Glass Orb using Blending Options

Posted on Sat, 2005-12-10 13:02

This tutorial with guide you through how to make a glass orb using the Blending Options:

Sorry about the poor image quality

1. Open Photoshop and create a new image. I used 500x500, if you use a bigger or smaller image size, you may need to change the blending options for it to come out ideal
2. Create a new layer by clicking the New Layer button on the Layers panel, or press Shift + Ctrl + N
3. Select the Elliptical Marquee Tool and draw a cicle. You do this by holding the shift button to keep the circle shape. Use any colour for this.
4. You can either leave it in it's current position or you can center it by pressing Ctrl + A or go to Select then All
5.

Then select the Move Tool or press V
6.

Then on the top toolbar click both center aligns
7.

Now right click the new layer and click Blending Options
8.

Then use these options:


(Click for larger version)


(Click for larger version)

I used #55ABC4 for the colour, but if you wish to create an orb of a different colour, then you a colour similar to what your colour overlay will be but slightly brighter.


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Select Black for the colour (#000000)


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Highlight: White (#FFFFFF)
Shadow: Black (#000000)


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(Click for larger version)

I used #7CA7C2 for the colour overlay.
9.

Press OK
10.

Create another new layer by clicking the New Layer button on the Layers panel, or press Shift + Ctrl + N. Make sure this is above the circle layer.
11.

Select the Elliptical Marquee Tool and draw an eclipse that covers the top of the circle like this:


(Click for larger version)
12.

Using the Gradient Tool. Select the Foreground to Transparent:
13.

Then set the foreground colour to White
14.

With your new empty layer select draw the gradient from the top of the elipse area to the bottom to get this:


(Click for larger version)
15.

Now Ctrl + Click on the white preview bit of the circle layer in the Layers Panel. This should select the circle
16.

Go to Select » Modify » Contract
17.

Type 5 and press OK
18. Then go to Select » Inverse
19.

With the new layer with the gradient selected, press the Delete key. You should now have this:


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20.

Now Create another new layer and select the Elliptical Marquee Tool again
21.

This time draw a perfect circle around 30% the size of the original and move it to the bottom of the main circle like this:


(Click for larger version)
22.

Using the Gradient Tool again with White to Transparent. Go from the bottom of the selection to the top of the selection
23.

Now change the Opacity of the Layer to 50% and set the Blending Mode to Soft Light
24.

Now with that layer still selected go to Filter » Blur » Gaussian Blur and type 3 then press OK
25.

Put the background to what ever you want and save it as either PNG or JPG.
26.

This is what I got:


(Click for larger version)
27.

You can muck around with colours and the style of the gradients. For example the gradient at the top of the circle can be made using the pen tool.

Heres what I managed to do:

(Click for larger version)
(Click for larger version)
(Click for larger version)