Tutorial Details
- Program: Adobe Photoshop CS4 Extended
- Difficulty: Beginner
- Estimated Completion Time: 3 - 5 Minutes
Download Source Files
Final Product What You'll Be Creating
Hello everyone! In today’s quick tip tutorial I will demonstrate how to create a really nice bas relief effect using a texture, any picture, and Photoshop’s 3D tools. Let’s get started!
Resources Used
The following resources were used in the production of this tutorial:
Step 1
Create a New Document in any size you want, in this case mine is 1024 x 968 px at 72dpi, RGB. Fill the Background with any dark color (Black #000000 in this case) and create a new layer above it named "Plane", then fill this layer with another lighter color, like 50% gray.
Step 2
Select the "Plane" layer and go to 3D > Plane. This action will create a 3D Layer with the gray background as Diffuse texture.
Step 3
Select the "Plane" 3D layer and show the 3D Tools panel (Window > 3D). Select the Scene object and under Global Ambient Color set this one: #FFFFFF (White). You can change Anti-Alias to Best for a better rendering.
Step 4
Double click at the "Diffuse" Texture on the Layers Panel. A New window will appear showing the texture’s layers, then open the "Wood Texture", select it, copy it on the clipboard and paste it to the texture file into a new layer. Save the texture file and go back to your main document, you’ll see the texture applied to the "Plane" layer.
Step 5
Click on the "Materials" Button on the 3D panel, then, next to the Bump Strength box, click on the tiny button next to it and select New Texture. Make the size of the new Texture layer exactly the same than your document (1024 x 768 px) and hit OK to commit.
Step 6
Double Click on the brand new "Bump" texture layer created in the previous step and just like the diffuse texture, a new window will appear. On this new document paste the "Lion Statue" picture into a new layer, you can do further editing here such as removing the white borders but it’s optional since it has white background as well as the document background. Finally using the Hue/Saturation panel (Command + U) lower the saturation to -100 (you can use any other technique to make it 100% grayscale) and save it.
Step 7
As an additional detail I’m using a swirl brush to paint details around the Bump texture, remember to always use a gray color for best results. Save the texture document, close it and go back to the main document, and you’ll see the bump texture applied.
Step 8
Using the 3D transformation tools, rotate the layer a little bit (if you have doubts on how to use the 3D tools take a look at my Basic Guide to Photoshop’s 3D Tools). Then, on the Bump Strength box, change the value from 1 to 5 (this is very important, if you want more strength on the effect try with a larger number), and set both Glossiness and Shininess to 0% to remove undesired reflections.
Step 9
If you would like to try something different, change the Diffuse Texture (Double click on the Diffuse texture on layers panel) and on the texture file, add a new layer with another texture, in this case a brushed metal. After that, save the texture layer and you’ll see the bas relief effect applied to this new texture. You can also change the Glossiness and Shininess values on the material to add some reflections.
Conclusion
Really simple right? You can also try this effect with different materials and images.
Enjoyed this Post?
Subscribe to our RSS Feed, Follow us on Twitter or simply recommend us to friends and colleagues!
By Alvaro Guzman
Photoshop to HTML
Take your Photoshop skills to the next level by learning how to slice up a PSD into a working standards driven HTML website.
Join our newsletter!
U-Design WordPress Theme only $35.00 
Modernize - Flexibility of W ... only $35.00 
When the storm comes - More
Photoshop Basix
Just getting started? Start with our basix tutorials on the fundamentals. View All Basix Tutorials
Create a Tutorial, Get Paid!
Have something to teach the world? Want to earn money doing it? Tutorials, screencasts, and articles published here on Psdtuts+ are largely contributed by readers just like you! We'll pay you great money for good content. Find Out More
Who needs real life when you can just open Photoshop. This looks amazing!
Thank you. I always use 4x4s on my cat macros for the outer frame, that tends to keep the crushing irony from causing any instability that might upset the cats.
useful stuff…
thanks for this :d
Sweet! Thanks for the easy tutorial
Interesting effect! I must try these 3d tools!
So this website only caters to beginners now?
I guess, you were a beginner once too. I can’t see anything wrong with something for everybody.
I was saying the same
Are you kidding? the author is an expert, ckeck out his other tutorials
Diana, thanks for calling me an “expert”
I think every one of us has been a beginner sometime, am I right? Even though this isn’t a simple tutorial but a quick one, I believe both experts an beginners could take something from it and apply it in some point of their careers.
Before writing this tutorial I didn’t knew that such an effect could be achieved using 3D layers and maybe some other “expert” in the business doesn’t know it yet… That’s why this site is here, to SHARE our knowledge.
I don’t believe I’m a PS newbie, but neither an expert.
This tutorial has showed me something new. I was aware of Photoshop’s 3D tools, but this tutorial gave me the interest of actually working with it. Thank you Alvaro.
I take it you missed the last tutorial on how to create a realistic looking camera.
What a stupid comment. I am no beginner, in fact I consider myself a professional in most areas of Photoshop, but for people who never use 3D or even knew about the possibilities, this tutorial is great – even if you are not using Photoshop for the first time
.
This site is for beginner to advance. It doesn’t hurt to learn some quick tip.
Sure, you won’t get a project to create a bas relief from your client but you might use this technique in one of your big project.
If you’re not a beginner, why would you need tutorials?
This is awesome… Thanks for sharing this tips… Step 9 is cool…
wow i was searching for this tutorial and finally got it.
Keep Writing.
a simple bumb map would have worked too oO
Your avatar shows how much of a pro you are
Cool Tut btw.
this is really nice, bump mapping in photoshop is really good, thanks for share
Very useful. Thanks a lot
Never know used 3d in PS, but it seems to be useful, Thx SHARING your knowledge
wow…wonderful tutorial…i will help me a lot…:)
the first thing that came to my mind after seeing the result was – omigawd, so useful for making fantasy textures for 3D objects!!!
Thank you!!!!
This is just awesome, when looking at your tutorials all seems so easy, lol!
looks great!!
thanks
If you are an expert, why are you reading tutorials?
Thanks for tutorial! I didnt tried 3D tool yet! I’ll try it later.
…damned if you do, damned if you don’t quite frankly, once PSDtuts start rejecting stuff on the basis of “too simple” then you venture into a whole fracas of “why is this site leaving the novices out!”. Why can’t a site have something to cater for every level?
thank. I like it.
very nice
Awesome tutorial, Really great final piece and easy to follow.
Thanks for sharing.
hi,thanks for your tutorial,I just follow the steps,but the step 7 I’m puzzling on how to do the effect of the third picture
Hello. Liked the tutorial, thanks! The thing is, I want to do exactly this only that the text is inverted instead of extrruded. Like typograhy cut in stone, is there a really simple way to do this? I’m new to Photoshop Extended 3D effects.
great tutorial.. thanks for sharing
quick tips and tutorials are always helpful….very straightforward also….thanks!