How to create abstract colorful background with bokeh effect in Photoshop
April 26th, 2010 by ART-D Posted in Adobe Photoshop, Designing
Use the same method applied before by adding the mask on the layer. Choose also the next options - Layer Mask Hides Effects. Apply also the Soft Round brush of black color to hide the shape edges.
Paint in the mask to hide the shape edges as shown.
Draw another shape on the left using Pen Tool (P).
Set Fill to 0% and go to Layer Style>Gradient Overlay
Open the Gradient Editor and set the color stops as shown.
We’ve got the next gradient on the shape:
Insert also the mask on the layer and choose the Layer Mask Hides Effects option.
Select the Soft Round brush of black color to hide the shape edges as shown:
Represent another shape on the right as shown
Set Fill to 0% and click Add a layer style icon from bottom part of the Layers panel to select 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 result:
Next we have to apply the Pen Tool (P) to represent five more shapes and for their layers we’ll add also the mask.
Set Fill to 0% and go to Layer Style>Gradient Overlay
Open the Gradient Editor and set the color stops as shown.
We’ve got the next gradient on the shape:
Add the mask on the layer and set the Layer Mask Hides Effects option in Blending Options dialog box. Choose then the Soft Round brush of black color to hide the shape edges as shown.
Draw another shape
Set Fill to 0% and click Add a layer style icon from bottom part of the Layers panel to select 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 result:
Add mask on the layer and set the Layer Mask Hides Effects option as we did before
Select then the Soft Round brush of black color
Paint in the mask with Soft Round brush to hide the shape edges as shown:
Represent another shape on the right using Pen Tool (P)
Set Fill to 0% for this layer and go to Layer Style>Gradient Overlay
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 result:
Add the mask on the layer, set the Layer Mask Hides Effects option in Blending options dialog box and apply the Soft Round brush of black color to hide again the shape edges.
Draw another shape this time on the left
Set Fill to 0% and click Add a layer style icon from bottom part of the Layers panel to select 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 result:
Go to Layer Style>Blending Options and check Layer Mask Hides Effects.
Click on the same layer on the bottom part of the Layers panel on Add layer mask icon and select the Soft Round brush of black color
Paint in the mask to hide the shape’s edges.
Represent another shape using Pen Tool (P)
Set Fill to 0% and go to Layer Style>Gradient Overlay
Open the Gradient Editor and set the color stops as shown.
We’ve got the next result:
Add the mask on the layer, check the Layer Mask Hides Effects in the Blending Options dialog box and apply again the Soft Round brush of black color to hide the shape edges.
Draw the last shape using Pen Tool (P)
Set Fill to 0% for this layer and click Add a layer style icon from bottom part of the Layers panel to select 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 result:
Create a new layer and apply the Soft Round brush of white color (Opacity 10%)
Paint with Soft Round brush to make lighter the shapes.
Set the Blending mode to Overlay.
Select 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 some little color corrections.
We’ve got the next result:
Finished!
View full size here.
Download free Layered PSD file.
Tags: abstract, background, bokeh, colorful, design, desktop, effect, Photoshop, wallpaper
Hian Battiston
26/04/2010
Great tutorial!
Thanks!
Alex Flueras
27/04/2010
Great tutorial, thanks for sharing!
Rozairo
27/04/2010
Nice tute dude, i thinklittle bit glow in middle should make it perfect.
Michael
27/04/2010
Fantastic Tutorial!
abeedo21
27/04/2010
cool one
thanks
Suneil
27/04/2010
Lovely!
xpmsa
28/04/2010
Great tutorial, thanks for sharing!
wiyono
28/04/2010
Really nice and great… thank fo rsharing, i love this stuff
Dignity
29/04/2010
Excelent tutorial! I Will try it now
The Web Tuts
30/04/2010
Tutorial added to The Web Tuts
gajendra
01/05/2010
Nice Background
TomPier
04/05/2010
great post as usual!
Laura
12/05/2010
Fab! Amazing!
Manjula
17/05/2010
Great very nice background and very helpful tutorial
Vinicius
18/05/2010
Great Tutorial!!!
Thanks!!!!
ela
18/05/2010
oh I cant find Blend>Blend Options> in cs2 ? help me
Rohit
28/05/2010
Nice Tutorials,
I am visiting this site first time and I think its very useful and really good collection thanks.
kusum
11/06/2010
very nice,, very impressive design
priya
03/07/2010
i am visiting this site first time and i think its very useful..
HARRY
03/07/2010
nice work
deden
20/07/2010
amazing tutorials
PSnoob
20/07/2010
very niceeeee tutorial!!!
Simri
21/07/2010
Waooooooooooooo….. So great. Love it. Thank’s for sharing.
Oviyambalu
30/07/2010
Vanakkam
Sir,
Useful tips and i have idea to more and more thank you for your class
Nandri
Vanakkam
regards
oviyambalu
chennai, tamilnadu
K1.MORTEZA
13/08/2010
very nice.
arshad khalid
22/08/2010
very very nice touter
bishow
23/09/2010
g8t turtoial…….
ikhdikh
24/09/2010
thanx 4 sharing.. was useful.. good job
Santhosh Kumar
02/11/2010
I could easily recreate this following all your the steps given in great detail. Thanks for such a wonderful post to get me started into the world of graphic designing!
boingonline
08/11/2010
take me along time to design
(
Chris
16/11/2010
Hello Art-D,
A few designers have brought this tutorial to my attention. This exact design has been lifted from the designer Perfect Hue -> http://perfecthue.com/index.php/project/hexillus/ and we ask that you give some credit for the inspiration/copying.
Thanks for making a tutorial on the project, appreciate you adding a link back.
Chris
17/11/2010
Great tutorial, thanks!
admin
17/11/2010
Chris,
back link already exists to InterfaceLIFT on top of the tutorial.
Vladan
18/11/2010
Really great tutorial but it is said that psd file is included, cannot find the link to psd file.
khushi
18/11/2010
great tutorial..
thnx a lottttttttttt…
TH3 FADO
08/12/2010
Great tutorial, thanks for sharing!
Gemini
23/12/2010
What if you don’t have Illustrator?
is there a way to make that ellipse cicrcle??
H68nkr
30/12/2010
Awesome tutorial. I have learned some new techniques and tools. It takes a long time to reach a final outcome but it worth it! Nice tip with ‘Layer Mask Hides Effect’. I have never used it before.
My good advice for beginners is that you need to adjust gradient by holding pressed mouse button on gradient overlay screen. Then you will be able to get effect exactly like on pictures.
@Gemini: You will find source files with circle.ai included on a bottom of 3rd page.
mubea josiah
10/02/2011
super cool! A good Photoshop eye opener.
Lanash
23/02/2011
Awesome….love it….thnx a bunch
archana
03/03/2011
thanks its nice tutorial…
Hussain
09/03/2011
Its is very good site and best work and very very very good tutorials
tony
13/03/2011
How did everybody do the illustrator part, because i could make the circle, but i couldnt get those lines inside the circle?????
Ananad
14/03/2011
great ya
Zia
02/05/2011
Nice tuts!
jesseleeg
11/07/2011
cant get the illustrator part right i have the two shapes solid black but when i blend they stay solid black
jesse
11/07/2011
so the blending isnt working for me (on the illustrator side) i have almost no experience with illustrator, I found your tutorial searching for photoshop tut’s I love the idea it’s just not working.
preeti
10/10/2011
Great Work…… Nic Tutorials……
yoursurprise-2
02/12/2011
Have you ever considered about including a little bit more than just your articles? I mean, what you say is important and everything. Nevertheless think about if you added some great visuals or videos to give your posts more, “pop”! Your content is excellent but with pics and videos, this website could undeniably be one of the greatest in its niche. Very good blog!
Shahnewaz
12/12/2011
really amazing, keep continue. dont stop…………..gettinh thanx
varun
04/04/2012
good tutorial
Shyam
17/04/2012
it really nice for beginners.it is very help full for us thanks dude
Bidur Phuyal
14/07/2012
Very use full turorial
Bassam
10/10/2012
its great and wonderful
lisa
13/12/2012
Wow – this is an amazing tutorial! I would never thought I could do something like this and I’ve learned so much. Thank you.
Valentin
07/05/2013
I tried following this tutorial twice but I don’t get the same result on “We’ve got the next effect:” step. It doesn’t mention if we need to create the black layer on top or bottom or if the settings on the Layer Style screenshot should be applied to the second black layer. This is a nice tutorial to do but the steps are not right.