In this tutorial, you’ll learn how a Christmas card can be designed with Photoshop. You will learn, how to create Christmas ball, draw snowflakes, customize brushes etc. 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 Rectangle Tool (U), let’s represent a big rectangle reserved for background of the card we want to have.
For this rectangle we’ll use the Layer style > Gradient Overlay by clicking on this layer on the Layers’ panel to open the Layer Style dialog box.
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 background:
Create new layer and select Soft Round 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 Hardness and brush Spacing as show. The Preview window displays the changed brushstroke.
Go to Shape Dynamics:
Also set the Scattering settings:
Change the Foreground color to #CE0000 and using our brush represent the snowflakes:
On the next new layer we’ll apply the earlier brush, but of bigger diameter and the same color to represent the background of the picture to be.
On the central part of the document we’ll insert the year 2010 using Horizontal Type tool (T). Select a font, size and color in the Character panel.
Click in the image and type the year. Press Enter to apply the text.
Set Fill to 40% for this layer and select Add a layer style icon from bottom part of the Layers panel and click to Outer Glow:
We’ve got the next effect:
Next step we’ll download a set of brushes for in Adobe Photoshop, named: Floral ornaments . Create a new layer and go to Brush Tool (B), select the next brushes from downloaded set.
Change the Foreground color to white and using brushes represent the next ornaments:
Create a new layer and select Soft Round brush used before and white color to use it on the picture’s edges:
Set the Fill to 60% for this layer.
Create a new layer, using here the same brush of white color to apply it again around the picture:
Choose now the Ellipse Tool (U) to draw a Christmas tree ball:
Select Add a layer style icon from bottom part of the Layers panel and click to Inner Shadow:
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 sphere:
Select now the Rounded Rectangle Tool (U) (set the Radius to 10px in Options bar) to represent the ball’s holder. Incline it a little with the Free Transform (Ctrl+T). This layer will be placed lower than the ball’s layer. The color used for this element is #FEDF36
Try to represent now an ornament around the made holder, using the Pen Tool (P). Choose the color #FB2D0C. The layer needs to be placed lower than the ball’s layer, but above the layer with the ball’s holder.
Next we’ll draw the holder’s ring, using the same Ellipse Tool (U). This layer will be situated under the layer containing the glob’s holder.
Set the Fill to 0%. Select Add a layer style icon from bottom part of the Layers panel and click to Stroke:
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 Christmas ball:
Select Soft Round brush from Brush Tool (B):
Create a new layer and using the Soft Round brush add some brightness on the right side of the ball.
Select Add layer mask icon from bottom part of the Layers panel. Change the foreground color to black. Select a Soft Round brush of black color to erase the unnecessary elements us shown:
Let’s represent a highlight of white color on the right side of the ball, using the Pen Tool (P).
Applying the Custom Shape Tool (U), it’s possible to add the snowflakes on the ball of the color #F84202
Combine in a group all the layers composing the Christmas tree ball (in this case 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 a copy of the new group that we’ve got and turn it over a little with the Free Transform (Ctrl+T) us shown:
The last step includes adding the small stars, using the Custom Shape Tool (U). The Free Transform (Ctrl+T) will be helpful in turning over the new drawn elements.
The final result!
