New Envato Site - AppStorm, the Mac Apps Blog

Back when I started out as a designer I used work on a Windows machine and somehow always felt like I wasn’t a “real” designer because they all seemed to be on Macs. Eventually I made the switch, only to discover that it really is pretty much exactly the same - certainly a Mac does not a designer make! Nonetheless since jumping ship I’ve really started to enjoy the Mac aesthetic, culture and apps. So it’s with great pleasure that I announce Envato’s newest member of the family - AppStorm - the Mac Apps Blog!

AppStorm runs daily reviews, roundups and how-tos for getting more out of your favourite Mac apps. It’s being edited by the rather aptly named David Appleyard who you may also know as the man behind the awesome DesignShack.co.uk, as well as contributing editor at TheAppleBlog. David has plenty of great stuff planned already for the new site including a couple of giveaways for next week.

And because he’s just so damn awesome, N.C. Winters is gracing us with another great weekly strip to add to his growing repertoire (Freelance Freedom & Creative License). This one is called MacTastik, and the first strip is up on the site today!

So if you’re into Mac apps, head over, subscribe, follow the AppStorm Twitter Feed, download a wallpaper and enjoy the first of many new 2009 sites from Envato!

Quick GraphicRiver Update

Also a quick update on our upcoming GraphicRiver site. We’ve got the site up in what I call private, private beta - i.e. a few site managers and I are testing it out for bugs. Then next week we’ll be emailing our beta invite list to come over and start uploading graphic awesomeness.

And after the success of Web Design Week late last year, I think GraphicRiver merits another intensive here at PSDTUTS, so look out for Graphic Photoshop Week or something along those lines

New PLUS Tutorial - Design a Dramatic and Surreal Rainy Scene with Photoshop

This is a new addition to the PSDTUTS PLUS section. Learn all about how to manipulate images and combine them to create surreal scenes, in this case a rainy scene. Also, numerous details are covered in this tutorial such as adding highlights, shading, excellent photo-manipulation techniques, and more. Learn all about it at the jump!

New Exclusive PLUS Tutorial on Creating a Surreal Rainy Scene

This new PLUS Tutorial is titled "Design a Dramatic and Surreal Rainy Scene with Photoshop," by Alvaro Guzman. I wanted to create a rainy scene a long time ago, but didn’t wanted another boring landscape image, so I added a fantastic and surreal style to this one. I’ll show you how to manipulate stock images according your needs, add realistic lightening effects, design rain from scratch, and some quick design tips.

Members can Log in and Download! Otherwise, Join Now! A preview of the final image is below. You can view the large version here.

This is an Awesome Tutorial that Uses Detailed Photo-Manipulation Techniques

This tutorial details how to create a surreal rainy scene, and it also provided detailed photo-manipulation explanations. Below is a sample of adding splashes to the main objects in the design. It’s a subtle effect that adds to the overall realism of this stylish illustration. Members can Log in and Download! Otherwise, Join Now! Below are some sample images from the tutorial

PSDTUTS Plus Membership

As you know, we run a premium membership system here called PSDTUTS Plus that costs a month (or for 3 months!) which gives members access to the PSD files for tutorials as well as periodic extra tutorials, like this one! If you’re a member you can log in and download the tutorial. If you’re not a member, you can of course join today!

Also, don’t forget to subscribe to the PSDTUTS RSS Feed to stay up to date with the latest vector tutorials and articles. Be the first to hear about the next PLUS Vector Pack as it’s released!

New PLUS Tutorial - Design a Dramatic and Surreal Rainy Scene with Photoshop

This is a new addition to the PSDTUTS PLUS section. Learn all about how to manipulate images and combine them to create surreal scenes, in this case a rainy scene. Also, numerous details are covered in this tutorial such as adding highlights, shading, excellent photo-manipulation techniques, and more. Learn all about it at the jump!

New Exclusive PLUS Tutorial on Creating a Surreal Rainy Scene

This new PLUS Tutorial is titled "Design a Dramatic and Surreal Rainy Scene with Photoshop," by Alvaro Guzman. I wanted to create a rainy scene a long time ago, but didn’t wanted another boring landscape image, so I added a fantastic and surreal style to this one. I’ll show you how to manipulate stock images according your needs, add realistic lightening effects, design rain from scratch, and some quick design tips.

Members can Log in and Download! Otherwise, Join Now! A preview of the final image is below. You can view the large version here.

This is an Awesome Tutorial that Uses Detailed Photo-Manipulation Techniques

This tutorial details how to create a surreal rainy scene, and it also provided detailed photo-manipulation explanations. Below is a sample of adding splashes to the main objects in the design. It’s a subtle effect that adds to the overall realism of this stylish illustration. Members can Log in and Download! Otherwise, Join Now! Below are some sample images from the tutorial

PSDTUTS Plus Membership

As you know, we run a premium membership system here called PSDTUTS Plus that costs a month (or for 3 months!) which gives members access to the PSD files for tutorials as well as periodic extra tutorials, like this one! If you’re a member you can log in and download the tutorial. If you’re not a member, you can of course join today!

Also, don’t forget to subscribe to the PSDTUTS RSS Feed to stay up to date with the latest vector tutorials and articles. Be the first to hear about the next PLUS Vector Pack as it’s released!

New PLUS Tutorial - Design a Dramatic and Surreal Rainy Scene with Photoshop

This is a new addition to the PSDTUTS PLUS section. Learn all about how to manipulate images and combine them to create surreal scenes, in this case a rainy scene. Also, numerous details are covered in this tutorial such as adding highlights, shading, excellent photo-manipulation techniques, and more. Learn all about it at the jump!

New Exclusive PLUS Tutorial on Creating a Surreal Rainy Scene

This new PLUS Tutorial is titled "Design a Dramatic and Surreal Rainy Scene with Photoshop," by Alvaro Guzman. I wanted to create a rainy scene a long time ago, but didn’t wanted another boring landscape image, so I added a fantastic and surreal style to this one. I’ll show you how to manipulate stock images according your needs, add realistic lightening effects, design rain from scratch, and some quick design tips.

Members can Log in and Download! Otherwise, Join Now! A preview of the final image is below. You can view the large version here.

This is an Awesome Tutorial that Uses Detailed Photo-Manipulation Techniques

This tutorial details how to create a surreal rainy scene, and it also provided detailed photo-manipulation explanations. Below is a sample of adding splashes to the main objects in the design. It’s a subtle effect that adds to the overall realism of this stylish illustration. Members can Log in and Download! Otherwise, Join Now! Below are some sample images from the tutorial

PSDTUTS Plus Membership

As you know, we run a premium membership system here called PSDTUTS Plus that costs a month (or for 3 months!) which gives members access to the PSD files for tutorials as well as periodic extra tutorials, like this one! If you’re a member you can log in and download the tutorial. If you’re not a member, you can of course join today!

Also, don’t forget to subscribe to the PSDTUTS RSS Feed to stay up to date with the latest vector tutorials and articles. Be the first to hear about the next PLUS Vector Pack as it’s released!

How to Create a Flaming Photo Manipulation

In this tutorial, we’ll manipulate a picture so it looks like a woman burning in flames. The idea behind this manipulation was to create a nice looking illustration, only by using simple techniques and tools such as the Brush tool and Warp command. I hope you enjoy the tutorial and try it with your own stock imagery.

Final Image Preview

Below is the image you will create in this tutorial. Want access to the full PSD files and downloadable copies of every tutorial, including this one? Join PSDTUTS PLUS for just /month. You can view the final image preview below or view a larger version here.

Step 1

For this project, I used two nice images that suits for the manipulation; image1, image2. I would like to thank the author of this two great pictures, which is thiquinho and huibidos from sxc.hu. And before we continue with the steps, I need to inform you that this tutorial is written using Photoshop CS3.

Step 2

Let’s start with image1, open and duplicate this image by using the Image > Duplicate command from the menu bar. In the Duplicate Image dialog box, you can name it anything you like, but to follow this tutorial reference, name it "PassionFire" and hit OK. By doing this, we kept the original image. Be sure to save.

Step 3

With the "PassionFire" image active, duplicate the "background" layer. Set the foreground and background color to black and white by pressing D on the keyboard. Click the "background" layer again and fill it with the foreground color ~ which is set to black. See the images below.

Step 4

Reactivate "Layer 1," then press Command + Shift + U to apply desaturate command. Now invert the color by pressing Command + I. Your image should look like a film’s negative now.

Step 5

Duplicate "Layer 1," then apply the find edges filter from Filter > Stylized > Find Edges. Next, invert the color by pressing Command + I and change the Blending Mode to Hard light. There, your image now has contrast white line and a very dark background.

Step 6

To give the white line more contrast, duplicate the "Layer 1" copy then change the Blending Mode to Screen.

Step 7

Now we move to the second image. Drag image2 into "PassionFire" document image window using the Move tool. If the Paste profile mismatch dialog appears, just click OK to fix it.

Step 8

The fire image from "image2" should be in "Layer 2" now. Change its Blending Mode to screen, this will hide all the black colors in "Layer 2." If done right, your image should be similar to the one below.

Step 9

Duplicate "Layer 2" by pressing Command + J. Make sure you use the Screen Blending mode, same as the original "Layer 2." Next, make "Layer 2" become invisible by hiding it from the layers panel.

Step 10

Click the "Layer 2 copy" to make it active, then use the Free Transform command ( Edit > Free Transform) to rotate and resize the fire image like shown below. Don’t forget to press Enter when you’re done transforming.

Step 11

Still in the same layer, now use the warp command (Edit > Transform > Warp) to bend the fire image - so it following the hair flow. Press Enter when done. See the example below as a reference.

Step 12

If you feel the result is not quite good enough, simply use the Liquify filter to fix it. I assume you already know how to use the liquify filter; the Forward Warp tool and Twirl Clockwise tool is the only tool I used to get this result (see image below).

Step 13

Duplicate the "Layer 2" copy, then use the Free Transform command to resize and rotate the fire image in the current layer. Don’t forget to reposition the fire image too. Once you get this composition (see image below), hit Enter.

Step 14

Repeat the previous process to get the hair covered with fire. Just duplicate and modify the layer until you get all the hair part covered. If needed, use the Liquify Filter again. The end result of this process should look like the image below, notice how many layers are used.

Step 15

Okay, now activate "Layer 2" and make it visible again. Then Change the Blending Mode to Vivid Light. This step will colorize only the white line in the layer below it.

Step 16

Still in "Layer 2," apply the Free Transform command to resize and rotate the fire image like shown below. The purpose is to cover up the girl’s body and hair with the fire texture. Press Enter when you’re done transforming.

Step 17

We’re gonna blur the fire image in "Layer 2," To do so, apply the Gaussian Blur filter from the Filter > Blur > Gaussian Blur menu. Fill the Radius around 10 to 15 pixels, then click OK when done. Blurring the fire image will cause its texture to blend smoother with the layer below it.

Step 18

Now add a layer mask to "Layer 2." Then use a soft round Brush tool with Opacity at 100%. Set the brush size according to your need, then just mask until the fire outside becoming hidden. See the process below.

Step 19

Sure we will remove the white line shown in the image (marked in red rectangle below). First, add a new blank layer below "Layer 2." Then simply paint it with black using the soft round brush tool.

Step 20

Now go to the top most layer (mine is: "Layer 2 copy 6"), add two adjustment layers which is Hue/Saturation and Brightness/Contrast. Careful not to change the layer adjustment order, or the color effect will be wrong. Below you can see the setting I used to complete this step, also pay attention to the adjustment layer order.

By adding a Hue/Saturation adjustment layer, we unify all colors. The Brightness/Contrast adjustment layer brings more color contrast and makes sure the image color’s looks like real fire.

Step 21

I’m sure you notice the fire sparks effect. I create it using the Brush tool with this simple setting. No special brush needed, but if you have one that will be useful then feel free to use it. Below you can see all the settings I used within the Brush palette, of course you can change the setting as you like. Just make sure the brush spatter enough and vary the size.

Step 22

Now to use the modified brush, create a new blank layer below the adjustment layers ( mine is named "Layer 4"). Choose 50% gray from the swatches palette, then you can start creating the fire sparks. Remember not to be monotone, resize the brush size if needed. I start using a big sized brush, then reduce it to smaller size (you can change brush size faster by pressing the bracket keys on the keyboard ).

If you’re not sure how to do this steps, just imagine where and how the fire sparks will flow if it was real fire. For me, imagining stuff is very helpful.

Step 23

To make it more interesting, create a new layer and change the Blending Mode to Screen. Then use a normal soft round brush (not the one we modified earlier), with an Opacity of 50%. Just click in the part of body, neck, and hair. I’m not sure how to explain this, but you can see the difference between the above and below images.

Conclusion

And that’s all of it! Hope you learned something new and had fun. You can view the final image below or view a larger version here.

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New PLUS Tutorial - Recycle Vintage Images to Create a Photoshop Collage

This is a new addition to the PSDTUTS PLUS section. Learn all about how to assemble a collage in Photoshop and give it a unique retro feel. Numerous details are covered in this tutorial and a comprehensive workflow is explained. After completing this tutorial, you can discover your own vintage sources to create collages with. Learn all about it at the jump!

New Exclusive PLUS Tutorial on Creating a Retro Collage

Sometimes Photoshop illustrations can seem too sterile, slick and mechanical – so in this tutorial I’ve taken inspiration from the works of Eduardo Recife and Jorge Restrepo to show you how to assemble a collage that has a distinct retro, worn quality.

The key to this style of illustration is to start collecting your own source imagery. Vintage, copyright-free magazines can be picked up for next-to-nothing in second hand bookstores and junk shops. Most of the images for this tutorial are from my own collection and can be found in the “source” folder. This tutorial will hopefully make you think beyond your computer, whilst at the same time, re-discover some of Photoshop’s fundamental tools.

Members can Log in and Download! If you’re not a member, you can of course join today! You can view the final image design below.

This is a Detailed and Professional Tutorial

This tutorial walks you through every detail in using vintage images both found and stock to create a retro style collage in Photoshop. Members can Log in and Download! Otherwise, Join Now! Below are some sample images from the tutorial

PSDTUTS Plus Membership

As you know, we run a premium membership system here called PSDTUTS Plus that costs $9 a month (or $22 for 3 months!) which gives members access to the PSD files for tutorials as well as periodic extra tutorials, like this one! If you’re a member you can log in and download the tutorial. If you’re not a member, you can of course join today!

Also, don’t forget to subscribe to the PSDTUTS RSS Feed to stay up to date with the latest vector tutorials and articles. Be the first to hear about the next PLUS Vector Pack as it’s released!

How to Design a Rockin’ 80’s Party Poster

“In this tutorial, I’ll show you how to design a poster for an 80’s anthem party. Throughout this tutorial, we’ll create some textures for background, manipulate a photo to give it a stylish look, and make some color variations. Let’s jump into this super rad tutorial.” Eren Gšksel

Tutorial Removed

Unfortunately, the PSDTUTS staff have had to remove a recently published tutorial due to copyright issues. Claims of plagiarism are taken very seriously and thoroughly investigated. After looking into the matter we decided the only appropriate course of action was to remove the the tutorial in question and withhold payment from its author.

Why was the tutorial removed?

Unfortunately this tutorial closely resembled an existing tut. It’s virtually impossible for us to know this before publishing, but once it is brought to our attention, we research the issue. If determined that a tutorial either closely resembles or copies an existing tut, then we remove the tutorial, as we have done here. Sorry I didn’t act on this sooner everybody, as I’ve just recently got back from vacation. We’re usually on top of these issues quicker.

We hope that potential contributors will remember to:

• Always credit your sources
  When you credit your sources, it’s clear that you aren’t trying to hide something. For tutorial submissions it also lets our editors check that the tutorial is acceptable. Although Sean and I are pretty on the ball, it’s impossible to know every image, artist, magazine, so things can slip by. But if you credit your sources we’ll be able to make sure you’re in the clear.
• Use common sense
  There are no hard and fast rules about copyright. Beware of “rules” like “copying 40% is OK”. There’s no such thing. And remember that even aside from exact words or images, it can be the idea or principle. In this case, the images of the tutorial and wording were all original, but it was still apparent that it was not an original tutorial in itself.
• Err to the side of caution
  I’m no lawyer, but whenever I’ve dealt with lawyers, I’ve learned that they are always more cautious than I would be. If you think something might not be OK, then trust your gut and don’t do it.

We understand that there are only so many images that can be created with Photoshop, and similarities are bound to occur. However, when a tutorial appears to have been overly influenced by or copied from another tutorial then we must respect the creative work of the original author, as we would want the creative work of our own authors and community members to be respected.

We hope you enjoy the creativity displayed by the authors of the other 150+ original tutorials at PSDTUTS! And the many more that will come in the future!

Sean is the PSDTUTS Editor.

How to Design a Rockin’ 80’s Party Poster

In this tutorial, I’ll show you how to design a poster for an 80’s anthem party. Throughout this tutorial, we’ll create some textures for background, manipulate a photo to give it a stylish look, and make some color variations. Let’s jump into this super rad tutorial.

Final Image Preview

Before we get started, let’s take a look at the image we’ll be creating. Want access to full PSD files and downloadable copies of every tutorial, including this one? Join PSDTUTS PLUS for just $9/month. You can view the final image preview below or view a larger version here.

Video Tutorial

Step 1

Create a new document 1000 pixels wide and 1400 pixels high, with Resolution set to 300 pixels per inch.

Step 2

Fill the "Background" layer with the color #c2bbaa. Hit Command + A to select all. Next, drag one vertical and one horizontal guide, then place them in the center of your document. Deselect by hitting Command + D. Change your Foreground Color to #bbb099, get the Custom Shape tool and pick the “Registration Target 2″ shape, which is in the Symbols category from the Custom Shape Picker. Set to Fill pixels. Next, while holding down the Shift and Alt keys, start drawing the shape from the center, as in the below image. By the way you can always hide or unhide guides by pressing Command + H.

Step 3

Now we need to apply a layer style to the background layer, but because it’s the “Background” Layer we can not. Go to Layer > New > Layer From Background and name the layer "Rays." Now apply a Gradient Overlay using these settings: Blend Mode set to Color Burn, Opacity at 55%, Gradient set to Black to White, Style set to Radial and Reverse checked.

Step 4

Create a new layer and name it "Dirt." Pick 60% gray as your Foreground and black as your Background Color. Go to Filter > Render > Clouds. Then go to Filter > Render > Difference Clouds.

Step 5

Go to Filter > Artistic > Film Grain and set the Grain to 5, Highlight Area to 0, Intensity to 2 and then apply. Now go to Filter > Sharpen > Unsharp Mask, set Amount at 500%, Radius to 18 pixels and Threshold to 40 levels.

Step 6

Go to Filter > Artistic > Fresco, set the Brush Size to 10, Brush Detail to 10 and Texture to 1. Now go to Image > Adjustments > Levels (Command + L) and set Input Levels to 15, 1, 110. Set Layer Blending Mode to Screen and Layer Opacity at 50%.

Step 7

Create a new layer and name it "Dark." Get the Elliptical Marquee Tool, then while holding down the Alt key, make a selection starting from the center of the canvas, as in the image below. Go to Select > Inverse and fill the selection with black. Hit Command + D to deselect and go to Filter > Blur > Gaussian Blur and apply with a Radius of 150 pixels. Set the Interior Opacity (Fill) for the Layer at 20% and set the Blending Mode to Linear Burn.

Step 8

Now let’s add some more dirt texture. Create a new layer named "Dirt 2" above the "Dirt" layer. Set your Foreground Color to White and Background Color to Black. Get the Brush Tool and pick “Scattered Maple Leaves” from the Brush Preset Picker. Set the Master Diameter to 250 pixels. Go to Color Dynamics in the Brushes Palette and set the Foreground/Background Jitter at 100%. Paint the whole layer with the brush.

Step 9

Set the brush Painting Mode to Difference in the Tool Options and paint the canvas over again. Then go to Filter > Artistic > Film Grain, then set Grain to 6, Highlight Area to 0 and Intensity to 2.

Step 10

Go to Filter > Artistic > Fresco, then set Brush Size to 1, Brush Detail to 10 and Texture to 3. Next, go to Filter > Stylize > Solarize. Now go to Image > Adjustments > Invert.

Step 11

Now set Layer Blending Mode to Linear Burn and set Opacity at 20%.

Step 12

A poster should attract attention and in order to achieve this goal we’re going to use a simple familiar object as the main focus of our poster. This object will be a cassette because it has an association with the 80’s. Now let’s open the cassette image. Download the image file here and open it in Photoshop.

Get the Horizontal Type Tool (T) and type your text like in the below image. I used the font PTF Nordic, which can be downloaded from Dafont.com via this link for free.

Create a new layer above the "Background" layer named "Rectangle" and get the Rectangular Marquee Tool. Make a selection as shown and fill it with color #dddfd2. Go to the text layer in the Layers Palette and hit Command + E to merge the top two layers. Deselect by hitting Command + D.

Step 13

Go to Edit > Transform > Distort and fit the perspective of the "Rectangle" layer to the cassette. Then scale it down a little bit as you can see in the image below.

Step 14

Make sure the "Rectangle" layer is selected in the Layers Palette and press Command + E to merge the layers. Grab the Pen Tool, set it to Paths in the Tool Options and draw a path around the cassette.

Step 15

Go to Paths Palette and Command-click the "Work Path" to make a selection out of the path. Go back to the "Background" layer in the Layers Palette. Go to Layer > New > Layer via Copy. Name the new layer "Casette." Deselect, then go to the "Background" layer and fill it with white.

Step 16

Let’s give this photo a stylistic look. Go to the "Casette" layer in the Layers Palette. Next, go to Layer > New Adjustment Layer > Threshold. Set the Threshold Level to 210. Using Adjustment Layers is a good way because you can always double-click it and change the settings.

Step 17

Go to the "Casette" layer, then go to Filter > Sharpen > Unsharp Mask. Set the Amount at 500%, Radius to 15 pixels and Threshold to 5 levels.

Step 18

Go to the Threshold Adjustment Layer in the Layers Palette and Hit Command + E to merge.

Step 19

Command-click the "Casette" layer to load it’s pixels. Create a new layer on top and name it "Casette B." Fill the selection with color #392200. Go back to the "Casette" layer, copy by going to Edit > Copy. Now go to the Channels Palette and create a new channel and paste by going to Edit > Paste.

Step 20

Command-click the "Alpha 1" channel to load the white pixels as a selection. Go back to the Layers Palette and create a new layer on top. Name it "Casette W". Next, fill the selection with the color #bbee99. Hit Command + E twice to merge the top three layers, and then Deselect.

Step 21

Drag the "Casette" layer to your "Retro.PSD" document. Hit Command + T to enter Free Transform Mode and set the Horizontal and Vertical Scales to 35%, then set the Rotation to 100 degrees. Place the cassette in the middle of the canvas as shown.

Step 22

Create a new layer below the "Casette" layer and name it "Stroke." Command-click the "Casette" layer to load the selection and fill it with the color #bbee99. Deselect by hitting Command + D. Grab the Move Tool and move the "Stroke" layer 10 pixels left and 3 pixels up.

Apply a Stroke Layer Style to the "Casette" layer using these settings: Size set to 5 pixels, Position set to Outside, Blend Mode set to Normal, Opacity set at 100%, and Color set to #bbee99.

Step 23

Command-click the "Casette" layer again. Go to Edit > Define Brush Preset and name the brush "Casette." Now Deselect. Grab the Brush Tool, pick the "Casette" brush you have just defined, and set Master Diameter to 200 pixels.

Go to the Brushes Panel and under Brush Tip Shape, set the Spacing at 370%, check Shape Dynamics, then set Size Jitter and Angle Jitter to 100%. Create a new layer named "Falling 1." Set your Foreground Color to #553300. Paint the center of the canvas vertically, as in the below image.

Step 24

Create a new layer and name it "Falling 2." This time set the Master Diameter to 400 pixels and paint again, as you did in the previous step. Set the Layer Blending Mode to Soft Light and set the Layer Opacity at 60%. Go to the "Stroke" layer and set the Layer Opacity at 75%.

Step 25

Create a new layer above the "Rays" layer, name it "Shadow." Grab the Elliptical Marquee Tool and make a selection, as in the image below. Fill the selection with the color #553300. Deselect and go to Filter > Blur > Gaussian Blur. Apply with a Radius of 100 pixels. Now hit Command + Alt + F to bring up the Gaussian Blur dialog again, this time apply with a Radius of 50 pixels.

Step 26

Grab the Horizontal type Tool and type the text Rewind. Set the text color to #cc9966. I used Harlow Solid Italic, you can pick your favorite font. Go to Layer > Rasterize > Layer. Duplicate the layer. Make sure the "Rewind copy" layer is selected in the Layers Palette. Go to Filter > Noise > Add Noise. Set Amount at 25%, set Distribution to Uniform and check Monochromatic.

Go to Filter > Blur > Motion Blur. Set the Angle to 0 degrees and Distance to 200 pixels and apply. Now go to the "Rewind" layer, apply another Motion Blur filter. This time, for the Distance set it to 20 pixels. We’ll also apply a Drop Shadow Layer Style using these settings: Blend Mode set to Multiply, Color set to Black, Opacity at 75%, Distance set to 0 pixels, Spread set at 2% and Size set to 150 pixels.

Step 27

Now we’ll create another text layer. Type 80’s this time. Go to Layer > Rasterize > Layer. Duplicate the "80’s" layer by going to Layer > Duplicate. Make sure the "80’s copy" layer is selected in the Layers Palette.

Go to Filter > Noise > Add Noise. Set the Amount at 20%, set Distribution to Uniform and check Monochromatic. Go to Filter > Blur > Motion Blur. Set the Angle to 0 degrees and Distance to 80 pixels and apply. Now go to "80’s" layer, apply another Motion Blur filter. This time, for the Distance set it to 10 pixels. We’ll also apply a Drop Shadow Layer Style using these settings: Blend Mode set to Multiply, Color set to Black, Opacity at 75%, Distance set to 0 pixels, Spread set at 2% and Size set to 150 pixels.

Step 28

Create another text layer above the "80’s copy" layer. Type and place the word to as you can see in the image below. Next, apply a Drop Shadow using the following settings: Blend Mode set to Linear Burn, Color set to Black, Opacity at 45%, Distance set to 0 pixels, Spread set at 2% and Size set to 40 pixels.

Step 29

Select the "80’s" and "80’s copy" layers in the Layers Palette and hit Command + E to merge them. The merged layer will be named "80’s copy." Drag this layer beneath the "Stroke" layer in the Layers Palette.

Apply a Gradient Overlay with these settings: Blend Mode set to Multiply, Opacity at 50%, Gradient set to Black to White, Style set to Linear, Angle set to 180 degrees and Scale set at 100%. This layer style will give the shadow effect coming from the cassette.

Step 30

Let’s put a text block containing some information. Grab the Horizontal Type Tool, starting from the top left corner, click and drag to create a rectangular text area as shown. Type your text here. I used the font "Bauhaus 93." Set the Font Size to 10 pt, leading to 7 pt, set Color to #887766.

Step 31

We need more weight at the bottom of our poster because now it is still unbalanced. Grab the Rectangular Marquee Tool and make a selection as shown. Create a new layer and name it "Line." Fill the selection with #cc9966. Set the Layer Opacity at 80%.

Step 32

Create a new layer and name it "Triangle." Grab the Custom Shape Tool, set it to Fill Pixels in the Tool Options and pick the Triangle shape. Draw a triangle like in the below image. Hit Command + T to enter Free Transform Mode and Rotate the triangle 90 degrees counter clockwise. Duplicate the "Triangle" layer and move the copy left to make a rewind symbol. Now hit Command + E to merge both triangles and name the merged layer "Rewind icon."

Step 33

Duplicate the "Rewind icon" layer. Go to Filter > Noise > Add Noise. Set the Amount at 25%, set Distribution to Uniform and check Monochromatic. Go to Filter > Blur > Motion Blur, then set the Angle to 0 degrees and Distance to 80 pixels and apply.

Now go to the "Rewind icon " layer, apply another Motion Blur filter. This time, for the Distance set it to 10 pixels. We’ll also apply a Drop Shadow Layer Style using these settings: Blend Mode set to Multiply, Color set to Black, Opacity at 75%, Distance set to 0 pixels, Spread set at 2% and Size set to 150 pixels.

Step 34

You’re almost done with your poster. The design looks balanced but we need some warm colors in it. Go to the "Shadow" layer and apply a Gradient Overlay Layer Style using these settings: Blend Mode set to Linear Dodge, Opacity at 60%, Gradient set to Orange to Yellow to Orange, Style set to Radial and Scale set at 80%.

Step 35

Go to the "Dark" layer and apply a Gradient Overlay using these settings: Blend Mode set to Color Burn, Opacity set at 100%, Gradient set as Violet to Orange, with a Style of Linear, Angle set to 90 degrees and Scale set at 100%.

Step 36

Select both the "Rewind" and "Rewind copy" layers in the Layers Palette and hit Command + E to merge them. Name the merged layer "Rewind." Next, apply a Gradient Overlay to the layer with these settings: Blend Mode set to Linear Dodge, Opacity at 80%, Gradient set as Orange to Yellow to Orange, Style set to Linear, Angle set to 90 degrees and Scale set at 100%.

Step 37

Go to the "80’s copy" layer. Next, go to Image > Adjustments > Hue/Saturation. Set Hue to -35, Saturation to 50 and hit OK.

Step 38

Select both the "Rewind Icon " and "Rewind Icon Copy" layers and merge them by hitting Command + E. Go to Image > Adjustments > Hue/Saturation, set Hue to 10, Saturation to 50 and apply.

Step 39

Go to the "Falling 2" layer and apply a Gradient Overlay using these settings: Blend Mode set to Color Burn, Opacity set at 30%, Gradient set as Black to White, Reverse checked, Style set to Linear, Angle set to 90 degrees and scale set at 100%. This will make the top half of the layer more visible.

Step 40

At this point, we may make some color variations for our poster. In the image below you can see some variations that I made using a Gradient Map Adjustment Layer with different Layer Blending Modes and Opacity, which I will be explaining in the next step.

Step 41

Go to the Layers Palette and select the top most layer. Go to Layer > New Adjustment Layer > Gradient Map. Set the Gradient as Black to White and hit OK. Set the Layer Blending Mode to Overlay and Opacity at 60%.

Conclusion

Yes that’s it. Now we have our poster done. Hope you learned something new and enjoyed this tutorial. You can view the final image below or view a larger version here.

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Pete Harrison Interview

Pete Harrison is a very successful designer that has mastered the art of photo-manipulation. As a freelance designer Pete works for many different companies doing

commissioned work, he explains to us what a designer needs to do to find clients, as well as his inspiration for his work. Pete is also currently working with a clothing line, so be sure to check it all out.

1. Welcome to PSDTUTS! Please introduce yourself, give us a brief bio, tell us where you’re from, and how you got started in the field.

I have been interested in graphic design from a very young age, and quickly realized this is the career path that I wanted to follow, so I could tailor my studies towards this. At secondary school I studied art and design, and then digital art at university specializing in design. To be honest I was mostly self taught, my studies just helped me set briefs that I could work around.

I started creating digital images just for fun and it seemed interesting around 2003. Over the next few years I set up a website to showcase my creations, and expanded my online presence. I got posted on a few blogs and linked from my other designer friend’s websites. Clients started contacting me after that to do freelance work, and getting paid for doing something I enjoyed, which was a dream come true really. After working full-time in London for a while I decided to go freelance and that is what I currently pursue.

I also run a few clothing labels on the side, working with a variety of artists. Funkrush - Clothing that makes you smile Funkrush and SuperCombo - Nerdy style clothing that you won’t be embarrassed to wear SuperCombo.

2. From looking at your work we see you have landed a couple of big jobs designing ads for companies. In your opinion what is the proper way for designers to market themselves in order to attract clients?

I would say make a really nice website, and have a strong portfolio of work that is easy and clear to see on your website. Then join up to art and design communities, perhaps a few art groups and share your work, make some friends in the scene, then you can network and link off each other etc.

3. In your case designing is not only a hobby but its your job. What advice would you give younger designers who hope to get hired by agencies and companies that want to use their talents?

Try and find the right balance between work and play, its quite important and something I still need to work on, so start early. Perhaps you could do some work experience for free at a nice agency, would give you experience and look good on a CV.

4. Can you describe your specific style of design in a few words, and then tell us what techniques or mind frame a person should have to excel in this style?

People always say to me that they love my style, or they can see my style in a certain image. I think it’s just the way I work and some of the techniques I use, using similar elements in a lot of my pieces. Recently I created a PSD file with a lot of elements I use (various custom brushes, light effects, sprays, pixie dust etc.) and then its easy to drag and drop rather than re-create all the time. I guess my style focuses a lot around light, so perhaps study how light works and bends.