tutorials

Quite a lengthy tutorial that should be compatible with all versions of photoshop.

There are many techniques out there that you can adopt to color and draw. This tutorial only demonstrates the techniques That’s QT Designs has used for creating vectors.

This tutorial will be a walkthough on how to create sky, grass, a flower, a cloud and the sun. To be able to use this tutorial effectively, it is best to have a clear idea of what the image should look like. So sketch the idea on paper first or squiggle something in Photoshop.

Sky

Create a new layer – and use the gradient tool to color in the background with a sky-like effect. Layer effect set to Multiply and 38% Opacity

After that, a extra layer was created for checkers. Layer effect set to Normal and 16% Opacity

Grass

A create new layer, then using the Polygonal Lasso Tool and draw a triangle-based blade of grass. Use the Paint Bucket Tool to color the area with the color of your choice.

On a new layer, crtl+click the original grass layer then go to Select > Modify > Expand and specify to expand by 2 pixels. Once again use the *Paint Bucket Tool to color the area with a slightly lighter color than the orginal color selected. Shift the layer ordering to ensure that this new layer is below the orginal grass layer.

You should now have one blade of grass. Merge the grass related layers, so that you can duplicate the blades of grass to create a lawn.

Create a new layer and make sure this layer ordering is beneath the lawn. Use the Marquee Tool to select the area from the grass to the bottom of the image. To create the base for the grass. Use the Paint Bucket Tool to fill in the selected area with the layer set to Normal and 50% Opacity.

On a new layer, ctrl+click to select the base grass created, use the Gradient Tool to color and Multiply the layer. And ta-dah~! The grass for the image is completed.

Flower

To start off with creating a flower, it is best to create the stem first. Somply, create a new layer and then using the *Line Tool or Polygonal Laso Tool create a stem and leaves.

On a new layer, crtl+click the stem layer then go to Select > Modify > Expand and specify to expand by 1 pixels. Color the area with a slightly lighter color. Then shift the layer ordering to ensure that this new layer is below the orginal stem.

The stem of the flower is now complete. Some of you may have realised that the technique used was quite similar to the way the grass was created.

The next step is to create a new layer with the petals to the flower. A series of triangles were drawn and colored using the gradient tool. The layer is set to Normal with an 72% Opacity. After the first triangle is complete, duplicate the layers to create some kind of windmill.

Duplicate this windmill layer and go to Edit > Transform > Rotate to create the rest of the petals.

Repeat the duplication again and rotate the layer slightly. Set the layer to Multiply and 64% Opacity. This will help create a bit of depth for the flower.

Create a new layer and use the *Marquee Tool to draw a circle and color it with the Paint Bucket Tool for the center of the flower.

For this flower, things were finished off by creating a new layer and using the Airbrush Tool with a slightly darker color to create some kind of shadow. The layer was set to Multiply and 29% Opacity.

Cloud

A cloud is created using a series of circles and ovals. Create a new layer and use the Marquee Tool to form an oval – use the Paint Bucket Tool to color the oval area white. This will be the first of many rounds shapes fromed to create the cloud.

On the same layer create another a circle shape slightly overlapping the oval area and the are not colored with *Paint Bucket Tool. Keep on repeating the process until you have a batch of round oval and circle shapes.

Select the bottom half of the batch of circles and cut it away endin g up with a half cloud. It isn’t mandatory to cut your clouds in half, so don’t feel restricted to forming only half clouds by this tutorial.

To complete the cloud use the Polygon Lasso Tool and Paint Bucket Tool to complete the base and create a little sharp edge on the cloud.

Sun

To create the sun, An Airbrush was selected to color the spot where the sun would be to create a little glow effect. The layer was set to 30% Opacity.

Then on a new layer the Marquee Tool was used to draw a circle and filled in with the Paint Bucket Tool to create the center of the sun.

Then similarly to the blades of grass, a new layer was created and then ctrl+click was used to select the layer with the center of the sun. Then go to Select > Modify > Expand and specify to expand by 2 pixels, which will create an extra rim around the center of the sun.

Then form the shape of a traingle with the Polygon Lasso Tool and use the Gradient Tool to fill the selected area. This will form a triangular ray of sunlight.

Repeat the process over and over again around the center of the sun to create many rays of sunlight.