Draw a Roll of Camera Film in Photoshop
Tutorial Details
- Program: Adobe Photoshop CS5
- Difficulty: Beginner
- Estimated Completion Time: 3 Hours
Download Source Files
Final Product What You'll Be Creating
Icon design can be a lot of fun. In this tutorial we will demonstrate how to create a roll of camera film using Photoshop. Let’s get started!
Step 1
Before we start, take a look to the layer setup.

Step 2
Creating the basic shape. Create a new layer named ‘Body’. Start with a Pen tool and create the shape described below.

Step 3
Now apply the following the layer style.

Step 4
Take a feathered Brush, Command/Ctrl + click on the layer thumbnail of ‘Body’. Create a new layer named ‘White_1′. Use white color, start painting as shown on next image. Now set the layer blending mode to Overlay.

Step 5
Use the same technique for next step. See result. Leave the layer blending mode on normal.

Step 6
I’ve used same technique again but this time, using black and also set layer blending mode to overlay and opacity to 42%. Take a close look at the next image.

Step 7
Using above techniques I’ve added more light and dark portions.

Step 8
Create a new layer named ‘Orange’. Take the pen tool and create the shape shown below. Fill it with color #ffa657.

Step 9
Command/Ctrl + click on the layer thumbnail of ‘Orange’, create a new layer. Take a feathered brush tool, color #e2481d and paint as shown on next image.

Step 10
Create next shape using Pen tool and fill it with white color. Set its layer blending mode to overlay. Take a feathered eraser tool, change it’s opacity to 50% Flow to 50% from Options bar. Follow next image.

Step 11
Again take pen tool and create the shape described below. After that follow the layer style.

Step 12
Take Pen tool and create the shape described below. Then hit Command/Ctrl + enter, now fill it with color – #fdc161. Take a feathered eraser tool, then follow the next image.

Step 13
Using previous techniques I’ve added more lights on the object.

Step 14
Placing the text. Use Vertical Type tool, and type your text. After that right click on the text layer and select Rasterize Type from the menu. Now hit Command/Ctrl + T on keyboard, right click on it, select Wrap from the menu. See the image. Using same technique I’ve added another text.

Step 15
Grab the pen tool and create the shape described below. Hit Command/Ctrl + Enter on your keyboard. Fill it with white color, set layer blending mode to Overlay and opacity to 25%. Now select all the layers and press ctrl + G to put all the layers into a new group. Name it ‘Body’.

Step 16
Create a new layer, use pen tool and create the shape described below. After that apply the following layer style.

Step 17
Follow step 4-6 and see next image. Use new layers each time. Use a feathered brush tool, use white and black colors, change brush size as required.

Step 18
Again grab pen tool and create the shape described below. Follow step 16 and apply the layer style.

Step 19
Again I’ve used previous techniques to add highlights on the object

Step 20
Use pen tool and create the shape described below. Follow step 16 and use the layer style.

Step 21
Again using pen tool create the shape and fill it with color #232323.

Step 22
Copy the layer shown on next image. Press Command/Ctrl + T on your keyboard, Right click on it, choose Flip Vertical and place it as shown on image.

Step 23
Creating the base of inner side. Create shape using pen tool or Elliptical Marquee tool whatever you like, now follow the layer style.

Step 24
Command/Ctrl + click on the layer thumbnail that we’ve just created, create new layer above this, and fill it with white color. Take a feathered Eraser tool and erase the highlighted area.

Step 25
Now create a circle with Elliptical Marquee tool and then go to Edit > Stroke, Width -2px, Color- White, Location – Outside. After that apply the following layer style.

Step 26
Again Command/Ctrl + click on the layer thumbnail that we’ve just created. Go to Edit > Stroke, Width -1px, Color- White, Location – Outside, and use a feathered eraser tool and erase the highlighted portion. See the result.

Step 27
Create the shape described below using pen tool. Now apply the layer style, which we’ve used in step 3. After that add some highlights using pervious techniques. Follow the image.

Step 28
Again copy the layer shown on next image. Hit Command/Ctrl + T on your keyboard, right click on it, choose Flip Vertical from the menu and place it as shown on next image. Also add some Highlights on it.

Step 29
Create a circle above using Elliptical Marquee tool and add stroke of 3px. Then apply the layer style, which we’ve used in step 3. Then using white color and a feathered brush tool add some highlights on it.

Step 30
Drawing the back portion of the reel. Use pen tool to create the shape. After that follow the layer style.

Step 31
I’ve added some highlights on the object. See next image.

Step 32
Command/Ctrl + click on the layer thumbnail shown on next image. Create new layer, fill it with black color. Go to Filter > Noise > Add Noise, Amount – 63.1%, Select Gaussian and Monochromatic.

Step 33
Again create the front reel using pen tool. After that apply the layer style.

Step 34
Add some noise using the same technique. I’ve also added some lights to it.

Step 35
Adding shadows. I created all of the highlighted shapes using pen tool. Fill them with black color. Erase edges of them using a feathered eraser tool. Decrease their opacity. See next image.

Final Image

Very clean outcome — I like it.
A fun little tutorial, personally can’t see there being much use for it, but fun nonetheless..
I agree there’s not much use for a roll of film icon, but i do think the tutorial itself provides a lot of insight on how to go about creating your own realistic looking image that isn’t a roll of film.
Tanmoy gives best tutorial thumbs up :)
That´s one googd looking film roll!
omfg, wtf is a “camera film”? How does it work? What does it mean?
;D
Great old-school tutorial!
Anyone who has read/performed this tutorial in its entirety: I’m sure it could be done in any Photoshop, but as-is can it be done in CS3, or does it use a lot of CS5 exclusive features?
really glossy and delightful. Great work. ;)
Great Tutorial, one recommendation though. For me doesn’t make a big difference but for a beginner level, work with the pen tool is something really tricky and so I think this tutorial should have some video segments to help in this situations, or at least step by step explanations.
By the ways great work!
André
Nice tut, I like the way you created it from scratch, but your pen tool creations are a little ropey, like the ellipses don’t seem very accurate according to the perspective, was the wobbly outcome intentional?
Other than that your details on highlights are great!
Very Nice Roll of camera Film in Photoshop
This is definitely NOT for a beginner!
I like the way you presented this tutorial Tanmoy. I agree it’s not for the beginner but it’s still fairly easy to follow and the final result is well worth the effort … Thanks for this tut :) I learned a lot
i think the most important part for any tutorial (beginner or advance) is the pen tool step, but why you just say “Start with a Pen tool and create the shape described below.” wtf… at least you can show the anchor, no pen tool explanation = bad tuts
The result is great but the important thing is missing, how to draw using pen tool.. <– this is the point of this tutorial but there is no explanation how to to use it…I agree with Andy
Creative Job!
nice..Is the psd file available??? Thx
Can this be created in CS3 as well?
This was challenging for me because of the pen tool actions. However, it forced me to give it a shot and was well worth it.
The fact that it’s a camera roll is irrelevant for me. I have a better grasp of shadows and highlights through the brush/layer blend steps. It will help me tackle cylindrical objects some in the future.
Does anyone else find this disturbing that most of the people giving these tutorials are 20 year olds?