How to Create and decorate Christmas tree in Photoshop
November 16th, 2009 by ART-D Posted in Adobe Photoshop, Designing
In this tutorial I will give you some tips on how to create and decorate Christmas tree with balls and stars. You will learn how to add a Layer Style, draw Christmas balls with Ellipse Tool, apply brushes, customize brushes etc. So let’s get started!
Final Image Preview
Create a new document (Ctrl+N) in Photoshop with the size 1920px by 1200px (RGB color mode) at a resolution of 72 pixels/inch. Using the Paint Bucket Tool (G), fill the new background layer with #050043 color.
Take after that the Pen Tool (P) to create the shape of the Christmas tree.
Select Add a layer style icon from bottom part of the Layers panel and click to Inner Shadow:
Set the Outer Glow
Add Inner Glow
Also set the Gradient Overlay
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.
We’ve got the next fir tree:
Next step we’ll download a set of brushes for in Adobe Photoshop, named: grunge procedural. Create a new layer and select the brush out of the earlier downloaded set. Set the Opacity to 10% in Options bar.
Paint with color #4D80E8 as shown. Place this layer containing the brush under the tree’s layer:
Next we’ll draw several shapes, using the Pen Tool (P). The shape’s color is #020353. Place this layer under the Christmas tree’s layer:
Select Add a layer style icon from bottom part of the Layers panel and click to Outer Glow:
We’ve got the next shape:
Using the same tools, we’ll represent one more colored shape with #0B2A80 color. This layer will be situated under the tree’s layer:
… and one more shape, colored with #1038AA. The tool applied in this case is the same with the previous ones. The layer will be situated under the tree’s layer:
Go to Layer Style and select Inner Glow:
We’ve got the next background:
On the next layer (Create new layer) we’ll use the brush out of the grunge procedural set of white color (Opacity 10%) to make lighter the background behind the tree’s top.
Create a new layer and choose the Soft Round brush of white color, set Opacity to 80% in Options bar.
Using Soft Round brush represent the snowflakes. This layer needs to be placed under the layer containing the tree.
On the next new layer we’ll paint again with brushes (two types – the hard and soft round brushes) of white color to add more snowflakes. The layer will be also placed under the layer having the Christmas tree on it.
We’ve got the next background:
Create a new layer to represent here the snow on the tree. Select Spatter brush from Brush Tool (B).
We need to customize our brush in Brushes panel (F5), select the Brush Tip Shape. Click and drag any of the sliders to change the size, the roundness and brush angle as show. The Preview window displays the changed brushstroke.
Go to Shape Dynamics:
Now you can paint the snow as shown on the Christmas tree.
Select Add a layer style icon from bottom part of the Layers panel and click to Drop Shadow:
We’ve got the next snow on the fir tree:
On the next new layer we’ll apply the earlier brush of white color (Opacity 20%) to paint several more lines, representing the snow on the tree.
Take the Ellipse Tool (U) now to represent a Christmas ball for the tree. The layer has the color #0375E0
Post Pages: 1 2
Tags: background, ball, brushes, card, christmas, Christmas-baubles, cs4, December, design, new-year, Photoshop, snow, snowflake, tree, wallpaper, winter, xmas
Heather
17/11/2009
Great. I learned more about gradients from this tutorial. Thanks
Rj Phipps
18/11/2009
I really enjoyed the tutorial BUT I was completely lost in the doing the star. I could not figure out how to “Using the Convert Point Tool, select the anchor points of the star. Then apply the Free Transform (Ctrl+T) click on Maintain Aspect Ratio and drag the anchor points to the central part of the star to change the shape form.” I tried and tried but it never was easy as this step seems to portray. any direction?
thanks
jimmy
18/11/2009
that is … crazy dude you must have a lot of spare time but is really cool though
tejpal
22/11/2009
hi, this is very fine i learn more in photoshop
XD
23/11/2009
Look 88%
http://img52.imageshack.us/img52/5707/10973811.jpg
Original= 1600 x 1200
Thanks
Nice!
29/11/2009
I really enjoyed this tutorial.
I took me a few hourd but it was well worth it!
I’m using this as my wallpaper now =)
tracy reed
01/12/2009
this is so hard to do mann lol!!!
I GIVE UPP……….. HEHEHEHEHHEHEHEHEHHEHEHHE
JULIE
01/12/2009
I LOVE VINA LOL HEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHHEHEE!
beverlea
01/12/2009
hay these all look nice but i perfure the way we do our one lol.lololooloololpolo
beverlea
01/12/2009
hay all you peoples out there we so should have these as our walpaper because its well werth it lolz
Michael Garmahis
10/12/2009
This tutorial is featured on Top 50 Christmas Photoshop Tutorials
Michelle
12/12/2009
totally amazing tutorial, I will add it to Kaplang
Prince Zul
23/12/2009
great Stuff but I got stuck when I had to download the brush I couldn’t find it anywhere. Then when i designed the shape it remained on top of the tree and not behind it. Maybe I got mixed up with the layers Please I welcome any support.
Thanks again for a great stuff
Anonymous
27/12/2009
uuhhmmm, I don’t understand, how can you draw such a good drawing just only using Pen Tool, I really don’t get it….
Adnan Shahzad
22/03/2010
wowowowowo
its amazing design i love it
thanks for the tutorial…
MarkSpizer
03/05/2010
great post as usual!
DH
27/11/2010
I couldnt download the brushes on the link which is given?
Any idea how to make it?
Thanks
admin
08/12/2010
@DH,
link to download working fine …
rakesh pal
03/04/2011
hi this is a very easy way learn to photo shop thank full to u hi u are a wall guy and all time help every body when learning photo shop but please how to make easay step in photo shop
kingsley godwin gbemu
03/11/2011
so beautiful,much to learn.thanks
MMS
22/12/2011
This tutorial is very useful in Christmas.
Thank a lot.
Vedat Osman Korkut
21/01/2012
This tutorial is very useful in Christmas.
greats
lilygracia
08/05/2012
amazing tutor.
Claire
16/11/2012
I’m completely lost after the first bit. When I create the tree shape (and yes I ‘close off’ the shape by selecting the first point as the location for the last) it doesn’t turn white – it stays blue. Then when I apply the styles it does it to the whole page – so the edges change but the tree just stays blue. What am I doing wrong?
Odessit
06/12/2012
Well, that’s because you should have chosen “Shape” rather than “Path” in the Pen tool option. A path can’t do anything by itself unless you turn it into a selection filling it with a color of your choice later on or apply a stroke to it. You should read some tutorials on this vital photoshop tool. This is not an in-depth step by step tutorial for absolute beginners but it does provide great advice for those with basic skills like me and I thank author heartfully for time and effort in creating it.