Glass Orb using Gradient Tool

Posted on Sat, 2005-12-10 12:58

This tutorial with guide you through how to make a glass orb using the Gradient Tool:

1. Open Photoshop and create a new image. I used 400x400
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.
4. Using the Gradient Tool, set the Foreground to Black and the Background to White or press D, for the gradient select Foreground to Background and drag the gradient from the bottom of the selection the top of the selection.
5. 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 Ctrl + Click the preview next to Layer 1
8.

Go to Select » Modify » Contract, type 2.
9.

Press OK
10.

Now create a new layer and select the Gradient Tool again
11.

Set the foreground colour to #1C3E8B and the background to #5472B8.
12.

Drag the gradient from the top to the bottom of the selection
13.

Select the Colour Dodge Tool and set the Range to Highlights and the exposure 50%
14.

Then dodge over the bottom of the selection to get something like this:


(Click for larger version)
15.

Now select the Eliptical Marquee Tool
16.

Draw a circle around 75% the size of you blue gradient circle.
17.

Create a new layer
18. Then select the Gradient Tool again and set the Foreground colour to White.
19.

Set the Gradient Tool to Foreground to Transparent
20.

With the Gradient Tool Go from the top to the bottom of the selection.
21.

Then move this layer so it aligns with the main circle like this:


(Click for larger version)
22.

With this layer still selected go to Filter » Blur » Gaussian Blur and set to 3px
23.

Ctrl + Click the blue gradient circle preview, and select the blue circle layer as well.
24.

Go to Select » Feather and set the feather to 10px
25.

Then go to Select » Inverse
26.

Then press Delete twice
27.

Do not deselect the selection but click the top layer which is the white gradient and press Delete twice again
28.

There you have a nice sphere orb

This is my result:


(Click for larger version)