Free Download: Smooth UI Kit (.psd)

Here comes an amazing freebie your way. Check this out, today we are giving away the super awesome and exclusive Smooth UI Kit. It is all organized into one neat psd file that allows for endless customizable options. It includes checkboxes, tags, buttons, sliders, switches and more. You can resize them to any size you like!

This set was designed by Michael Reimer, a professional web designer from Canada. You can view more of his work at his new site www.bestpsdfreebies.com where he offers a radically awesome and free collection of PSD resources. You can follow him on Twitter to get his latest freebie updates.

The Smooth UI Kit is free to use on any personal and commercial projects. Redistribution is not allowed, but you can direct users to this page to download their own copy.

Download This UI Kit FREE

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Spots Textures

You can view the textures below, and can download the full sized textures at the bottom of this page.

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How to Create a Detailed Reel to Reel Tape Recorder

Hi there. In the following tutorial your will learn how to create a detailed reel to reel tape recorder. You’ll learn how to work with Photoshop’s advanced drawing capabilities, correctly using blending options and create details, textures and lighting from scratch.

Final Image

As always, this is the final image that we’ll be creating:

Step 1

Open Photoshop and hit Control + N to create a new document. Enter all the data shown in the following image and click OK. Enable the Grid (View > Show > Grid) and the Snap to Grid (View > Snap To > Grid). For the moment you need a grid every 5px. Go to Edit > Preferences > Guides, Grid & Slices and focus on the Grid section. Enter 5 in the Gridline Every box and 1 in the Subdivision box. Also, set the color of the grid at #696969. Once you set all these properties click OK. Don’t get discouraged by all that grid. It will ease your work later. You should also open the Info panel (Window > Info) for a live preview with the size and position of your shapes.

Step 2

Pick the Rectangle Tool and create a 360 by 105px vector shape. Move to the Layers panel and double click on this new shape to open the Layer Style window. Activate the Inner Shadow and the Gradient Overlay then enter the properties shown in the following images.

Inner Shadow Blending Options Settings

Blend Mode: Normal
Opacity: 100%
Angle: -90 degrees
Distance: 2px
Choke: 0%
Size: 0px

Gradient Overlay Blending Options Settings

Blend Mode: Normal
Opacity: 100%
Style: Linear
Angle: 90 degrees
Scale: 100%

Step 3

Keep focusing on the Layers panel, right click on the vector shape created in the previous step and click on Convert to Smart Object. Make sure that this new smart object is selected and go to Filter > Noise > Add Noise. Enter the data shown in the following image and click OK.

Step 4

Set the foreground color at #e6e6e6 and grab the Rectangle Tool. Create a 360 by 250px vector shape and place it as shown below. The Snap to Grid should ease your work. Move to the Layers panel, open the Layers Style window for this new shape and enter the properties shown in the following image.

Drop Shadow Blending Options Settings

Blend Mode: Normal
Opacity: 100%
Angle: 90 degrees
Distance: 2px
Spread: 0px
Size: 0px

Step 5

Pick the Rectangle Tool, create a 360 by 5px vector shape and place it as shown below. Open the Layers Style window for this new shape and enter the properties shown in the following images.

Drop Shadow Blending Options Settings

Blend Mode: Normal
Opacity: 100%
Angle: 90 degrees
Distance: 1px
Spread: 0px
Size: 0px

Gradient Overlay Blending Options Settings

Blend Mode: Normal
Opacity: 100%
Style: Linear
Angle: -90 degrees
Scale: 100%

Step 6

Pick the Rectangle Tool, create a 10 by 355px vector shape and place it as shown in the first image. Continue with the Rectangle Tool, create a 10 by 250px vector shape and place it as shown in the second image.

Step 7

Focus on the two shapes created in the previous step. Start with the black one. Select it from the Layers panel and grab the Direct Selection Tool. Select the bottom, right anchor point and drag it 10px up. Move to the grey shape. Again, select the bottom, right anchor point and drag it 10px up. In the end your shapes should look like in the first image. Open the Layer Style window for the black vector shape and enter the properties shown in the following images.

That’s the end of the preview!

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Featured Artist: Mark Geno Arguelles

Mark Geno Arguelles is a fantastic digital artist from the Philippines. He specializes in photo manipulation work, and is a true master of blending multiple images. Mark states that he loves working on ‘details and color schemes’ and this really comes across through his rich portfolio. His works are incredibly detailed, and often center around a primary color scheme that helps to define the mood and direction of the piece.

Mark commonly incorporates elements of nature into his compositions, and seems to enjoy expressing the beauty, energy and intricacy of the natural world through his art.

I recommend that you go and check out Mark’s full portfolio as he has plenty more great work to offer.

SEA TURTLE

THE CLASH

A VISITOR

HIBAN

BORNOY

SUMABOG

COGHEAD

BULLS**T ARTWORK

MEDIEVAL TIMES

MOVE TO THE GROOVE

BREAKDANCER

TIGURU 156

BROKEN

FIERY WOLF

ARTFORM

TRAPPED

SOUL POWER

SELF-PORTRAIT

Filter Forge 3.0 Winner

We recently hosted a Filter Forge 3.0 Giveaway. After receiving lots of wonderful comments it’s time to reveal the winner!

The Winner

The winner of the Filter Forge giveaway is:

• Sham

Congratulations Sham! You will be receiving an email with details of how to obtain your copy of Filter Forge 3.0 soon!

Thanks go to Filter Forge for such a fantastic giveway!

30 Minute Redesign #92: Wayne Duhon

Today I’m going to be redesigning Wayne Duhon, an eponymous blog that acts as a personal portal, showing a resume, blog and other such details. Wayne Duhon is a tech professional and entrepreneur.

The Original Design:

You can see the original site design below:

You can check out the original website here: Wayne Duhon

First Impressions: Strengths

Every site has some merits, and the good impressions I made here are these:

Some Attempts at Personal Branding

Wayne has clearly made some attempts to push his personal brand. His eponymous site title/domain and prominent logo area hint at as much.

His welcome area also uses a very personal tone, and mentions how he’s ranked number for ‘Wayne Duhon’.

Even the links/twitter feed carry a lot of personal weight with them. Asides from not including a picture, or more helpful welcome area, we instantly get a sense of this being Wayne’s site, about Wayne.

Design a Sexy, Enticing Poster Advert

Final Image

Here is a preview of the image that we are going to be creating:

Step 1

Create a new document (1000X1350px). Ensure that you’re working with in a CMKY color profile, as this will make your document more print ready.

Create a new layer called ‘background’ and fill your canvas with black:

Select a large, soft paintbrush.

Create a new layer called ‘white light top left’. Apply a large, white brush mark in the very top left area of your canvas.

Then create a new layer called ‘red light top left’. Apply a red brush mark over this area, and change this layer’s blend mode to ‘overlay’:

Reduce the opacity of your ‘white light’ layer to 8% and the opacity of your ‘red light’ layer to 15%.

This will create an incredibly faint light effect in the top corner of your canvas:

Step 2

Create a new layer called ‘clouds left’.

Use your lasso tool (feather: 30px) to create a rough selection in the bottom left quarter of your canvas.

With this selection in place go to filter>render>clouds.

Reduce this layer’s opacity to 18%:

Paste in one of the smoke images from the resources section for this tutorial. Position it at the bottom of your canvas:

Now reduce this new smoke layer’s opacity to 12%. Also apply a levels adjustment layer (using a clipping mask) and the following settings:

Levels Adjustment Layer Settings:

62 / 1.00 / 243

Step 3

Copy your smoke layer and the levels adjustment layer connected to it.

Move your duplicated smoke up to the top area of your canvas and rename this layer ‘smoke top’.

The image below shows the duplicate smoke at 100% opacity, with the levels adjustment layer active:

Reduce this layer’s opacity to 15%, and apply a layer mask. Then use a soft, black paintbrush to mask off the central area of cloud:

Use a soft, low opacity paintbrush to apply some subtle white/blue highlights to the top of your canvas:

Step 4

Download the ‘raylight’ brush set from the resources section for this tutorial.

Apply a white ray of light on a new layer, pointing down from the top right corner of the canvas.

Reduce the opacity of this layer to 20% to make the lighting more subtle:

Step 5

Now it’s time to apply some further lighting.

Create a new layer called ‘raylight sides’. Apply a raylight brush using a light red paintbrush:

Now change this layer’s blend mode to ‘overlay’ and reduce it’s opacity to 55%:

Paste in the ‘rainbow’ image from the resources section for this tutorial, positioning it in the bottom left area of your canvas.

Use a layer mask to blend the top of the image into the background:

Change this layer’s blend mode to ‘overlay’ and reduce it’s opacity to around 50%:

Finally, create a new layer called ‘raylight (white)’ and apply several of the raylight brushes from your downloaded brush set, using a white paintbrush:

Change this layer’s blend mode to ‘overlay’ and reduce it’s opacity to around 40%

Step 6

Paste in the ‘sexy woman’ image from the resources section for this tutorial:

Now apply a layer mask and carefully use a soft, black paintbrush to mask off parts of the woman’s background:

Step 7

Let’s now look at how to create a cool sketchy edge down the side of the woman.

This is a nice visual detail to include, adding a handdrawn element to your digital work.

If you look at the image below you can see the sketchy lines down one side of your woman:

Let’s look at how to create this effect!

Start by copying your woman into a new document. Resize her to around 3-5 times her original size.

Then create a new layer called ‘sketchy lines’. Use a soft, 1px white paintbrush to sketch rough lines over the side over your woman. If you have a tablet you can do this much easier, but if you’re using a mouse then this is an effective technique.

Select your ‘sketchy lines’ layer and paste it back into your original document.

Resize the sketchy white lines to fit to the size of your woman. Because you’re making them 3-5 times smaller they will become less messy looking and more handdrawn looking. They should also fit well to the shape of your woman.

Now change your ‘sketchy lines’ layer’s blend mode to ‘overlay’ to make the effect more subtle:

Step 8

Paste one of the smoke images from the resources section for this tutorial into the top right part of your canvas.

Rotate it to look like the image below:

Reduce this layer’s opacity to around 60% and use a layer mask to mask off the edges, blending them smoothly into your main background:

Apply a levels and color balance adjustment layer to your new smoke layer (being sure to give each a clipping mask).

Levels Adjustment Layer Settings:

62 / 1.00 / 243

Color Balance Adjustment Layer Settings:

Highlights: -40 / 0 / +22
Midtones: -29 / 0 / +35
Shadows: -26 / 0 / +23

These adjustments should make your new area of smoke blend better with the surrounding smoke, making it more blue and sharp:

Step 9

Create a new layer called ‘gradient light effect’.

Use your linear gradient tool to create a simple white to transparent gradient like this:

Rotate this shape to make it more diagonal. Then change it’s blend mode to ‘overlay’ and reduce it’s opacity to 43%.

Duplicate this layer and create a couple more diagonal lighting effects.

Vary the opacity of each of these layers to make the lighting effect more random.

Ensure that the 3 light effect layers are placed in a single layer folder or group and then reduce this layer group’s opacity to 19%. This will make the entire light effect far more subtle:

Step 10

Paste in your rainbow background image from the resources section for this tutorial.

Position it over the woman’s hand/arm.

Now apply a layer mask and use a soft black paintbrush to mask off the edges of this rainbow image.

Reduce it’s opacity to 76%.

Finally, change it’s layer blend mode to ‘overlay’.

Also apply a hue/saturation adjustment layer (with clipping mask) and reduce it’s saturation to -100.

Step 11

Create a new layer called ‘bottom shadows’.

Use a large, soft black paintbrush to paint over the bottom/right side of your canvas, engulfing these areas in shadow:

Step 12

A little more smoke is needed in the top right part of the canvas.

Download the second smoke image from the resources section for this tutorial.

Paste it into your canvas and position it as shown:

Apply a layer mask and mask off the edges of this smoke area, blending it more smoothly into the background.

Reduce this layer’s opacity to 14%:

Step 13

Download the ‘flaming heart’ image from the resources section for this tutorial.

Paste it into the bottom left of your canvas:

Change it’s layer blend mode to ‘screen’.

Apply a layer mask and use a soft black paintbrush to mask off the top right area of the heart:

Apply a levels adjustment layer (with clipping mask) in order to make the background of the heart more transparent and bring out the contrast of the fiery heart.

Levels Adjustment Layer Settings:

77 / 1.15 / 224

We want the fire of the heart to really ‘pop’ and be very intense. To achieve this, create a new layer called ‘white highlight heart’.

Set this layer’s blend mode to ‘overlay’ and then use a white paintbrush to brush over the top of the heart shape.

This should make the colors pop even more:

Step 14

Paste in the ‘abstract rainbow background’ image from the resources section for this tutorial.

Go to edit>transform>warp and warp it to curve round the shape of the woman’s head a little more:

Reduce this layer’s opacity to 50% and then use a layer mask to mask off all the edges of this area, just leaving a subtle lighting effect over the woman’s hair parting:

Step 15

Paste in your flaming heart image again, this time positioning it over your woman’s face.

Apply a layer mask and use a soft black paintbrush to mask off most of the heart image, leaving just a small area of flame above the woman’s eye:

Change this layer’s blend mode to ‘screen’ and reduce it’s opacity to 69%.

Apply a levels adjustment layer (with clipping mask) to help hide the background of the flaming heart and give it more intensity.

Levels Adjustment Layer Settings:

77 / 1.15 / 224

The flaming heart area could do with being a little crisper.

To fix this, go to filter>convert for smart filters. Then go to filter>sharpen>unsharp mask.

Unsharp Mask Settings:

Amount: 209%
Radius: 3.3 pixels
Threshold: 53 levels

Step 16

Use the techniques shown in Step 15 to apply several more areas of flame to the woman’s hair, building up a detailed lighting effect:

Step 17

Want want to draw even more attention to the woman’s striking face.

To achieve this create a new layer called ‘highlight over model’s face’.

Use a soft, low opacity paintbrush to paint over the woman’s face.

Change this layer’s blend mode to ‘overlay’ and reduce it’s opacity to 10%.

Step 18

The cherry in the woman’s mouth is currently looking too dark and we want it looking more red.

Create a new layer called ‘red cherry’.

Use a soft, red paintbrush to paint over the cherry shape:

Change this layer’s opacity to around 30% and change it’s blend mode to ‘color’:

This will give your cherry a subtle red glow.

Use a white paintbrush to add further highlights to your cherry, making it stand out:

Step 19

Paste in your logo or header to the top of your canvas.

To make my logo stand out I isolated the text part of the logo and gave it an outer glow blending option:

Outer Glow Blending Option Settings:

Blend Mode: Screen
Opacity: 25%
Color: b8e5fa
Spread: 0%
Size: 30px

Step 20

Apply some text over your poster with details of your company or event.

Poster Text Font Settings:

Font Face: Novecento Wide
Styling: Bold
Kerning: -50
Color: ffffff

Step 21

Create a new layer called ‘dodge/burn’.

We’re going to dodge/burn our poster in a non-destructive way and bring out some of the intensity that we’re going for!

Go to edit>fill>50% gray to fill your canvas with 50% gray. Then change your layer’s blend mode to ‘dodge/burn’. This will hide your gray fill.

Use a soft, black paintbrush (10% opacity) to paint in shadows over your piece. Apply a soft, white paintbrush (10%) to paint in the highlights.

The image below shows the dodge/burn layer at ‘normal’ blend mode just so you can see my brush strokes:

And with the dodge/burn layer at ‘overlay’ blend mode:

Step 22

Create a new layer called ‘color highlights’.

Use a large, soft paintbrush to apply a variety of brush marks, using colors that compliment your overall pieces:

Change this layer’s blend mode to ‘overlay’ and reduce it’s opacity to 39%.

Step 23

To complete your piece apply a final levels adjustment layer (don’t give this adjustment layer a clipping mask).

Levels Adjustment Layer Settings:

9 / 0.94 / 235

And We’re Done!

You can view the final outcome below. I hope that you enjoyed this tutorial and would love to hear your feedback on the techniques and outcome.

Wallpieces Textures

You can view the textures below, and can download the full sized textures at the bottom of this page.

Download This Texture Pack

Join our newsletter for access to all texture thursday high-res downloads Receive links to all texture thursday packs via email, as well as a FREE premium icon pack for joining our newsletter (Please use a genuine email address, otherwise you won't receive your textures)

Create An Emotional Sunset Scene Photo Manipulation

In this tutorial I’ll show you how to create a beautiful emotional sunset scene. We’ll work with manipulating techniques, blending, masking, painting and more.

Final Image

As always, this is the final image that we’ll be creating:

Step 1

Create a new document and fill it with white ( or any color you like). I use the size of 1000×1200 px.

Open sky stock. Move it ( press M to active Move Tool) into the white canvas, resize ( use Cmd/Ctrl+T to do it) and place it as shown below:

Flip it by choosing Edit-Transform-Flip Horizontal:

Step 2

Open meadow image. Use Magic Wand Tool ( or any methods you’re familiar with) to extract the meadow from background). Drag it into our document and downsize to fit . Place it at the bottom of our picture:

Because the meadow is set as background so we will blur it to create some depth. On meadow layer, go to Filter-Blur-Gassian Blur and set radius as 5:

We can see that the contrast and color of meadow don’t match sky. To correct it, I use an adjustment layer with Clipping Mask for meadow. On this layer, go to Layer-New Adjustment Layer-Curves:

This is result we have:

Step 3

Open the stock with balcony. Cut it out and move it into our main picture and resize. Because it will be positioned at foreground so I only take its upper part:

I add two adjustment layers ( with Clipping Mask) for balcony layer to change its color.

Curves:

Color Balance:

Step 4

I want to make the main light source come from upper left so the balcony must get some reflected light. Right click balcony layer, choose Blending Options:

This what we have so far:

Step 5

Open model stock. First use your favorite method to extract her from background. As you see I don’t take all her hair as I will paint a new one later. I make a new fill layer between extracted model and background with a light color (#ecfafc) but you can choose any bright colors you want. Also you can notice that some parts of background is still seen though transparent part of dress bottom, model arm, the back of dress and we need to remove them.

That’s the end of the preview!

• Join our FanExtra members community to access this full tutorial.
• Existing members can login here to access this tutorial.

Featured Artist: Bram Vanhaeren

Bram Vanhaeren is an awesome digital artist from Belgium. His work centers mainly around photo manipulations, wallpaper designs and typography. He has a very unique mixed media approach, often bringing in elements of drawing and illustration into his digital designs. This results in a rich array of designs and styles, and a diversity that hints beyond his 20 years.

Bram’s work is often sleek and glossy, whilst combining hand-drawn elements. His compositions scream life and energy, often featuring twisting dancers, party girls and sports figures. Bram often transforms the ordinary into the abstract, adding hundreds of creative details, light effects and other visual abstraction to everyday figures/models.

I recommend that you go and check out Bram’s full portfolio as he has plenty more great work to offer.

The Real Her

Main Focus

Nightlife

About

Fire Dancer

Dance

A Trip

PANDA

PLUG

KDU

Passion

2010

Robotic

Funk Rush

Chaos vs Order

Unknown

Crysis

Break It

30

I LOVE TYPOGRAPHY

BREAK.IT.