n this tutorial, I’m going to show you how to create an abstract compositions of colored geometric shapes. The technique is pretty simple and the whole tutorial can be done in less than one hour – though feel free to keep experimenting in order to create your own realisation. Layered PSD file included. Let’s get started!
Final Image Preview
Start working by creating a new document (Ctrl+N) in Adobe Photoshop CS6 with the size 1920px by 1200px(RGB color mode) at a resolution of 72 pixels/inch.
Click on Add a layer style icon from bottom part of the Layers panel and select Gradient Overlay.
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.
We’ve got the next result:
Let’s create now a tetrahedron, but firstly we’ll represent a triangle. Choose the Pen Tool (P), set the drawing mode on Shape Layers in Options bar and draw the next shape as shown.
We’ve got the next result:
Click on Add a layer style icon from bottom part of the Layers panel and select Gradient Overlay.
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.
We’ve got the next result:
Next we’ll represent the triangular face, using the same Pen Tool (P).
Click on Add a layer style icon from bottom part of the Layers panel and select Gradient Overlay.
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.
We’ve got the next result:
Applying the same tool, we’ll draw the next triangular face:
Click on Add a layer style icon from bottom part of the Layers panel and select Gradient Overlay.
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.
We’ve got the next result:
Next we’ll represent the other tetrahedrons, creating the basic layer firstly, using the Pen Tool (P).
Click on Add a layer style icon from bottom part of the Layers panel and select Gradient Overlay.
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.
We’ve got the next result:
Using the same tool, we’ll represent the next triangular face:
Click on Add a layer style icon from bottom part of the Layers panel and select Gradient Overlay.
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.
We’ve got the next result:
Next we’ll represent one more tetrahedron, applying the Pen Tool (P) too.
Click on Add a layer style icon from bottom part of the Layers panel and select Gradient Overlay.
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.
We’ve got the next result:
Now we’ll represent the triangular face, using the Pen Tool (P).
Click on Add a layer style icon from bottom part of the Layers panel and select Gradient Overlay.
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.
We’ve got the next result:
Take the Pen Tool (P) to create one more triangular face on the tetrahedron.
Click on Add a layer style icon from bottom part of the Layers panel and select Gradient Overlay.
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.
We’ve got the next result:
Combine by groups all the layers composing each tetrahedron (press CTRL button to select the necessary layers and hold on the left mouse’s button while dragging the selected layers onCreate a new group icon from bottom part of the Layers panel).
Now we have to make many copies of the got groups. Some of them should be turned over applying the Free Transform (Ctrl+T) command. Change the gradient’s directions on the trianguar faces to change the shadows. The gradient’s direction is changed on the opposite one.
Now we have to combine all the tetrahedrons’ groups in a single one (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).
Make a copy of the got group and rasterize it. In this select the group’s layer in Layers panel and press CTRL+Eto Merge Down. The rasterized layer will be placed under the very first tetrahedrons’ group.
Make a copy of the recently made rasterized layer and use the Free Transform (Ctrl+T) command to displace a little the copy’s layer down.
Set Fill to 20% for this layer.
Insert the mask on this 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 40% in Options bar).
Paint in the mask using this brush to hide several tetrahedrons’ elements as shown.
Create a new layer and select the Soft Round brush from Brush Tool (B).
Using this brush try to represent several colored spots on the tetrahedrons. The brush’s color is #EF008D (brushOpacity – 30%). The layer will be placed above the first group.
Set Fill to 40% for this layer and change the Blending mode to Linear Dodge.
Make sure this layer is selected in Layers panel, hold Ctrl button and click on the layer containing the tetrahedrons situated under the very first group (without displacement). We’ve got the next selection.
Now on the layer with the pink brush click on the bottom part of the Layers panel on Add layer mask. This way we’ll get the cutting of colored spots.
Make a copy of the rasterized tetrahedrons’ layer. Place the copy above all the layers and choose Free Transform (Ctrl+T) command to turn over the copy’s layer, applying on it CTRL+SHIFT+U to Desaturate.
Set Fill to 14% for this layer and change the Blending mode to Subtract.
Cut out the coming out uncolored shadows behind the tetrahedrons the same way described above by inserting the mask on the selection.
Create a new layer and use on it the Soft Round brush to represent many spots colored with #EF008D color (brush’s Opacity – 30%).
Set Fill to 20% for this layer and change the Blending mode to Pin Light.
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.
We’ve got the next result:
Set Fill to 45% for this layer.
Insert the mask on the layer by choosing Add layer mask on the bottom part of the Layers panel , pressCTRL+I to Inverse the color of the mask, choose the Soft Round brush of white color (set Opacity to 65% inOptions bar).
Paint in the mask using this brush to hide the effect only there where we’ll represent smooth spots on the tetrahedrons.
Create a new layer and use a Soft Round brush mentioned above to represent a highlight with yellow color (brush’s Opacity – 20%).
Set Fill to 40% for this layer and change the Blending mode to Screen.
Next we’ll represent a new layer and choose the Soft Round brush of white color (brush’s Opacity – 30%) to represent a highlight on the tetrahedrons.
We’ve got the next result:
Set Fill to 50% for this layer and change the Blending mode to Hard Mix.
Make sure this layer is active in Layers panel, then press Ctrl button and click on the tetrahedrons’ rasterized layer (we’ll get a selection) and insert the mask on this active layer. The white highlight is cut.
Create a new layer and use on it the Soft Round brush mentioned in the previous example. Choose the whitecolor (brush’s Opacity – 15%) to represent more luminescence coming out of the tetrahedrons.
On the last stage create a new layer and apply here the Soft Round brush and white color to create many dots of different diameters.
We’ve got the next result:
We’re done!
View full size here.
Download free Layered PSD file.