PAINTING WITH GLITTER - a Photoshop layer style tutorial

WHAT YOU WILL LEARN IN THIS TUTORIAL?

you will learn how to paint glitter just with your random square (or round) brush by adjusting a  few settings in brush and layer style.

Time required: 20-30 minutes for the first try

Tools: Photoshop (any version will do)

Layer Styles, preferably glitter styles - I used 'Antebellum Styles' from the Sentimental Journey series

you can find them here 

I worked with a digital pen on my Wacom tablet - but it can as well be done with a mouse

all parts, screenshots and the result of this tutorial are 

copyright©2015 Angelica Sellers

all rights reserved

you are welcome to share the link to this tutorial if you wish to translate it into another language

please contact me at support@art-for-design.com and let me know about it, so I can link your blog

START TUTORIAL

open a new canvas

I worked on a 12x12 background, as it is common in scrap design

flood fill with a neutral background color in a medium value 

and open the style package of your choice

(pull the style file from the folder in your photoshop workspace or open them via Style Menu)

add a new layer and leave it blank (don't flood fill it)

click on the style of your choice to add it to the empty layer

click on the brush tool and load 'SQUARE BRUSHES'

a default Photoshop set which comes with the program

open the brush menu (WINDOW - BRUSHES)

and adjust the settings as recommended in the screenshots

(when you work for your own projects, the settings can be different to mine, the values below work great

on the image size in this tutorial)

ADJUST 'BRUSH TIP SHAPE'

in order to make glitter, we must enlarge the spacing between the single brush strokes

I also enlarged the size of the brush itself to 35 px

ADJUST 'SHAPE DYNAMICS'

Shape dynamics is all about how the brush moves and angles while you paint the glitter

by adjusting the dynamics, you can add some variety and randomness to the glitter, otherwise it would be just a straight line of little glitter squares (which could be a desired outcome, depending on your project.)

ADJUST 'SCATTERING'

These settings determine, how your glitter spreads over the object or page you are working on

adjust the settings as I did - or set your own values

hint:

watch the 'count' setting- it has a direct influence on how often the brush hits with one stroke

(with the settings from the screenshot - it will make a cluster of 3 squares at a time)

Now all is set for the brush part - lets take a look at the layer you're working on

and disable 'stroke' from the style (uncheck the box)

if you don't do that - you will have a gold frame around each of your glitter bits

PLAY TIME!

take your brush and sprinkle some glitter over your canvas - it is fun, I promise

you already reached the end of this tutorial, but I have some more samples on glitter painted elements, below are the screenshots :)

just some freehand doodles

and a heart to spread the love :)

 last but not least - a screenshot of a page layout I did yesterday

today I added some glitter, working directly on a layer above the layout, this allows me to place the glitter where it is needed.

thanks for reading/following/sharing this tutorial directly from my blog, I truly appreciate that.

happy glittering

Angelica S.

www.art-for-design.com

BACKGROUND MASH UP - A PHOTOSHOP LAYER TUTORIAL by Angelica S.

welcome to another Photoshop tutorial, in which I'd like to show you, how to create several unique backgrounds in an easy and speedy way, 

with just one file and two of my recently released #Photoshop styles

BRICK WALLS and LADY GRACE

skill level: intermediate (knowledge of working with layers and basic photoshop tools like eraser/brush)

you can work with this tutorial in 2 different ways 

- by reading the green text or by ignoring it and just work the step by step to the result.

The green text is for some more background information about how styles work, all in the green text is my own experience, which I share to the best of my knowledge.

all parts of this tutorial and the files related are my intellectual property

no copying or distribution of the text, screenshots or supply files for any reason

if you wish to translate this tutorial and publish a translation, please mail an inquiry to support@art-for-design.com 

supplies you need: 

Photoshop (I worked with CS4, but any version will  get the job done)

a large splatter brush 

(you find the transparent png of the one I used in the supply file, besides the open layer psd file from the tutorial for references)

if you like to use the brush - be my guest, but any large size splatter or grunge brush will work

photoshop styles (you can experiment with a variety of styles, if you like mine - you find them in the store)

 DOWNLOAD SUPPLY FILE

reward for working through the tutorial

if you would like to have the CU set with 7 backgrounds - you can get without charge HERE and are welcome to use it for PTU kits or other designs according to the TOU)

 for all who just want the freebie right away, don't feel bad - that's ok, too! You're welcome :-)

START TUTORIAL 

-open a new file

you can determine your preferred size

 I choose 2800x2800px to make it easier on people who have less than 4 GB workspace 

-load a splatter brush 

do it right away, so it won't distract you later :-)

you find the transparent png file in the supplies

open it in photoshop and save as brushpreset

then close the png, you won't need it anymore

-open the style menu (window > styles)

-load the styles you wish to use for the tutorial

-flood fill the layer with a medium grey or any other color you like

EXPLANATION

 the color will never be seen in the result and serves as base for the layer style, you can only apply a style to existent pixels, the style needs something to transform in order to show up

-apply the style of your choice by clicking on it in the Styles Menu

-open the style by double clicking the layer icon

- un-check 'Stroke'

-set pattern size to 200

Explanation :

when you know my photoshop styles, you might have noticed, that I included the stroke feature in most of the styles. I do that, to give you more options, when it comes to creating elements or even wordart, for backgrounds the 'stroke' feature is not always needed. You can adjust the stroke at any given time to your liking or uncheck it completely or change to a simple black/white/anycolor  cartoon outline.

about the patterns, which are the core of the style:

I work with a variety of patterns in one style bundle, which are handcrafted to render seamless results and are adjustable to any size you chose. You can scale them down or up. I would not recommend to go over 200-250 at the maximum, downwards are no limits, whatever fits and looks sharp.

The sharpness of the outcome is directly connected to the size of pattern you chose, you will notice, if you chose size 48% for example - the turnout will be blurry

you fix it with choosing 50% instead, try it and see the difference it makes.

the same applies to the stroke feature, which also works with patterns

 -copy the first layer

-add the second style

-open the style (double click layer icon)

-uncheck anything but the pattern

-set the pattern to 200

-adjust the second layer to opacity 60% /  fill 100%

Explanation:

this makes the layer below shine through

the lowering of opacity is a subtle thing, 60% is what worked on this project, but is not

a rule, there are no rules, all depends on what you create and what the desired outcome is 

-make a new layer, flood fill

-apply the floral style (or any other one you might like)

 -double click the layer icon and open the style

-uncheck anything but the pattern overlay

-set the size of the pattern to 200 (if you work with the styles I used)

now comes the fun part  

-click the eraser tool

-select your splatter brush from the brush menu

 (if you use mine, go by the settings in the screenshot)

-erase parts of the upper layer like shown in the screenshot

this, too, is a individual decision, all depends on the pattern and the size of the brush, as well as on the desired look, I erased diagonally between the flower rows, to let the bricks show through

this is the result after erasing parts of the upper layer: 

You could stop here and just save your work as background.

but to add some variety to it, you could also play with the settings in the 3 layers to make several different backgrounds from your psd file

This is the way I did it for the tutorial and the resulting background bundle 

-open the style (double click layer icon)

-check 'Color Overlay'

you can go by my choice of colors (color code on screenshot)

 or any other color you like

Dear friends, 

 Thanks for reading or trying this tutorial, it was my pleasure to write it and share what little I know,

don't be afraid of playing with the settings in the style, you will soon discover, how versatile this 

feature really is. 

I wouldn't write tutorials about it, if I wouldn't be absolutely exited about the possibilities and want every designer to discover this time saver and maybe include this design technique in the daily work flow.

Saving time on basics is staying on top of the market :)

I played with the file and rendered a set of CU backgrounds for you - get them free of charge at

 ART FOR DESIGN CATEGORY FREE THIS MONTH

You can find my psd file in the supplies - the psd file is for work reference only 

wishing you a productive time and great business - but most of all-

have fun, try new things and enjoy your creativity

yours creatively,

Angelica S

STYLISH BLOSSOMS - A PHOTOSHOP LAYER STYLE TUTORIAL

STYLISH BLOSSOMS - A PHOTOSHOP LAYER STYLE TUTORIAL

2015 ©Angelica Sellers / all rights reserved

what you need:

Adobe Photoshop (any version will do)

shape of your choice

swirly brushes of your choice

intermediate Photoshop skills required (shapes, brushes, layers, layerstyles)

Today I want to share with you an easy technique, which you can use in a variety of ways and for a diversity of projects.

Let's start right away:

Open a new image 2800x2800/300 dpi/transparent

flood fill with medium grey 

pick a shape of your choice - I am using a simple flower shape for the demonstration

and apply to your workspace

rasterize the layer with the shape (right click > rasterize)

open the STYLE menu (WINDOW > styles)

load the styles you wish to use

for the demo flower I used

'MISS KITTY' PHOTOSHOP STYLES

and for the ones from the header preview additional

SECRET GARDEN PHOTOSHOP STYLES

apply the style to your shape by clicking on the style icon in the style menu

use the shape tool and add a round or elliptical shape - place it in the middle of the flower

(you don't have to create a new layer, the shape tool does that for you automatically)

rasterize the shape layer (rightclick > rasterize)

add a style of your choice to the layer

you can always pull the layer in place or scale it as necessary after you added the style

now add a little dropshadow to the center, so it won't look so flat

access the style panel easy with double clicking the layer icon

can you see 'dropshadow'? that is where you make the changes

how much dropshadow, which distance, color opacity etc.? - it is up to you and depends what you are working on, change the shadow until you're happy with the look

the basic flower is done and you could make the grey background layer invisible and merge all visible layers and save the (rather sad) little blossom

but then you would miss out all the fun!

Let's proceed to the fancy stuff, shall we?

find a brush your like, it should be something scrolling, swirly or maybe even leaf shaped?

for the next step a swirl or doodle brush with thin ends works best

add a new layer (between shape1 and shape2)

chose your brush (solid color 100% opacity)

stamp on the brush (don't adjust it yet)

duplicate the layer 4 times and group it around the center of the flower

add a layerstyle with a metallic edge (silver, gold or whatever matches your design)

I used one from my recent MISS KITTY style 

now that looks a bit dull to me - so let's make it more shiny

double click the layer to access the layer style menu

turn everything off besides 'stroke'

and maybe 'dropshadow' if it fits your element (in my demo I used dropshadow)

adjust the stroke to your liking and set it on 'inside' 

this will fill small sized element parts with just the silvery pattern from the stroke if everything else is turned off

see screenshot below

copy the layerstyle and past it into each of the swirl layers

(rightclick > copy/paste layerstyle )

(note: you could also apply and adjust the style to one layer and then duplicate the rest of the swirls

I left all layers open, this way the template is more versatile)

you can also add another layer on top

take a simple round brush and stamp a few dots on it (use a hard edge for the brush)

then use a layerstyle on your little dots to turn them into little fancy dots :)

whenever you are happy with the result - turn the grey layer off, merge the flower layers and save as png 

save it also as psd with open layers, this way you can use it again for other projects)

you see - there are many possibilities for new and unique designs

find my latest seamless styles at ART FOR DESIGN

or at SCRAP AND TUBES STORE

if you don't like to hassle with shapes - just get one of the amazing templates at

Scrap and Tubes Store, they are perfect for layer styles

have a great time and lots of fun with layer styles

yours creatively,

Angelica S. 

www.art-for-design.com 

Mona - step by step

this digital illustration features Mona, the little dog of Stéphanie Créations. 

Stephanie sent a stack of reference pictures to me, a variety of poses and closeups of Mona

the illustration is done with Paint Tool SAI and my Wacom Intuos 5

sketch with underpainting:

the under painting is very important, since it builds the base for dimensions. i keep the underpainting darker than the desired color value of the animal, this gives me more options later on for high lighting and will add lots of depth to the painting. i never use white or black in the under painting, but a variety of mid tones - next step will be to map out the direction of the fur and then the fun can start :)

fur map, on separate layer, very helpful to determine the fur flow on the first hair layer (it is a good idea to lock the fur map layer for not to merge it with the fur layers by accident) 

When i paint hair, i set down the opacity of the map layer to 5-10, so it won't disturb me, at times i blend it completely out (on large parts like the back or the sides, when i am sure of the direction)

start of the 1st hair layer, brush size 1.0 with 40% opacity to give the pen a chance to react to my hand pressure rather than to the brush preset, means - the more pressure, the thicker the brush strokes appear. the hairs are spaced out on the first layer, which makes them appear rough, blending will bring it together softly after the layer is completed. this is the layer where the single hair is at its thickest level. the following hair layers will be painted with a 0.5 brush and more density all together. you can see - the fur map is slightly visible, its my navigation system for hair so to say :)

Mona has a variety of length and texture in her coat. while i follow the fur map, i already add some movement to the hair where it is longer. it will look more natural later to have a slight wave in the longer and finer hair parts. with highlighting and darkening hair chunks this effect will be emphasized later on.

hair layer 1 completed, no blending yet. What you see is basically texturing the image by hand, i don't use overlay texturing on animals, it never looks natural enough for my taste. So what you see on a hairlayer are indeed single 1.0 dagger strokes in a variety of length and direction. When i paint hair, i make for every body part separate layers and group them (don't forget to name the layers, never underestimate correct labeling of the layers, can be tremendously helpful to keep the overview in the palette, when you work with many layers. ) 

Another important step is to flip the image horizontal and see if your hair flow looks organic or not and if the whole fur flow is adjusted to the body of the animal. don't depend on just one view in digital hair painting, the tube or illustration will look absolutely different, when flipped. you will find the balance in that with enough practice :)- next step is blending and color glazing, to add dimension to the illustration

hair layer 1 is now blended, the 1st color glaze is also completed, this builds the base for the second hair layer

glazing (digital) = overpainting areas of the illustration with a variety of colors in low opacity 

in the glaze layer i emphasize the light and dark areas of Mona's body

i decided to paint the pupils before proceeding to the second hair layer. since Mona has some expressive dark fur parts around her eyes, it makes it easier to balance the tonal values if the pupil is already painted. I kept it brighter than her original eyes are, since the fur around it will throw more shadow on the pupil in any case and will darken it considerably as i proceed with the fur ( and i don't want the eyes to look like black holes at the end - this sheet shows the basic steps of painting a pupil, the reflections differ from eye to eye, so there is no 'general' way to paint them, i mostly work with a variety of colors what makes the eyes more lively

This would also be the moment to mention, that i do NOT paint realism, but semi-realistic (with a great affection for surrealism) 

the 2nd hair layer is all about details (which can be very time consuming), for me personally it is the most enjoyable part. For Mona i choose to emphasize the longer hair strands and the light colored parts of her chest. 

 the eyes are not done yet, the dark 'eyeliner' is merely a guide for the finest hair lines surrounding the eye, as far as it are skin covered parts, they will also have tiny light reflections. the nose is will be taken care of later :)

detailing face and eyes, the muzzle hair is still 'raw' (not blended yet), next are the details on the nose

the nose is a combination of painted and afterwards blended pattern and a dark brown color glaze. On the last layer i added some little hairs around the nose, further blending of the muzzle area might be required as i add the finishing touches and of course - the whiskers (if you right-click the image and open in new tab/window, you can see the fullsize picture

'Mona' is available as Paint Shop Pro compatible psd character with 72 layers for accessories at

www.art-for-design.com

and

www.picsfordesign.com