In this tutorial, I will show you the steps I took to create a stunning Merry Christmas background using colourful shapes in Photoshop CS5. We will use advanced compositing techniques, Layer styles, custom shapes and brushes to get an greeting card. Layered PSD file included. Let’s get started!

Final Image Preview

Start working by creating a new document (Ctrl+N) in Adobe Photoshop with the size 1900px by 1200px (RGB color mode) at a resolution of 72 pixels/inch. Use the Paint Bucket Tool (G) to fill with #462500 color the new background layer.

Then use the Rectangle Tool (U) to draw a rectangle with #1C1200 color.

Set Fill to 90% for this layer.

Now we’ll draw a Christmas bauble, use the Ellipse Tool (U) to draw the next shape.

Click on Add a layer style icon from bottom part of the Layers panel and 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:

Using the same tool, try to represent the next shape as shown.

Click on Add a layer style icon from bottom part of the Layers panel and 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:

Continue representing the Christmas bauble, draw the next shape using the Ellipse Tool (U).

Click on Add a layer style icon from bottom part of the Layers panel and 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’ll make the next bauble’s layer, using the Ellipse Tool (U).

Click on Add a layer style icon from bottom part of the Layers panel and 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:

Now we’ll draw the highlight on lowest part of the bauble, use the Ellipse Tool (U) to draw the first ellipse. Press Alt button or select Subtract from shape area (-) from Options bar and draw another ellipse to cut the top part as shown. Foreground color is #320000.

Click on Add a layer style icon from bottom part of the Layers panel and select Inner Shadow.

Apply 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:

On the highlight’s right side we’ll draw a reflection, use the Ellipse Tool (U) to draw the first ellipse with white color. Press Alt button or select Subtract from shape area (-) from Options bar and draw 2 another ellipse to cut the reflection two times as shown.

Set Fill to 11% for this layer.

Next we’ll draw the lateral highlight on the right side. In this case use the Ellipse Tool (U) to draw the first ellipse. Press Alt button or select Subtract from shape area (-) from Options bar and draw another ellipse to cut the left side as shown. The Foreground color is #FCFBFB.

Take the same tool to represent the top highlight on the ball.

Click on Add a layer style icon from bottom part of the Layers panel and 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:

Using the same method of representing the highlight on the right side, we have to make the same element on the left side.

Now we’ll represent the bauble’s support, choose the Pen Tool (P), set the drawing mode on Shape Layers in Options bar and draw the next shape as shown. Place the layer under the previous made layers.