INTRODUCTION TO PHOTOSHOP Lorenzo Andreani

Create an Awesome Music Poster

This is the final image that we’ll be creating.

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 INTRODUCTION TO PHOTOSHOP Lorenzo Andreani

Step 1
Open up a new document 600X900px and fill it
with 53157F.

Step 2
Create a new layer called ‘clouds’ and then go
to filter > render > clouds. Then set your
layer blend mode to ‘multiply’ and reduce its
opacity to 50%.

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 INTRODUCTION TO PHOTOSHOP Lorenzo Andreani

Step 3
Now create a new layer called ‘bg gradient’.
Create a rectangular selection at the bottom of
your image and fill it with a black to white linear
gradient. Then set the layer blend mode to
‘overlay’ and reduce its opacity to 40%.

Step 4
Now create a new layer called ‘box side’.
Create a rectangular selection and fill it with
1C042D.

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 INTRODUCTION TO PHOTOSHOP Lorenzo Andreani

Step 5
Now create a new document (10X10px) and create a new layer called ‘circle’. Then use your
circular marquee tool to create a white circle in the top right of your canvas (roughly 4X4px).
Then hide your ‘background’ layer and go to edit > define pattern. Name your pattern ‘circle
pattern’. Then return your original document and apply a pattern overlay (using the settings
shown below) to your ‘box side’ layer.

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 INTRODUCTION TO PHOTOSHOP Lorenzo Andreani

Step 6
Now create a blank layer beneath your ‘box
side’ layer. Then merge your ‘box side’ layer
down. This is to rasterize your pattern overlay,
allowing you to distort your box side shape and
the pattern. Then go to edit > distort and
distort your box side to look like the image
below:

Step 7
Then duplicate your box side layer and go to
edit > transform > flip horizontal. Then move
it to make up a cube shape. Then reduce the
width of this duplicate shape, as well as
reducing its brightness to -10.

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 INTRODUCTION TO PHOTOSHOP Lorenzo Andreani

Step 8
Now type out some text to fit over your cube
shape.

Step 9
Then go to layer > rasterize > layer to
rasterize your type. Then duplicate your text
layer and hide the original. With your visible
text layer selected go to edit > transform >
distort and distort it to fit the side of your cube.
Then make your invisible text layer visible and
distort it to fit the other side of the cube.

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 INTRODUCTION TO PHOTOSHOP Lorenzo Andreani

Step 10
Now hide both text layers and go to edit > define pattern. Define your pattern as ‘text dots’.
Then apply a pattern overlay to your text layers using the settings below. You may need to play
around with the ‘scale’ amount until it looks good. Also, be sure to make the ‘fill’ of your text
layers have a 0% opacity.

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 INTRODUCTION TO PHOTOSHOP Lorenzo Andreani

Step 11
Now duplicate the layer containing the text on
the left edge of your cube. On the bottom layer
apply a 10px strength motion blur.

Step 12
Now hide all layers apart from the layers
containing the shapes/text of the left side of
your cube. Then go to layer > merge visible.
Duplicate your merged layer, and then select
the bottom layer and go to edit > transform >
flip vertical. Then go to edit > transform >
distort and distort your reflected cube side
until it looks like the image below. Be sure to
reduce the layer opacity to 30%.

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 INTRODUCTION TO PHOTOSHOP Lorenzo Andreani

Step 13
Repeat this technique on the right side of the
cube.

Step 14
Now paste in a photo of a woman behind your
cube shape.

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 INTRODUCTION TO PHOTOSHOP Lorenzo Andreani

Step 15
Now go to image > adjustments > desaturate to grayscale the woman’s photo. Then apply a
colour overlay and outer glow using the settings shown below:

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 INTRODUCTION TO PHOTOSHOP Lorenzo Andreani

Step 16
Now create a new layer above your woman
layer but below your cube layer. Create an
oval shape, and then fill it with a dark-
medium purple gradient. Then use your
circular marquee selection tool to delete part
of your oval shape – leaving a kind of arch.
Then go to edit > transform > rotate to fit
this arch shape across the woman’s body.
Finally, duplicate this layer and go to edit >
transform > flip horizontal. Then use your
lasso selection tool to delete parts of the arch
that overlap the woman’s arms – so that it
appears to weave around her limbs.

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 INTRODUCTION TO PHOTOSHOP Lorenzo Andreani

Step 17
Now apply the drop shadow settings shown below to the two arch shape layers. To apply the
exact same settings to both layers right click on the layer style once applied to your first layer and
click on ‘copy layer style’. Then right click on your second arch layer in your layer’s palette and
click ‘paste layer style’.

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 INTRODUCTION TO PHOTOSHOP Lorenzo Andreani

Step 18
Now apply Photoshop custom shapes to your
image, using basic white shapes at 10%
opacity. Try to apply them fairly randomly
around the edges of your woman.

Step 19
Now create a new layer beneath your custom
shape layers called ‘brushes’. Then select a
watercolour brush set and apply some very
bright, large brush strokes to liven up your
image.

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 INTRODUCTION TO PHOTOSHOP Lorenzo Andreani

Step 20
Now create a new layer called ‘circles’ below
your watercolour brush layer. Create a
circular selection using your marquee tool,
and fill it with black, using a 10% opacity
paintbrush. Then go to select > modify >
contract and contract by 20px. Repeat this
step several times to achieve something like
the effect on the side:

Step 21
Now create some music note shapes using
Photoshop custom shapes. Then use your
lasso tool to cut off the top bar of the notes
and then stretch the notes upwards to the top
of your canvas.

And We’re Done!

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