Make an Apple Coldplay Style Ad in Photoshop

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Recently, Apple released a new iTunes video advertisement featuring the band Coldplay and the song, "Viva la Vida." As is usual with Apple ads, this commercial is very beautiful. The coolest thing is that this time they chose to use light effects with glows and sparks. As I’m a really big fan of this style, I thought it would be nice to have a tutorial showing how to create that effect.

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.

In this tutorial, I will show you how to create a very similar effect to that used in the Apple Coldplay Video Ad. If you have done the Sparkling Hot Girl tutorial in Photoshop, you will find it similar in some steps of this tutorial. You can download the image needed for this tutorial here.

Click

Step 1

Create a new document and fill it with a Radial Gradient. Use a dark gray(#161616) and White. The white will be the main light.

Apple Coldplay ad in Photoshop

Step 2

With the Rectangle Tool (U), create a rectangle with half of the height of the screen. It will serve as the floor. Use a very dark red (#180a06).

Apple Coldplay ad in Photoshop

Step 3

Add a new layer and create a marquee selection from the floor layer. You can do that by right-clicking over the layer’s thumbnail. Then choose Select Pixels. After that, select a blue (#113e4b) for the foreground color and black for the background. Then go to Filter>Render>Clouds.

Apple Coldplay ad in Photoshop

Step 4

Go to Edit>Transform>Distort. Use this command to apply perspective to the clouds. Just move the vertices, as in the image below.

Apple Coldplay ad in Photoshop

Step 5

Next add a bit of blur by going to Filter>Blur>Gaussian Blur. Use 8 pixels for the Radius. You can even change the Opacity to 70%. If you want to make it darker, use the Eraser Tool (E) and set the tools brush size to a 0 Hardness. Then erase some parts of the layer.

Apple Coldplay ad in Photoshop

Step 6

Now it’s necessary to repeat the steps we used to create the floor with the Render Clouds. However, instead of using blue for the color, use a dark pink (#552a58). Tip: If you duplicate the blue layer, it won’t work because we need to use different clouds.

Apple Coldplay ad in Photoshop

Step 7

Create a new layer exactly like the previous one, and make it the same height. Then select black and white for the colors. With the Gradient Tool (G), fill the layer with a Radial Gradient. The white has to be in the center. Then change the blend mode to Color Dodge.

Apple Coldplay ad in Photoshop

Step 8

Now we create a new layer. Then select the Lasso Tool (L). Next let’s change the Feather to 20px. Then create a selection, as shown below. Keep in mind that this element will be the light as well. After that, select black and white for the background and foreground colors. Then go to Filter>Render>Clouds.

Apple Coldplay ad in Photoshop

Step 9

Now let’s add more blur. To do that, go to Filter>Blur>Gaussian Blur, and use 35 pixels for the Radius. After that, the most important thing, change the blend mode to Color Dodge. Then delete the part of the cloud that is not exactly on the floor, as I marked in the image below.

Apple Coldplay ad in Photoshop

Step 10

Next we will create the background’s light. First create a new layer. Then use black and a 50% gray for the colors. Then go to Filter>Render>Clouds.

Let’s add a Layer Style next by going to Layer>Layer Style. First add a Color Overlay with (#84a7b8) for the color. Then change the blend mode to Overlay. After that, select the Gradient Overlay. Change the blend mode again to Overlay and use a gradient with these colors: orange (#fba46f), pink (#cb8cd4), green (#346777). Use Linear for the Style and 180º for the Angle.

Apple Coldplay ad in Photoshop

Step 11

Create a new layer on top of the others. Then with the Lasso Tool (L) and a 20px Feather, create a selection, as shown below. Then using the same black and a 50% gray for the colors, go to Filter>Render>Clouds. Then using the Blur Tool, add a blur to some areas. After that, change the blend mode to Color Dodge.

Apple Coldplay ad in Photoshop

Step 12

Place a photo on the document. Then cut out the background and leave just the person. Use the tools you feel comfortable with to accomplish this. I used the Pen Tool (P).

Apple Coldplay ad in Photoshop

Step 13

Create a new layer on top of the layer named "dude." Fill it with black. Then go to Layer>Create Clipping Mask. Next select the Eraser Tool (E), and pick a 100px Master Diameter Brush with 0% Hardness. Then erase some parts of the layer, to add some highlights to the guy.

Apple Coldplay ad in Photoshop

Step 14

Now let’s add some lights in front of the guy. To do that create a new layer. Then choose a regular brush (the circle one), use a big size like 200px, and use a 50% Opacity. Then choose first Orange and Brush where I marked (1) in the image.

After that, choose a pink color. Then paint where the number (2) is marked. Then change the blend mode of this layer to Overlay. You can even add another layer with Clouds. Then with the Erase Tool delete almost everything. Be sure to leave some smoke details in front of him ( 3, 4, and 5).

Apple Coldplay ad in Photoshop

Step 15

Create a new Folder and rename it to "sparks and rays." Then change its blend mode to Color Dodge. Now the layers we create will be placed inside this folder.

Next we create a new layer and choose the Brush Tool (B). For the color use white and select a regular brush with a Master Diameter of 13px and a Hardness of 0%. Then create three lines, as shown in the image below. Tip: Press once, then hold the Shift key and press where you want the end-point of the line. That will create a straight line.

Apple Coldplay ad in Photoshop

Step 16

You can create another layer or use the same layer, but I recommend you create a layer for each group of effects based on brush diameters sizes. So now use a smaller diameter, like 4px. Then create a few more rays of light, as in the image below.

Apple Coldplay ad in Photoshop

Step 17

Create more rays of light using different brush diameters and opacities. Again, I recommend you create a new layer based on each new brush size used. This will keep the file organized.

Apple Coldplay ad in Photoshop

Step 18

It’s fairly simple to create some curved rays. First, add a new layer. Then create some lines. Be sure to use different Brush Sizes, as I did. Then go to Filter>Distort>Wave. Use 1 for the Number of Generators. Then set the Wavelength to Min 1 and Max 500. Then set the Amplitude to Min 5 and Max 200. Lastly, change the layer’s Opacity to 50%.

Apple Coldplay ad in Photoshop

Step 19

Next let’s make the Sparks in the image. First, create a new layer. Then select the Brush Tool (B). Then go to Window>Brushes to open the Brush Engine. For the Brush Tip Shape use 100% for the Spacing. For the diameter, start with 9px, though note that you can change that to create bigger sparks. Over the Shape Dynamics use a Size Jitter of 100%, Min Diameter of 5%, and Minimum Roundness of 25%. Over the Scattering, use 1000% for the Scatter and mark Both Axes. Then select Other Dynamics and change the Opacity Jitter to 50%.

Now select white for the color and paint some sparks in the image, as shown below. Tip: Use the left and right brackets on your keyboard ([ ])to decrease and increase the Brush Diameter quickly.

Apple Coldplay ad in Photoshop

Conclusion

Add more sparks to the image. You can place some really big sparks and some smaller sparks in front of the main figure. Many sparks are placed across the figure’s chest in the final image below. Although it might look like a complicated effect to create, it’s actually quite simple. We use the same technique with the Clouds almost every time. Actually, that’s the technique to create all sort of lighting effects.

Apple Coldplay ad in Photoshop

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Discussion 134 Comments

Comment Page 3 of 3 1 2 3
  1. Riley says:

    AHH! >_< this is really frustrating, could you please be a bit more specific? Mine is turning out nothing like yours…i cant even get past the pink and blue floor. The Layers wont blend together right…could some of you that have gotten farther than that please help me!

  2. Frank says:

    I must agree with other posts. By the time I get to step 7 mine looks completely different than the screenshots.

    Instructions like “Now it’s necessary to repeat the steps we used to create the floor with the Render Clouds,” or “Create a new layer exactly like the previous one, and make it the same height” aren’t really helpful instructions. They are way too nebulous. Which steps do I repeat?

    To summarize:: tutorial frustrating – clear instructions, please!

  3. Dave says:

    Needs more info

  4. Andy says:

    I love this tutorial. To the folks saying it’s not as good as apples, lets not forget Fabio is one guy and Apple would have spent alot of cash getting a top agency to make that ad. Well done Fabio!

  5. clf4rd says:

    woooohhhuhhhh!!!! fantastico!!!

  6. Shawn says:

    That looks really bad, the render you used looks choppy and bad quality.

    the effects are nice, but the focal point being the render takes away from the general composition of the whole graphic.

  7. Ralph Gutierrez Moreno says:

    Awesome tutorial

    Here’s my try, altered it a bit though.
    http://img519.imageshack.us/img519/9846/waderobsoncopyeu5.jpg

  8. bmx says:

    gooooood job!

  9. Kathy says:

    What is the point of splitting the image in half to make a “floor” as you say?

    I don’t really like how that looks . . .

  10. GTO says:

    cant follow the tut after step 5, not explained that well.
    shame looked like a good tut

  11. JustAmotherGuy101 says:

    What would be better is a video instruciton…but epic tut. Thanks m8!

  12. JustAnotherGuy101 says:

    Just made my first test…did’nt exactly get the steps so it looks more simple but I still think this tut has made photoshop more epic. My attempt at [IMG]http://i377.photobucket.com/albums/oo216/JustAnotherGuy101/JustAnotherGuy101.jpg[/IMG]

  13. Mike says:

    I get stuck at step 3…I’ve right-clicked everywhere and I can’t see the option Select Pixels. Need help.

  14. Manoj says:

    Excellent Tutorials… Thank you sooo much for sharing these.

  15. Wain says:

    Kool guide, the lighting on the ‘dude’ didn’t really work for me though.
    Thanks for sharing!

  16. dennis says:

    lovely work
    can i get more

  17. Lee says:

    Could something similar be creating in vector format, in illustrator for example?

  18. Makiya says:

    yea… um I’m a beginner in photoshop.. I have photoshop cs3 extended.. and I get the tutorial… but I can never get past Step 6 because you like confused me in that step.. Can you or somebody who gets this tutorial explain Step 6 to me because you really didn’t make it specific enough. Pleasee =]

  19. Can Elmas says:

    well a great effect, but this tutorial is a little hard

  20. vijay says:

    hi Fabio,
    cool tutorial mate, keep going i’ll be your student
    THX

  21. Makiya says:

    I don’t think you’re very good at making tutorials.. I mean you’re great on photoshop.. but like you don’t explain thorougly what to do.. sorry about the negative comment.. but its true.

  22. ashartworks says:

    nice tutorial thnk u so much

  23. Deano says:

    I wouldnt take any notice of the negative comments mate. Brilliant work and awesome to have superior designers like yourself sharing your knowledge.

  24. Anonymous says:

    I’m new to Photoshop, and i’m wondering what the layers thumbnail is. I don’t know any terms yet, but i have to chose one of these for a class.

  25. Rachel says:

    Cool!!Thanks!

  26. Malvika says:

    Awesome tutorial!

    Thank you soooooo much for being very descriptive during the whole tutorial… It definitely helped me A LOT!

    My results were pretty good too… thanks to you.
    I like how you named the layer “dude”…I’m glad I’m not the only one who comes up with weird names for the layers ;)

    Keep up the good work.
    Thanks again!

    =]

  27. Karli-Rae says:

    Do you know how to make the light seem to illuminate the guy from behind? Like in the real ad? For me that is the most “wow” effect and makes the most difference in the final product.

  28. WoW :) Awesome Tutorial. Easy and well explained . Fantastic to learn. Thanks to share this nice tutorial.

  29. jmarreros says:

    great tut, thanks for sharing

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