Saturday 20 February 2016

Create Yummy Chocolate Brown Text Effect in Photoshop

In this tutorial I am going to show you how to create very quick and easy chocolate brown text effect in only seventeen steps.
All you need to achieve the final result is any version of Adobe Photoshop (Photoshop Elements will do well too) and a little bit of passion while playing with the Blending Options.
I have used Deftone Stylus Font which you can download for free from http://www.fontsquirrel.com/. In Step 5 I have given you the Font link.

Now let's get down to work. This is what you are going to create:
  

STEP 1
At first create a new Adobe Photoshop .psd file and insert 1200px for Width and 700px for Height. Choose 96 Pixels/Inch for Resolution (if you are to print the Text set it to 300 Pixels/Inch) and select Transparent for Background Contents in order to get transparent and editable Layer 1. I have named my document Chocolate Brown Text.
Rename also Layer 1 to Background.
  

STEP 2
Navigate to the Tools bar and Set the Foreground color to #8e5e4c. Use Paint Bucket Tool or Edit, Fill, Foreground color to colorize the Background layer.

STEP 3
As our Background looks flat now we are going to add some texture. Double click on Background layer (Layer, Layer Style, Blending Options) and firstly check Pattern Overlay. Change its settings like this:

Blend Mode: Overlay
Opacity: 30%
Pattern: Fine Grain (256 by 256 pixels, RGB mode)
Scale: 100%
Link with Layer: checked.
Keep Layer Style dialog box active. We are going to apply Inner Shadow in the next step.
 STEP 4
 Tick Inner Shadow to add Vignette Effect and apply these settings:
 Blend Mode: Multiply
Color of Shadow: #000000 (black by default)
Opacity: 75%
Angle: 120 degrees
Use Global Light: ticked
Distance: 0px
Choke: 0%
Size: 250px
Contour: Linear
Anti-aliased: unchecked
Noise: 0%.
We are ready with the Background. Press OK button to close Layer Style box.

This is how your Textured Background will look after implementing the previous two steps:
STEP 5
Now we'll start with the main part of this tut- creating the yummy text.
Install the font then select Horizontal Type tool from the Tools bar (or press T). From the Font Family drop down menu choose the newly installed Deftone Stylus. Set the Font Size to 180pt. Choose #532515 for Text Color then type Chocolate as you see on the screenshot given for this step.
After you have typed the Text, select it then click on Toggle the Character and Paragraph Panels icon in the Options bar and Set the Tracking for the Selected Characters to 170.
Press Ctrl+G to place the Text layer in a Group. Call the newly created Group Text.
STEP 6
Select the Chocolate Text layer, right click on it, choose Blending Options and firstly tick Drop shadow. Change its settings as follows:
Blend Mode: Multiply
Color of Shadow: #000000
Opacity: 75%
Angle: 120 degrees
Use Global Light: checked
Distance: 4px
Spread: 20%
Size: 10px
Contour: Linear
Anti-aliased: unchecked
Noise: 0%.
Layer Knocks Out Drop Shadow: checked.
Keep Layer Style box opened. We are going to apply three more Blending Options.
STEP 7
Check Inner Glow Layer Style and apply the following settings:
Blend Mode: Screen
Opacity: 77%
Noise: 0%
Color of Glow: #fca445
Technique: Softer
Source: Center
Choke: 0%
Size: 55px
Contour: Rounded Steps
Anti-aliased: unchecked
Range: 50%.
Jitter: 0%.
STEP 8
The third Layer Style to be added to our Chocolate Text layer is Stroke. Insert these settings:
Size: 1px
Position: Outside
Blend Mode: Normal
Opacity: 100%
Fill Type: Color
Color: #4d2f1b.
STEP 9
Now check Bevel and Emboss in order to create a slight 3D effect. Change its settings like this:
Style: Inner Bevel
Technique: Smooth
Depth: 100%
Direction: Up
Size: 13px
Soften: 0px
Angle: 120 degrees
Use Global Light: checked
Altitude: 30 degrees
Gloss Contour: Linear
Anti-aliased: not checked
Highlight Mode: Screen
Color for Highlight: #8e5d16
Opacity: 100%
Shadow Mode: Multiply
Color of Shadow: #000000
Opacity: 75%.
Now press OK button to close Layer Style box. Our work on Chocolate Text layer is completed.
This is how your Chocolate Text will look so far. Still it looks more like made of caramel. J
STEP 10
While Chocolate layer is selected, press Ctrl+J to duplicate it or right click on it and select Duplicate Layer.
Reduce Fill Opacity of Chocolate copy layer to 0%. Right click on the copied layer and select Clear Layer Style to get rid of the previously applied Blending Options.
Right click on Chocolate copy layer again, select Blending Options and check Gradient Overlay in Layer Styles box. Apply the following settings:
Blend Mode: Soft Light
Dither: unchecked
Opacity: 100%

Change the Gradient Color stops like this:

First Color Stop (Location 0%): #7b492e
Second Color Stop (Location 100%): #bd5d00

Reverse: unchecked
Style: Linear
Align with Layer: checked
Angle: 90 degrees
Scale: 100%.
Keep Layer Style box opened as we have to add another five Blending Options.
STEP 11
The second Layer Style to be added to Chocolate copy Text layer is Satin. Insert the following settings:
Blend Mode: Multiply
Color of Effect: #1e160b
Opacity: 60%
Angle: 19 degrees
Distance: 15px
Size: 13px
Contour: Log
Anti-aliased: unchecked
Invert: checked.
STEP 12
Now check Inner Shadow Layer Style and change its settings like this:
Blend Mode: Multiply
Color of Shadow: #000000
Opacity: 75%
Angle: 120 degrees
Use Global Light: ticked
Distance: 0px
Choke: 0%
Size: 13px
Contour: Ring
Anti-aliased: unchecked
Noise: 0%.
STEP 13
The next Layer Style to be added to Chocolate copy layer is Stroke. Insert these settings:
Size: 5px
Position: Inside
Blend Mode: Normal
Opacity: 100%
Fill Type: Color
Color: #6a4125.
STEP 14
Now check Bevel and Emboss Layer Style and insert the following settings:
Style: Inner Bevel
Technique: Smooth
Depth: 100%
Direction: Up
Size: 13px
Soften: 0px
Angle: 120 degrees
Use Global Light: checked
Altitude: 30 degrees
Gloss Contour: Cove-Deep
Anti-aliased: not checked
Highlight Mode: Hard Light
Color for Highlight: #8a5a16
Opacity: 100%
Shadow Mode: Multiply
Color of Shadow: #19130e
Opacity: 100%. 

STEP 15
The last Layer Style to be added is Texture. Change its settings as follows:
Pattern: Wood (64 by 64 pixels, RGB mode)
Scale: 480%
Depth: -87%
Invert: not checked
Link with Layer: checked.
Now press OK button to close Layer Style box. We finished our work on the text.
STEP 16
That's all folks. In your Layers panel you should have one separate Background layer and one Text Group which consists of two Text layers: Chocolate and Chocolate copy.
STEP 17
Below you can see the final yummy result saved in .jpg format. Thank you very much for reading this tutorial. Hope you enjoyed it and found it easy to follow. :)
 

Friday 18 December 2015

Stock Photos: Muddy Water Textures

Hope you will find all these muddy water textures useful for your art and design. All of them are photos I have taken in County Cork, Ireland and they are unrestricted stock. You should not feel obliged to inform me if you decide to include them in your works. Please, click on some of the Share buttons so than more people get benefit from my stock images. Thank you very much in advance. Enjoy! :)


Muddy Water Texture 1


Muddy Water Texture 2


Muddy Water Texture 3


Muddy Water Texture 4


Muddy Water Texture 5


Muddy Water Texture 6


Muddy Water Texture 7


Muddy Water Texture 8

Saturday 12 December 2015

Create Simple 3D Old Style Text in Adobe Photoshop

From this tutorial you will learn how to create awesome Ancient Style Text Effect with Blending Options, Custom Shape, Layer Mask and Brush. I have used Florante at Laura Source Font which you can download for free from http://www.1001freefonts.com/.

The Lichen Texture applied on the Background is my own photo and unrestricted stock. You can use it for your own works too.

All Photoshop versions are applicable.

This is the final result you should get if you follow all my steps:


STEP 1

Create a new Adobe Photoshop document. Set its Width to 1300px and its Height to 700px. Call the document 3D Old Style Text. Choose 96 Pixels/Inch for Resolution (if you don't intend to print the final result) and select Transparent for Background Contents to get and editable first layer. Choose RGB for Color Mode.
Those of you who would like to print the Text, should set its Resolution to 300 Pixels/Inch and choose CMYK for Color Mode.
Now rename Layer 1 to Black, then press Ctrl+G to place it in a Group. Call the Group Background.


Create Background with Rust, Green, Gold Radial Gradient and Lichen Texture

STEP 2

Press D key to set Foreground/Background Color to Black/White then while Black layer is highlighted, select Paint Bucket Tool and drag once on your canvas to colorize it with black.


STEP 3

Create a New Layer on top of Background group and call it Rust, Green, Gold Gradient.
Select Gradient Tool, find Rust, Green, Gold Gradient from the Gradient Picker in the Options bar then choose the Radial Gradient icon and drag once with the instrument from the upper to the bottom side of the canvas.


STEP 4

Reduce the Opacity of Rust, Green, Gold Gradient layer to 45%.


STEP 5

Click on this Lichen Texture image to open it in a new window then right click and select Save Image As to save it in the respective folder on your computer.


STEP 6

Create a New Layer on top of Background group and call it Lichen Texture. Keep this new layer selected.
Open in Adobe Photoshop the Lichen Texture image which you already downloaded, press Ctrl+A (Select All) to load selection then press Ctrl+C to copy it. Go back to your 3D Old Style Text.psd file, and press Ctrl+V to paste the texture in the Lichen Texture layer. The texture is bigger than your canvas, so go to Edit, Free Transform and drag the nodes in order to resize the texture to cover your canvas. Press Enter to apply the Transformation.


STEP 7

Change the Blend Mode of Lichen Texture layer to Multiply.


Type the Text, Duplicate its Layer and Add Blending Options

STEP 8

Now we'll start to create our Old Style Text Effect.
Many thanks to http://www.1001freefonts.com/ for the super cool text effects which they provide for free. For the purpose of our tutorial I have chosen this awesome mediaval style Florante at Laura Font: http://www.1001freefonts.com/florante_at_laura.font.
Install the font then select Horizontal Type tool from the Tools bar (hot key T). From the Font Family drop down menu choose the newly installed Florante at Laura Font. Set the Font Style to Regular and Font Size to 150pt. Choose #79ba52 (green) for Text Color then type Letter in Capital Letters as you see on the screenshot below.
Highlight your Letter Text then click on Toggle the Character and Paragraph Panels icon in the Options bar and Set the Tracking for the Selected Characters to a value you like. I have chosen 100 to avoid overlapping after applying the Blending Options and nudging the duplicated Text layer. Press Ctrl+G to place the Text layer in a Group. Call the newly created Group Text.


STEP 9

With Letter Text layer selected, press Ctrl+J to duplicate the layer twice. Move Letter copy 2 layer at the bottom of Text group and reduce Fill Opacity of Letter copy layer to 0%.
Now highlight Letter copy 2 layer, select Move tool then press seven times Right Arrow key and six times Down Arrow key to nudge the Text. Highlight the nudged Text and change the Text Color to darker green #317f12.


STEP 10

Create a New Layer placed between Letter and Letter copy 2 in Text group. Name it Polygonal Lasso after the instrument we are going to use right now. Grab Polygonal Lasso Tool, click on Add to Selection icon in the Options bar and start making selections to connect the darker nudged text with the original Letter Text. Fill the selections with the same #317f12 you used for the darker Text (Letter copy 2 layer).


STEP 11

Now right click on Letter copy 2 layer and select Rasterize Type.

  
STEP 12

Hold down Shift key and click on Letter copy 2 and Polygonal Lasso layers to highlight them. Right click on them and choose Merge Layers.


STEP 13

Rename the previously merged layer to Text Back. Double click on its layer's thumbnail to call Layer Style box and firstly check Drop Shadow. Change only three of its settings: reduce Distance to 0px, then increase Spread to 40% and Size to 35px.
Don't close the Layer Style dialog box. We have one more Blending Option to add in the next step.


STEP 14

Now check Inner Shadow in Layer Style box and only increase its Size to 28px. Don't change the other default settings. Press OK button to apply both layer styles and to close the dialog box.


This should be your result after applying layer styles on Text Back layer. I have switched off Letter and Letter copy layers for a better visibility.


STEP 15

Select Letter Text layer, right click on it and choose Blending Options. We are going to play a lot with layer styles in this and the coming steps. So firstly check Gradient Overlay and apply the following settings:

Blend Mode: Hard Light
Dither: unchecked
Opacity: 100%

Click to Edit the Gradient like this:

First Color Stop (Location 0%): #076339
Second Color Stop (Location 50%): #fcfa74
Third Color Stop (Location 100%): #033718

Reverse: unchecked
Style: Linear type of gradient
Align with Layer: checked
Angle: 90 degrees
Scale: 100%.

Keep Layer Style box opened. There are five more Blending Options waiting to be added. :)

  
STEP 16

The next Layer Style we have to apply on Letter Text layer is this Satin:

Blend Mode: Multiply
Color of Effect: #7e0000
Opacity: 80%
Angle: 19 degrees
Distance: 11px
Size: 14px
Contour: Half Round
Anti-aliased: unchecked
Invert: checked.


STEP 17

Now apply the following Inner Glow Layer Style:

Blend Mode: Color Dodge
Opacity: 100%
Noise: 0%
Color of Glow: #c6ea93
Technique: Softer
Source: Edge
Choke: 0%
Size: 10px
Contour: Linear
Anti-aliased: unchecked
Range: 50%.
Jitter: 0%.

  
STEP 18

The fourth Layer Style we have to add to Letter Text layer is Inner Shadow. Firstly change the Color of Shadow to #042607, reduce Opacity to 45%, change Size to 25px and choose Cone Contour from the Contour Picker.

  
STEP 19

Now let us apply Bevel and Emboss to create 3D effect. Change its Depth to 95%, Size to 10px, then choose #58ee5b for Color for Highlight and increase its Opacity to 100%. Reduce the Color of Shadow Opacity to 25%.


STEP 20

The last Layer Style to be applied on Letter Text layer is this Texture:

Pattern: Brush pen on Canvas (150 by 150 pixels, Grayscale mode)
Scale: 100%
Depth: +38%
Invert: not checked
Link with Layer: checked.

You can press OK button to close the Layer Style box now. We finished our work on Letter Text layer.


STEP 21

Now select Letter copy layer and apply Gradient Overlay Layer Style on it. Change the Blend Mode to Color and select Brass Gradient from the Gradient Picker.


STEP 22

Create a New Layer placed between Text Back and Letter layer. Call it Hard Round Brush.
Change the Foreground Color to #9bb14d then grab Brush tool and select Hard Round Brush from the Brush Preset Picker. Set the Brush Size to 3px.
Hold down Ctrl key and click on Text Back layer's thumbnail to Load Selection.

  
STEP 23

Start brushing with the previously selected Hard Round Brush around the edges of the original Text- Letter Text layer. I have switched off that layer for you to see what exactly I have done.


STEP 24

With Hard Round Brush layer highlighted, go to Filter, Blur, Gaussian Blur and insert 2 Pixels for Radius. Now we got smoother looking soft lighter edges.


Draw Artistic 4 Custom Shape and Apply Layer Styles on it

STEP 25

Create a New Layer on top of Text group and name it Artistic 4 Custom Shape.
Change the Foreground Color to red: #fb051a, select Custom Shape Tool and set its Mode to Pixels in the Options bar. Then navigate to the Custom Shape Picker in the same bar and find Artistic 4 Custom Shape. Draw it so that to place parts of the shape on each of the letters.

STEP 26

Keep Artistic 4 Custom Shape layer selected, hold down Ctrl and click on Letter Text layer's thumbnail to Load Selection, then go to Layer, Layer Mask and choose Reveal Selection.


STEP 27

This is the result of masking the Artistic 4 Custom Shape layer:


STEP 28

Now reduce Fill Opacity of Artistic 4 Custom Shape layer to 0%. The red lines will disappear but you will be able to see them in the next step when we start to add Blending Options.


STEP 29

Double click on Artistic 4 Custom Shape layer's thumbnail and check firstly Gradient Overlay in Layer Style box. Change its Blend Mode to Soft Light, set the Angle to 90 degrees and choose Red, Green Gradient from the Gradient Picker.
Keep Layer Style box active. We'll add another Blending Option in the next step.


STEP 30

Now apply Bevel and Emboss Layer Style on Artistic 4 Custom Shape layer. Change only the Style to Pillow Emboss, set the Color for Highlight to #ecd50f and increase its Opacity to 100%.


STEP 31

We are ready with our 3D Old Style Text Effect. You should have these two groups of layers in your Layers panel:

1.    Background group with three layers in it: Black; Rust, Green, Gold Gradient and Lichen Texture and
2.    Text group which includes five layers: Text Back; Hard Round Brush; Letter; Letter copy and Artistic 4 Custom Shape.


STEP 32

This is the final result saved in .jpg format. Hope you like the outcome and find this tutorial useful and easy to follow.

Thank you very much for reading. God bless! :)