Today, I’m going to show you how use brushes and Layer styles in Photoshop CS5 to create eye catching digital illustration. 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 1280px by 1024px (RGB color mode) at a resolution of 72 pixels/inch. Use the Paint Bucket Tool (G) to fill with #856D55 color the new background layer.
#img1-.jpg
Create a new layer and take again the Paint Bucket Tool (G) to fill the new layer with grey color.
#img2.jpg
Apply on the grey layer the next filter: Filter > Noise > Add Noise.
#img3.jpg
We’ve got the next result:
#img4.jpg
Set Fill to 60% for this layer and change the Blending mode to Divide.
#img5.jpg
Insert the mask on the layer by choosing Add layer mask on the bottom part of the Layers panel and apply th next filter on the mask: Filter > Render > Clouds.
#img6.jpg
Find a stock photo with a model represented on it, I used this photo from Shutterstock. I would like to thank the author of this photo, or if you prefer, you can substitute similar image of your own.
#img7.jpg
Remove the background using your favorite tools like Pen Tool (P), Magic Wand Tool (W), Magnetic Lasso (L) or even a simple Filter>Extract and insert it on a new layer in our main document.
#img8.jpg
Create a new layer and select the Soft Round brush from Brush Tool (B).
#img9.jpg
Use this brush to paint the background behind the model. The brush’s color is #CDBD9E.
#img10.jpg
Choose the Pen Tool (P), set the drawing mode on Shape Layers in Options bar and draw the next triangle as shown. The layer must be situated under the model’s layer.
#img11.jpg
Click on Add a layer style icon from bottom part of the Layers panel and select Gradient Overlay.
#img12.jpg
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.
#img13.jpg
We’ve got the next result:
#img14.jpg
Now select the Ellipse Tool (U) to draw a small ellipse of the color #FEF49B.
#img15.jpg
Insert the mask on the ellipse layer by choosing Add layer mask on the bottom part of the Layers panel and choose the Soft Round brush of black color.
#img16.jpg
Paint in the mask using this brush to hide the next area on the ellipse to get the same result as on the picture below:
#img17.jpg
Applying the same methods, try to make two more ellipses of the same color. Place the layers under the model’s layer.
#img18.jpg
Using the Ellipse Tool (U), we’ll represent another ellipse which layer will be placed under the model’s one.
#img19.jpg
Set Fill to 0% for this layer and click on Add a layer style icon from bottom part of the Layers panel to select Gradient Overlay.
#img20.jpg
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.
#img21.jpg
We’ve got the next result:
#img22.jpg
Create a new layer and select the Soft Round brush.
#img23.jpg
Use this brush to paint the canvas with white color (set brush Opacity to 10% in Options bar).
#img24.jpg
Create the next new layer and select again the Soft Round brush.
#img25.jpg
Use this brush to paint on the model several places with #F7EC9B color (brush Opacity - 20%).
#img26.jpg
Set the Blending mode for this layer to Overlay.
#img27.jpg
Hold down Alt (Windows) or Option (Mac OS) and click between the brush’s layer and the model’s layer in the Layers panel to create a clipping mask.
#img28.jpg
We’ve got the next result:
#img29.jpg
Click 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 a little color corrections.
#img30.jpg
We’ve got the next result:
#img31.jpg
Hold down Alt (Windows) or Option (Mac OS) and click between layers in the Layers panel to create another clipping mask.
#img32.jpg
We’ve got the next result:
#img33.jpg
Click Create new fill or adjustment layer from bottom part of the Layers panel and click to Levels to adjust tonal range.
#img34.jpg
Adjust the white point with Levels Output slider. Output slider must be in the next position (0 and 114).
#img35.jpg
Hold down Alt (Windows) or Option (Mac OS) and click between layers in the Layers panel to create another clipping mask.
#img36.jpg
Insert the mask on the layer by choosing Add layer mask on the bottom part of the Layers panel and press CTRL+I to Inverse the color. Choose the Soft Round brush of white color.
#img37.jpg
Paint in the mask using this brush to hide out those places on the model which must be lighter, leaving the effect for the shadows’ zone.
#img38.jpg
Create a new layer and choose the Soft Round brush of black color (brush Opacity - 30%).
#img39.jpg
Use this brush to paint the model’s hair edges.
#img40.jpg
Hold down Alt (Windows) or Option (Mac OS) and click between layers in the Layers panel to create a clipping mask.
#img41.jpg
We’ve got the next result:
#img42.jpg
Create a new layer again and use the Paint Bucket Tool (G) to fill it with #B3A593 color.
#img43.jpg
Hold down Alt (Windows) or Option (Mac OS) and click between layers in the Layers panel to create a clipping mask. Choose the Soft Round brush of the color #94877C and paint the model on the marked zone.
#img44.jpg
Set Fill to 30% for this layer and change the Blending mode to Multiply.
#img45.jpg
Create a new layer and fill it with #EBE2D3 color, using the same tool.
#img46.jpg
Hold down Alt (Windows) or Option (Mac OS) and click between layers in the Layers panel to create a clipping mask. Paint the next zone with Soft Round brush the same way we did with the previous example.
#img47.jpg
Set Fill to 70% for this layer and change the Blending mode to Color.
#img48.jpg
Create a new layer and select the Soft Round brush of black color (brush Opacity - 10%).
#img49.jpg
Use this brush to make darker the canvas edges.
#img50.jpg
Use the Ellipse Tool (U) to represent a small ellipse of the color #FEF49B.
#img51.jpg
Insert the mask on the layer by choosing Add layer mask on the bottom part of the Layers panel and choose the Soft Round brush of black color (set Opacity to 70% in Options bar).
#img52.jpg
Paint in the mask using this brush to hide the next zones on the circle.
#img53.jpg
Use the same color and the same tool to represent the next ellipse.
#img54.jpg
Insert the mask and hide some zones on the ellipse as shown with Soft Round brush of black color (brush Opacity - 80%.
#img55.jpg
Create a new layer and select the Hard Round brush.
#img56.jpg
Use this brush to represent many small ellipses of the color #FCF29A (brush Opacity - 70%).
#img57.jpg
Make a copy of the last made layer containing the triangle. Choose after that the Free Transform (Ctrl+T) command and change the copies’ sizes, placing them as below. Change the Gradient Overlay style:
#img58.jpg
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.
#img59.jpg
We’ve got the next result:
#img60.jpg
Insert the mask on the layer by choosing Add layer mask on the bottom part of the Layers panel and choose the Soft Round brush of black color.
#img61.jpg
Paint in the mask using this brush to hide the next zones on the triangle as shown.
#img62.jpg
Make a copy of the recently made triangle’s layer. Remove the mask out of the layer’s copy and choose the Free Transform (Ctrl+T) command to change the copies’ sizes, placing them as below. Insert several changes on the Gradient Overlay style of the layer’s copy.
#img63.jpg
We’ve got the next result:
#img64.jpg
Insert the mask on the layer the same way we did before. Choose also the Soft Round brush of black color (brush Opacity - 15%).
#img65.jpg
Paint in the mask using this brush to hide out the next zones on the layer containing the triangle.
#img66.jpg
Make one more copy of the triangle’s layer and remove the mask out of the copy. Use the Free Transform (Ctrl+T) command to place the copy as on the next picture. Change the Gradient Overlay parameters.
#img67.jpg
We’ve got the next result:
#img68.jpg
Insert the mask on the layer again and use the same Soft Round brush of black color to hide out the next zones on the triangle’s layer.
#img69.jpg
Click 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 a little color corrections.
#img70.jpg
We’ve got the next result:
#img71.jpg
Choose the Pen Tool (P), set the drawing mode on Shape Layers in Options bar and draw the next shape of white color as shown.
#img72.jpg
Set the Blending mode for this layer to Overlay.
#img73.jpg
Insert the mask on the layer by choosing Add layer mask on the bottom part of the Layers panel and then press CTRL+I to Inverse the color. Choose the Soft Round brush of white color.
#img74.jpg
Paint in the mask using this brush to hide out some zones on the rectangle’s layer the same way as it is shown on the picture.
#img75.jpg
Click 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 a little color corrections.
#img76.jpg
We’ve got the next result:
#img77.jpg
Choose the Pen Tool (P), set the drawing mode on Shape Layers in Options bar and draw the next triangle as shown.
#img78.jpg
Set Fill to 0% for this layer and click on Add a layer style icon from bottom part of the Layers panel to select Stroke.
#img79.jpg
We’ve got the next result:
#img80.jpg
Using the same tool, we must represent another triangle of smaller size of the color #FEF49B. Set Fill to 80% for this layer.
#img81.jpg
Finally we have to create a new layerand draw a small circle using Hard Round brush of #835DA6 color.
#img82.jpg
We’ve got the next result:
#img83.jpg