Step 1: Background Image

You can download any background image from the net and bring it on the canvas. For this tutorial, we would be using paper textures for our backdrop.

Step 2: Custom Shape

Go to the custom shape and choose the triangular shape. Once made, go to the Layer Style and choose the Drop Shadow option. Apply the following details on your shape.

Step 3:  Grunge Texture

Download any grunge texture and bring it on the canvas. Press CTRL and click on your shape layer palette. This would automatically load the selection of the shape. Go to your grunge texture layer and press CTRL C and CTRL V. This would copy paste the selection on a new layer. After that, desaturate the image by pressing CTRL U and setting the saturation to -100.

Step 4: Newspaper Layer

Now download any old newspaper image and bring it on the canvas. Press CTRL and click on the shape layer palette. Once the selection has been loaded go to the newspaper layer and press CTRL C and CTRL V. This would copy paste the selection. Once that is done, change the blending options of the layer to Pin Light.

Step 5: Ellipse Tool

Grab the Ellipse tool and make a circular shape like shown below. Choose a gradient for your shape and tick the Drop Shadow check box in the Layer Style. Apply the following details.

Step 6:  Gaussian Blur

Duplicate the shape layer and go to Filter, Blur and apply the Gaussian Blur effect. You would have to rasterize the image first. Once that is done, reduce the opacity of the layer to 20%.

Step 7: Layer Mask

Select the shape layer and go to Layer, Layer Mask and choose the Reveal All option. Once that is done, select the brush tool. Choose grunge brushes for your design. Once downloaded and installed, click the layer mask and apply the brushes around the edges of the circle.

Step 8: Repeat

Repeat Step number 5, 6 and 7 to make another shape. Use different gradients for this shape.

Step 9: Gradient Layer

Create a new layer and select the rectangular marquee tool. Make a selection and fill it with any color. Go to the layer style and choose the gradient option. Create any rainbow colored gradient.

Step 10: Gaussian Blur

Go to Filter, Blur and apply the Gaussian Blur effect. Reduce the opacity of the layer to 20% and change the blending options of the layer to Screen.

Step 11: Grunge Wallpaper

Download another grunge background and position the layer right at the top. Reduce the fill of the layer to 50% and change the blending options of the layer to Darker Color.

Step 12: Brushes

For this step, you would need to download various brushes. You can download them from Brusheezy.com. Once you have the brushes downloaded and installed, start applying them on new layers. Make sure to increase the size of the radius to fill the entire canvas with your design. Once you are done with your composition, duplicate the layer. Change the blending options of both layers to Overlay.

Step 13: Final Touches

That’s it for your basic designs. You can do some minor modifications to increase the sharpness of the image. Use different effects and blending options and test your creativity.

Step 1: Pen Tool

Select the pen tool and make several rays for your background pattern.

Step 2: Pattern

Fill out the canvas with a particular pattern.

Step 3:  Clouds

Add a new layer and color the entire layer yellow. Add a mask to the layer. Click on the layer mask and go to Filter, Render and click on the Clouds option.

Step 4: Brush Tool

For this next step, you would need to download grunge brushes.

Once installed, you can start applying these brushes in a particular pattern on each separate layer.

Step 5: Brushes Continued

Keep using different brushes and make a composition you like.

Step 6:  Guitar

Now we would need a guitar image for our composition. You can download the vector image and bring it on the canvas. Position it right at the center of your canvas.

Step 7: Grunge Background

Download any grunge background and position it on the canvas. Keep the layer right at the top.

Step 8: Darker Color

Duplicate the grunge background twice. That would leave you with 3 layers of the same grunge background. Select the first layer and change the blending options of the layer to Darker Color.

Step 9: Overlay

Select the rest of the grunge background layers and change the blending options for both of them to Overlay.

Step 10: Selection

Select the rectangular marquee tool and make a selection in the middle of the canvas like displayed below.

Step 11: Hue

Select the grunge background layer while the selection is still on. Copy and paste the selection on to a new layer and position that layer right at the top. Change the blending options of the layer to Hue. Go to Layer Style and choose the stroke option. Choose the size 2px and set the color for your stroke to black.

Step 12: Type Tool

Pick up the text tool and use the font Pacfont Good. You can type in your text within the newly created bar. That’s it.

Step 1: Basic Image

Download any grunge background such as the one shown below.

Bring the backdrop on the canvas and press CTRL U. Click on the tick box titled “Colorize” and play with the hues a little bit, until you have this nice fade.

Step 2: Selection Tool

Pick up the Rectangular Marquee tool or the Rectangular Shape tool and make the following selection/shapes. If you are using the selection tool make sure all the strips you make are on the same layer. Color each and every strip using a different color.

Step 3:  Color Burn

Merge all the strips layer into one and change the blending options of that particular layer to Color Burn.

Step 4: Perspective

Now press CTRL T and second click on the selection. Choose the Perspective option and apply it as shown below.

Step 5: Another Perspective

Duplicate the original layer and again apply the perspective option but this time using a different angle.

Step 6:  Brushes

For this step, you would need to download some custom brushes. You can download brushes from Brusheezy.com. Once downloaded and installed select any such brush and reduce the opacity to 50%. Apply it on the bottom strips in a new layer. Increase a size of the brush so you would have one single pattern. Press CTRL and click on the layer palette for the bottom stripes and that would automatically load the selection. Now go to your brush layer and using the eraser tool, remove the area, which falls out of the stripes.

Step 7: Silhouettes

Now you would need to download various silhouette images.

Bring the image on the canvas and crop out different silhouettes and copy them in different layers. Position them on the canvas like shown below.

Step 8: Strips

Make two addition strips using the Rectangular Marquee tool or the Rectangular Shape tool. Color both the strips white and change the blending options of the layer to Exclusion. Position the layer right at the top to affect all other layers. And we are all done.

Step 1: Background

Color your background black and create a new layer. Now you need to download some grunge brushes, which can easily be found at Brusheezy.com. Once downloaded and installed, select your brush tool and choose the brush you want to apply on the canvas. Increase the size of the radius to fill the entire canvas. Choose white color for your brush and apply it on the canvas.

Step 2: Blending Options

Create a new layer and color the entire layer dark brown using the paint bucket tool. Change the blending options of the layer to Color. After that, go to Image, Adjustments and choose the Levels option. Apply an effect, which would reduce the brightness of the image. This would give a sort of dark grunge effect. Now we are done with your backdrop.

Step 3:  Shape

Choose the Rectangular Marquee tool or the Rectangular Shape layer and make the following shape/selection in the middle of the canvas.

Step 4: Gradient

Go to the layer style and apply the following gradient. Keep the angle at 0 degrees.

Step 5: Bevel and Emboss

Tick on the check box titled Bevel and Emboss and use the following details.

Step 6:  Output

Choose the drop shadow option and keep the default values as it is. Once all the filters have been applied, this should be your output.

Step 7: Duplicate

Press CTRL T and tilt the shape like shown in the image below. Keep duplicating the layer and make the pattern as shown below. You can keep on changing the gradient for each layer or simply change the angle of gradient for each layer if you want to remain in the same color scheme.

Step 8: Continue With The Pattern

Duplicate all the files and press CTRL T. Tilt the lines in different angle as shown below. Now we need to erase the part where both the patterns intersect.

Step 9: Lasso Tool

Pick up the lasso tool and make a selection of the area where both the patterns intersect. Once the selection is made, hit delete.

Step 10: Color Burn

Duplicate the entire pattern and merge it into a single layer. Change the blending options of that layer to Color Burn.

Step 11: Vivid Light

Duplicate the merged layer once more and change the blending options to Vivid Light.

Step 1: Background

First of all, we would be starting with a basic background image. For this tutorial, we would use a star or galaxy background.

Step 2: Circular Pattern

Pick up the Ellipse tool and make a circle at the center of the canvas. Reduce the fill of the shape to 50%. Go to the layer style and choose the stroke option. Set the radius at 10. Fill the shape with a very light gradient. Now as you have your basic shape, duplicate the layers and make a pattern on your canvas.

Step 3:  Color

Duplicate all the layers for your pattern and merge them into a single layer. Duplicate the merged layer and color the pattern purple using the paint bucket tool. Change the blending options of the layer to Color Dodge. Both the layers would automatically merge into one another.

Step 4: Brush Tool and Adding Noise

Select the soft brush with 0% hardness and choose the orange color for your fill. Create a new layer, use a large radius that fills the canvas and apply the brush tool on the center of the canvas. Once that is done, change the blending options of that layer to Linear Burn. After that, create another new layer and fill the entire layer with black color. Once that is done, go to Filter, Noise and choose the Add Noise option. Choose the uniform option with 22% amount. Do remember to tick the check box titled Monochromatic. Now you are done with your basic background image.

Step 5: Complete Pattern

Keep repeating the same step every time, increasing the radius of the circle and the size of the stroke as well. Fill the canvas with this pattern.

Step 6:  Vivid Light

Select all the shape layers and merge them into a single layer by pressing CTRL E. Once that is done, reduce the fill of the layer to 65% and change the blending options of the layer to Vivid Light.

Step 7: New Circular Pattern

Pick up the Ellipse tool and make a pattern of circles like shown below. You can use any gradient for your pattern. Make sure to use different gradients for each circle. Reduce the opacity of the smaller circles to 50%.

Step 8: Duplicate Pattern

Duplicate all the shape layers and arrange them in a single group. Change the blending options of that particular group to Color Dodge.

Step 9: Repeat

Repeat the same step again. This time change the blending options of the group to Vivid Light and reduce the opacity of the group to 25%.

Step 10: Final Touches

Now as you have made the basic pattern, it’s time to play with the colors a bit. Beauty of this design is that, you can play with the blending options and the output would surprise you. Create a new layer and use the soft brush tool to color some parts of the canvas bright yellow, red and orange. Use a variety of colors on different layers and change the blending options to Overlay, Soft Light and Color Dodge respectively. That’s it.

Have a look at the finished picture before continuing with the tutorial.

Step1:-
Let’s begin with opening the man’s picture in Photoshop. Double click on the layer to make it working.

Step2:-
Open up the belly dancer image and select only the dancer out of its background using Quick Selection Tool.

Step3:-
Copy the selection and paste it on our working layer. Adjust the size by pressing Ctrl+t.

Step4:-
Now we are going to change the color of the dancer so go to Image>Adjustments>Hue/Saturation as shown below.

Step5:-
Adjust the Hue, saturation and brightness according to the picture given below.

Step6:-
Now to enhance the edges go to Filter>Stylize>Glowing Edges as shown below.

Step7:-
Set the edges as shown in the picture given below.

Step8:-
Now you should have something similar to the image shown below.

Step9:-
Now Set the Blend Mode of the dancer layer to Linear Dodge (Add), reduce the Opacity to 62% and fill will be 71%.

Step10:-
Now Select the Smudge Tool and smudge the edges of the dancer to make them look like smoke (not too much, just a touch here and there).

Step11:-
Open the fractal image copy it and paste upon the dancer.

Step12:-
Set the Blend Mode to screen and reduce the Opacity to 75% and make the fill 58%.

There you have it; your smoke girl is complete. Hope you will try it. Share your side of story with me. I’ll be back with some more great effects in Photoshop. Thanks for reading.

Do take a look at the finished picture before going ahead.

Step1:-
Let’s begin by opening the colorful image in Photoshop.

Step2:-
Now go to Filter, then go to Pixelate > Mosaic. Adjust the cell size “8” square as shown below.

Step3:-
Now again go to Filter> Stylize> Find Edges.

Step4:-
Go to Filter again then to Noise > Median. Adjust the radius 2 pixels. As shown below.

Step5:-
To reduce the size of the spots go to Filter> Other> Maximum and adjust the radius 1pixels.

Step6:-
Now go to Image> Adjustments> Invert.

Step7:-
Set the Blend Mode o Screen and leave the Opacity to 100%.

Step8:-
Now again we’ll go to “Filter” then to “Stylize” and select “Find Edges”.

Step9:-
Now go to Image> Adjustments> Invert.

Step10:-
Duplicate the layer 2 times. Now select the first copy and go to Filter> Blur> Motion Blur and set the angle to 45 degree and distance 100 pixels.

Step11:-
Select the 2nd copy and again go to Filter > Blur> Motion Blur. Set the angle to “-45 degree” and distance will be 100 pixels.

Step12:-
Now go to Layer> New Adjustment Layer> Brightness/Contrast and set both at 25 as shown below.

Step13:-
Now our digital star image is complete.

Hope you had a good time going through this tutorial with me and learned something new also. Do share your thoughts and suggestions. I’ll be back with some new images for you soon, till then take care and have fun.

Take a look at the final image before continuing the tutorial.

Step1:-
So Let us begin with opening the eyes image in Photoshop.

Step2:-
For smoothing out the lines and discoloration go to Filter> Blur> Surface Blur.

Step3:-
Create another layer and select a soft round brush of size 19px with color #d4c7c6 and paint in the eyes as shown below. Erase a bit from the middle according to picture given below.

Step4:-
Set the Blend Mode of this layer to Difference and Opacity 100%.

Step5:-
Now create another layer name it “right eye blood” select a hard round brush of size 25px with color #9e0b0f and paint like a tear coming from right eye as shown below.

Step6:-

Now we are going to give an effect of thickness to the blood and to do that right click on the layer and check on satin. Make the settings according to the picture shown below.

Step7:-
Make another layer select soft round brush of size 2px with white color #ffffff and make spots on the drop end and in the way to give the effect of reflection. Reduce the Opacity to 29%.

Step8:-
Now go to the blood layer and grab the smudge tool and spread a bit of blood in the eye along the lower lash.

Step9:-
Now create another layer draw a drop of blood on the left eye with color #9e0b0f and give some shading with dark maroon color #790000 as shown below.

Step10:-
In this step we are going to darken the eye make-up. Select a soft round brush of size 25px with color #000000 and paint around the eyes as shown below.

Step11:-
Set the Blend Mode of this layer to Overlay and leave the Opacity 100%.

Step12:-
Now we’re going to make some cuts on the face. Select a soft round brush of size 3px with color #9e0b0f and draw some lines as shown below.

Step13:-
Using the same brush as in step 12 with color black#000000 draw on the red lines to give them depth.

Step14:-
Select a brush as shown below like a small twig and give it spacing using brush panel according to picture given below.

Step15:-
Now when you’ll draw over the red cuts it’ll give the effect of stitches.

Step16:-
Select soft round brush of size 2px with color#7d4801 and make some spots on the ends of stitches and then reduce the Opacity to 42%.

There you go. Your spine chilling scary eyes are complete. Hope you learned something new. Do share your views. I’ll be back with some new ideas, till then take care.

Have a look at the finished image before going ahead with the tutorial.

Step1:-
Let us start this retro look by creating a new document in Photoshop of size 784×389 pixels and fill it with the color #630460.

Step2:-
Now we are going to make a pattern on this purple background of ours like old wallpapers, to do that select a floral brush of size 45 with color#400151.

Step3:-
Make the pattern similar to the picture shown below.

Step4:-
Now create another layer and select a Rectangular Marquee Tool and make a rectangle as shown in the picture below and fill it with the color# fbaf5d.

Step5:-
Make another layer, select Pen Tool and make a shape similar to the picture shown below.

Step6:-
Now Right click on the shape and choose Make Selection.

Step7:-
Fill the selected area with color #ffffff then press Ctrl+D to de-select.

Step8:-
Make three more shapes like the white strip using Pen Tool and fill them with colors (pink) # f16eaa, (Blue) # 00bff3, (Green) # 3cb878. Place these strips according to the picture given below.

Step9:-
Make another shape similar to the picture shown below using Pen Tool and then Right click on it and select Make Selection.

Step10:-
Fill it with a darker shade of green color # 1f9257.

Step11:-
Use Pen Tool to make another shape as shown below and after the right click on it choose Make Selection.

Step12:-
Fill it with the color #3cb878.

Step13:-
Now we are going to use Pen Tool again to make two small triangles and fill them with color #ffffff. Place them according to the picture shown below.

Step14:-

Now we are going to add shadow under our beams, for that select a soft round brush of size 25px with color #000000 and draw according to the picture shown below. Set the Opacity to 25%.

Step15:-
Now select the type tool and type 3D with color #ca7010. Right click on the type layer and go to Blending Options then select Inner Shadow. Make the settings according to the picture given below.

Step16:-
Add another type layer and type the words in retro with the color #a47341 and create Inner shadow by right clicking on the layer and selecting Blending Options.

There you go. Your 3D effect in a retro styled background is complete. Hope you had fun. Do experiment with these techniques and create your own unique effects. Share your thoughts. I’ll be back with something interesting for you to create, till then take care.

Do have a look at the final image of ours before going ahead with the tutorial.

Step1:-
Okay, let’s begin with a new document in Photoshop of size 900×600 pixels. Fill this document with a gradient of black color #000000 and gray color #443d3c from left to right.

Step2:-
Now open up the frog image and copy only the frog out of its background using Quick Selection Tool.

Step3:-
Paste the frog on our background and remove back half of it using eraser. Now paste the whole frog again and remove the front half of it as shown below.

Step4:-
Create another layer and fill it with orange color #f35c1d. Set the Blend Mode of this layer to overlay and leave the Opacity to 100%.

Step5:-
Now we are going to give our frog drop shadow. Right click on the first frog layer and select Blending Options from the drop down menu then check on Drop Shadow. Set it according to the picture shown below. Repeat the process for the 2nd half of the frog.

Step6:-
Open up the orange peel image and cut it out from its back ground, then paste the peel between the two halves of the frog as shown below.

Step7:-
Now we’ll make spots on the peel similar to the spots on the frog skin. Select a soft round brush of size 10px with color #833803 and make spots as shown below. Reduce the Opacity to 75%.

Step8:-
Now make a group of all the layers except background and then duplicate the group by right clicking on the group and selecting Duplicate Group. Then press Ctrl +t and right click on the selection then choose Flip Vertical for the reflection.

Step9:-
Place it according to the picture shown below.

Step10:-
Reduce the Opacity of the copied group to 17%.

There you have it. Your own orange peel frog is ready. Hope you’ve enjoyed this tutorial. Share your thoughts on it. I’ll be back with some more exciting images, till then have fun.