In this tutorial, we’ll create a room full of gold bricks (or regular bricks depending on how you wish to colorize them). One might think at first that this is a silly tutorial; however, it does have some applications. The gold bricks could be used in collages and various artwork montages. Not to mention, it’s a fun tutorial to do, because it’s so easy.

1. Open up a new document in Photoshop. Set the canvas size to roughly 600×600 pixels.

2. Goto Filter > Render > Lighting Effects.

3. Use the shape handles to adjust the oval on the left side, so that the lighting looks similar to the illustration below:

4. Click OK to close out of the “Lighting Effects” box.

5. Goto Filter > Stylize > Extrude

6. When the extrude pop-up appears, change the values. See illustration below:

7. Click OK to close the pop-up. You should now have an image of bricks.

8. Last step is to color them. Goto Image > Adjustments > Color Balance. Adjust the color sliders for “Yellow” under Shadows/Midtones/Highlites sections.

9. You should now have your room full of gold bricks.

Building a maze in Photoshop can be lots of fun. Mazes can be used to add fun and entertainment to your website. In this tutorial, we’ll look at a simple way to create a maze from scratch. In addition, we’ll show you some extra features to make your finished maze look asthetically pleasing.

1. Open up a new document in Photoshop. Set the canvas size to roughly 600×600 pixels.

2. The first thing you must do when creating a maze is to turn on the Grid. This will provide you with a guide in which to draw the lines that make up your maze. To do this, goto View > Show > Grid from the main menu.

3. Now create a new layer and title it as “Maze”.

4. Next, select the “Line” tool from the toolbar. (See illustration below):

5. Then set the “Weigth” (located at the top of the menu bar) to represent the thickness of the line that you will be using in your maze illustration. For the purposes of this tutorial, I opted for a weight of “3 px” (3 pixels).

6. It’s optional if you want the “Anti-alias” checked or not. If you have it unchecked, it will create a pixelated maze.

7. With the “Maze” layer selected, you can now begin drawing out your maze. Keep in mind that to make straight lines, you need to hold down the SHIFT key as you drag the lines for your maze. Use the grid as a reference when drawing the lines of your maze.

8. Just continue to draw the lines as in Step 7 to create your own unique maze.

9. Finally, turn off the grid by going to View > Show > Grid and then you have your custom maze.

In this tutorial, we’ll create a cool 3D donut shaped frame for images and photos.

1. Open up a new document in Photoshop. Set the canvas size to roughly around 600×600 pixels.

2. Also open the image or photograph that will be framed.

3. Now create a new layer and title it as “Donut Border”.

4. With the Donut Border selected, select the Eliptical Marquee tool and draw a circle selection on the canvas. While you are drawing the circular selection, be sure to hold the SHIFT key down at the same time so that the circle selection is perfectly round.

5. Now, while holding down the ALT key, draw another circle selection within the previous circle selelction. Holding down the ALT key allows you to remove a new circle from the first circle selection, therefore creating the illustion of a donut style selection.
(What makes an even better effect is if you draw the inner circle selection so that it skewed off to the side a bit).

6. Select the paint bucket tool, choose a color that pleases you, then click inside to fill the selection. You should now have a donut style illustration as so:

7. Now let’s ad some 3 dimensional quality to the donut shape. Right click the “Circular Border” layer and select Blending Options.

8. Select Bevel and Emboss from the options in the Layer Style pop-up box that appears. Adjust the attributes, such as Depth, Size, Soften, so that you give the donut shape a 3D looking quality. Click OK when you are satisfied with the 3D appearance.

9. Still within the Layer Style pop-up box, select the Drop Shadow attribute. Adjust the shadow sliders, as well as the Distance, Spread, and Size attributes, so that the effect is pleasing to the eye.

10. Now copy and paste the image or photo into a new layer titled “Photo”. Make sure this pasted image/photo is on a layer titled “Photo” which is below the “Donut Border”. If all is going well by this point, you should be seeing your image/photo underneath the circular border. (See example below).

12. With the “Photo” layer still active, select the Circular Marquee tool again and draw a circle within the donut shape. See below:

13. Goto Select > Inverse from the main menu.

14. Then click the delete key. You should now have your Donut Frame.

Adding a metal encasing around your logo can add some extra spice. In this tutorial, we’ll walk through the steps for creating a red metal encased logo to use in your websites or graphic design projects.

1. Create a new file. Press Shift+ctrl+n to create a new layer.

2. Select Elliptical Marquee tool to draw a 200 pixel x 200 pixel sized circle in the middle of the canvas.

3. Select dark gray as background and white as foreground. Use gradient tool (Linear gradient) to fill the selection from left to right.

4. Keep selection active and go to Select>Modify>Contract and contract the selection by 10 pixels. Press delete and right click on the layer name and select blending options and give values like shown in the figure. Select Stroke and give stroke of #626161 color 1 pixel wide.

5. Keep the selection active and press shift+ctrl+n to have a new layer. Select Red color as foreground and Dark red as background. Select gradient tool and select Radial gradient and fill from top to bottom. Add a little inner shadow from blending options in it.

6. Keep the selection still active and create a new layer. Fill the selection with white and reduce its opacity to 55%. Now press Ctrl+D to deselect. Move this layer 10pixel down and erase lower portion of the layer. You should have image like that.

7. Draw a shape like that in middle of the red colored circle. To draw this shape, select custom shape tool and draw a custom shape named ‘Seal’.

8. Control click the layer and go to select>modify>contract. Contract it to 1 pixel and press delete. Reduce its opacity to 80%.

9. Our base area is ready. Now experiment with different shapes in the circle and add some text of your choice. Our logo is ready.

1. Create a new file.

2. Create a new layer and select Rectangle Marquee Tool to draw a shape like shown in the picture.

3. Draw two more shapes in middle of the layer1.

4. Draw another rectangle as shown in the figure.

5. Select Polygonal Lasso Tool to draw a shape like shown in the figure and place it in front of rectangle which we created in step 4.

6. Select Polygonal Lasso Tool again and draw a shape and place it as shown in the figure and place it.

7. Again select Lasso tool and draw & place the shape as shown in the figure.

8. Press ‘U’ or select custom shape tool and select Rounded Rectangle Tool. Draw and place that shape as shown in the figure. Our old style video camera icon is ready.

Here is a tutorial that demonstrates how to create the Windows Media Player Icon from scratch. What’s great about this tutorial, is that there are lots of photoshop tools involved that help introduce their function and use to the artist.

1. Create a new file.

2. Create a new layer. Select Rectangle Marquee tool to draw a rectangle. Fill it with red color. Duplicate this layer by pressing ctrl+j. Right click on its layer name and select blending options. Under blending options, select color overlay and select green color for that. Repeat this step for two more times for yellow and dark blue color. Arrange these layers as shown in the picture.

3. Now select Elliptical Marquee too to draw a circle from the middle of the boxes. For that press alt+shift together and drag the circle.

4. Now press shift+ctrl+c or go to edit>copy merged and paste this layer.

5. Now ctrl click on this layer’s name to select it. Keep the selection active and press shift+ctrl+n to create a new layer. Fill it with black color. Now deselect it.

6. Now select eraser tool and for the brush size select high featherd brush and start erasing from the middle of the circle.

7. Select Elliptical marquee tool again to draw a circle in the center of the this layer and fill it with light gray color.

8. Now we will draw a triangular button in the middle of this gray colored circle. For that, select Polygonal Lasso Tool or press ‘L’ and draw a triangle in the middle of the circle. Press shift+ctrl+n to have a new layer and fill it with black. Press ctrl+d to deselect it. Right click on its layer name and select blending options. Under blending options, select bevel & emboss. You now have Windows Media Player like icon.

Here is a nice and simple tutorial for making a wood texture that looks as though the paint has flaked off and left it looking weathered and old. This is great for using with other photoshop tutorials, such as text effect tutorials.

1. Open a new document in Photoshop. Set the dimensions to 300×300 px.

2. Create a new layer, name it “Wood Paint”.

3. Use the Paint Bucket tool and fill in the layer with the color that you want for your wood.

4. Goto Filter > Noise > Add Noise.
Set the Amount: 20%
Click the Gausian option
Check the Monochromatic checkbox.
Click OK to accept changes.

5. Goto Filter > Blur > Motion Blur.
Set the Distance to 30 pixels.
CLick OK to accept changes.

6. Goto Filter > Sketch > Note Paper.
Set Image Balance: 25
Set Graininess: 10
Set Relief: 10
Click OK to accept changes.

There are many tutorials that require a wood texture, most of them are text effect tutorials. Rather than having to search for wood textures on the web, it’s very simple to create your own wood texture from scratch using Photoshop. In this tutorial, we’ll walk through the basic steps to create a simple wood texture that you can use in your Photoshop projects.

1. Open a new document in Photoshop. Set the dimensions to 200×200 px.

2. Create a new layer, name it “Wood Texture”.

3. Use the Paint Bucket tool and fill in the layer with the color that you want for your wood.

4. Goto Filter > Noise > Add Noise.
Set the Amount: 25%
Click the Gausian option
Check the Monochromatic checkbox.
Click OK to accept changes.

5. Goto Filter > Blur > Motion Blur.
Set the Distance to 300 pixels.
CLick OK to accept changes.

6. You should now have what appear to be straight wood grain lines.

7. Goto Filter > Liquify. Use an appropriate sized brush and begin pushing the wood grain lines so as to add some waves and variation. Try to make them appear random, yet flowing at the same time. Click OK when you are done to exit the Liquify screen.

8. Finally, goto Image > Adjustments > Brightness/Contrast. Adjust the brightness and contrast sliders so that the grain of the wood stands out better.

9. You should now have a good looking wood texture to use in your projects.

In this tutorial, we’ll look at a very basic way to creating a wood texture with knots.

1. Open a new document in Photoshop. Set the dimensions to 200×200 px.

2. Create a new layer, name it “Wood Texture”.

3. Use the Paint Bucket tool and fill in the layer with the color that you want for your wood.

4. Goto Filter > Render > Fiber.

5. When pop-up appears. Set Variance to 16.0 and set Strength to 13.0. Click OK to accept the changes.

6. Goto Filter > Liquify.

7. Use an appropriate size brush to push the grain texture out in order to distinquish where the knots in the wood will go.

8. You should now have a wood texture with some knot shapes applied.

9. Finally, goto Image > Adjustments > Brightness/Contrast and adjust the sliders to get the depth of the grain that you desire.

1. Open a new document in Photoshop. Set the dimensions to 600×600 px.

2. Goto Filter > Render > Difference Clouds.

3. Goto Filter > Stylize > Find Edges.

4. Goto Image > Adjustments > Brightness/Contrast. Slide the “Brightness” slider a little to the left (about -20). Slide the Contrast slider almost to the very right (about 85%).

5. Click OK and you should now have your Mush or Molten Lava texture.

6. Goto Image > Adjustments > Color Balance. Play with the color sliders to change the color of the texture.