In this tutorial I will give you some tips on how to create and decorate Christmas tree with balls and stars. You will learn how to add a Layer Style, draw Christmas balls with Ellipse Tool, apply brushes, customize brushes etc. So let’s get started!
Create a new document (Ctrl+N) in Photoshop with the size 1920px by 1200px (RGB color mode) at a resolution of 72 pixels/inch. Using the Paint Bucket Tool (G), fill the new background layer with #050043 color.
Take after that the Pen Tool (P) to create the shape of the Christmas tree.
Select Add a layer style icon from bottom part of the Layers panel and click to Inner Shadow:
Set the Outer Glow
Add Inner Glow
Also set the Gradient Overlay
Click in the color bar to open the Gradient Editor and set the color stops as shown. Click OK to close the Gradient Editor dialog box.
We’ve got the next fir tree:
Next step we’ll download a set of brushes for in Adobe Photoshop, named: grunge procedural. Create a new layer and select the brush out of the earlier downloaded set. Set the Opacity to 10% in Options bar.
Paint with color #4D80E8 as shown. Place this layer containing the brush under the tree’s layer:
Next we’ll draw several shapes, using the Pen Tool (P). The shape’s color is #020353. Place this layer under the Christmas tree’s layer:
Select Add a layer style icon from bottom part of the Layers panel and click to Outer Glow:
We’ve got the next shape:
Using the same tools, we’ll represent one more colored shape with #0B2A80 color. This layer will be situated under the tree’s layer:
… and one more shape, colored with #1038AA. The tool applied in this case is the same with the previous ones. The layer will be situated under the tree’s layer:
Go to Layer Style and select Inner Glow:
We’ve got the next background:
On the next layer (Create new layer) we’ll use the brush out of the grunge procedural set of white color (Opacity 10%) to make lighter the background behind the tree’s top.
Create a new layer and choose the Soft Round brush of white color, set Opacity to 80% in Options bar.
Using Soft Round brush represent the snowflakes. This layer needs to be placed under the layer containing the tree.
On the next new layer we’ll paint again with brushes (two types - the hard and soft round brushes) of white color to add more snowflakes. The layer will be also placed under the layer having the Christmas tree on it.
We’ve got the next background:
Create a new layer to represent here the snow on the tree. Select Spatter brush from Brush Tool (B).
We need to customize our brush in Brushes panel (F5), select the Brush Tip Shape. Click and drag any of the sliders to change the size, the roundness and brush angle as show. The Preview window displays the changed brushstroke.
Go to Shape Dynamics:
Now you can paint the snow as shown on the Christmas tree.
Select Add a layer style icon from bottom part of the Layers panel and click to Drop Shadow:
We’ve got the next snow on the fir tree:
On the next new layer we’ll apply the earlier brush of white color (Opacity 20%) to paint several more lines, representing the snow on the tree.
Take the Ellipse Tool (U) now to represent a Christmas ball for the tree. The layer has the color #0375E0
Select Add a layer style icon from bottom part of the Layers panel and click to Drop Shadow:
Add the Inner Glow
We’ve got the next sphere:
Now we must draw a highlight on the ball’s surface, applying the same Ellipse Tool (U).
Set the Fill to 0% for this layer and go to Layer Style > Gradient Overlay. Click in the color bar to open the Gradient Editor and select Foreground to Transparent gradient. Click OK to close the Gradient Editor dialog box.
We’ve got the next decoration for our fir tree:
Next we’ll combine in a group all the layers composing the ball (press CTRL button to select the corresponding layers and then hold on the left mouse’s button while dragging the selected layers on Create new group icon from bottom part of the Layers panel). Make several copies of the recently got group, changing the colors of the copies’ layers (the basic color of the ball). Finally apply the Free Transform (Ctrl+T) to place the copies exactly the way represented below:
Next we’ll represent a small star, using the Custom Shape Tool (U), the color is #F5CE28
Using the Convert Point Tool, select the anchor points of the star. Then apply the Free Transform (Ctrl+T) click on Maintain Aspect Ratio and drag the anchor points to the central part of the star to change the shape form.
Select Add a layer style icon from bottom part of the Layers panel and click to Outer Glow:
We’ve got the next star:
Select now the Pen Tool (P) to draw next shape on the star.
Set Fill to 0% for this layer and go to Layer Style > Inner Shadow
Set also the Gradient Overlay
Click in the color bar to open the Gradient Editor and set the color stops as shown. Click OK to close the Gradient Editor dialog box.
We’ve got the next effect on the star:
Make four copies of the last made layer and choose the Free Transform (Ctrl+T) to place the copies the way it is shown on the next picture.
Create a new layer which will be processed with the Soft Round brush of white color.
Draw several highlights on the star.
Press Alt button and click simultaneously between the highlights’ layers and the very first layer of the star (on the Layers’ panel) to apply highlights just for the star.
Next we’ll combine in a group all the layers composing the star (press CTRL button to select the appropriate layers and hold on the left mouse’s button when dragging the selected layers on Create new group icon from bottom part of the Layers panel). Make ten copies of the last made group and select after that the Free Transform (Ctrl+T) to change the copies’ sizes, placing them as below:
Make a copy of one group, on your choice, containing the stars and choose the Free Transform (Ctrl+T) to enlarge the star and place it on the top of the Christmas tree.
Next we have to draw the shining rays coming out of the star on the tree’s top, using the Pen Tool (P).
Set the layer Opacity to 80%. Select Add a layer style icon from bottom part of the Layers panel and click to Outer Glow:
Set the Inner Glow
We’ve got the next effect:
Create a new layer and use on it Soft Round brush of white color to represent this time the luminescence lower than the layer containing the star on the top.
Using the same brush on a new layer we can create a kind of luminescence above the star’s layer.
Set the layer Blending mode to Soft Light on Layers panel.
The final result!
