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Colorful Abstract DNA background via Custom shapes in Adobe Photoshop CS3

Today, I’m going to show you how to create colorful abstract DNA background via Custom shapes in Adobe Photoshop CS3. Layered PSD file included. Let’s get started!

Final Image Preview

Create Colorful Abstract DNA background via Custom shapes in Adobe Photoshop CS3

Start working by creating a new document (Ctrl+N) in Adobe Photoshop with the size 1280px by 1024px (RGB color mode) at a resolution of 72 pixels/inch. Use the Paint Bucket Tool (G) to fill with #2A0900 color the new background layer.

Create Colorful Abstract DNA background via Custom shapes in Adobe Photoshop CS3

Choose the Pen Tool (P), set the drawing mode on Shape Layers in Options bar and draw the wavy line as shown.

Create Colorful Abstract DNA background via Custom shapes in Adobe Photoshop CS3

Set Fill to 24% for this layer and click on Add a layer style icon from bottom part of the Layers panel to Inner Shadow.

Create Colorful Abstract DNA background via Custom shapes in Adobe Photoshop CS3

Add Outer Glow:

Create Colorful Abstract DNA background via Custom shapes in Adobe Photoshop CS3

Apply Gradient Overlay:
Create Colorful Abstract DNA background via Custom shapes in Adobe Photoshop CS3

Click in the color bar to open the Gradient Editor and set the color stops as shown. Click OK to close the Gradient Editor dialog box.

Create Colorful Abstract DNA background via Custom shapes in Adobe Photoshop CS3

We’ve got the next result:
Create Colorful Abstract DNA background via Custom shapes in Adobe Photoshop CS3

Make a copy of the line’s layer and choose Free Transform (Ctrl+T) command to turn the line’s copy horizontally, placing it the same way demonstrated below.

Create Colorful Abstract DNA background via Custom shapes in Adobe Photoshop CS3

Combine in a group all the wavy line layers (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 this group. Turn this copy over, applying the Free Transform (Ctrl+T) command and placing it the same way shown below.

Create Colorful Abstract DNA background via Custom shapes in Adobe Photoshop CS3

Create a new layer and select the Soft Round brush from Brush Tool (B), set Opacity to 50% in Options bar.

Create Colorful Abstract DNA background via Custom shapes in Adobe Photoshop CS3

Use this brush to draw several highlights of white color on these lines.
Create Colorful Abstract DNA background via Custom shapes in Adobe Photoshop CS3

Create another new layer (Create new layer) where we shall apply the same brush to represent several spots on the central part of the picture.

Create Colorful Abstract DNA background via Custom shapes in Adobe Photoshop CS3

We’ve got the next result:

Create Colorful Abstract DNA background via Custom shapes in Adobe Photoshop CS3

Using the Free Transform (Ctrl+T) command, try to stretch out the spot horizontally and turn it over the same way shown next picture.

Create Colorful Abstract DNA background via Custom shapes in Adobe Photoshop CS3

Use the same method described above to represent a white spot.

Create Colorful Abstract DNA background via Custom shapes in Adobe Photoshop CS3

Set the Blending mode for this layer to Overlay.

Create Colorful Abstract DNA background via Custom shapes in Adobe Photoshop CS3

Make a copy of the layer containing the white spot and select Free Transform (Ctrl+T) command to make the copy smaller and change the Blending mode to Normal.

Create Colorful Abstract DNA background via Custom shapes in Adobe Photoshop CS3

Next we have to choose the Ellipse Tool (U) and represent the primary layer of a DNA molecule to be later.

Create Colorful Abstract DNA background via Custom shapes in Adobe Photoshop CS3

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