I welcome you in foundation of creativity and shape manipulation techniques. We will be using Photoshop in this tutorial.

Moreover on the first stage of our tutorial we will be using an Application that is called alchemy –  http://al.chemy.org/download/. Although it is still in Alpha testing this software very fun to use and to create shapes

with.

So let’s get going:

First a small overview of the application that is, once again, called – alchemy.

Here is the main window with all the basic settings.

The basic settings:
Style: outline or fill
Line weight: defines the line diameter.

Color: color palette (could have been better).
Foreground and background ticker: choose between them (without color selection).
Transparency settings: defines the line or fill transparency.

Direct shape settings:
Create: choose the style of shape you want to create.

Affect (not effect): the effect applied to your shape or line.
Clear: clear the working area.

Note: There is no Undo in this application, so if you messed up with your shape there will be no turning back. Try to save

any successfully created shape.

For more detailed information you can visit AL.CHemy.org or read the manual that comes with the application itself.

So let’s crate some shapes now. Here is my first shape.

I usually use Type shapes:

And the effect of shape will be: displace.

As you chose the Affect, the sub panel will appear.

So here you can see type shape and displace settings. You have to try them to really understand what they are all about.

And so I’ve created some type shapes. As you can see we have 2 with a different color there. It really helps to play with

contrasts and different color modes in Ps. But we will not need this I think so ).

You can export the shapes in PNG with transparency. And this is just a great feature.

Here I am in Photoshop and what I’m going to do in first place is to separate this document into separate single shape

layers.

I think we will choose only 4 and in several steps get rid of 2 more.

So just playing with these shapes I’ve just stick them together.

And to for better reason I put numbers on the layers.

So I really didn’t like the yellow one. I got rid of it.

So I really didn’t know what to do with this shape first. But you got to know that to figure out the design you have to

spend some time to really figure out what this shape does remind you, is all about, to realize what you want to do with it.

Flipping, transforming, rotating and distorting the shape can help you make it faster.

So first I say there a ship or something, of course from the future or something, it has a very interesting shape I

think.

And as my next step i will chose a soft brush set it air Brush. )) well in fact I really even don’t even know what this icon

is for if you have the tablet. The funniest thing is that I have my Wacom left at my office right knows so I’ll be creating

this one as the most of you I think – with a mere Mouse).

That’s explains the “airbrush technique”))) that I’m using.
I’ve also set the flow definition to 25%. Man)) if you had a pressure sensitive mouse buttons or something…

Create a layer beneath the shape layer or just in the middle of these 2.

Here is my airbrush effect,

Change the color to white I think, make the brush smaller and brush the area a little bit to imitate some kind of glow-e

cycle.

Now remember the 2 layer shapes we have connected to each other. I will use a layer style to one of the shape #2-

Now we are basically done with creating a shape, now, comes the next stage: the stage where you decide how and where this

shape can be used and this one is rely all about creativity, experience and seeing things.

We will cover the two ways, 2 different directions where this shape can and will be used.

We will create a graphic design and concept design using the same shape. So lock all the shape related layers.

Graphic design stage:

Begin with transforming the shape.

Look several times on the shape and try to think what this picture does remind you. I’ve done some text work that I think

will help you to understand what I was thinking at that moment. For those who didn’t noticed my mind flow, this shape

(transformed like so) really reminds me of a ball of energy or something that is just hitting something – that where he

Collapse came from.

Here we have graphic design done.

Concept design stage:
Rotate the shape.

Now I will use some brushes to create some details. Well actually there just not the details you imagine like the pilot or

wheel surface texture. Just some lines and shapes actually.
Wings details:

Triangles little wings:

Front end details and some lines to imitate the highlighted parts of the ship.

Detailed view:

So we’re done here.

I
really enjoyed this one, hope you too, because I really like Alchemy.
Try to be creative and take your time to figure out the idea of design.
Speed will come in time. Practice a lot, try every industry connected
with design, figure out what exactly you want to be in.

Download support files:
Alchemy Maps PSD
Brushes Set