Glossy Snow Globe Text Effect

This tutorial explains how to create a snow globe inspired text effect, using a couple of brushes and Layer Styles.

The Final Result

Tutorial Details

• Software Used : Photoshop
• Version : CS5 Extended
• Time : 1:00 – 1:45

Resources

• font.
• Frost texture by Rubyfire14-Stock.
• Brushes O5 (Sparkles Brushes) by apple-instinct.
• Golden Particles Gradient.
• Red Particles Gradient.
• Hangers Layer Style.
• Pins Layer Style.

Step 1

Create a new 1024 x 768 px document. Set the Foreground color to #344b50, and the Background color to #172327, then, create a Radial Gradient from the center of the document to one of the corners.

Place the Frost texture on top of the Background layer, and change its Blend Mode to Overlay.

Create the text using the font Keep on Truckin’ FW in All Caps. The Size is 300 pt, and the color is #4e737b.

Change the text layer’s Fill value to 50%.

Duplicate the text layer and change the copy’s Fill value to 0.

Step 2

Double click the original text layer to apply the following Layer Style:

– Drop Shadow

• Opacity : 50%
• Distance : 13
• Spread : 10
• Size : 18

– Inner Glow

• Blend Mode : Vivid Light
• Opacity : 10%
• Noise : 100
• Color : #b2ebfc
• Source : Center
• Size : 40

– Bevel and Emboss

• Size : 16
• Soften : 3
• Uncheck the Use Global Light box
• Angle : 130
• Altitude : 48
• Gloss Contour : Valley – High
• Check the Anti-aliased box
• Highlight Mode : Vivid Light
• Color : #eef7f7
• Shadow Mode – Opacity : 0%

– Contour

• Contour : Ring
• Check the Anti-aliased box.

This is how the text should look like.

Step 3

Double click the copy text layer to apply the following Layer Style:

– Inner Shadow

• Color : #404040
• Distance : 0
• Size : 10

– Bevel and Emboss

• Size : 27
• Uncheck the Use Global Light box
• Angle : 117
• Altitude : 69
• Check the Anti-aliased box
• Highlight Mode : Vivid Light
• Opacity : 100%
• Shadow Mode – Color : #535353

– Contour

• Contour : Cone – Inverted
• Check the Anti-aliased box.
• Range : 100%

This is what you should get.

Step 4

Create a new layer between the two text layers and call it Snow Fill.

Double click the Snow Fill layer to apply the following Layer Style:

– Inner Shadow

• Color : #769caa
• Distance : 0
• Size : 3

– Bevel and Emboss

• Size : 9
• Check the Anti-aliased box
• Highlight Mode : Linear Light
• Color : #85d0cc
• Shadow Mode – Color : #679dab

– Contour

• Contour : Cone – Inverted
• Check the Anti-aliased box.
• Range : 60%

– Texture

• Pattern : Clouds

Click OK and open the Brush panel (Window -> Brush). Choose a hard round brush tip and modify its Settings as shown below:

Brush Tip Shape

Shape Dynamics

Dual Brush

Now, press the Ctrl/Cmd key and click a text layer’s thumbnail to create a selection.

Go to Select -> Modify -> Contract, and contract the selection by 5 px.

Set the Foreground color to White, then, use the brush you’ve just modified to add some snow at the bottom of the letters.

Duplicate the Snow Fill layer, and drag the copy below it.

Right click the Snow Fill copy layer and choose Clear Layer Style.

Go to Filter -> Blur -> Gaussian Blur and type in 5 for the Radius.

Change the Snow Fill copy layer’s Blend Mode to Overlay and its Opacity to 60%.

Step 5

Once again, go to the Brush panel, and choose a hard round brush, then change its Settings as shown below:

Brush Tip Shape

Shape Dynamics

Scattering

Check the Wet Edges box.

Create a new layer on top of the Snow Fill layer, and call it Snow Sparkles.

Use the modified brush to scatter some snow in the lower half of the letters.

Double click the Snow Sparkles layer to apply the following Layer Style:

– Drop Shadow

• Color : #2b4347
• Opacity : 30%
• Distance : 8

– Inner Glow

• Color : #ffffff

This will add a nice glow.

Step 6

Create a new layer on top of the Snow Sparkles layer and call it Star Sparkles, and apply the same Snow Sparkles‘s Layer Style to it. (Right click the Snow Sparkles layer, choose Copy Layer Style, then right click the Star Sparkles layer and choose Paste Layer Style.)

In the Brush panel, choose a brush from the Brushes O5 set, (the one used here is “467986”), then change its Settings as shown below:

Brush Tip Shape

Shape Dynamics

Scattering

Scatter some sparkles inside the letters.

Step 7

Select the Brush Tool, and open the Brush Preset Picker. Click the pop-up menu icon in the top right corner, then, click Assorted Brushes.

Click Append to add the brushes to your current set.

Pick the Diamond brush, and modify its Settings as shown below:

Brush Tip Shape

Shape Dynamics

Scattering

Create a new layer on top of the Snow Sparkles layer and call it Gold Particles.

Double click the Gold Particles layer to apply the following Layer Style:

– Drop Shadow

• Opacity : 40%
• Distance : 7

– Bevel and Emboss

• Technique : Chisel Hard
• Gloss Contour : Steps
• Check the Anti-aliased box
• Highlight Mode : Linear Light

– Contour

• Contour : Steep Slope – Jagged
• Check the Anti-aliased box.
• Range : 30%

– Texture

• Pattern : Metal Landscape
• Scale : 50%

Gradient Overlay: You can have fun with this. Choose any gradient you like, and it will work! You can download the one used here as well.

Duplicate the Gold Particles layer and rename it to Red Particles, then double click it to apply a different Gradient Overlay. This one is available for download too.

Select the Gold Particles layer so that it is the active layer, and add some particles using the modified “Diamond” brush.

Then, select the Red Particles layer, and add more particles.

Once you’re done, go to Select -> Deselect to get rid of the selection.

Step 8

Pick the Ellipse Tool, and click the Paths icon in the Options bar. Then, create a new layer on top of the Star Sparkles layer and call it Hangers.

Draw a small circle so that its center intersects with the letter’s top.

Pick a hard round brush, and set its Size to 3 px.

Pick the Ellipse Tool again, set the Foreground color to White, make sure that the Hangers layer is still selected, right click the path you created, and choose Stroke Path .

Choose Brush from the Tool drop down menu and make sure that the Simulate Pressure box is un-checked. Hit Enter to get rid of the path.

Duplicate the layer to add hangers for all the other letters.

Select all the duplicated Hangers layers, then go to Layer -> Merge Layers to merge them all in one layer.

Apply this Layer Style to the merged layer.

Select the text (Ctrl/Cmd + click a text layer’s thumbnail), then pick the Eraser Tool, set its Opacity in the Options bar to 70%, and erase the inner half of the hangers. Once you’re done, press Ctrl/Cmd + D to get rid of the selection.

Create a new layer on top of the Hangers layer and call it Pins, then, apply this Layer Style to it. Choose a hard round brush and set its Size to 15 px.

clickce to add a pin on the top of each hanger.

Once your pretty snow globe letters are all hung up, you’re done!

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