Featuring a product in an ad is a common task for any designer. In this tutorial, we'll look at a flexible design solution that you can use to create one for an energy drink. It relies on a combination of the Difference Blending Mode and the Radial Blur Filter to achieve unique colors, contrast, and lighting.
Final Image Preview
Before we get started, let's take a look at the image we'll be creating. Click the screenshot below to view the full-size image. As always, the layered Photoshop file is available via our PSDTUTS Plus membership.
Step 1
The first thing that you need to do is plan a color palette. But in order to choose your colors, you need to understand how the Difference Blending Mode works. It looks at the color information in each channel and subtracts either the blend color from the base color, or the base color from the blend color. This depends on which has the higher brightness value.
Difference only works when transforming dark to light, and not light to dark. However, if you apply any type of blur to a difference layer, you'll get smooth gradients and dynamic lighting. Since the end result needs to be dark, choose bright colors that in combination with a radial blur will create gradients from light to dark.
So begin by opening a new Photoshop document at 1600px by 1280px. Fill the background layer with this color: (#b1c900).
Step 2
Bring up your Custom Shapes Menu and select the Ray shape, as shown below. You can find it under the Symbols Folder. Then draw the first one right in the middle that is large enough to spread outside the canvas. Use this color: (#bddc01).
As soon as you create the first one, duplicate it. Then rotate the copy so that it leaves just a thin line of the background. Then change it to this color: (#d3eb45). You should align them so that they match the image below.
Step 3
At this point, begin painting with a Regular Circle Brush at different sizes. Set your Brush Opacity to 60%, change the color to (#7a263e), and click individually while changing the size for each spot. By manually creating each spot, you have more control over your layout. Once you've created the first set, add a few spots on a separate layer with this new color: (#93133d).
Step 4
Next, make a new layer and add smaller spots with this color (#cdde67). Again, on a separate layer, paint even smaller spots with a slightly more saturated color: (#d9f14a).
Step 5
Now it's time to add some contrast by using a saturated version of the color that you used for the very first spots: (#93133d)
Step 6
To finish off the effect, create some small spots that follow the original layout, and others that fill the unused space of the canvas. Make sure to fade them out gradually as they approach the edge of the canvas. You don't want those to become distracting later. As a final touch, add a new color that will later be transformed into a vivid pink: (#7b2dc1).
Step 7
As pointed out before, the radial blur effect plays a crucial part in the overall image. Select all the shapes, spots, and background layers and press Ctrl+Shift+E to merge them together. After they are all merged, duplicate the layer. Name this new layer "radial blur". Then go to Filter > Blur > Radial Blur and insert the values shown below.
Step 8
You should now have two layers: the background layer that you recently merged together and its duplicated version that you named "radial blur." Select the "radial blur" layer and change its blending mode to Difference. You should now get a dark image with bright green and blue colors. It's not the hue that we want, so merge both layers together. Then go to Image > Adjustments > Hue/Saturation, or simply press Ctrl+U. Then change the Hue to 73.
Step 9
In this step you'll add some depth to the image that will guide the viewer's attention to the center of the design. Enter Quickmask Mode (Q), and use the Bucket Tool with the color set on black to fill the whole canvas. Next select the Eraser Tool, and add some scattering to it's preset.
Now drag across the canvas while focusing on the center. As soon as you're done with that, exit Quickmask Mode (Q) again, and invert the selection by pressing Ctrl+Shift+I. Then right-click on the canvas while the Marquee Tool is selected. Then chose the Layer Via Copy option. As soon as you have the selection in a new layer, go to Filter > Blur > Gaussian Blur, and blur it by 4 pixels.
Step 10
At this point it's time to add the can. So download this image from stock.xchng. Then cut it out with the Pen Tool. Don't worry about the bottom, since you will only need the top. Once you have that done, position it in the center, and rotate it at a 45 degree angle. Then change the hue by 180. The use the Burn Tool to darken the lower left half of the can.
Step 11
Now you need to hide a part of the can in order to fade it into the rest of the photo. A simple layer mask should suffice. So enter Quickmask Mode again. Then fill the entire canvas with black. Erase the part that you want left out with a soft brush. After that, exit Quickmask Mode. Then go to Layer > Layer Mask > Hide Selection. You may also want to sharpen it at this point. To do so, go to Filter > Sharpen > Sharpen.
Step 12
Now if you'll look closely at the photo, you'll notice that it's simply too smooth. Rather than adding noise or grunge, we'll mimic the can texture by using one of Fabio's tutorials: Creating a Cool Brushed Metal Surface in Photoshop. So first off, fill the canvas area with white. Then go to Filter > Pixelate > Mezzotint. Select Medium Dots and then apply the filter. Then set the layer's Blending Mode to Color Burn.
Step 13
In the final step is to add the title on the left side of the canvas. I used a font called Incised901 NdIt BT, which is the abbreviated name for Incised 901 Nord Italic. After typing it in, double-click on the layer, and use the layer style described in the photo below.
Final Result
And that's it! One energy drink ad ready to go!
Conclusion
The unique feature of this technique is that it can easily be adapted to suit a variety of different needs. Below is an example of how you can change the outcome simply by modifying the colors and shapes. It's all up to your creativity! Hopefully you will have found this tutorial helpful and useable in your designs.
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User Comments
( ADD YOURS )Mark June 25th
nice effect!
( )Don Tono June 25th
i am first
( )nice…
Julia June 25th
Cool ad!!! Good idea!!!
( )ZaFaR June 25th
Very nice! i like it,.
( )karan June 25th
Very cool effect!
I just have a question though, and I think anyone could probably answer this. I was working on a picture for about 5 hours and I was just looking at the history window when I clicked the ’snapshot’ at the very top. Now.. I clicked it, and it reverted my document all the way back to what I am assuming was my last save (ages ago).
Then I thought, “Hey! this layer is pretty usable, maybe I can just copy it and add it to my current work…”
Big mistake… now I cant get to my current picture. Is there anything I can do?
( )Mac Tips June 25th
Nice. I don’t no why but I really liked the image in step 6. Adding all of the effects after it doesn’t make it look as good. Still a good tutorial though.
( )Lee Milthorpe June 25th
Nice effect and very refreshing!
( )Lisa June 25th
WOW this looks like an amazing tutorial! i’m so looking forward to try it out
( )jerry June 25th
omg 4th xD
( )Hannes June 25th
The image doesnt really energize at all I think. So n1 tut but the outcome is rather disenergyzing
( )Constantin Potorac June 25th
I love it. THe effects are very nice and interesting. Good work
( )sandeep June 25th
wow… nice effect!
( )Puffgirl June 25th
wow, really nice.
( )Qbrushes June 25th
pretty fun looking tutorial! thanks
( )godonholiday June 25th
I would like to see more of the product and maybe a slogan….
but a great tutorial that is giving me loads of ideas!!
( )crazyhunk June 25th
good tutorial…..
some good techniques…..
( )The Floatingfrog.co.uk June 25th
Good work. This would actually look good in a magazine. Adding the appropriate typography would give this the professional, finishing touch! Maybe examples on this website should show a simple version of the artwork and another one mocked up to represent an actual ‘Advert’, showing how ‘usable’ it is. Design and function are nothing without each other. In summary, a great starting point, nice simple effects to practice and master, well done Alex ***
( )Jeff June 25th
Sweet. I think the second final image is the better.
( )Jaunzim June 25th
I think this kind of tutorial is the most useful for us…
( )Just like the previous one
It really helps on the workflow, and show us creative ways to solve stuff…
Thank you very much!
Ross June 25th
Bit strange but not bad, there is a very similar tutorial posted here: http://www.tutorial9.net/photoshop/beverage-ad-enhancer/, VERY similar.
( )Flema June 25th
This tutorial its waaaaay better than http://www.tutorial9.net/photoshop/beverage-ad-enhancer/
( )Tom Ross June 25th
Yeah I was thinking it was similar to the tutorial9 tut. And in my opinion it’s not as good.
( )Andrei Constantin June 25th
I agree with some people above, this one is quite similar with the tut over tutorial9.net
However, I really like the end result of this tut.
Nice job
( )Wouter June 25th
Nice
( )Nate June 25th
Simple, easy, nice.
( )Anthony June 25th
The tutorial9 tut is similar in nature, but that is where the similarities end. No drama. Nice tutorial. Good job.
( )Ross June 25th
Think I much prefer the tutorial9 one, however I may have liked this better if the writer stuck to the color scheme in step 6. Bit random to add all those effects, I guess its one of these trial and error tuts.
( )Snorri3D June 26th
NICE 1
( )Bobo June 26th
LOL you have the orginal tut that this was ripped from sitting in your user links at the moment. MMMMMMM
( )Matt June 26th
Please people, just because it is a similar idea doesn’t mean that it was ripped.
Nice tutorial!
( )Rjton June 26th
really good
( )Elliot June 26th
to be honest I prefered it before you changed the hue, but still, a great tut.
Thanks
( )Raj June 26th
awesome tut m8
Thanx!
( )wallace June 26th
Great…
( )Ben Griffiths June 26th
It’s amazing how such a little amount of work can produce a very complex looking final result – thanks!
( )Stanley Parrish June 26th
that was pretty cool
( )RIjalul Fikri June 26th
I like the end result
( )David Leggett June 26th
I don’t think the similarity to the one published over at Tutorial9 is intentional… there are plenty of differences. I like the sunburst sort of effect you’ve got going on in this article Alex! That’s a nice use of that Custom shape!
( )Callum Martin June 26th
Great Effect! Could prove useful in a lot of things
( )Sean C. June 26th
Besides, the posted dates are only 1 day apart. That’s quick turnaround for the tutorial writer and for the PSDTUTS editors to approve and post this tutorial.
Nice effect from both writers!
( )ConfusedNazgul June 26th
Uh, what? How is this ripped from tutorial9.net? Yes, they both use drinks, but the effects are completely different. You might as well say all tutorials that use the color green are ripped off each other.
( )Lordan June 26th
Simple, nice , effective!!
( )Tim June 26th
Good techniques, however, it looks very awkward only showing a the top of the can. If this were a real campaign, it would never be approved.
( )BogDinamita June 26th
wow great effect, persoanlly love it, especially when i learned you used the DIFFERENCE blending mode (tutorials never use it so) thumbs up. can’t wait to try it
( )Tony Nachev June 26th
Doesn’t look like energetic to me.
( )Nick June 26th
the truth is that the art doesnt communicate energy, is fancy, but the art, if it will be abstract, must at least communicate the concept of the product, if not is just decoration with no sense.
( )Ariful Alam Khan June 26th
nice tut. Thanks
( )Tyler Bramer June 26th
This is a great tutorial for learning a lot of different effects, modes, and tools. The final result looks good, but I think the tutorial serves a better purpose for learning Photoshop.
( )Andrew June 26th
Very cool effect
( )Bogus June 26th
not bad, it surely beats the shit out of Tutorial9’s. Keep this one. Looks better.
( )NKHAT June 26th
GOOD WORK
( )goldenthunder June 26th
Not bad, thanks!
( )VertigoSFX June 26th
Beautiful outcome..i’m gonna have to try that.
( )Carlos June 26th
It started off looking so great until Step 7 and onwards where you kinda ruined it. Sorry
( )Danny June 26th
This is pretty cool
( )macias June 26th
nice tut.. but too dark i think.. / it;s more like “the dark side drink” then energy…
( )james June 26th
Nice, but one little thing bugs me: the opening of the can is upside down. That would be difficult to drink.
Especially for the fatigued.
( )JPH June 26th
Very cool.
( )Alex Beltechi June 26th
Hello everyone,
This is indeed a small world after all…
Yes, there are similarities between the two, but they are both independent. Due to the increasing number of tuts being published out there it’s pretty hard to create something entirely unique. That is what I was trying to do, but it turns out that it was being planned elsewhere too. Fortunately, mine and tutorial9’s are made using different techniques, so hopefully you may be able to find both useful.
Thank you,
( )Alex
Zach LeBar June 26th
Definitely think the tutorial 9 tut is better than this one, and extremely similar in style. I expected to see a link to it in the intro as inspiration, but it wasn’t there.
don’t know about the credibility of this one, like Tim said, if it were a real campaign, not enough of the product is shown to allow the buyer to recognize it and commit it to memory.
( )Sean Hodge June 26th
In this case, there was no inspiration from the other tutorial. This tutorial has been in line to be published for at least a week, possibly two. I handle the approval of the user links, so I certainly saw the tut over on Tutorial 9. I think Tyler did a good job over there. The tutorial Alex put together here is great as well. I look forward to working with him again.
I exchanged emails with Alex for a month while he developed this tutorial concept, and I’m confident these two tutorials were developed independently. I think they have different flavors to each of these tuts, and possibly to the soda involved as well
Thx.
( )MONSTER June 26th
Makes me thirsty.
I really like the bubble effect.
( )Joefrey Mahusay June 26th
Wow Great effect! Really nice bubble.
( )Marcelo Kanzaki June 26th
How’s that supposed to be an ad if the product is hidden?
Nice effect though!
( )wilbur June 26th
there’s no accounting for taste, i guess. not pretty.
( )raine spooke June 26th
i like this tutorial, well, the end result’s look, and i’d love to do it. but… everytime i get to the part where i have to set the hue to “73″ it turned the background hot pink, with the circles like, orange and a gross green… lol, uhm, it looks IDENTICLE to what’s on the tut beforehand… but… yeah
( )any help? ^^’
Dan June 26th
@ all who think this is a ripped tutorial… The fact that the two tutorials were published 1 day apart from each other should be reason enough not question the “credibility of this one”. I’m affraid these comments are simply mean spirited. Head over to his flickr account (www.flickr.com/photos/alexbeltechi) and see if he is capable of producing good looking images – not to mention original.
( )Alex Beltechi June 26th
@raine spooke: You most likely created the shapes, duplicated them into a second layer, added radial blur on the second layer, set the ‘radial blur’ layer’s style to ‘difference’ and then changed its hue by 73. Try to not change the hue just yet, as you need to do one more thing.
As soon as you create the ‘radial blur’ layer, set it on difference. Then merge all layers or flatten the entire image. Only then change the hue to 73. Thanks for asking, hopefully it will be ok now.
( )Shane June 26th
I kinda agree with Mac Tips – I too like the image in step 6 – the effects are interesting, but like the last tutorial, sometimes the ’simpler’ looking images have a greater visual impact.
( )segfaultii June 26th
Cool effect, but hardly an advert. In an advert you should see the actual product, it must have the most attention. You want to sell it!
( )Lesley Nevejans June 26th
Weird, for some reason I just couldn’t find that ray shape in my custom shapes menu…
Is it possible to download it somewhere?
Lesley
( )Joe June 27th
YAY! More abstract/explosion effects!!! We need a lot more of these!!
C’mon…
( )James Aitchison June 27th
I am also having the same issue as Lesley.
I have had a search around but I haven’t come across the ‘Ray Shape’ in my Custom Shapes Menu.
Any assistance would be grateful.
Cheers,
James
( )Laura June 27th
Amazing effect! I agree with Joe…we need more… version!
( )Joe June 27th
@ Laura
Sorry, I was being sarcastic. If you’ve seen one abstract explosion effect, you’ve seen em’ all.
( )Jin Y June 27th
@joe, tuts aren’t about effects, it’s about how to get there.
( )Joe June 27th
@ Jin Y
That’s all well and good but when you’ve got what seems like the same effect over and over, it gets dull. It contributes to the dullness of today’s younger designers that seemingly can’t think for themselves to produce their own concepts.
( )MD June 27th
Nice tut!
( )WoNNi June 27th
Good Job Thx.
( )yulka June 27th
To see the ray shape click on the arrow next to the shapes and select “All” from the drop-down menu. The screenshot will make it clear: http://img81.imageshack.us/img81/8135/shapesoz2.jpg
Thanks for the great tut!
( )BenRulz June 27th
Nice effects…. lovely tutorial..!
( )great job..!!
Alex Beltechi June 27th
Hello,
If you don’t have the ray like shape this set should work fine:
( )http://myphotoshopbrushes.com/custom_shapes/id/2002
Lesley June 27th
Thanks Alex
Also a great tutorial…
Lesley
( )Shan June 27th
To me this looks ok but ultimately fails. Firstly dark colours don’t really say “energize”. If that is the message you are trying to get, then bright colours are a must. dark colours are better suited to more sexy/laid back advertising. Secondly for something that is advertising a product that is pretty much covered 80% because of some effects, it doesn’t really help to sell the idea when people can’t see what is on the can to then recognise it when they are out and about in a store. I don’t feel that cutting the can in half helped. I have never seen a product advertised that was cut in half! It is for these two reasons I think this ultimately fails. It looks fine, it just doesn’t do what it is supposed to.
( )Michael June 28th
LOL @ the guys who thought they posted 1st and 4th. Great tutorial, trying it out as i type/speak
( )pwano June 28th
it’s really awsome!
( )J_syk June 28th
Amazing. It was such a coincidence, I was looking for an idea to promote cosmic bowling and this was the newest post when I got the homepage!
( )here’s what i did http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y160/j_syk/cosmicbowl.jpg
I prefer to take these kind of tutorials and add my own style, like the example at the end using squares and different color tones, but the circles and neon and glow colors were perfect. Thanks a ton.
CssLeak - Css Gallery June 29th
Thanks, great tutorial
( )fahed June 29th
good work my friend , i’ll try to do like this ,,
thanks
( )Bugs June 29th
I’ve been really loving this trend lately. This sort of style, a little graffiti mixed in with grunge mixed with neon colors. It’s HOT
( )Frank June 30th
I have tried several tutorials on this site, and this is the last one I will waste my time on. Like so many others I have tried, this tutorial is wrought with errors. For example, in Step 8 after I adjust the hue to 73, my image turns pink, not the blue-greenish shown in the tutorial. What gives?
Again – I’m not wasting my time with anymore error-ridden tutorials on this site. Thanks anyway.
( )Sean Hodge July 1st
I added some correction to Step 8 of this tutorial. Thanks.
( )Karthick July 1st
sooperb tutoriallllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll
( )Saro July 4th
I love it!
( )Jester July 5th
Great!!! But hard for beginer users…
( )suckoja July 8th
Way to cool!
( )Nagaraj July 22nd
Nice and really good..
( )Mansoor July 24th
Excellent Tutorials
( )Scott Wood July 29th
Fantastic effort, is this a common approach you use for product ads?
( )Buzzlair August 7th
“Hello,
If you don’t have the ray like shape this set should work fine:
http://myphotoshopbrushes.com/custom_shapes/id/2002”
alex, thanks for this one. appreciate that
( )blakaj August 9th
Where can I get the first shape. Some help would be appreciated
( )Zero August 12th
PLease tell me where i can find that shape
i don`t have it in my photoshop.
If anyone can help me please type on my mail -> zero_2004@abv.bg
Thank you!
( )bixxi August 23rd
Great job!
( )Could I use this techniques in order to obtain fire effects? What colours should I select?
bixxi August 23rd
cool tut
( )Ryan September 2nd
Extremely Awesome Tutorial.
Shame mine doesn’t look as good as yours.
( )ptamaro September 5th
Great tutorial, and these are some really juicy effects I didn’t know about — really useful stuff, thanks!
( )CaRoL September 25th
Thanks! Great tutorial!!!
( )Acoustikz November 9th
Loved it!
I just finished the tutorial myself-
Very simple, Very effective;
Although I found my version to be slightly grainy..
Not sure why..
Great tutorial
( )Donald November 13th
Amazing Tutorial! Absoloutly Informative and for a beginner, I found that i didnt have to go back and forward like I find my self doing with so many.
Verry GOod
( )Mathias December 26th
Hi, i did everything uptill the Pixelate filter, which doesnt same to be possible, I cannot click the filter, it’s disabled.
( )Mathias December 26th
Never mind, my mode was on 16 bit had to be 8 bit
( )purna February 7th
good grip in filters
( )polychromatic.spiral February 9th
great stuff thanks
( )sam February 19th
super nice jop
( )Jesse February 27th
I get stuck on step 7. I’m not quite sure how to select everything and merge all the layers together.
( )Travis March 26th
Can’t get the right color
really nice
( )photo and photoshop April 6th
WOW i like this tutorial very much
awesome and very easy to follow! Good job
( )ttens May 6th
can give more explosive!
( )JC May 16th
I have just a question! Where you pick up that radial shape??
( )Pradeep May 20th
Superb
( )Anon August 3rd
That was really great appreciate it!!
( )Amanda October 24th
i can’t figure out how to change the color of the shape tool. it says to rasterize it first but if i do that with the copy, the shape disappears.
any suggestions?
( )manoj November 2nd
nice and thanks for nice guidance
( )