How to create Colorful Abstract Fantasy Background in Photoshop CS5

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Start working by creating a new document (Ctrl+N) in Adobe Photoshop CS5 with the size 1250px by 1550px(RGB color mode) at a resolution of 72 pixels/inch. Click on Add a layer style icon from bottom part of theLayers panel and select Gradient Overlay.
How to create Colorful Abstract Fantasy Background in Photoshop CS5
Click in the color bar to open the Gradient Editor and set the color stops as shown. Click OK to close theGradient Editor dialog box.
How to create Colorful Abstract Fantasy Background in Photoshop CS5
We’ve got the next background for our poster:
How to create Colorful Abstract Fantasy Background in Photoshop CS5
Choose after that the Line Tool (U) and set Weight to 1px in Options bar to draw the next lines of white color.
How to create Colorful Abstract Fantasy Background in Photoshop CS5
Select the Custom Shape Tool (U) in the Tools bar, in the Options bar click the Shape to open the selection menu. Find Triangle at the bottom of the menu, and then double-click a shape thumbnail to select it.
How to create Colorful Abstract Fantasy Background in Photoshop CS5
Click and drag to draw the triangle.
How to create Colorful Abstract Fantasy Background in Photoshop CS5
We’ve got the next result:
How to create Colorful Abstract Fantasy Background in Photoshop CS5
Using the same procedure, we have to represent the next triangle, applying the previous tool.
How to create Colorful Abstract Fantasy Background in Photoshop CS5
Set Fill to 0% for this layer and click on Add a layer style icon from bottom part of the Layers panel and select Stroke.
How to create Colorful Abstract Fantasy Background in Photoshop CS5
We’ve got the next result:
How to create Colorful Abstract Fantasy Background in Photoshop CS5
Make two copies of the last made layer and select the Free Transform (Ctrl+T) command to change the copies’ sizes, placing them as below.
How to create Colorful Abstract Fantasy Background in Photoshop CS5
Select the Custom Shape Tool (U) in the Tools bar, in the Options bar click the Shape to open the selection menu. Find Triangle Frame at the bottom of the menu, and then double-click a shape thumbnail to select it.
How to create Colorful Abstract Fantasy Background in Photoshop CS5
Click and drag to draw the triangle frame.
How to create Colorful Abstract Fantasy Background in Photoshop CS5
Set Fill to 16% for this layer.
How to create Colorful Abstract Fantasy Background in Photoshop CS5
Make a copy of the last made layer and select the Free Transform (Ctrl+T) command to change the copy’s sizes, placing it as below:
How to create Colorful Abstract Fantasy Background in Photoshop CS5
Insert the mask on the layer containing the triangle’s copy by choosing Add layer mask on the bottom part of the Layers panel and choose the Soft Round brush of black color.
How to create Colorful Abstract Fantasy Background in Photoshop CS5
Paint in the mask using this brush to hide the bottom part of the layer.
How to create Colorful Abstract Fantasy Background in Photoshop CS5
We’ll draw the next triangle. Use the Custom Shape Tool (U) to represent first triangle with white color. PressAlt button or select Subtract from shape area (-) from Options bar and draw another triangle to cut the middle part as shown.
How to create Colorful Abstract Fantasy Background in Photoshop CS5
We’ve got the next result:
How to create Colorful Abstract Fantasy Background in Photoshop CS5
Set Fill to 68% for this layer.
How to create Colorful Abstract Fantasy Background in Photoshop CS5
Create a new layer and create the next selection using the Elliptical Marquee Tool (M). Make a right click inside the selection and use Transform Selection to rotate the selection as shown.
How to create Colorful Abstract Fantasy Background in Photoshop CS5
Make a right click inside the selection and set Feather to 20%, again right click inside the selection and use Fillto fill the selection with white color.
How to create Colorful Abstract Fantasy Background in Photoshop CS5

Make two copies of the last made layer and select the Free Transform (Ctrl+T) command to change the copies’ sizes and place them as below.
How to create Colorful Abstract Fantasy Background in Photoshop CS5
Select the Custom Shape Tool (U) in the Tools bar, in the Options bar click the Shape to open the selection menu. Find Triangle at the bottom of the menu, and then double-click a shape thumbnail to select it. Click and drag to draw the triangle.
How to create Colorful Abstract Fantasy Background in Photoshop CS5
Set Fill to 0% for this layer and click on Add a layer style icon from bottom part of the Layers panel and select Stroke.
How to create Colorful Abstract Fantasy Background in Photoshop CS5
We’ve got the next result:
How to create Colorful Abstract Fantasy Background in Photoshop CS5
Insert the mask on the layer by choosing Add layer mask on the bottom part of the Layers panel and choose the Soft Round brush of black color (set Opacity to 15% in Options bar).
How to create Colorful Abstract Fantasy Background in Photoshop CS5
Paint in the mask using this brush to hide the next zones on the layer as shown.
How to create Colorful Abstract Fantasy Background in Photoshop CS5
Make a copy of the last made layer and select the Free Transform (Ctrl+T) command to change the copies’ sizes, placing them as below. Remove the mask on the copy’s layer.
How to create Colorful Abstract Fantasy Background in Photoshop CS5
Create a new layer and use the Soft Round brush of white color (set Opacity to 20% in Options bar) to represent the next highlight.
How to create Colorful Abstract Fantasy Background in Photoshop CS5
We’ve got the next result:
How to create Colorful Abstract Fantasy Background in Photoshop CS5

Make sure the highlight layer is active in Layers panel, hold Ctrl button and click on the triangle layer created before to get a selection on the previous layer.
How to create Colorful Abstract Fantasy Background in Photoshop CS5
Press DELETE button.
How to create Colorful Abstract Fantasy Background in Photoshop CS5
Now press Alt button and insert the mask on the layer by choosing Add layer mask on the bottom part of theLayers panel and choose the Soft Round brush of white color.
How to create Colorful Abstract Fantasy Background in Photoshop CS5
Paint in the mask using this brush on those fragments of the triangle that need to be lighter.
How to create Colorful Abstract Fantasy Background in Photoshop CS5
Select the Custom Shape Tool (U) in the Tools bar, in the Options bar click the Shape to open the selection menu. Find Triangle at the bottom of the menu, and then double-click a shape thumbnail to select it.
How to create Colorful Abstract Fantasy Background in Photoshop CS5
Click and drag to draw the triangle.
How to create Colorful Abstract Fantasy Background in Photoshop CS5
Set Fill to 0% for this layer and click on Add a layer style icon from bottom part of the Layers panel and select Stroke.
How to create Colorful Abstract Fantasy Background in Photoshop CS5
We’ve got the next result:
How to create Colorful Abstract Fantasy Background in Photoshop CS5
Insert the mask on the layer by choosing Add layer mask on the bottom part of the Layers panel and choose the Soft Round brush of black color (set Opacity to 15% in Options bar). Paint in the mask using this brush hide some zones on the triangle as shown.
How to create Colorful Abstract Fantasy Background in Photoshop CS5
Combine in a group all the layers containing lines created before (press CTRL button to select the necessary layers and hold on the left mouse’s button while dragging the selected layers on Create a new group icon from bottom part of the Layers panel). Set Opacity to 26% for the group.
How to create Colorful Abstract Fantasy Background in Photoshop CS5
Make a copy of the got group, select the group in Layers panel and press CTRL+E to Merge Down. Apply the next filter for the rasterized layer: Filter > Blur > Gussian Blur:
How to create Colorful Abstract Fantasy Background in Photoshop CS5
We’ve got the next result:
How to create Colorful Abstract Fantasy Background in Photoshop CS5
Insert the mask on the layer by choosing Add layer mask on the bottom part of the Layers panel and choose the Soft Round brush of black color.
How to create Colorful Abstract Fantasy Background in Photoshop CS5
Paint in the mask using this brush to hide the lines’ edges as shown:
How to create Colorful Abstract Fantasy Background in Photoshop CS5
Make a copy of the last made layer and remove the mask. Create a new mask and select the mentioned above brush to hide the lines’ edges.
How to create Colorful Abstract Fantasy Background in Photoshop CS5
Create a new layer and select the Soft Round brush of white color (brush Opacity – 15%).
How to create Colorful Abstract Fantasy Background in Photoshop CS5
Use this brush to represent a highlight as shown.
How to create Colorful Abstract Fantasy Background in Photoshop CS5
Create a new layer and select the Soft Round brush of white color (brush Opacity – 10%).
How to create Colorful Abstract Fantasy Background in Photoshop CS5
Use this brush to make lighter the top part of the canvas.
How to create Colorful Abstract Fantasy Background in Photoshop CS5
Set Fill to 32% for this layer.
How to create Colorful Abstract Fantasy Background in Photoshop CS5
Next use the Rectangle Tool (U) to draw the next rectangle as shown.
How to create Colorful Abstract Fantasy Background in Photoshop CS5
Set Fill to 0% for this layer and click on Add a layer style icon from bottom part of the Layers panel and select Gradient Overlay.
How to create Colorful Abstract Fantasy Background in Photoshop CS5
Click in the color bar to open the Gradient Editor and set the color stops as shown. Click OK to close theGradient Editor dialog box.
How to create Colorful Abstract Fantasy Background in Photoshop CS5
We’ve got the next result:
How to create Colorful Abstract Fantasy Background in Photoshop CS5
Click Create new fill or adjustment layer from bottom part of the Layers panel and click to Curves to adjust the curve shape as shown to make a little color corrections.
How to create Colorful Abstract Fantasy Background in Photoshop CS5
We’ve got the next result:
How to create Colorful Abstract Fantasy Background in Photoshop CS5
Next put together all the layers into a single rasterized layer. Select all the layers in Layers panel and pressCTRL+E to Merge Down. Apply then on the rasterized layer the next filter: Filter > Sharpen > Unsharp Mask.
How to create Colorful Abstract Fantasy Background in Photoshop CS5
We’ve got the next result:
How to create Colorful Abstract Fantasy Background in Photoshop CS5
Make a copy of the last made layer and choose for the copy’s layer the next filter: Filter > Blur > Gaussian blur.
How to create Colorful Abstract Fantasy Background in Photoshop CS5
We’ve got the next result:
How to create Colorful Abstract Fantasy Background in Photoshop CS5
Set the Blending mode for this layer to Pin Light.
How to create Colorful Abstract Fantasy Background in Photoshop CS5
Our Colorful Abstract Fantasy Background in Photoshop CS5 is finished!
Download free Layered PSD file.
View full size here.