Today, I m going to show you how use custom shapes and Layer styles in Photoshop CS3 to create a creative Christmas illustration. Let s get started! Final Image Preview
Start working by creating a new document (Ctrl+N) in Adobe Photoshop CS3 with the size 1280px by 1024px (RGB color mode) at a resolution of 72 pixels/inch. Take now the Rectangle Tool (U) and draw a rectangle on the whole canvas as shown.
Click on Add a layer style icon from bottom part of the Layers panel and selectgradient Overlay.
Click in the color bar to open the Gradient Editor and set the color stops as shown. Click OK to close the Gradient Editor dialog box.
We ve got the next result:
Next we ll represent the snow hills, use the Pen Tool (P), set the drawing mode onshape Layers in Options bar and to draw the next shape as shown.
Click on Add a layer style icon from bottom part of the Layers panel and select Inner Glow. Glow. Click on Add a layer style icon from bottom part of the Layers panel and select Inner
Add Gradient Overlay
Click in the color bar to open the Gradient Editor and set the color stops as shown. Click OK to close thegradient Editor dialog box.
We ve got the next result:
Select the Custom Shape Tool (U) in the Tools bar, in the Options bar click the Shape to open the selection menu. Find Tree at the bottom of the menu, and then double-click a shape thumbnail to select it.
Drag to draw the tree having the color #003274.
Make seven copies of the tree s silhouette and select the Free Transform (Ctrl+T) command to change the copies sizes, placing them the same way demonstrated below:
Using the Custom Shape Tool (U), let s draw a lot of snowflakes, having different sizes: We ve got the next result:
Continue representing the snow hills, selecting the same Pen Tool (P) draw tha next shape having the color#a7fef6.
Click on Add a layer style icon from bottom part of the Layers panel and select Inner Glow.
We ve got the next result:
Draw another shape using Pen Tool (P).
Click on Add a layer style icon from bottom part of the Layers panel and select Inner Glow.
Add Gradient Overlay:
Click in the color bar to open the Gradient Editor and set the color stops as shown. Click OK to close thegradient Editor dialog box.
We ve got the next result:
On a new layer (Create new layer) we ll select the Soft Round brush from Brush Tool (B), set Opacity to20% in Options bar.
Use this brush to represent the shadows on the snow hill as shown.
Next we ll use the Ellipse Tool (U) to represent a snow ball reserved for a snowman.
Click on Add a layer style icon from bottom part of the Layers panel and select Inner Glow.
Add Gradient Overlay:
Click in the color bar to open the Gradient Editor and set the color stops as shown. Click OK to close thegradient Editor dialog box.
We ve got the next result:
Make two copies of the layer containing the snow ball and select the Free Transform (Ctrl+T) command to minimize the copies sizes, placing them as it is represented next image:
Applying the Ellipse Tool (U), it s possible to draw the buttons on the snowman.
Set Fill to 0% for this layer and click on Add a layer style icon from bottom part of the Layers panel and select Drop Shadow.
Add Gradient Overlay
Click in the color bar to open the Gradient Editor and set the color stops as shown. Click OK to close thegradient Editor dialog box.
Settings for Stroke:
Select Fill Type Gradient and click in the color bar to open the Gradient Editor and set the color stops as shown. Click OK to close the Gradient Editor dialog box.
We ve got the next result:
Make two copies of the layer containing the button and choose Free Transform (Ctrl+T) command to change the copies sizes, placing them the way demonstrated next picture:
Using the previous tool, it s possible to draw the snow man s nose:
Set Fill to 0% for this layer and click on Add a layer style icon from bottom part of the Layers panel and select Inner Shadow.
Add Gradient Overlay
Click in the color bar to open the Gradient Editor and set the color stops as shown. Click OK to close thegradient Editor dialog box.
We ve got the next result:
Create a new layer and select the Hard Round brush from Brush Tool (B). The Foreground color is black.
Use this brush to draw the eyes and the mouth, belonging to the same snowman.
Using the Line Tool (U), it s time to draw a twig that will represent the snow man s arm. The color in this case is black too.
Put together all the layers composing the twig into a single layer. Hold Ctrl button, select the twig s layers from Layers panel and press then Ctrl+E to Merge Down. Next we ll make a copy of the new layer that we got and apply Free Transform (Ctrl+T) command to turn over the copy, make the copy smaller and put it on the picture the same way shown below:
We ve got the final result: