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Create an Amazing Greeting Card with Abstract Christmas Tree in Photoshop CS5

In today’s quick tip tutorial, I will show you how to create a nice Christmas card for your friend using Adobe Photoshop CS5 techniques. Layered PSD file included. Let’s get started!

Final Image Preview

Create an Amazing Greeting Card with Abstract Christmas Tree in Photoshop CS5

Start working by creating a new document (Ctrl+N) in Adobe Photoshop with the size 1000px by 1000px (RGB color mode) at a resolution of 72 pixels/inch. Use the Paint Bucket Tool (G) to fill with black color the new background layer.

Create an Amazing Greeting Card with Abstract Christmas Tree in Photoshop CS5

Create a new layer and select the Soft Round brush from Brush Tool (B).

Create an Amazing Greeting Card with Abstract Christmas Tree in Photoshop CS5

Use this brush to paint the background as shown (brush colour and Opacity value are indicated):

Create an Amazing Greeting Card with Abstract Christmas Tree in Photoshop CS5

On the next new layer we’ll apply the earlier used brush to continue painting the background. Choose the color #002CFF (Opacity – 10%).

Create an Amazing Greeting Card with Abstract Christmas Tree in Photoshop CS5

Next we’ll create another new layer and choose the Pen Tool (P), set the drawing mode on Paths mode in Options bar and draw the next curves as shown to represent a garland, looking like a Christmas tree. Use Esc button when finish to draw one curve and want to draw the next one.

Create an Amazing Greeting Card with Abstract Christmas Tree in Photoshop CS5

Choose Brush Tool (B) and go to Brush Presets (F5) panel, select Round Point Stiff brush of white color.

Create an Amazing Greeting Card with Abstract Christmas Tree in Photoshop CS5

Now go to Paths panel and make active the Work Path.

Create an Amazing Greeting Card with Abstract Christmas Tree in Photoshop CS5

Select again Pen Tool (P), return to our canvas and make right-click on path to select Stroke Path:

Create an Amazing Greeting Card with Abstract Christmas Tree in Photoshop CS5

In the open dialog box select Brush for Tool option and check the Simulate Pressure.

Create an Amazing Greeting Card with Abstract Christmas Tree in Photoshop CS5

We’ve got the next result:

Create an Amazing Greeting Card with Abstract Christmas Tree in Photoshop CS5

Insert the mask on the made 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 20% in Options bar).

Create an Amazing Greeting Card with Abstract Christmas Tree in Photoshop CS5

Paint in the mask using this brush to hide the next zones on the garland. Choose also the Blur Tool to add some blur effect on the garland as it is demonstrated below.

Create an Amazing Greeting Card with Abstract Christmas Tree in Photoshop CS5

Create a new layer and select again the Soft Round brush.

Create an Amazing Greeting Card with Abstract Christmas Tree in Photoshop CS5

Use this brush to paint the canvas as shown.

Create an Amazing Greeting Card with Abstract Christmas Tree in Photoshop CS5

Set the Blending mode for this layer to Color.

Create an Amazing Greeting Card with Abstract Christmas Tree in Photoshop CS5

Continue painting the garland on the new layer, using here the Soft Round brush.

Create an Amazing Greeting Card with Abstract Christmas Tree in Photoshop CS5

We’ve got the next result:

Create an Amazing Greeting Card with Abstract Christmas Tree in Photoshop CS5

Set the Blending mode for this layer to Color.

Create an Amazing Greeting Card with Abstract Christmas Tree in Photoshop CS5

Now we have to represent the snow on the background. In this case create a new layer and select the Soft Round brush of white color.

Create an Amazing Greeting Card with Abstract Christmas Tree in Photoshop CS5

Use this brush to represent many small dots. Use different Brush Size and different Opacity value for brush.

Create an Amazing Greeting Card with Abstract Christmas Tree in Photoshop CS5

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

Create an Amazing Greeting Card with Abstract Christmas Tree in Photoshop CS5

We’ve got the next result:

Create an Amazing Greeting Card with Abstract Christmas Tree in Photoshop CS5

Make a copy of the last made layer and remove the Outer Glow style.

Create an Amazing Greeting Card with Abstract Christmas Tree in Photoshop CS5

Create a new layer and select the Soft Round brush of white color (Opacity – 10%).

Create an Amazing Greeting Card with Abstract Christmas Tree in Photoshop CS5

Use this brush to paint around the dots on the tree to represent the shining effect.

Create an Amazing Greeting Card with Abstract Christmas Tree in Photoshop CS5

Set Fill to 70% for this layer.

Create an Amazing Greeting Card with Abstract Christmas Tree in Photoshop CS5

Let’s repeat now the earlier described actions, use Soft Round brush and paint the tree as it is demonstrated on the next picture.

Create an Amazing Greeting Card with Abstract Christmas Tree in Photoshop CS5

Set the Blending mode for this layer to Overlay.

Create an Amazing Greeting Card with Abstract Christmas Tree in Photoshop CS5

Let’s make brighter the pink color on the bottom part of the tree. In this case create a new layer and apply the Soft Round brush used in the previous example. The brush’s color is #4F00F3 (Opacity – 10%).

Create an Amazing Greeting Card with Abstract Christmas Tree in Photoshop CS5

Set the Blending mode for this layer to Linear Light.

Create an Amazing Greeting Card with Abstract Christmas Tree 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.

Create an Amazing Greeting Card with Abstract Christmas Tree in Photoshop CS5

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

Create an Amazing Greeting Card with Abstract Christmas Tree in Photoshop CS5

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

Create an Amazing Greeting Card with Abstract Christmas Tree in Photoshop CS5

We’ve got the next result:

Create an Amazing Greeting Card with Abstract Christmas Tree in Photoshop CS5

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.

Create an Amazing Greeting Card with Abstract Christmas Tree in Photoshop CS5

We’ve got the next result:

Create an Amazing Greeting Card with Abstract Christmas Tree in Photoshop CS5

Next step we’ll download set of brushes for Adobe Photoshop, named: light_brushes_2. Copy the brushes file to C:\Program Files\Adobe\Adobe Photoshop X\Presets\Brushes folder (Adobe Photoshop X been your version of Photoshop).

Create a new layer and load the downloaded brushes, select the next brushes from light_brushes_2 set:

Create an Amazing Greeting Card with Abstract Christmas Tree in Photoshop CS5

Use the downloaded brushes to represent the shining effect on the tree’s decorations of white color.

Create an Amazing Greeting Card with Abstract Christmas Tree in Photoshop CS5

Our Greeting card with Abstract Christmas Tree is finished!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

View full size here.

Download free Layered PSD file.

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