Download Source Files
Today we’ll create a wallpaper in Vista style. A black background will be filled with stylish gradients decorated with blue and green abstract curved shapes. The techniques used in this tutorial are scalable. It’s easy to turn the final design into different sizes to fit various monitors. Let’s learn how to do it.
Editor’s Note: This tutorial was originally published in the Czech language at Grafika Online. Grafika have kindly given permission for Vaclav to republish here on Psdtuts+ for those of us who haven’t quite mastered Czech…
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.
Step 1
Start a new screen sized document in Photoshop. In this case, I chose 1024px by 768px resolution so I can see the whole thing without scrolling. Fill the background with black color. Then pick the Polygonal Lasso Tool, and choose a part of the document. Then use the Gradient Tool to draw a gradient from white to transparent into new layer. Repeat this several times (always into new layer).
Step 2
To make the background less expressive, turn the Opacity down.
Step 3
Merge the layers together (Ctrl + E). Then blur them with the Gaussian Blur filter. A small preview of whole document follows.
Step 4
To make it more expressive in some places continue drawing radial gradients from white to transparent.
Step 5
Turn its opacity to a hardly remarkable level.
Step 6
Well, there is never enough white to transparent gradients, right?
Step 7
Just don’t forget to turn the opacity down wisely.
Step 8
You can make the background more interesting by copying all the layers and
flipping them (Ctrl + T), or move them a little.
Step 9
256 shades of grey aren’t enough for this gentle manipulation.
Step 10
That is why we should merge the layers together, and blur them again a little. That is what solves the rough gradients, but another problem arises – the picture darkens on the sides, and the dark parts make strange "waves."
Step 11
This can be fixed with a larger document than the screen resolution, or add a frame that is wide enough. And remember that for next time. That is how we solved random gradients on a background.
Step 12
Now we can start doing the foreground with blue and green curves. Start with drawing a huge ellipse with the Ellipse Tool. Pick the Path Selection Tool (A). Then select the ellipse, copy it (Ctrl+C), then insert it (Ctrl+V), and then transform it (Ctrl + T) to make it smaller. Set the drawing style for this path to subtract, so we see only what is between these two ellipses.
Step 13
Fill the layer with a blue color (#62AAF4). Then copy, move, enlarge, make it smaller, and turn the Opacity down or up. Do this a few times.
Step 14
Then repeat these actions with the green (#20EDC4) shapes.
Step 15
Next I decided to darken the gradients in the background a little, as they get too much attention. This should be better.
Step 16
Continue with creating larger curved shapes. Then blur those shapes, which will give that extra glow effect. Notice the big blue curves being created in the image below.
Step 17
Next we’ll make big curve shapes for the greens as well. Those big shapes are the previous ellipses copied. Then with Path Selection Tool, we select one smaller ellipse that gets smaller again. See the image below.
Step 18
The colors of those shapes are still the same, just the Opacity is turned down. Sometimes, the opacity is turned down to a hardly noticeable level of (5-10%), as shown below.
Step 19
Place all the blue and green layers into a new folder. Then copy that folder, move it sideways, and turn it a little.
Step 20
Let’s get started with the lighting part. The first step is to change the layer’s interaction to Linear Dodge .
Step 21
The second step is to add the layer effect of Drop Shadow. Set it to a large size with the color the same as the shape in the layer (blue, green). Also, set the interaction to Linear Dodge again.
Step 22
I don’t have enough green layers in the document, so I copy some more.
Step 23
Copy the layer styles to every blue layer (just change the effect color to blue). Part of the design is shown in the following image, which is the result we want so far.
Step 24
To achieve the bright glowing light look, we need to repeat the same things over and over again. You can use the previous big layers, merge them together, and set their interaction to Linear Dodge. Then you can add a mask layer. Then go to Filter > Render > Clouds in this mask. That makes the layer visible in only some places.
Step 25
If you make all layers visible, the result becomes more expressive.
Step 26
We can do the effect manually as well. For example, create a new Adjustment layer with the Brightness & Contrast turned up. Fill the layer mask with a black color, which makes the effect visible nowhere. Then start drawing in the mask with a white soft brush. The brush revels the effect. It increases the brightness only where you want it to. This technique may be used for the final brightening of both the blue and green curved shapes.
Step 27
Here is the preview at 100% size. Using the adjustment layer generates good looking overburns.
Final result
Your image is complete. Again, do not hesitate to experiment. You are only limited by your computer performance. Click the following picture to see the result at 100% in 1024px by 768px resolution.
Conclusion
It is not difficult to change the final resolution because every single layer was larger than the document window. Either you can enlarge the document size (shapes are in vectors, so there are no quality defects), or you can enlarge the canvas size (the layers stay the same, but you make visible the parts that were hidden before).
Canvas size manipulation was used when preparing the following picture at 1280px by 1024px resolution. This one deserves some adjustment, but it’s up to you now. Good luck with your work!
Enjoyed this Post?
Subscribe to our RSS Feed, Follow us on Twitter or simply recommend us to friends and colleagues!
By Vaclav
Join our newsletter!
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
The outcome is great, and the first few steps are decent. However, there’s lots missing from what would have otherwise been a very helpful post. For instance, step 6: “Well, there is never enough white to transparent gradients, right?” From the context, I imagine we’re supposed to understand you mean that we should add more gradients, but it’s just not clear.
I understand the value of “concept” tutorials that try and teach a general technique, but these are almost always best illustrated by a very detailed, hand-holding practical example.
good tut, but confusing. There are easier ways to get the same effect. Not bad overall.
seems to be a bit difficult.. i think you didnt explain some steps in a detail that they deserved… but nice outcome… i was thinking that maybe we could use the pen-tool to make the curves and then stroke-path to make the lines.. instead of these huge ellipses.. but hey, thats just me!! :)
check out my tutorials about vista and mac wallpapers
Yop all i concidere myself as a photoshop noob and i can’t do the STEP 12, precisely : Set the drawing style for this path to subtract.
How can i do that? : /
@Fred: Step12: You’ll have to select the “Path Selection Tool” (that’s the black arrow, not the white one!), select the second shape (the one you copied, pasted and made a bit smaller) and change the tool’s setting to “Subtract From Shape Area (-)” (look for the four icons below Photoshop’s main-menu, next to the “Combine”-button)…
Fantastic !
thanks !!1
Great. and thanks
Okay, so the furthest I got was step 12. I can make the stroke path but I don’t understand how you actually ‘fill’ the shape. I got the whole ‘change it to subtract’ thing, but what do I do after that so instead of just the lines, I get the shape? (if that makes ANY sense)
Good result, but really confusing, the explanations should be more detailed.
what font did you use?
so coooool
Seriously cool tutorial….but the worst explanation I’ve ever seen in a tutorial. If you don’t want anyone to do this tutorial, you might as well just put a picture on the site without any explanation…
sorry for this negativism!! But I’d say, do it right or don’t…
come on! “add a gaussian blur filter” BUT WHAT ELSE???!!! HOW MUCH BLUR???!!!! TRY TO CPLAIN THIS TUTORIAL IN A BETTER WAY DUDE!! PSD TUTS IS A VERY RELIABLE SURCE OF TUTORIALS… DONT SCREW UP THAT FACT!!
Great tutorial! gives me so many inspirations!
like what i’ve done for my own website…
Great tutorial!!!
Though a little more explanation would help?!?!?
Can anyone offer some help on step 21?? I cannot get the lines to “glow” for the life of me…
I’ve applied the interaction as “linear dodge” as directed. Albeit it’s showing up as “linear dodge (add)” on a mac running CS4 I wonder if it makes a difference??
either way it looks just the same before and after I apply this effect..
any help is greatly appreciated!
Okay, so the furthest I got was step 12. I can make the stroke path but I don’t understand how you actually ‘fill’ the shape. I got the whole ‘change it to subtract’ thing, but what do I do after that so instead of just the lines, I get the shape? (if that makes ANY sense)
Same here
Same here. I can do every step but step 12. It wont let me fill the area between the copied ellipse selections. Anyone have any pointers?
Nice Work !!
I just can’t move on from step 12! Is it because I’m on a mac? can’t see those options for the path… would love to complete this tut!
Where can i download this brush, starting at step 16? :)
Nice work dude :)
i am also stuck on step 12… i got the whole subtract thing… but how do i fill it?? i am soooo frustrated now :(
Another tut full of holes that confuse non-professionals….. okay, I really want this to work, so in step 12, how do you set the drawing style for the path to subtract? How about going through all of the commands in a step-by-step manner? Frustrating.
People.. for step 12 what you could do is either stroke every path by right clicking on the canvas and pressing stroke path. Before that make sure your brush is all set up. Depending on your canvas size adjust your brush size. I recommend somewhere around 2-3 px. Use a hard brush btw.
But i think i figured out what you have to do. Before all that fill thing you have to select the one of the elipses (CTRL click or the black pointer) and on the top left you have to hover over the squares and make sure your clicking for the first elipse the “add to shape area”, then select the second elipse and select the exclude overlapping blabla.
I then right click anyway but instead of stroking i do the selection thing. That way it selects the path i just made but only the area in between the paths. Now press CTRL 5 and fill it. Make sure your selection is very thin.
Also for the pop up box that follows after, make sure you select either 0 px feather or .1 px. Also enable Anti Alliasing or whatever that is called.
Hope this helps.
really nice ~
somae parts are not shown
good job !
I have a question?
how make the selection of the line in Photoshop CS4
in steps 13, 14, 15
helpme
I think u r amazing .. nice creative mind ..hats off
very nice
amazing and very usefull!
thanks :)
Didn’t like it at all, you wrote the instructions very unclearly for those new to Photoshop.
You gave the instructions as if they already know how to get there.
As a writer myself, you should always write with noobs in mind.
Great Work
Nice work, thanks
Relay Nice effect……
Stuck in Step13 “fill the layer”…help, plz?
Can you say completely USELESS… For beginners that was a waste of time even trying. Dunno who’s dumb idea it was but it barely explained anything useful at all. Even up to step 3 was damn near impossible to do.
Step 1 is a road block.
so hard…~I’m failed
THIS is a horrible tutorial for people who NEED tutorials as they dosnt know these things, your tutorial is full of gaps. Why even bother writing this…
Amazing……. Cooooooool tutorial……..i liked it..
I hope there’s a video of this lesson so that noobsd like me would clearly understand the whole thing…
I really love the finished product of this tut, but when i do step 26 (instead of 20-25), it says “Fill the layer mask with a black color, which makes the effect visible nowhere.” – how do i do this?
Wow! Nice work :))
step 13
it took me a while but i figured it out, here goes….
select the outer ellipse path with the path selection tool and set it to intersect
select the inner ellipse path with the path selection tool and set it to subtract
then fill the layer with a solid colour, the area in between the two paths should display the colour
I agree with other comments, more detail was needed in the tutorial. I hope my addition is useful!
I need some help on Step 20. When I click on Linear Dodge (Add), it doesn’t have an effect. It’s like the same as before I clicked it. How do I achieve the same effect?
Help is much appreciated.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/51810887@N04/4769596796/
That’s my attempt! I’m pretty proud of my experimentation. I had a little trouble with the masking because I have no real idea how to do it, but here’s what I ended up with. Thanks for the tutorial! I had a lot of fun following it and learning. =)
Nice work~ I need the wallpaper right now~~~
Nice… Good work, but you should detailed the explaination, especially when we starting with Gradient and Polygonal Lasso Tool.. It’s too complicated for beginner
I agree. The instructions got a little fuzzy at Step 12. So i just went my own way. I just created a new layer and used the Elliptical Marquee Tool to create my circle, then I just filled it in with my color and nudged the selection over a pixel or down and over 1 px using the arrow key, once it was in place i just hit the delete key. Bam, Same effect. then continued on with the tut… Nice work. Keep it up.