How to Create an Incredible Typographic Illustration – Part 2
Tutorial Details
- Program: Adobe Photoshop CS+, Cinema 4D
- Difficulty: Advanced
- Estimated Completion Time: More than 10 hours
Download Source Files
Final Product What You'll Be Creating
Today we’re back with the second part of our 3D typography illustration tutorial; this time we’re going to take all the pieces of the puzzle and finalize them. It’s all about realism here as we explore seamless integration of separate 3D objects into a single document. Learn how to add color, match luminosity, and add beautiful contrast to your renders.
Click here if to see Part 1 of this tutorial.
Step 69
Alright, let’s jump into Photoshop and get this thing started! Open the render you made of the backdrop and ventilation shafts.
Step 70
Go to Layer > New Adjustment Layer > Gradient Map. Create a Gradient Map similar to the one below. The color sequence from left to right is: #350606; #752136; #ef5054; f5f7c3; eff0dd.
Set the Layer Blending Mode to Multiply and Opacity to 70%.
Step 71
Add another Gradient Map with the following colors: #000000; #781212, #d86651; eda5aa.
Step 72
Now we’ll start to include objects into our scene, by isolating them with an Alpha Channel. I’ll demonstrate this process with the first word. First of all, open the render you’ve made.
Step 73
Now, also open the render you made that contains only the object, and no backdrop. If we would render the word with the backdrop, then the backdrop itself would show up in the Alpha Channel, leaving a selection of the entire canvas, instead of the word itself. Now open the Channels Tab and Command + Click on the Alpha 1 Channel to make a selection of its contents.
Step 74
The problem with isolating objects like this is that you get a very thin over exposed outline. To cut this out, we’re going to shrink the selection by 1 px. Go to Select > Modify > Contract. When the dialog appears, make sure the field says 1 px, then click OK.
Step 75
We’ll now save this selection, so we can load it up in the final ‘work+’ render. Go to Select > Save Selection.
Step 76
In the Destination Menu, select the final render that you have of the ‘work+’ word. Then name it something, like alpha channel and click OK.
Step 77
Head over to the final render, go to Select > Load Selection, and under the Channel Menu, find the one you saved. Press OK.
Step 78
Before I turn this into a mask, I need to fix something I didn’t notice in the render. I’ve left a part of the black ceiling in the view, so grab the Marquee Tool, hold down Alt and drag over that area to make sure it’s not selected. That area will be completely dark later on and you probably wouldn’t even be able to notice it, but it’s a worthy precaution.
Step 79
In the Layers menu, press the Add Layer Mask button to isolate the object quickly.
Step 80
Drag this into the project and find a spot for it.
Step 81
To simulate a Depth of Field, we’re going to blur some of the bolts that are floating around. Make a wide selection (leave room for the blur to spread) and go to Filter > Blur > Gaussian Blur. I’m not using Lens Blur in this case, because that will lighten the edges of the render significantly. Since this is a dark area, we don want that. I would advise to use Lens Blur over Gaussian in most cases though.
After you applied the Blur, you may notice that the edges of the bolts aren’t blurred. That’s because you may be blurring only the contents of the image, and not its mask. After applying, don’t deselect. Go to your layers menu, find the layer you’re working on and click on the layer mask box to the right. Blur again.
Step 82
Repeat this process and cut out a version of the backdrops. Over these though, add a Gradient Map Adjustment Layer (make it a mask so it only affects the backdrops and no the background) with these colors: #222c48, #b6bac1.
Step 83
Just like in the previous two steps, isolate the vents. I find the left side a bit too bright, so I’m going to darken it with a black-to-transparent gradient. Make it a mask so it’s only seen within the ventilation shaft render. I’ve highlighted the gradient with red in the second image.
Step 84
Add the final render to the document; the word ‘play’. Isolate it the same way you did with the rest.
Step 85
Make a selection of the layer, and while holding alt, remove most of the selection with the Polygonal Marquee Tool so you only have the bucket selected. Right-click inside the canvas and hit Layer Via Copy. Move this layer underneath, and don’t forget to remove the bucket from the original layer as well.
Step 86
On the ‘play’ text layer, Create a Gradient Map Adjustment Layer as a Clipping Mask and change the colors to these: #1c1b1b; #ffffff.
Set the Layer Blending Mode to Hard Light. This will increase the contrast of the type and bring out those lovely reflections.
Step 87
There’s one last adjustment that needs to be done to this text. Because of the pure white backdrop that we rendered this over, there’s a white reflection that’s too strong on the bottom and left side. Since we’ve isolated this from the bucket, we can just add a red soft bevel on that side, that will eliminate that white reflection. Just add a Bevel and Emboss Layer Style with these settings:
Step 88
Add a new layer as a Clipping Mask for the ‘play’ layer, and Create a few soft, white strokes that brighten the right side just a bit. They’re highlighted with blue in the second screenshot.
Step 89
We now need to add a few paint blobs around the scene. With the Elliptical Marquee tool, make a selection of a round blob from within the render.
Step 90
Copy and Paste it into a new layer. Put it on the far, right side.
Step 91
You may notice that it’s considerably darker than the rest. That’s because the right side should be much brighter than the left. Create a New Blank Layer and make it a Clipping Mask. Fill it with white and turn down the layer Opacity to 30%.
Step 92
Add a few more around the scene, and remember to blur some of these out.
Step 93
Add a couple of smaller ones on the left side.
Step 94
Making a black layer here on top won’t be enough for a realistic look. We also need to keep the highlight in place in order for it to look realistically darkened. Use a Curves Adjustment Layer as a Mask.
Step 95
The trouble with curves is that it also affects the colors. To tone down the color intensity, create a Black and White Gradient Map Adjustment Layer as a Layer Mask and turn down the Opacity to 40%.
Step 96
Another issue we need to fix are those tiny little highlights on the backdrop. From boosting up the contrast, they’ve all but disappeared. Use the Pen Tool in Path Mode, and on a new blank layer, trace a path over an existing highlight.
Step 97
Grab the Brush Tool (B) and change it to a soft, 6 px diameter round brush.
Step 98
Add these highlights all over the scene, where needed. As usual, I’ve highlighted them with blue for easy spotting.
Step 99
Don’t forget the right side. You may need to make these stronger, since this is the well-lighted side.
Step 100
The bucket felt a bit lonely, so I re-rendered it in a different position and darkened it a lot.
Step 101
We’ll now darken the background just a bit, so right above the first render of the scene, create a New Blank Layer and fill it with White. Go to Filter > Distort > Lens Correction.
Step 102
Create a vignette effect by using similar settings.
Step 103
Change the Layer Blending Mode to Color Burn and Opacity to 60%.
Step 104
For this step, we’re going to make a quick hop into Illustrator to create a pattern of Squares. Just create one, duplicate it as many times as needed to get this pattern. You can do this Photoshop as well of course.
Step 105
Paste the boxes in Photoshop as a raster image, but make it really big before you flatten it.
Step 106
Free Transform it until you match the perspective of the floor.
Step 107
After you’ve positioned it, change the Layer Blending Mode to Screen and Opacity to 10%. Add the following Layer Effects.
Step 108
Add another one over the back of the scene. No need to change the perspective for this one.
Step 109
And in order to finally finish this off, we’ll add a Selective Color Adjustment Layer on top of all the layers. With this, we’re going to change the colors up a bit. In the Reds menu, change Magenta to 6%, Yellow to -4% and Black to -3%.
Step 110
Switch over to the Neutrals tab and Use these settings: Cyan: +2%; Yellow -21%; Black -11%.
Step 111
And the final one for the day is Blacks: Cyan: +5%; Yellow: -10%; Black: -2%;
Final Image
That’s it, finally, I know! I hope it’s been a good read, that is if you’ve read a single word of it of course!
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Awesome…
Just fabulous..tut ever..
Gonna try it…long tutorial
Thanks.
Very good tutorial. The techniques used and this are amazing!
That’s the high quality content of this site, thanks author and to the Envato team for showing us all this awesome techniques, and ideas!
Thanks for this really great tut on blending C4D and PS, you can create some really brilliant artwork with this combo!
This is great. One of the best tuts I’ve seen around, with great exposition on C4D. Keep it up!!
I must have missed the first part of this tutorial :(
Never mind. I just overlooked the first part. Good stuff! :D
it so amazing….!!!
As said before above me, great tutorial! I liked the techniques you used in 3D and for recoloring. Thanks!
great tutorial, thanks!
Very powerful tutorial, but why Cinema 4D all the times? Why don’t you use other 3d programs, like Maya or 3DS?
what program you use is usualy based on your work flow.
I’m guessing allex usualy does stills and likes an interface that is intuitive
Best Tutorial in a long time!! so awesome :D
Also I think the same, for now I think is the best of 2010..
Like this tutorial a lot. But would love to see some shadows being cast on floor below the hovering items just to finish this bad boy off! :D
Cool… :P
It count definitely pass Premium. Thanks for providing this for free.
Will keep me busy for a while. Thanks.
In the step 80 you dragged the word “work” to C4D, but in the step 81 you already have the entire project on photoshop. How you did it? How you loaded the selections on the photoshop?
Please reply :D
This is one of the best tuts Ive ever read. Awesome tutorial. Thanks for putting it up PSD TUTS :)
I don’t know why everyone is so excited about this tut. The actual part of the tut spent in Photoshop was spent cutting out the renders, and doing a little bit of color correction. The only part of this tutorial that really went into detail much on anything, or even started to use more than basic skills was the 3-d part of this tut, which is not what PSDTUTS+ is about. I’m sorry, but it think that this was a completely useless tut, and for it to be of of any good for anyone, should be put in BSIX for CGTUTS+. Im Really disappointed.
This is your opinion and that’s okay. While it may not be of any use to you, it will be to many other people. I think the fact that there was more explanation/detail on how to create the 3d elements is irrelevant. Yeah, it’s more of a CGTUTS tutorial but it DID have Photoshop elements that helped finish off the piece. I think to say that it doesn’t deserve to be here is sort of missing the point. Just because the whole tutorial doesn’t revolve around Photoshop, that doesn’t mean to say it shouldn’t be here!
In this tutorial, Alex quite simply showed multiple ways of adjusting and correcting colour in an image. He could’ve used a photo to do so, but that’s nowhere near as much fun as teaching us how to create some 3D elements and THEN doing the postwork on them in Photoshop, to create a nicely polished piece :) I bet people would’ve complained about it being a boring tutorial and how the quality of psdtuts+ is going down if he’d just used a photo. I like that he chose to introduce us to something a bit different and at the end of the day, we’ve picked up a few more skills in another program, as well as some more in PS. I think it’s a great display of how 2 programs can work hand in hand to create an image :)
While you are completely right, I just wished that this tut was treated as you are treating it, but everyone else, who just sees something complicated and says “wow, that must be a great tut ’cause i dont understand it”, that’s why Im disappointed, because most of the people who pay attention to TUTS= are just going to do that, and not look at the tut for what it really is, like you and I are.
(sorry for the two part comment)
And that While it is a great tut for color correction, it has to be treated as a tut for only color correction, and not one about 3-d and such. But you’re right, people would thing this is a mediocre tut if all he talked about was color correction, but that because he does everything with the 3-d, everyone just assumes that it is an amazing tut, and doesn’t see it for what it is.
Good to see that you and I are on the same page here :)
I think part of the reason why people are looking at it as being a great tutorial is because it has a visually pleasing outcome. I’ve noticed that if the outcome looks good, the tutorial is well received, regardless of the steps taken to create it however a bad outcome, no matter how amazing the steps are, is constantly labeled as being bad and people complain about the quality of the site.
Great tutorial. I love seeing the collaboration with 3D and Photoshop. In my honest opinion, this could be done a lot faster in Maya with rendering in passes.
Its just about okay! Not all that great
Its a tutorial with a great outcome. I feel bad about the cinema 4d part since it took 80% of the tut.
If this would have been done entirely in photoshop, then it would’ve been awesome.
great tutorial – i really like ;D
Awesome tutorial, Thanks!!
Cinema rules!!
Very instructive!!
This is prolly one of the greatest tut ever written. Thank you, Alex.
Wow ! Greatest tut !!!
The outcome is amazing, however I don’t see the point on having the bucket in there, the paint doesn’t really look like paint, the letter “P” kinda does since is going into the picture, while the “A” and “Y” pop out, I know this is not a realistic picture, but still.
It is awesome how the whole picture was created from scratch.
I do agree with some comments that suggest that this piece should have been in two different TUTS sites, first start off in CGTUTS explaing part 1 and come to PSDTUTS for part 2.
Now thats what should be on psdtuts unlike those lame “beginner” tutorials which are on every other website….. bravo, thanks for the great tips and the hard work you put in this.
This is a 3D tutorial. If you wanna label is as PSD because there’s minor photoshop work then I’m pretty confused.
Amazing! This motivates me to work even harder
Excellent tutorial Alex. Very well thought out. Great execution of C4D + PSD integration. Thank you for this.
so nice.
that is the i have seen all ma life thanks
I can just say
wow….
Awesome tutorial. Will absolutely give Cinema 4D a try.
Finally its good to see something on typography illustration done so comprehensively, 3d typography illustration is very underused, probably down to the lack of expertise in 3D CAD.
Superrrrrrrbbbbbbbbbbbbbbb….
As usual… EXCELLENT TUT. :)
Thanks.
wow wow wow…. You’re my hero…. This artwork is amazing!!!!!!
Wow! This is an amazing tutorial.
WOW!
cool but very VERY!!! long :)
nice tut going to be helpful doing similar stuff