step 15

Set the Blending option to soft light for more shiny effect. Group these layers.

Step 16

With pen tool, draw and fill shape of the base in a new layer. Keep the layers of this base below the layers we have drawn before.

Step 17

Apply gradient overlay setting like before we did, change angle and scale to match like in screenshot, change position with move tool to match.

Step 18

Draw and fill base circle with pen tool or Elliptical marquee tool (M), click and hold on rectangular marquee tool to open it.

Step 19

Apply basic gradient overlay settings, use move tool to match the lighting.

Step 20

Create similar layer below the 1st layer, and apply these settings. Use move tool to match gradient with lighting as usual. We are using same silver preset in gradient.

Step 21

In a new layer, draw a line with pen tool on the edge of the circular base, stroke it with 2 pixel white brush, and apply this gradient overlay setting to match the lighting. Group these layers.

Step 22

Between the groups we have created, draw the remaining part of the box with the pen tool and fill it with dark grey color. Apply gradient overlay to match the lighting. Notice that reverse box is checked, and also the right side of the gradient is darker. Use move tool for the best look.

Step 23

Grab or create a letter, I have this letter graphics, hit CTRL+T to transform, or go to edit menu > Transform. Move corners to create the perspective look. Duplicate the layer by right clicking and choosing duplicate layer in layer panel.

Step 24

Place them in between the top and base layers, or erase the unwanted part to make it look like it is inside the box. Apply these settings to match the lighting and shadows.

Step 25

Draw the shape of base of the handle with pen tool and feel it with grey.

Step 26

With pen tool, stroke the shape of edges using brush of white color with 2 pixel. Duplicate the layer, select the original bottom layer and go to menu bar, choose Filter > Blur > Gaussian Blur.

Step 27

On the base handle layer, apply these settings to match lighting and perspective.

Step 28

Draw two shape for handle with pen tool and fill them with red color. Apply Bevel to them. Notice that we are keeping opacity of shadow low here.

Step 29

With elliptical marquee tool, feel a circle with grey to create bolt, and apply this setting.

Step 30

With similar method, create this joint. Draw shape, fill it with grey, apply bevel. Duplicate bolt layer and move it here.

Step 31

Mailbox is now ready, but we can refine the highlights and shadow for better look. Pickup dodge tool and scratch some area you think need more light.

Step 32

Click and hold on dodge tool to select burn tool, apply it where you need things darker.

Step 33

You can also create a new adjustment layer from layer menu, and choose curves. Click anywhere and drag to create point, adjust it like screenshot to get some contrast between highlight and shadows. Congrats, now you have the icon!

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.

If you’re really comfortable in Photoshop you may love creating stuff like photo manipulations, website layouts and other graphics.

However, there’s a good chance that you’ve never bothered to master vector design. Often Photoshop users will simply assume that it’s something reserved for Illustrator pros, and Illustrator can be too time consuming to learn, or too expensive to buy.

Many people end up outsourcing vector work, which puts a big whole in their pocket.

Wouldn’t you rather master vector design in the software you’re already familiar with – Photoshop?

Photoshop actually has some really powerful vector capabilities, and today you’ll learn them, for free.

You’ll be creating a detailed microphone illustration that’s totally vector based. You’ll master things like smart objects, warping your vector shapes, creating custom patterns, textures, lighting and more, all within a clean, non-destructive vector workflow.

Let’s dive right in!

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 the moment you need a grid every 5px. Go to Edit > Preferences > Guides, Grid & Slices and focus on the Grid section. For starters you will need a grid every 1px. Simpy enter 1 in the Gridline Every box and 1 in the Subdivision box. Also, set the color of the grid 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 #323232, pick the Ellipse Tool and create a 3px circle. Make sure that this little vector shape is selected, switch to the Direct Selection Tool and select the four anchor points that make up your shape. Hold Alt, click inside this shape and drag it 5px to the right. In the end things should look like in the second image. Repeat this technique until you have a row with thirty one circles.

Step 3

Focus on the shape made in the previous step and make sure that the Direct Selection Tool is still active. Select all the anchor points that make up the vector shape made in the previous step, hold Alt, click inside some of those circles and drag a copy 7px down as shown in the first image. Repeat this technique until you have thirty-three rows.

Step 4

Reselect the vector edited in the previous step. Pick the Ellipse Tool, check the Add button from the top and draw a new 3px circle and place it between the top rows as shown below. Focus on this new circle, select it using the Direct Selection Tool, make a copy and drag it five pixels to the right. Repeat this technique until you have a row with 30 circles as shown in the following image.

Step 5

Keep focusing on the existing vector shape, select the row of circles added in the previous step made a copy and drag it 10px down. Repeat these technique thirty more times. In the end things should look like in the following image.

Step 6

Switch to "gridline every 5px". So, simply go to Edit > Preferences > Guides, Grid & Slices and enter 5 in the Gridline Every box. Set the foreground color at #959595, pick the Rounded Rectangle Tool. Set the radius at 120px, create a 195 by 405px vector shape and send it to back (Shift + Control + [ ).

Step 7

Focus on the Layers panel, hold Control and click on the vector shape made in the previous step. This should load a simple selection around your shape. Keep focusing on the Layers panel, pick the Selection Tool(V) and select the complex vector shape made in the starting shapes. Move to the top bar and click on the "Align vertical centers" and "Align horizontal centers" buttons. In the end things should look like in the second image. Finally, get rid of that selection (Control + D).

Step 8

Select the complex vector shape and go to Edit > Transform > Warp. Select Fisheye from the Warp drop-down menu, enter 40 in the Bend box and hit Enter.

Step 9

Make sure that your complex vector shape is still selected and go again to Edit > Transform > Warp. Select Bulge from the Warp drop-down menu, enter 60 in the Bend box and hit Enter.

Step 10

Make sure that your complex vector shape is still selected and go one more time to Edit > Transform > Warp. Select Bulge from the Warp drop-down menu, check the Orientation button, enter 18 in the Bend box and hit Enter.

Step 11

Move to the Layers panel, hold Control and click on the rounded rectangle made in the sixth step. Focus on this new selection and pick the Rectangular Marque Tool. Hold the Alt key from your keyboard and simply click and drag to remove the bottom half of your selection. Make sure that this selection stays active and return to the Layers panel. Reselect the complex vector shape and simpy click on the Add layer mask button. In the end your masked vector shape should look like in the second image. Don't forget to get rid of that selection (Control + D).

Step 12

Move to the Layers panel and double click on the vector shape made in the second step to open the Layer Style window. Activate the Gradient Overlay section and enter the properties shown in the following image. The white numbers from the image stand for location percentage.

Step 13

Select the vector shape edited in the previous step and duplicate it (Control + J). Focus on the Layers panel and select this copy. Bring it to front (Shift + Control + ] ) then right click on it and click on Clear Layer Style. Make sure that this copy is still selected, lower its Fill to 0% then open the Layer Style window and enter the properties shown in the following image.

Step 14

Select the vector shape edited in the previous step and duplicate it (Control + J). Focus on the Layers panel and select this copy. Clear the Layer Style, lower its Fill to 0% then open the Layer Style window and enter the properties shown in the following images.

Step 15

Select the vector shape edited in the previous step and duplicate it (Control + J). Focus on the Layers panel and select this copy. Clear the Layer Style, lower its Fill to 0% then open the Layer Style window and enter the properties shown in the following images.

Step 16

Select the vector shape edited in the previous step and duplicate it (Control + J). Focus on this copy, open the Layer Style window and edit properties used for the Inner Shadow as shown in the following image.

Step 17

Select the vector shape edited in the previous step and duplicate it (Control + J). Focus on this copy, open the Layer Style window and edit properties used for the Inner Shadow as shown in the following image.

Step 18

Focus on the Layers panel, open the Layer Style window for that complex vector shape and enter the properties shown in the following images.

Step 19

Pick the Rounded Rectangle Tool, set the radius at 5px, create a 205 by 25px vector shape and place it as shown in the first image. Make a copy of this new shape (Control + J), select it and go to Edit > Transform > Warp. Select Bulge from the Warp drop-down menu, enter 5 in the Bend box and hit Enter. Open the Layer Style window for this new vector shape and enter the properties shown in the following images.

Step 20

Move to the Layers panel, select the other vector shape made in the previous step and go to Edit > Transform > Warp. Select Bulge from the Warp drop-down menu, enter 10 in the Bend box and hit Enter. Open the Layer Style window for this vector shape and enter the properties shown in the following images.

Step 21

Select the vector shape edited in the previous step and duplicate it (Control + J). Focus on the Layers panel and select this copy. Clear the Layer Style, lower its Fill to 0% then open the Layer Style window and enter the properties shown in the following image. The light red used for the Drop Shadow will make it easier for you to understand the techniques that we’ll use in the next step.

Step 22

Load a new selection around the rounded rectangle made in the sixth step. Select the vector shape made in the previous step and click on the Add layer mask button. Also, open the Layer Style window for this masked vector shape and check the Layer Mask Hidden Effects box. In the end your masked vector shape should look like in the third image. Re-open the Layer Style window and simply replace the red used fro the Drop Shadow effect with a flat black.

Step 23

Set the foreground color at black, pick the Rectangle Tool, create a 10 by 15px vector shape and place it as shown in the first image. Return to "gridline every 1px". Again, simply go to Edit > Preferences > Guides, Grid & Slices and enter 1 in the Gridline Every box. Make sure that the little, black rectangle is still selected and focus on the top bar. Check the Add button and add a 4 by 15px shape as shown in the second image. Open the Layer Style window for this new vector shape and enter the properties shown in the following image.

Step 24

Select the vector shape edited in the previous step and duplicate it (Control + J). Focus on the Layers panel and select this copy. Clear the Layer Style, lower its Fill to 0% then open the Layer Style window and enter the properties shown in the following image.

Step 25

Focus on the shape made in the previous step. Pick the Ellipse Tool, create a 4 by 31px vector shape and place it as shown in the first image. Send it to back (Shift + Control + [ ) then open the Layer Style window and enter the properties shown in the following images.

Step 26

Pick the Rectangle Tool, create an 8 by 31px vector shape and place it as shown in the first image. Make sure that this new shape stays selected and switch to the Ellipse Tool. Check the Add button from the top bar and add a 4 by 31px vector shape as shown in the second image. Continue with the Ellipse Tool, check the Subtract button from the top bar and add a 4 by 31px vector shape as shown in the third image. Send this vector shape to back then open the Layer Style window and enter the properties shown in the following images.

Step 27

Next, you need to create your own simple pattern. First, hit Control + N to create a new document. Enter 2 in the width and height boxes and click OK. Make sure that the Grid and the Snap to Grid are enabled then delete the "Background" layer. Set the foreground color at black and grab the Rectangle Tool. Create a 2 by 1px vector shape and place it as shown in the following image. Now, simply go to Edit > Define Pattern. Pick a name for your pattern, click OK and you got your pattern. Close this document and return to the first one.

Step 28

Move to the Layers panel, right click on the vector shape made in the twenty-sixth step and click on Covert to Smart Object. Select this new smart object, open the Layer Style window and enter the properties shown in the following images.

Step 29

Select the smart object and the vector shapes made in the last six steps and convert them to a single smart object. Make a copy of this new smart object (Control + J), select it and go to Edit > Transform > Flip Horizontal. Make sure that this copy is still selected, drag it to the right and place it as shown in the second image.

Step 30

Switch to "gridline every 5px" and focus on the bottom side of the shapes created so far. Pick the Rectangle Tool, create a 25 by 100px vector shape and place it as shown in the first image. Select it, focus on the bottom side and switch to the Ellipse Tool. Check the Add button from the top bar then add a 25 by 10px vector shape as shown in the second image. Open the Layer Style window for this new vector shape and enter the properties shown in the following images.

Step 31

Focus on the bottom side of the vector shape made in the previous step. Pick the Ellipse Tool, create a 195 by 40px vector shape and place it as shown in the first image. Send it to back (Shift + Control + [ ) then open the Layer Style window and enter the properties shown in the following images.

Step 32

Pick the Ellipse Tool, create a 195 by 40px vector shape and place it as shown in the first image. Select this new vector shape and switch to the Rectangle Tool. Check the Add button from the top bar and add a 195 by 15px vector shape as shown in the second image. Make sure that this vector shape is still selected, send it to back (Shift + Control + [ ) then open the Layer Style window and enter the properties shown in the following images.

Step 33

Return to "gridline every 1px" and focus on the top side of the vector shape made in the thirtieth step. Pick the Ellipse Tool, create a 25 by 6px vector shape and place it as shown in the following image. Open the Layer Style window for this new vector shape and enter the properties shown in the following images.

Step 34

Switch to "gridline every 5px". Pick the Rounded Rectangle Tool, set the radius at 120px, create a 215 by 330px vector shape and place it as shown in the first image. Select this new vector shape, check the Subtract button from the top bar and draw a 205 by 320px vector shape as shown in the second image.

Step 35

Select the vector shape made in the previous step and grab the Rectangle Tool. Check the Subtract button from the top bar and draw a 215 by 125px vector shape as shown in the following image.

Step 36

Return to "gridline every 1px". Select the vector shape edited in the previous step, pick the Rectangle Tool and focus on the bottom side. Check the Subtract button from the top bar and draw a 23 by 8px vector shape as shown in the following image.

Step 37

Select the vector shape edited in the previous step, pick the Ellipse Tool and focus on the bottom side. Check the Add button from the top bar and add two, 5px circles as shown in the following image.

Step 38

Select the vector shape edited in the previous step, pick the Ellipse Tool and focus on the top side. Check the Add button from the top bar and add two, 5 by 6px vector shapes as shown in the following image.

Step 39

Reselect the vector shape made in the last five step and turn it into a smart object. Open the Layer Style window for this new smart object and enter the properties shown in the following images.

Step 40

Focus on the bottom side of the smart object made in the previous step. Set the foreground at white, pick the Ellipse Tool, create two, 5px circles and place them as shown in the first image. Open the Layer Style window for the left circles and enter the properties shown in the following image. Open the Layer Style window for the right circle, enter the same properties shown in the following image, but inverse the angle.

Step 41

Focus on the top side of the smart object made in the thirty-ninth step and pick the Ellipse Tool. Create two, 5 by 6px vector shapes and place them as shown in the first image. Open the Layer Style window or these new shapes and enter the properties shown in the following image.

Step 42

Next, we’ll play a little with the color of the microphone. Select all the shapes created so far and convert them to a smart object. Make a copy of this smart object (Control + J) and select it. Lower its Fill to 0% then open the Layer Style window and enter the properties shown in the following image.

Step 43

Select the second smart object made in the previous step and duplicate it (Control + J). Select this copy, open the Layer Style window and edit the properties used for the Color Overlay as shown in the following image.

Step 44

Create a new layer (Shift + Control + Alt + N) and send it to back (Shift + Control + [ ). Focus on the Layers panel and make sure that this new layer is selected. Set the foreground color at #2d2d2d, pick the Paint Bucket Tool and simply click inside your artoard.

Step 45

Finally, select the smart objects that make up your microphone and turn them into a new smart object. Select it and go to Filter > Noise > Add Noise. Enter the properties shown in the following image, click OK and go to Filter > Render > Lens Flare. Enter the properties shown below, click OK and you’re done.

And We’re Done!

Here is how your final result should look.

Hi there. In the following icon tutorial you will learn how to create an old tv illustrated icon.

You will learn how to work within a professional non destructive vector workflow. This includes mastering Photoshop’s shape and drawing capabilities, and using smart objects and advanced blending options.

Whether you’re interested in icon design or not, this is a must for getting to know some of Photoshop’s more advanced functions and expanding your design repertoire.

Final Image

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

Step 1

First, have this Wooden Textures Pack. You will only need the one named "QUARTERSAWN BEECH . Open this image in Photoshop and go to Image > Adjustments > Levels. Enter the properties shown in the following image then move to the Layers panel. Right click on your texture and click on Merge Visible. Hit Control + A to select everything then hit Control + C to copy this selection. Close this document without saving it.

Step 2

Create a new document. Make it 600px wide and tall, 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 the moment you need a grid every 5px. 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 color of the grid 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 3

Hit Control + V to paste the texture made in the first step. Select this new layer from the Layers panel and hit Control + T. Hold Shift, resize this layer, make sure that the width is set at 330px then hit Enter. Return to the Layers panel, select this layer and make three copies (Control + J). Keep focusing on the Layers panel and turn off the visibility for all these texture layers. We’ll use them one by one in the following steps.

Step 4

Turn on the visibility for the top texture layer and focus on the top side. Set the foreground color at black, grab the Rounded Rectangle Tool, set the radius at 5px, create a 300 by 10px vector shape and place it as shown in the first image. Move to the Layers panel, hold Control and click on this black vector path to load a simple selection around it. Make sure that this selection remains active and delete the black vector path from the Layers panel. Select that visible texture layer and click on the Add Layer Mask button from the bottom of the Layers panel. In the end your masked texture layer should look like in the third image. Hit Control + D to get rid of that selection. Return to the Layers panel, right click on the masked texture layer and click on Convert to Smart Object. Select this new smart object and go to Edit > Transform > Perspective. Focus on the bottom side, stretch it as shown in fourth image then hit Enter. Get back to the Layers panel, double click on the smart object to open the Layer Style window and enter the properties shown in the following images.

Step 5

Turn on the visibility for the top texture layer and focus on the bottom side. Grab the Rounded Rectangle Tool, set the radius at 3px, create a 300 by 15px vector shape and place it as shown in the first image. Select it and go to Edit > Transform > Perspective. Focus on the bottom side, contract it as shown in second image then hit Enter. Move to the Layers panel and load a simple selection around this black vector path. Make sure that this selection remains active and delete the black vector path from the Layers panel. Reselect the visible texture layer, click on the Add Layer Mask button and get rid of that selection (Control + D). Return to the Layers panel and double click on the masked texture layer to open the Layer Style window. Enter the properties shown in the following images and click OK.

Step 6

Turn on the visibility for the top texture layer, select it and bring it to front (Shift + Control + ] ). Pick a simple blue for the foreground color, grab the Rounded Rectangle Tool, set the radius at 8px, create a 320 by 200px vector shape and place it as shown in the first image. Load a selection around this vector shape, select the visible texture layer (from the Layers panel) and click on the Add Layer Mask button. Get rid of that selection (Control + D) then select the blue vector path and lower its Fill to 0%.

That’s the end of the preview!

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Google Calendar is one of many apps that runs on the Internet, not on your desktop. I’ll show you how to make your very own desktop icon for Google Calendar and, hopefully, the skills behind creating other similar icons. I hope you enjoy the experience!

There’s no denying that the Internet is going to be a big part of our future of computing. Running applications in the cloud have already become popular, with services such as Google Apps, which we also offer to our clients. Whether you use Google Mail and Google Calendar to help to manage productivity, or social lifestyling apps like Twitter and Facebook, there’s probably a web-based application or two running on your computer throughout the day.

I recently created some icons and released them to the public for free (and hope to be able to release some more soon), one of which was the icon I’ll be showing you to make in this tut. Feel free to go and pick up those icons here.

This guide will walk you through how I created the Google Calendar icon. There’s a total of 41 steps, so it’s a reasonably long tutorial, so feel free to grab a drink before we begin. You’ll be required to spend a few moments at various points in the tut to draw shapes freeform so please, take your time, and enjoy the experience.

Let’s get started!

Final Image Preview

As always, this is the final image for this tutorial:

Step 1

To begin, create a new Photoshop file that is 512 pixels by 512 pixels in size like in the snap below.

Step 2

Let’s start up by making a new layer. Using the Polygonal Lasso tool (L key, or Shift+L to toggle through the Lassos until you get to the one seen in the snapshot) and draw a loose, freeform, angled square. Fill this square with black, either by using the Paint Bucket tool (G on the keyboard.) Deselect your selection with Command+D.

Step 3

Right click on your new layer in the layers panel, and select “Blending Options‚Ķ”. Click “Stroke” (the word, not the tick box), found at the bottom of the new panel that will have popped up.

Step 4

Select the red that’s in that panel, and a Stroke Colour window will pop up. Select black, and OK through both panels that you have up. We want to flatten down this blending option; what I do for speed is to create another layer underneath this layer, select “Layer 1″ again, and hit Command+E (Ctrl+E for PCs) to merge them on top of one another. All Blending Options bake down too.

Step 5

Using the Polygonal Lasso tool again, create another freeform shape on a new layer (below the current one) in a different colour to simulate a facade to the square that we’ve just made. We’re building up a 3D looking “surface” here, which we’ll put the calendar itself onto. Deselect again.

Step 6

Make yet another layer, above all the others, and make another freeform shape with the polygonal lasso tool. I know, lots of free shapes. Take your time to get them just how you want them. I’ll wait here while you do it. Make it another colour again, so that we can see what we’re up to on each layer. This is what will eventually become the “Top Page”. Deselect again.

Step 7

Another layer, another freeform shape with the Polygonal Lasso tool. Make this one underneath the “Top Page” layer, like shown in the image. This will eventually become all of the other pages that are underneath the top one. Again, make sure it’s a different colour, so we can tell what’s going on where, then deselect when you’re done.

Step 8

At this stage you’ll have 4 layers. Keeping layers tidy early on is a life saver later on, particularly when you work on big pieces like this. In the screenshot above, you can see what I chose to rename each layer. I’d recommend using the same names while you use this tutorial so that you don’t risk getting confused later on.

Step 9

Using the Polygonal Lasso tool again, make a selection around the top of the “Top Page” layer.

Step 10

Using shortcuts Command+X then Command+V will cut that section out from that layer, and paste it back into reality on its own new layer. Pop it back to where it was before by using the move tool (V on the keyboard). This bit at the top will eventually become the “bind” that holds each sheet of the calendar in place. Let’s name this layer “Bind”.

Step 11

Select the “Top Page” layer again, and hit Command+L on the keyboard to bring up your Layers panel. In the Output Levels area at the bottom, grab the black nozzle and drag it along to the right until its integer reads 230. Alternatively, just type 230 into that same box.

Step 12

Back on the “Bind” layer, bring up those Blending Options again (second click on the layer, “Blending Options‚Ķ”) and click on Color Overlay from the left-hand column. Pick a colour that you’d like to use for your bind (I chose a desaturated blue, to go with the official Google Calendar icon). HIT OK

Step 13

Select your “Bind” layer’s pixels by clicking on its image thumbnail from the layers panel while holding down the Command key. With these pixels selected, make a new layer and select the Gradient tool (G on the keyboard, or Shift+G to toggle over to it from the Paint Bucket) and click on the little arrow in the top left corner of your screen next to the Gradient icon. Select the second standard gradient, which runs black to transparent. If it’s not black to transparent as an option, make sure that your colour palette on the right side of your screen has black as the foreground colour. Select this again and black should then become the colour which merges to transparent. Be sure that the Linear gradient is selected (that’s the first one of five options, right next to the drop-down you’ve just used to select your gradient colours). Draw a line from the bottom of the “Bind” to about three-quarters up it, then release. This should give you a gradient like in the image above. It usually takes a few goes to get it exactly how you want it. Call this layer “Bind Gradient”

Step 14

I set this new “Bind Gradient” layer to “Multiply” with an opacity of 25% like in the image above. This will make the gradient nice and soft, hinting at the bind’s shape.

Step 15

In a similar way as the Bind layer was created from “Top Page”, we’re going to select pixels from the top of “Bind” to make a highlight to “Bind” itself. Select a thin row of pixels from along the very top of “Bind”. This time we won’t Cut and Paste it back in, though; we’ll instead make the selection and use the Duplicate command (Command+J) to make another instance of the selection above the original. Do this, and use the Levels panel to change the colour to make it lighter than the original “Bind” layer. We’re going to do this again on the bottom of “Bind” too, and make it darker, so that “Bind” looks like the image above. Name these two layers “Bind Highlight” and “Bind Lowlight” respectively.

Step 16

Like instruction #13, we’re going to use that Gradient tool again. On a new layer, we’ll draw from underneath “Bind” down until about three-quarters the way up “Top Page” with the gradient tool, in a south-east direction along your canvas. This will leave you with a big blob of black on your lovely work, filling the top of your screen, and fading to transparent as it enters the “Surface Top” area. Don’t fret; use the Mask tool (the third icon along at the bottom of your layers panel; looks like a moon in a dark sky) and rub out all of the Gradient that we don’t want by using the Brush tool (B on the keyboard) Selecting Bind like in #13 and rubbing out its contents may speed up the process. Name this new layer “Bind Gradient”.

Step 17

It’s time to make that “Top Page” look more realistic. Select the pixels of “Top Page” using the polygonal lasso tool, in the same way as in instruction #15, and make a new layer. Using the Brush tool, we’re going to draw in where we want some light shadowing to be. Turning down the opacity of this layer will make the black nice and soft like in the image above. I chose to make some light shading around the edge of the page, and some to emphasise the lifting of the corner. I kept the lifted corner itself completely clear of all this, to make it appear raised. Name this layer “Top Page Shading”

Step 18

Select the “Top Page” layer and duplicate it (Command+J). Drag the duplicate underneath the original and nudge it down a few pixels from the original using the Move tool (V on the keyboard). Use the Levels panel (Command+L) to make it a little lighter than its original.

Step 19

We’ve got 12 layers on the go at the moment. Even though I work with hundreds of layers on my bigger pieces, I try to keep the count down if I know I don’t need to go back and change anything. Like in the image above, I flattened all of the “Top Page” layers together, and all of the “Bind” layers together. To do this, select a group of layers you want to flatten together, and hit Command+E to merge them.

Step 20

Next step, the “Other Page”. Using the Blending Options on the “Other Page” layer, use the Gradient from the left column to make the layer look like the image above. Flatten the blend mode onto the layer like in instruction #4.

Step 21

Duplicate the new “Other Page” layer, and drag it underneath the original. Using the Levels panel (Command+L), drag the black Input Level over to the right and the white Input Level to the left slightly like in the image above to increase the intensity of the Gradient. Nudge this layer down slightly from the original “Other Page” layer, to reveal the second “Other Page”. The increased intensity of this layer’s Gradient allows the effects of the gradient to be visible in this small space.

Step 22

With this newly positioned “Other Page” copy, copy it a few times more and continue stacking them slightly below one another like in the image to give the feel of there being multiple calendar pages.

Step 23

We want to make the “Surface Top” look better, next. Duplicate “Surface Top” and invert it to be white (Levels panel can help out if you didn’t start out with black).

Step 24

From the menu at the top of Photoshop, select “Filter > Noise > Add Noise‚Ķ”

Step 25

Choose how much noise you’d like to use. I chose 58.91% of uniform, monochromatic noise. Noisy.

Step 26

Select the pixels of the noisy layer. You’ll want to contain this next step, as it leaks all over the place without selections. On top of this new noisy layer, select “Filter > Blur > Motion Blur‚Ķ” from the top.

Step 27

In the Motion Blur window, try to get the angle of your blur in line with the angle of Surface Top. set the distance enough to make a wood grain-like pattern. OK to that.

Step 28

Set this noisy layer to Overlay in the Levels panel. It should basically disappear. Select “Surface Top” and, using Levels panel (Command+L), drag the black Output Level over to the right slightly to make the layer’s pixels off-black. This should reveal your noise again slightly.

Step 29

Use the Levels panel on your noise layer too, in a similar way to the image above, to focus the histogram on the area of effect.

Step 30

On the “Surface Top” layer, select the very bottom of the surface with the polygonal lasso tool.

Step 31

In the Levels panel again, slide the grey input level over to the left slightly to make your selection lighter. You should have a nice little highlight on that edge, now.

Step 32

Next up, new layer. On this layer, you’ll want to use the Polygonal Lasso tool to make a selection for colouring in. In the image above, you’ll see that I drew a 4×3 grid. This will become the calendar itself. Take your time on this step, and feel free to use multiple layers and flatten them together at the end for accuracy. Make sure your lines are all the same thickness all the way along.

Step 33

Make a selection around the squares seen in the image above, and make a new layer below the grid that we’ve just created. Fill it with black, then use the Opacity slider in the levels panel to weaken it off.

Step 34

New layer, above all the others this time. Fill it with a colour of your choice (I went with red, again, to be in line with the official Google Calendar icon).

Step 35

Select a lighter version of your chosen colour, then select the pixels of the layer. With a suitably sized Brush with no Hardness, click a few times in one spot, to give the square a nice highlight.

Step 36

Using the Blending Options panel, give this shape an Inner Glow. Go for a Black one with about 25% opacity, with a blend mode of Multiply.

Step 37

Almost finished now. Time for a bit of polish. Select the Surface Top layer’s pixels, then make a new layer above all the others. Make that brush you were using white, and a bit larger. Click a few times near the centre/top of the Surface Top to make a big white blob. Set the blending mode to Soft Light in the layers panel, and adjust the opacity if you need to, to give some depth to the calendar.

Step 38

Do the same for the Bind layer. I chose to make this layer “Overlay” in the blend mode, to compliment the blue underneath.

Step 39

Make a duplicate of the Surface Top layer, and drag it to the bottom of the layers panel. By going “Filter > Blur > Gaussian Blur‚Ķ” we’ll make this layer into a shadow.

Step 40

Set the Radius to about 8 or 9, then Duplicate this layer a few times on top of itself to make the layer effect stronger.

Step 41

Flatten the shadow layers together, and you should have yourself a very fine Google Calendar icon.

And We’re Done!

Voila! You should have your very own Google Calendar icon. More importantly, you should have your very own understanding of how such an icon is pieced together. I truly hope you’ve enjoyed reading this tutorial. Speak soon!

Download Source File for this Tutorial

Final Image

Here is a preview of the image that we are going to be creating:

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Step 1

We’re going to be creating our icon at 128X128 (although you can use this tutorial to create an icon of any size).

Start by creating a new document (128X128px). Then lay out some guides:

Vertical Guides:

0px, 32px, 64px, 96px, 128px

Horizontal Guides:

0px, 20px, 128px

Step 2

Now go to image>canvas size. Increase your canvas size to 600px wide, 400px high.

Your guides will remain central.

Now create a new layer called ‘background’. Fill your canvas with a radial gradient ranging from ffffff to eeeeee.

Step 3

Now use your guides to create a rounded rectangle shape in the center of your canvas (128X128px).

Ensure that your fill color is 343434 and your shape radius is 20px.

Step 4

Now rasterize this layer (layer>rasterize>layer).

Duplicate it a total of 4 times. This will mean you now have 5 rounded rectangle layers.

Call your first layer ‘icon bottom’
Call your second layer ‘icon top 1′
Call your third layer ‘icon top 2′
Call your forth layer ‘icon top 3′
Call your fifth layer ‘icon top 4′.

Now use your marquee selection tool and your guides to cut away parts of each layer. For your ‘icon bottom’ layer cut off the top 20px of your icon. For the ‘icon top 1′ layer cut off all but the top 32X20px area, and so on for the other segments at the top of your icon.

You can see your five layers isolated below:

Step 5

Now go to the blending options for your ‘icon bottom’ layer.

Apply a bevel and emboss and gradient overlay blending option:

Bevel and Emboss Blending Option Settings:

Style: Inner Bevel
Technique: Smooth
Depth: 1000%
Direction: Up
Size: 5px
Soften: 0px
Angle: 90
Highlight Opacity: 0%
Shadow Mode: Multiply
Shadow Color: 000000
Opacity: 15%

Gradient Overlay Blending Option Settings:

Blend Mode: Normal
Opacity: 100%
Gradient: 1d1d1d to 292929
Style: Linear
Angle: 90

Step 6

Now make your ‘icon top 1′ layer visible and apply an inner shadow and color overlay blending option:

Inner Shadow Blending Option Settings:

Blend Mode: Multiply
Color: 000000
Opacity: 15%
Angle: 90
Distance: 5px
Choke: 0%
Size: 0px

Color Overlay Blending Option Settings:

Blend Mode: Normal
Color: f23a3f
Opacity: 100%.

Step 7

Now make your other ‘icon top’ layers visible. Right click on your ‘icon top 1′ layer in your layers palette and click ‘copy layer styles’. Then right click on your other ‘icon top’ layers and click ‘paste layer styles’.

This is a quick and easy way to apply your inner shadow blending option to each layer. Now you simple want to change the color in the color overlay blending option for your 3 top layers.

Icon Top 2 Layer Color Overlay: 5988f5
Icon Top 3 Layer Color Overlay: 5fb816
Icon Top 4 Layer Color Overlay: ffc000

Step 8

Now select the entire rounded rectangle shape using your preferred selection method.

With this selection in place create a new layer called ‘radial gradient’.

Drag out a radial gradient (white to transparent) from the top-center of your icon. Then change this layer’s blend mode to ‘overlay’ and reduce it’s opacity to 30%. This should provide a nice lighting effect and give a bit of extra depth to your icon.

The images below show the effect at ‘normal’ blend mode 100% opacity, and then at ‘overlay’, 30% opacity:

Step 9

Now we want to paste in the small ‘g’ from the Google logo to use as an outline.

However, in order to make it usable for our icon we need to get a good selection of the letter.

Paste the letter into a new document and go to select>color range. Then using your eye dropper tool click on the blue part of your letter. Then up the fuzziness to 200. You should get a nice selection of only the blue part of your letter.

Now paste your ‘g’ back into your original document, and position it just left of center in the dark gray area.

Then go to blending options for this layer and apply a color overlay blending option:

Color Blending Option Settings:

Blend Mode: Normal
Color: ffffff
Opacity: 100%

Step 10

Now simply use your type tool to type out a ‘+’ symbol to the right of your ‘g’ letter. Use your guides to position it correctly:

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.

This icon actually scales really well, as you can see from a range of the standard icon sizes below:

FREE Icon Set Download:

As a special bonus to this tutorial we’re distributing the icon set absolutely free. We hope that with the popularity of this great new service than many of you will be able to use this icon set on your blogs or profiles:

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Download Source File for this Tutorial

As part of our FanExtra Network launch, we will be publishing one tutorial every day for our launch week. We hope that you enjoy them.

You can also sign up for your FanExtra membership for just $1 for the first month (offer ends Friday 22nd, October). This will give you access to our hundreds of tutorial source files, members only tutorials, hundreds of textures/vectors/icons, and great design discounts! Sign Up Today.

FanExtra Launch Week:

DAY 1:

FanExtra Network Launch
Create a Google Docs Icon

DAY 2:

30 Minute Redesign – GymDJ
Master a Professional Photo-Retouching Workflow

DAY 3:

Design a Textured Portfolio Website

DAY 4:

Members Area Tutorial: Digital Painting Lesson: Scarecrow’s Joyride

DAY 5:

Create a Stylized Photo Montage From Scratch

DAY 6:

Design a Grungy Rock & Roll Gig Poster

DAY 7

Design an Awesome Paint Splattered Dancer

Google Docs Icon Tutorial

Last year I created some icons and released them to the public for free. I created a tutorial which went down well explaining how to create one of those icons. It’s time to go through another, don’t you think? The free icons are all available on my blog. There’s a link to my website in the “About the Author” box down below the tutorial.

This guide will walk you through how I created the Google Docs icon. There’s a total of 50 steps, so it’s another reasonably long tutorial. Like last time, you’ll be required to spend a few moments at various points in the tut to draw shapes freeform so please, take your time, and enjoy the experience.

Let’s get started!

Final Image

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

Step 1

To begin, create a new Photoshop file that is 512 pixels by 512 pixels in size like in the snap below.

Step 2

Let’s start up by making a new layer. Using the Polygonal Lasso tool (L key, or Shift+L to toggle through the Lassos until you get to the one seen in the snapshot) and draw a loose, freeform, angled square. Fill this square with black, either by using the Paint Bucket tool (G on the
keyboard.) Deselect your selection with Command+D.

Step 3

Right click on your new layer in the layers panel, and select “Blending Options.” Click “Stroke” (the word, not the tick box), found at the bottom of the new panel that will have popped up.

Step 4

Select the red that’s in that panel, and a Stroke Color window will pop up. Select black, and OK through both panels that you have up. We want to flatten down this blending option; what I do for speed is to create another layer underneath this layer, select “Layer 1? again, and hit Command+E (Ctrl+E for PCs) to merge them on top of one another. All Blending Options bake down too.

Step 5

Using the Polygonal Lasso tool again, create another freeform shape on a new layer (below the current one) in a different color to simulate a facade to the square that we’ve just made. We’re building up a 3D looking “surface” here, which we’ll put the calendar bit onto. Deselect again. I’m making each piece a different colour for my own benefit; if you want to do the same, hit Cmd/Ctrl+Optn/Alt+U and use the Lightness slider to change the tone.

Step 6

Next up we’re going to create the little calendar bit that sits underneath the main wad of paper. Make a new layer and use the Lasso tool to create a box similar to the one in the screenshot. Deselect.

Step 7

Quickly name your layers so that you (and I) don’t get lost in layers.

• Layer 1: Base
• Layer 2: Base Side
• Layer 3: Paper 1

Create another layer above all the others and call it “Paper 2″. Draw a shape with the Lasso tool again like the one in the screenshot. Deselect.

Step 8

Same again as before, use the Stroke to give the shape some nice rounded corners.

Step 9

Another layer now, called “Other Pages”. Draw a shape like the one in the screenshot, and slip it underneath “Paper 2″.

Step 10

To get all these Blending Options flattened down so they’re out of the way, right-click/second-click on the blending option from the Layers panel and hit “Create Layer”. That’ll make the effect its own layer. Select that new layer and the original it just spawned from, and hit Cmd/Ctrl+E to merge the two together into one single layer.

Step 11

Take a breath and take check on your Layers panel; this is where we should all be up to so far! Time to start taking what we’ve made and make ‘em look pretty.

Step 12

Select “Paper 2″ and hit Cmd/Ctrl+L to bring up the Levels pane. Drag the Black Output Level nozzle over to the right to remove those darks from the layer, making the paper lighter. You’ll want it almost completely white.

Step 13

Make a new layer above “Paper 2″, and with a gray brush ready and no Hardness on your brush, draw an unsightly line across your work like in the screenshot. No, I’ve not lost my mind, work with me here!

Step 14

Cmd/Ctrl+click on the thumbnail of “Paper 2″ in the Layers panel to auto- select all the pixels on that layer.

Step 15

Right/Second-click on the canvas with the Marquee tool selected, and click “Select Inverse”.

Step 16

With everything that isn’t “Paper 2″ selected, and the gray blob layer selected in the Layers panel, hit the backspace key to delete everything we don’t want.

Step 17

Drag the Opacity slider down the left to around 25% to make the gray blob little more than subtle shading on the paper.

Step 18

Underneath the “Other Pages” layer, make a new layer. Now you’re a dab-hand at making unsightly brush strokes, it’s time to do it again, with a big black brush. The trick here is to get the “spray” of this brush peeping through the side of the left side of Paper 2.

Step 19

Use the “Select Inverse” routine again, with “Paper 1″ as your selection.

Step 20

There we go! A little shadow from “Paper 2″ is being cast over “Paper 1″. Very nice. Grab the brush layer and the “Paper 1″ layers, and Merge Layers (Cmd/Ctrl+E)

Step 21

Cmd/Ctrl+U brings up your Hue/Saturation pane. Brings this up with “Paper 1″ selected, and drag the Lightness slider over to the left a little to make “Paper 1″ a little bit darker than “Paper 2″.

Step 22

Select the “Other Pages” layer, and in the Blending Options panel, select Gradient Overlay. I used the default White>Black gradient, reversed it, tilted the angle a bit so that it’s in line with the paper, and changed the scale to get both black and white parts of the gradient visible on-screen.

Step 23

Merge these Blending modes down like before, by right/second-clicking on the effect, creating a layer, and merging them with Cmd/Ctrl+E. It’ll look a little different in the Layers panel this time around, but don’t worry, do it like before and it’ll all be fine.

Step 24

The “Other Pages” layer (which probably has a weird long title at this point) needs duplicating so that we can create multiple pages. Cmd/Ctrl+J three times will duplicate the layer to make a total of 4 “Other Pages”…

Step 25

…Like this…

Step 26

…For you to push around with the Move tool (V) to make a stack of pages.

Select them all in the layers panel…

Step 27

…and Merge the layers with Cmd/Ctrl+E. With the Lasso tool, draw a selection around the page edges. We’re going to want to make these edges more defined, as they’re quite unpronounced at the moment.

Step 28

Cmd/Ctrl+L for the Levels pane again. Drag the Input Levels around until you get a nice and pronounced edge to the pages.

Step 29

Missing those unsightly brush blobs? Yeah, me too. Let’s make some more. Create a new layer above “Other Pages” (or whatever it’s called itself at this point) and make a blob of white, and a blob of black. You want these just touching the edge of the pages on the “Other Pages” layer like in the screenshot.

Step 30

Select Inverse again, from a cmd/ctrl+click selection from “Other Pages”.

Step 31

Hit the backspace key to take out all the mess, then set the layer blending mode to “Overlay” to leave the “Other Pages” with some subtle variation in brightness.

Step 32

Duplicate the “Paper 2″ layer and push the one underneath down a little, and make it completely white with the Brightness slider (Cmd/Ctrl+U). While we’re here, now is a good time to play with the brightness of various parts of the layer (brush blobs, select inverse … you know the drill now!)

Step 33

Select the “Other Pages” and go to Filter:Noise:Add Noise…

Step 34

Add some very light noise, just to add some papery grain to those lower pages.

Step 35

Time to add some color. Grab the “Base” layer, and bring the Blending Options up (double-click the layer in the Layers Panel; I know, I randomly forget these things too sometimes) and add a Color Overlay. Fill it up with a nice blue like in the screenshot.

Step 36

Do the same for “Base Side”, but with a slightly darker blue.

Step 37

Duplicate the “Base” layer with Cmd/Ctrl+J. Go to Filter:Noise:Add Noise… again, with this new “Base” layer selected, but add a nicer burst of noise this time around.

Step 38

Go to Filter:Blur:Motion Blur… and blur the noise in the direction of the layer.

Step 39

Cmd/Ctrl+L for the Levels panel again, to drag the Input Levels around to get some better definition in these new “grooves”.

Step 40

Use the Lasso tool and grab the very bottom edge of the noisy, blurry version of “Base” that we have. With the Levels panel again, drag the
highlights to the left like in the screenshot. This’ll give a little highlight to add some depth to the base as a whole.

Step 41

Merge together the two “Base”s. Create a new layer above our newly unified “Base” layer, and using the brush tool again, create a big white blob in the centre of where “Base Side” is.

Step 42

Trim up this blob with the Select Inverse process we’ve used over and over, and dim the result down so leave us with what appears to be a highlight on the “Base Side”. Merge it down.

Step 43

Looking good so far! Push the “Paper 1″ layer upwards a little like in the screenshot (don’t mind that it got renamed in the screenshot!)

Step 44

Using the Lasso tool, make selections across “Paper 1″ to create a grid like in the example, and fill it all in with the brush tool. Do it in a few
separate selections if you, like me, like to keep selections simple if possible. Take your time. I’ll wait right here.

Step 45

Lastly, we want to make a pen to sit on top of everything, to wrap things up nicely. I made two layers (one for the blacks, one for the whites) but you could just as easily do it all on one layer if you prefer. If you need a helping hand, run a Google Image search for some pens to get some ideas before you start.

Step 46

Just like Step 18, get a big brush and draw with the spray, to get some detail on the side of the white elements of the pen. Cmd/Ctrl+clicking on the respective pen layer will make sure that there’s no mess outside the area you want to draw in.

Step 47

Keep on doing this to add details across the whole pen.

Step 48

Create a new layer and, using the Lasso Tool, make a selection that looks like the nib in the screenshot. Use the brush tool to color in your
selection black.

Step 49

Finally, make a layer beneath the pen and, using the brush tool, color in underneath the pen. The splash from the brush will leave a slight black blur around the outside of the pen, that looks like a shadow.

Step 50

Drag the background layer into the trash and we’re all done! Check out what YOU made! I didn’t know you could make that! You’ve clearly been practicing, you dark horse, you.

Speak soon!

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:

Download Source File for this Tutorial