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How to create Happy New Year 2012 Colorful Greeting Card in Photoshop CS5

Today we’ve got a really nice and simple tutorial demonstrating how to create abstract Christmas card with colorful shapes using simple tools and techniques like Ellipse Tool, Brush Tool, Layer Style, etc. in Adobe Photoshop CS5. Layered PSD file included. Let’s get started!

Final Image Preview

How to create Happy New Year 2012 Colorful Greeting Card in Photoshop CS5

Start working by creating a new document (Ctrl+N) in Adobe Photoshop with the size 1920px by 1200px (RGB color mode) at a resolution of 300 pixels/inch. Click on Add a layer style icon from bottom part of the Layers panel and select Gradient Overlay.

How to create Happy New Year 2012 Colorful Greeting Card in Photoshop CS5

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.

How to create Happy New Year 2012 Colorful Greeting Card in Photoshop CS5

We’ve got the next background:

How to create Happy New Year 2012 Colorful Greeting Card in Photoshop CS5

Insert the message text for greeting card. Select the Horizontal Type tool (T). Select a font, size and color in the Character panel.

How to create Happy New Year 2012 Colorful Greeting Card in Photoshop CS5

Click in the canvas and type ‘2012’. Press Enter to apply the text.

How to create Happy New Year 2012 Colorful Greeting Card in Photoshop CS5

Hold CTRL button and click on digits’ layer in Layers panel to get the next selection:

How to create Happy New Year 2012 Colorful Greeting Card in Photoshop CS5

Return to background’s layer (make sure it’s active), insert the mask on the layer by choosing Add layer mask on the bottom part of the Layers paneland then press CTRL+I to inverse the color. Click the eye icon next to the digits’ layer to hide its content in the document window.

How to create Happy New Year 2012 Colorful Greeting Card in Photoshop CS5

Now we have to decorate the digits, representing in this case the small circles of different colors. Their layer will be situated under the background’s one. Use the Ellipse Tool (U) to draw the first ellipse.

How to create Happy New Year 2012 Colorful Greeting Card in Photoshop CS5

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

How to create Happy New Year 2012 Colorful Greeting Card in Photoshop CS5

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.

How to create Happy New Year 2012 Colorful Greeting Card in Photoshop CS5

We’ve got the next result:

How to create Happy New Year 2012 Colorful Greeting Card in Photoshop CS5

Continue drawing the next ellipse:

How to create Happy New Year 2012 Colorful Greeting Card in Photoshop CS5

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

How to create Happy New Year 2012 Colorful Greeting Card in Photoshop CS5

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.

How to create Happy New Year 2012 Colorful Greeting Card in Photoshop CS5

We’ve got the next result:

How to create Happy New Year 2012 Colorful Greeting Card in Photoshop CS5

Draw another shape:

How to create Happy New Year 2012 Colorful Greeting Card in Photoshop CS5

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

How to create Happy New Year 2012 Colorful Greeting Card in Photoshop CS5

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.

How to create Happy New Year 2012 Colorful Greeting Card in Photoshop CS5

We’ve got the next result:

How to create Happy New Year 2012 Colorful Greeting Card in Photoshop CS5

Draw one more ellipse:

How to create Happy New Year 2012 Colorful Greeting Card in Photoshop CS5

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

How to create Happy New Year 2012 Colorful Greeting Card in Photoshop CS5

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.

How to create Happy New Year 2012 Colorful Greeting Card in Photoshop CS5

We’ve got the next result:

How to create Happy New Year 2012 Colorful Greeting Card in Photoshop CS5

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