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Last month while I was selecting some images for blog post, I found an amazing design created by Nik Ainley, one of my favorite Photoshop masters. He had created some incredible clouds using Photoshop. I thought to myself, “Damn that’s really cool. I have to know how to do something like that!”
So in this tutorial, I will show you how to create cartoon-style clouds using Photoshop and a bit of Illustrator.
Step 1
Create a new document. Double-click on the background layer to open the Layer Styles dialog box. Select Gradient Overlay. For the colors, use three colors: pink, blue, and black. Select Radial for the Style.
Step 2
Create a new layer and rename it to”ps clouds.” Make sure that the foreground is white and the background is black. Go to Filters>Render>Clouds. Tip: Hold the “Alt” key to create a stronger effect.
Step 3
To create the clouds we will use the Brush Engine. Create a new Folder and name it “cloud.” Select the Brush Tool and set the brush properties as shown below. The secret is the spacing and the Size Jitter. After that, you can save the brush.
Step 4
We have the brush—now lets create the cloud style. Create three new layers inside the “cloud” folder, and
name them “front,” “middle,” and “last.”
Double-click on the “front” layer to open the Layer Styles dialog box and select Gradient Overlay, Bevel and Emboss, and Inner Glow. Copy the Layer Style and apply to the other two layers.
Step 5
Using the brush we created, start painting the clouds. Tip: The volume will be created using the layer order, like in the image below.
Step 6
After you’ve painted your cloud, select the folder and convert it to a Smart Object. Duplicate the layer and change the blend mode to Multiply. Group the two layers and rename it to “Cloud 1.”
Step 7
Repeat Steps 4, 5, and 6. It’s not necessary to repeat the Layer Style steps though, just Copy and Paste the Layer Style. Create four clouds and place them like in the image below.
Step 8
Select any cloud folder and convert it to a Smart Object. Change the Blend Mode to Overlay. After that duplicate the layer and group the two layers. Rename the group to “clouds back.”
Step 9—Rainbows in Illustrator
In Illustrator select Ellipse Tool (L) and create a circle. Set the Stroke weight to 40px with a purple color.
Step 10
Start adding more strokes to the ellipse, increasing the weight by 40px so there will be a 40px purple, 80px cyan, 120px green, 160px yellow, and 200px red. After that copy the vector and go back to Photoshop.
Step 11
Back in Photoshop, paste the vector and choose Paste as Pixels. After that, using the Magic Wand Tool (W), select the white part of the rainbow and delete it. Then convert it to a Smart Object and group it. Rename the group “rainbow 1.”
Step 12
Place the rainbow between two clouds and using the Polygonal Lasso Tool (L), select the part of the rainbow you want to hide. Then select the group (not the layer), and go to Layer>Layer Mask>Hide Selection and hide that area.
After that you can duplicate the “rainbow 1″ group in order to create another rainbow.
Step 13
Create four new layers and paste on them the same Layer Style we used for the clouds. Select the Brush Tool and create another brush like the images below. Then create small clouds where the rainbows touch the clouds at the beginning and end of the rainbows.
Step 14
Create a new layer beneath the clouds and rainbows. Fill it with black and change the Blend Mode to Color Dodge. Again select the Brush Tool and create another Brush in order to create the stars.
Step 15
Repeat step 14; however, this time select a circle shape instead of the star. Reduce the size of the brush, and create the rounded stars.
Conclusion
In this tutorial, we used mostly the Brush Engine and Layer Styles. It’s amazing what you can do using only those two features! Here we created clouds but by changing some settings, we can create a completely different effect.
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By Fabio
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nice work bro….but in the 3rd step for [brush preset] shape dynamics…….we have to change size glitter’s CONTROL as PEN PESSURE BUT IN UR JPG PIC ITS NOT MENTIONED AND FOR SECOND STEP …..U DINT MENTIONED THE BLENDING MODE OF CLOUD LAYER
if it was a video it will be easyer
In step 2 you never explained how to blend the cloud layer with the background. What do you do there to make it look like that?
Picture Fine Very Java.
I Love You.
I Shall do like this. at top
very nice
Cool Clouds.. Love it. ♥
cute clouds! thanks for the tutorial!
thats awesome… here check out my one
lol itz no were as good as that one but 
anywayz wa u think
http://www.filecram.com/files/rainbow.png
he does absolutely not indicate how he applies the “ps clouds” to the colour layer in step 2. It’s a bit lame that you do a tutorial and skip steps like that. I have both layers but can’t mix them together. Incomplete tutorial, utter crap.
Thatis soo amazing, looks like something from Super Mario Galaxy awesomenesss
nice tut…
Great tutorial! I’m so glad I stumbled upon this website, it’s a fountain of inspiration for me!
I love this tutorial.
Thanks!
yep another crappy tut …it would be nice if you guys just stay out of the way
)
& let others post real complete tuts
peace
John
Excellent Tutorial
I love the tutorials on this website. Don’t stop making them.
Fantastic tutorial! Keep up the good work
wow lovely! cute!
FABIO always rocking.
exllent and super works
wooooow !!
i love it and i will try it !
plz if u have any tutorials i will be happy to look at it !
Regards < ^_^
really good tut i really like the clouds!
It’s look like Vlad’s work. Mayby He was your inspiration:>??
hey, how does it works in step one to set the center of the gradient overlay next to the bottom? Thanks!
this is fun and ekciting work …
exciting tutorial thanks !
Great Tutorial. I liked it a lot. Bookmarked
as beautiful as a dream could be……………..
Thanks for that amazing tut……..
could you please write a tutorial on making floating planets……
That would be great when combined with this image……..
Once again thanks
I agree with a above statement, great tutorial. I book marked it as well. The clouds are the best part.
that is good
thank you
Love it! Amazing tutorial..!
thanks for that tutorial, i learnt a lot, amazing.
greets from switzerland
Geezes, you are not telling me how to do anything dude. EXPLAIN! Please. You got me stuck at step 2. When making the tutorial pertend that you are explain to someone that has no idea, on what they are doing.
Thank you! Total noob to Photoshop (only 2nd time using it) but was able to pull it off with your help. Much appreciated!
Awesome tutorial, but got a little stuck on step 2. I just changed the layer blending mode to Multiply and reduced the Fill down to 85%, might not be how you did it tho. (:
fabio, super….
Realy nice tutorial……
(Fabio I am surendar. From India could you remember me?)
THANKS SO MUCH , very helpfull !
See you later
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oh nice i cant believe this so nice
wooowww perfect
Wow! Good job! nice and very simple!
i really appreciate you Faabio.
Nice tutorial thanks for sharing with us.
cool
very cool tut thanks
I love the tutorieals please send me some more effective tutorieals on my id Deeplv@yahoo.com
WOoooow yesss ! that’s an amazing effect “Fabio” you’ve put here with only those two features ! thanks so much for sharing !!
eu gostei! simples, fácil e ótimo resultado!
i liked! symple, easy and great result!
Its Amazing Situs….
how come you dont publish my comment?
Your design looks very good but your tutorials isnt you dont tell allot of stuff such as steps, what you did, color codes etc!
It is great!
Gene synthesis
plz plz pzl plz help help me! i dont know how to make the rainbow! this tutorial isnt the indepth! plz help me plz!