Select Tip...

Sphere Ring Tutorial

SPHERES

Create a new Layer. Use the Circle Marquee Tool to make a

circular selection (hold the SHIFT key down to restrict the
selection to a perfect circle). Choose the Default Colors [ D ]
. Invert this so that black is the background and white is the
foreground. Double-click the Gradient Tool. Choose
Background to Foreground. The Type will be Radial. Click
and hold the mouse in the top right area of the circular
selection (this is where the highlight will be). Drag to just
past the lower left edge of the selection and release.

Repeat the Sphere section of the tutorial to create the

remaining spheres. It is best to make the 'front' Sphere first
and progress backwards. As you make each sphere the
size will obviously change according to its relative position in
the ring. What is not so obvious is as the spheres are
placed further 'back' in the ring the angle from the 'light
source' will change. The spheres in front should have a
gradient angle of about 45 degrees (upper right to lower
left, as described above). But as you go 'back', change the
angle to be progressively shallower (when using the
gradient Tool change the release point to be just a tad
higher). When I got to sphere in the back the gradient angle
was almost horizontal. If necessary, change the order of the
Sphere Layers so they overlap correctly.
SHADOWS

Create a new Layer beneath a Sphere Layer. This Layer will

be that Sphere's shadow.

CTRL-Click the Sphere Layer (this selects the sphere

shape) but be sure the new layer is still the active Layer.

Fill the selection with Black. Deselect [ CTRL-D ].

Gaussian Blur - Radius 3-4

Adjust the Opacity to less than 70%.

Move the shadow an appropriate distance to the left and

downward (follow the same angle you used with the
gradient tool for that sphere).

CTRL-Click the Layer that contains the Sphere BENEATH

the shadow. Invert the selection [ CTRL-SHFT-I ]. DELETE.

Repeat the Shadows section of the tutorial to create the

remaining shadows. Some spheres in the back of the ring
may not have a sphere beneath them to cast a shadow
onto.

COLORS

Create a New Layer and place it at the bottom of the layers

list (just above the Background Layer).

While holding the SHIFT button, CTRL-click each Sphere

Layer (not the shadows) until you have one large selection
that encompasses the shapes of all of the Spheres.

Fill this selection with Black [ EDIT , FILL , Black ]. Deselect [

CTRL-D ].

[ SHFT-CTRL-T ] brings up the Layer Transform window.

Click the Retain Proportions box and change the height and
width to 70 percent.

Move the layer to its correct position in the image.

Gaussain Blur - Radius 6.

Adjust the Opacity to less than 70%.

 Choose a Sphere Layer.

[ CTRL-U ] brings up the Hue/Saturation window.

Click the Colorize box and drag the hue left to about -125
(this changes the Sphere to Blue). Click OK.

Repeat for each Sphere Layer.

Create a New Layer and place it at the top of the Layer

stack.

Change the Gradient Tool Type to Linear.

Drag and release from the bottom right to the top left.

[ CTRL-U ], Colorize. Leave the color Red. Click OK.

Change the Layer Effects from Normal to Soft Light.

This tip provided by NavWorks .

This tip comes from

ScreamDesign.Com