textuts

This tutorial shows a simple way of creating a text effect based on something. The basic things needed to do so are:
1- The colors: The most obvious ones, or those that are unique.
2- The patterns: The shapes that identify the source we’re creating the text effect based on.

This tutorial will create a “Cow” inspired text. Notice that the main colors would be: White, black, and pink. The pattern that we can create is something that looks the most like circles. So now that we have figured this out, we can start creating our text.

The Final Result:

Notes:

* the size of the final result image is 1024 * 768
* you might want to check the Basix Page to see some useful topics on dealing with Photoshop basics, such as loading palettes and some shortcuts.

Resources:

* High Color Palette

Step 1:
Fill the Background with the color #eaeaea. Then, use the white color (#ffffff) to create your text. I’m using the font “Futurama Bold Font”, and the size is (115) px.

Step 2:
Double click on the “Happy” text layer to apply the following effects:

- Start with a “Drop Shadow” effect, it will add smoothness to the final effect, so change the “Distance” value to (0), and the “Size” value to (7).

- Add an “Inner Shadow” effect, we will use it to add the “pinkish” color to the text, so change the color to #e69898, the “Size” value to (6), and the “Contour” type to “Gaussian”.

- We will use the “Bevel and Emboss ” effect to add dimension to the text, so we will use a neutral color like #9a9a9a for the “Shadow Mode”, change the “Size” value to (10), and the “Gloss Contour” type to “Terraced”.

- Finally, we’ll be adding a “Stroke” to emphasize the effect even more. Just choose the color black (#000000) and keep the size (3). Click “OK” to go back to the text layer.

Step 3:
Now, press the “Ctrl” key and click on the “Happy” text layer icon to create a selection. Create a new layer and call it “Dots”.

Step 4:
Make sure the Foreground color is black (#000000), and choose a circle brush, change the “Master Diameter” to (20), and the “Hardness” to (100%). Now, start painting circles inside the selection, leave some white space between the circles you draw, and draw them in random places. Use the selection corners to create different shapes. DO NOT let the circles overlap yet.

Once you’re done, use a smaller brush size, like (15) or so, and start adding smaller circles to the bigger ones you’ve already created. The overlapping of the circles will define the pattern even more. You do not have to do so for every circle, some of them will be fine.

Step 5:
Now, we are going to create a brush for the “decoration” of the Background. So go ahead and create a new file, assign (100) for both the “Width” and the “Height” value, this means that your brush will be this size when you create it.

Fill the new layer with black (#000000) color, then go to Edit menu -> Define Brush Preset. Name your brush and click “OK”.

Step 6:
Go back to your original file, create a new layer, and call it “Squares”.

Go to your “Brushes” palette, (Window menu -> Brushes), click on “Brush Presets”, and you will find your brush that you created in the previous step at the end of the palette. Click to choose it, and make sure you’re still using the color black as your Foreground color.

- While still on “Brushes Presets” window, change the “Master Diameter” to the maximum size of the squares you want to create. I figured out (100) is pretty big, so I changed the value to (70).

- Click on “Brush Tip Shape”, and change the “Spacing” value to (158).

- In “Shape Dynamics”, change the “Size Jitter” to (100%), the “Minimum Diameter” to (30%), and the “Angle Jitter” to (30%) as well.

- Check the “Scattering”, and make sure it is for “Both Axes”, change the “Scatter” value to (1000%), the “Count” to (1), and the “Count Jitter” to (98%).

- Finally, for the “Other Dynamics”, change the “Opacity Jitter” to (100%).

Step 7:
Using the “Pen” tool, and the “Paths” option, draw a path curve next to your text, when done, still with the “Pen” tool active, right click on the curve, and choose “Stroke Path”.

- Make sure you are using “Brush” and that the “Simulate Pressure” box is UNchecked, and click “OK”. This will use the brush you selected to stroke the curve you drew, you can undo and redo these steps till you get the result you like, as each time the result is created randomly.

And we’re done!