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How to draw metal in Photoshop. A Quick Way to Create a Metallic Effect in Adobe Photoshop

The faux metallic effect is without a doubt incredibly popular among Photoshop users. And it's not hard to see why: the impressive results speak for themselves. It is clear that although there are many ways to achieve similar results, some are more suitable for certain tasks than others. My method is quite unique, at least in that it uses only layer effects and nothing more. At first glance, this method seems very limited, but in fact it is very flexible and allows the method to be easily adapted to later program interfaces, which is not possible with methods based on the lighting effect.

The result is chrome text, but I took a little time to explain how you can make it more silver, softer/harder, add bumps, etc.

Step 1.

Create new document size 200×200 and using Horizontal Text Tool (Horizontal Type Tool), write one letter. I used the font "Script MT Bold" in size 222. Don't be upset if you don't have this font, just choose any one that looks attractive (so you can see the effect in all its glory).

Step 2.

Select the layer where you have drawn the letter and select the menu item Layer > Layer Style > Outer Glow (Layer > Layer Style > Outer Glow). And set exactly the same parameters as in the figure.

Of course, you don’t have to do this step, but the dark outlines make the object stand out from the background.

Step 3.

Keep the Layer Effects dialog open. Go to the tab Embossing (Bevel and Emboss) and set the parameters as in the picture.

Optional: if you want to change the appearance of your metal, then it is better to do it here. Changing the parameter value Depth, you can make the metal softer/sharper. Parameter Gloss contour (Gloss contour) allows the effect to look softer/harder on curves. Finally, increasing the parameter Size You can make the metal appear more rounded, but only to a certain extent - overdo it and you'll lose the metal effect.

Step 4.

Go to the tab Contour and change the curve as shown in the picture.

Step 5.

Go to the section Color Overlay and change the color to white.

Step 6.

If you want a chrome tint, go to the tab Gloss (Satin) and enter the following parameters.

You can skip this step if you want a silver color or you can play with the curves to get different lighting effects.

Step 7

Now exit the Layer Effects dialog and admire what you've created. Of course, it's a great idea to add shadow and a beautiful background, but I leave these things up to you 😉

Creating a texture that imitates metal is one of the Photoshop features widely used by designers. Today there are many ways to imitate metal surfaces, in particular shiny chrome, nickel, iron, corroded, acid-etched, elegant surfaces made of precious gold, silver, platinum, and mercury. These effects can be implemented either using special additional filters or actions that help give letters or other objects a metallic sheen and prominence, or using standard Photoshop tools that provide an equally professional result.

The easiest way to achieve a metallic effect is to use a suitable action, of which there are many on the Internet. For this purpose, it is worth looking, for example, at the following addresses: http://www.webmaster.ru/~porcupine/actions/index.cfm?row=19&curpage=5, http://easyphotoshop.chat.ru/actions/actions. htm, http://gribnick.da.ru/, http://www.fotoshop.ru/cgi-bin/actions/detail.pl?id=76, etc. However, there are not many options here, and those who want to get non-standard effect this method will not work. It’s better to try to achieve the desired effect using special plugins, which, as a rule, will allow you to get a good imitation and quite quickly. In more complex cases, you will have to act manually, relying only on the standard capabilities of the program.

Metal imitation using standard Photoshop tools

This option is very labor-intensive and far from simple, but it opens up wide opportunities for creativity, especially since various techniques for simulating metal can be found on numerous online resources. Interesting ways Creating metal rings, corroded metal effects and chrome, gold and bronze text can be found on the website. The original imitation of blue metal can be found on the website http://ash.aiq.ru/. Having looked at http://www.savvy.net/, it is not difficult to understand the creation of metal textures, chrome and mercury objects. The site http://www.pegaweb.com/tutorials/ discusses how to create eye-catching metal buttons. This list can be continued for a long time, but we will limit ourselves to only the most interesting options.

Bronze

The imitation of a shiny bronze surface, presented on the website http://www.eyesondesign.net/, makes a strong impression. To implement it, create a new image in RGB mode and fill it with light brown, and then depict the intended metal object with dark brown (Fig. 1).

Rice. 1. Original image

Select the future metal object and save the selection as new channel Alpha1 by using the Select→Save Selection command. Then merge the layers, change the foreground color to a darker one and use the Edit→Stroke command, setting the appropriate parameters. In this case, the selected Width (Border Width) 5 pixels, Location (Position) Inside (Inside), Opacity (Opacity) 100% and Mode (Mode) Normal (Fig. 2).

Rice. 2. Image after applying the Stroke command

Apply the command Select→Modify→Contract (Selection→Modify→Compress) with a compression width of 15 pixels, and then fill the selected area with white (Fig. 3). Stop highlighting.

Rice. 3. Image after compressing the selected area and filling the selection with white

Apply the Gaussian Blur filter: Filter→Blur→Gaussian Blur (Filter→Blur→Gaussian Blur) with a blur radius of 5 pixels and change the layer mode from Normal to Overlay (Fig. 4).

Rice. 4. The result of Gaussian blur and changing the layer mode

Make a copy of this layer and name the new layer Chrome. Go to the Alpha1 channel and apply a Gaussian blur sequentially: Filter → Blur → Gaussian Blur (Filter → Blur → Gaussian Blur) first with a blur radius of 9 pixels, then 6 and 3 and finally 1 pixel. The result will look something like in Fig. 5.

Rice. 5. Image after repeated Gaussian blur

Activate the Chrome layer and add lighting effects: Filter→Render→Lighting Effects (Filter→Render→Lighting Effects) with parameters as in Fig. 6. The result will resemble rice. 7.

Rice. 6. Window for setting parameters of the Lighting Effects filter

Rice. 7. Chrome layer after applying the Lighting Effects filter

Activate the main layer with the object, select the background, make an inversion as a result the object will be selected, and then expand the border by 1 pixel using the command Select→Modify→Expand (Select→Modify→Expand). After this, delete unnecessary parts of the border by pressing the Del key and discard the selection (Fig. 8).

Rice. 8. Result of border cleaning

Activate the Chrome layer, create a new layer Curves 1 using the command Layer→New Adjustment Layer→Curves (Layer→New Layer Setting→Curves), turning on the Group With Previous Layer checkbox and with all other parameters at default, and adjust the curves in accordance with Fig. 9. Reactivate the Chrome layer and again use the command Layer → New Adjustment Layer → Curves (Layer → New Layer Setting → Curves) with the same settings and with the Group With Previous Layer checked (Merge with previous layer) a new layer Curves 2 will appear ; the curves should be adjusted according to Fig. 10.

Rice. 9. Window for setting curves for the Curves 1 layer

Rice. 10. Window for setting curves for the Curves 2 layer

Merge the layers with the Flatten Image command and apply the command Layer→New Adjustment Layer→Hue/Saturation (Layer→New Layer Setting→Color/Saturation), turning on the Group With Previous Layer checkboxes with the Colorize parameter activated and adjusting Hue and Saturation parameters. IN in this example the option selected is: Hue - 33, Saturation 34. The result you should get is shown in Fig. eleven.

Rice. 11. Final look of the bronze surface

To make it more convincing, you can introduce a suitable texture as a background, imitating, say, rusty metal; with such a texture, the result should resemble the image in Fig. 12.

Rice. 12. Sparkling bronze on a rusty texture

Gold

One of the most interesting options for imitation gold is provided on the website http://iolabs.virtualave.net/photoshop/gold/. To get a similar simulation, print black text on a white background (Figure 13), select the entire black area and save it as a selection using the Select→Save Selection command. After that, combine all the layers using the command Layer → Flatten Image (Layer → Flatten) and blur the entire image using Gaussian, applying the filter Filter → Blur → Gaussian Blur (Filter → Blur → Gaussian Blur) with a blur factor of approximately 5 pixels (Fig. . 14).

Rice. 13. Original image

Rice. 14. Image after Gaussian blur

Now you need to create a kind of border to do this, load the selection with the command Select→Load Selection (Select→Load Selection) and fill the selected area with black. Then invert the selection, reduce it using the Select→Modify→Contract command by 4 pixels and fill it with white (Fig. 15).

Rice. 15. Picture with a border

At the next stage, you need to slightly illuminate the object from different sides to form highlights, using the Filter→Render→Lighting Effects filter (Filter→Render→Lighting Effect) with approximately the same parameters as in Fig. 16. Please note that the settings must be changed for all three light sources. The result will look like in Fig. 17.

Rice. 16. Lighting Effects filter options

Rice. 17. Image after introducing three light sources

To give the material the appearance of metal, use the Image→Adjust→Curves command and draw a curve in (Fig. 18); As a result, the picture should resemble the image in Fig. 19.

Finally, the unspecified metal must be turned into gold by adjusting the levels using the command Image→Adjustments→Levels (Image→Adjustments→Levels) with the Input Levels equal to 100; 1.0 and 255, and selecting the color and saturation using the command Image→Adjustments→Hue/Saturation (Image→Adjustments→Color/Saturation) with the Colorize parameter enabled and the values: Hue (Hue) - 35, Saturation (Saturation ) - 35. The result should resemble the image in Fig. 20.

Rice. 18. Curves settings window

Rice. 19. Appearance images after setting Curves

Rice. 20. The final version of imitation gold

Chromium

The most original way to create chrome objects can be found at http://www.eyesondesign.net/. To implement it, create a dark gray object (Fig. 21). Rename the active layer in Chrome.

Rice. 21. Original image

Select the object, save the selection with the Select→Save Selection command and reduce it by about 3 pixels using the Select→Modify→Contract command. In this case, you need to be guided by the principle: the larger the image size, the greater the value you need to enter.

Create a new layer above the Chrome layer, Layer 1. Set the Foreground color to white and the Background color to black, select Reflected Gradient and create a gradient fill from top to bottom within the selection (Figure 22). Stop highlighting.

Rice. 22. Image after applying the gradient

Go to the Alpha1 channel and blur the selection using Gaussian: Filter→Blur→Gaussian Blur (Filter→Blur→Gaussian Blur) three times in turn. The blur radius directly depends on the image size, but the principle of changing the radius when moving to the next blur is constant: the next value of the blur radius should be half the previous one. In this case, the radius was 4 pixels the first time, 2 pixels the second time, and 1 pixel the third time (Fig. 23).

Rice. 23. Result of Gaussian channel blur

Return to the Layers palette, activate the Chrome layer and add lighting effects Filter→Render→Lighting Effects (Filter→Render→Light Effect) with the same parameters as in Fig. 24.

Rice. 24. Setting the Lighting Effects filter options

The next step is to give the image a metallic sheen. To do this, open the Curves dialog box: Image→Adjustments→Curves (Image→Adjustments→Curves) and create the curve shown in Fig. 25. In this case, the coordinates of the first point of the curve are set to (60; 190), and the second to (190; 60) Fig. 26.

Rice. 25. Window for setting curves

Rice. 26. The appearance of a metallic sheen

Finally, use the command Image→Adjustments→Brightness/Contrast (Image→Adjustments→Brightness/Contrast), setting the appropriate values ​​for the Brightness and Contrast parameters. In the example under consideration, the Brightness value is 70 and Contrast 40 (Fig. 27).

Rice. 27. The final version of the chrome surface

Mercury

As for imitation of mercury surfaces, on the Internet on many sites you can find two fundamentally different options implementation of this effect. One, undoubtedly, first appeared on the website http://www.savvy.net/, and the authorship of the second is difficult to establish today. It is the second option that gives a more effective imitation of mercury, so we will focus on it.

Create a new image in RGB mode, set the background to black and white as the foreground color. Create a new channel Alpha 1 and draw the intended metal object (Fig. 28), and then discard the selection.

Rice. 28. Original image on channel Alpha 1

Make a copy of the Alpha 1 channel by default the new channel will be named Alpha 1 copy. Then blur the Alpha 1 copy channel using Gaussian: Filter→Blur→Gaussian Blur (Filter→Blur→Gaussian Blur) with a blur radius of about 3 pixels (if the object is very large, then you can use a larger value for the blur radius; Fig. 29).

Rice. 29. Channel Alpha 1 copy after Gaussian blur

Make a copy of the Alpha 1 copy channel - the new channel will be named Alpha 1 copy 2. Switch again to the Alpha 1 copy channel and apply the filter Filter→Other→Offset (Filter→Other→Shift) with parameters (-1,-1) and the Wrap option Around (Cycle transition). Go back to the Alpha 1 copy 2 channel and use the same filter, but with the settings (1; 1).

After this, carry out calculations for the channel using the Image→Calculations… command, selecting the settings as shown in Fig. 30. As a result, a new channel Alpha 2 will be created, and the image will look like in Fig. 31.

Rice. 30. Calculations command settings window

Rice. 31. Image after calculations

On the Alpha 2 channel, successively apply the commands Image→Adjustments→Invert (Image→Adjustments→Negative) and Image→Adjustments→Auto Levels (Image→Adjustments→Auto Levels) - fig. 32.

Rice. 32. Result of negative and tone correction

Now use the Airbrush tool to soften the edges of the image. Set the pressure to 6%, select a brush of about 45 px, set the foreground color to white and spray it.

At the next stage, you will need to enhance the reflection effect using the command Image→Adjustments→Curves (Image→Adjustments→Curves), constructing a curve approximately like the one in Fig. 33. The result should resemble the image in Fig. 34.

Rice. 33. Curves settings window

Rice. 34. Image after enhancing the reflection effect

Load the selection saved in the Alpha 1 copy channel using the Select→Load Selection command, invert it and fill the selection with black.

Load the Alpha 1 copy selection again and compress the selection by about 3 pixels using the Select→Modify→Contract command. Make an inversion and apply the command Image→Adjustments→Invert (Image→Adjustments→Negative). As a result, the image on the Alpha 2 channel will look something like the one in Fig. 35.

Rice. 35. Channel Alpha 2 after all the manipulations performed

Now select the entire image, copy the selection to the clipboard, switch to the RGB channel and paste the selection into it. Then give the metal the desired shade using the command Image→Adjustments→Hue/Saturation (Image→Adjustments→Color/Saturation) with the Colorize option turned on and the appropriate Hue and Saturation values. The result should resemble the image in Fig. 36.

Rice. 36. Final view of the mercury surface

Metal imitation using plugins

Quite a few plugins have already been created in which the metal imitation effect is implemented to one degree or another. For example, pseudo-3D metal objects can be achieved using the Lighting effect of the Ulead Type.Plugin. The realistic texture of gold is easily simulated using the Gel filter from the KPT 6.0 group from Metacreation. Various options for shiny metal surfaces (chrome, gold, silver, etc.) can be created very quickly using the Chrome filter from the Eye Candy 4.0 group from Alien Skin, and matte ones metal surfaces turned out well thanks to the PhotoGroove 3.0 effect from the Extensis PhotoTools 3.0 group.

Let's consider the possibilities of using plugins to simulate shiny surfaces of liquid metal using the example of the Chrome filter from the Eye Candy 4.0 group, and to create matte surfaces using the example of the PhotoGroove 3.0 filter from the PhotoTools 3.0 group.

In the first case, select the object to which you want to apply the filter (Fig. 37), and use the command Filter→Eye Сandy 4000→Chrome (Filter→Eye Сandy 4000→Chrome) with approximately the same parameters as in Fig. 38. As a result, we obtain the image shown in Fig. 39.

Rice. 37. Original image

Rice. 38. Setting the parameters of the Chrome filter from the Eye Candy 4.0 group

Rice. 39. The result of the Chrome filter from the Eye Candy 4.0 group

To use the PhotoGroove 3.0 filter, also select the object and use the command Filter→PhotoTools→PhotoGroove 3.0 (Filter→ PhotoTools→PhotoGroove 3.0), setting the appropriate parameter values, for example as in Fig. 40. As a result, we obtain the image shown in Fig. 41.

Rice. 40. Setting parameters for the PhotoGroove 3.0 filter from the Extensis PhotoTools 3.0 group

Rice. 41. The result of the PhotoGroove 3.0 filter from the Extensis PhotoTools 3.0 group

In this text Photoshop tutorial, we'll learn how to easily create metallic text - a popular effect widely used in video games and movie posters! This may seem like a lot of steps, but once you've done it a few times, creating this effect won't take you more than a few minutes from start to finish. To create a metallic texture and apply it to the text, we will use a couple Layer Styles(Layer styles), multiple filters, layer blending modes and Clipping mask ( Clipping mask)! For this tutorial I will be using Photoshop CS5, but for more earlier versions this lesson is also suitable.

Here is the final result that we will create:

The final "metal text" effect.

Step 1: Create a new document
Create a new Photoshop document by going to the menu File - Create(File - New) or press Ctrl+N (Win) / Command+N (Mac) on your keyboard.


Go to File - New.

You'll need to create a document that's a little larger than you need, for reasons I'll talk about in due course. I'll create my document at 1200px. By Width(Wide) and 600 px. By Height(High) Permission(Resolution) I'll leave it at the default 72 pixels/inch. You can use these same settings to follow me further through the lesson, or enter your own values. Set the parameter Background content(Background Contents) on White(White), even though we will change it in the next step. Click OK when finished. Your new document will appear on the screen:


New Document dialog box.

Step 2: Fill the background with black
Press the letter D on your keyboard for a quick reset Main(Foreground) and Background(Background) colors to default, if necessary, this action will set as Main(Foreground) colors black. Then press Alt+Backspace (Win)/ Option+Delete (Mac) to quickly fill the background with the current Main(Foreground) color (black):


The document is now filled in black.

Step 3: Add a New Blank Layer
Click on the create icon New layer(New layer) at the bottom of the layers panel:


Click on the New Layer icon (second icon from the right).

Photoshop will add a new blank layer called "Layer 1" above Background(Background) layer:


The new layer appears above the Background layer.

Step 4: Fill the New Layer with Bright Gray
Go to menu Editing(Edit) at the top of the screen and select Fill(Fill):


Go to Editing - Fill.

Fill(Fill), click on the drop-down menu to the right of the word Use(Use) and select Color(Color) from the list of parameters:

Select the Color option at the top of the Fill dialog box.
Once you select Color(Color), Photoshop will open the color palette so you can select the color you want to fill the layer with. Choose bright gray. If you want to use the same shades of gray as I did, enter 195 for the R, G and B parameters:


Choose bright gray from the color palette.

Click OK when you're ready to exit the color palette, then click OK to exit the dialog box Fill(Fill). Photoshop will fill the layer with gray, temporarily hiding the background layer, which is filled with black:


The document is now grayed out.

Step 5: Adding Noise
Go to menu Filter(Filter) at the top of the screen, select Noise(Noise), then select Add noise(Add Noise):


Go to Filter – Noise – Add noise (Filter – Noise – Add noise).

When the dialog box appears Add noise(Add Noise), add a lot of noise to the image by setting the value Effect(Amount) about 150%. Make sure the options are checked at the bottom of the dialog box According to Gauss(Gaussian) and Monochrome(Monochromatic):


Filter options Add Noise.

Click OK when ready to exit the dialog box. The document should now be filled with noise:


Document after applying the Add Noise filter.

Step 6: Apply the Motion Blur filter (MotionBlur)
We'll use all this noise to create the first part of our metallic texture. Go back to menu Filter(Filter), select Blur(Blur) and then select Motion blur(Motion Blur):

Go to Filter – Blur – Motion Blur (Filter – Blur – Motion Blur).

When the Motion Blur dialog box appears, set the Blur Angle to around -10 degrees, then reduce the Distance to 200 px:


Set the Angle to -10 and reduce the Distance to 200 px.

Click OK when you're ready to close the dialog box. Noise blur created a metallic effect:


Image after applying Motion blur to noise.

Step 7: Trimming the Edges
Back to step 1, I mentioned that you should create a document a little bigger size than needed. The reason is that the filter Motion blur(Motion Blur) creates the incorrectly blurred pixels at the edges of the document, which you can now clearly see in our document. Let's trim off those unwanted areas. Select Photoshop tool Crop/Frame(Crop) from the toolbar or press the letter C to select this document using hotkeys:

Select the Crop tool.

With active instrument Crop/Frame(Crop) Click in the upper left corner where the well-textured area begins, then, without releasing the mouse button, drag the frame to the lower right corner to the edge of the well-textured area. Release the mouse button to see the area that you will keep (the dark areas around the edges will be cropped):


Create a cutting area around the area you want to save.

Press Enter (Win) / Return (Mac) to have Photoshop trim off the unwanted edges. Now all that remains is a good texture:


Image after trimming the edges.

Step 8: Add Your Text
Select a tool Text(Type/Text) from the toolbar, or click hotkey T on keyboard:

Select the Text tool (Type).

With active instrument Text(Type/Text), select a font from the options bar at the top of the screen. For best results with this effect, choose a font with bold letters. I'll use Arial Black:

Font options in the options panel.

Once you've chosen a font, click inside the document and add your text. I will write the word “Metal”:


Add your own text.

When you're ready, click Apply current edit(Checkmark) in the Options Bar to apply the text:


Click Apply current edit (Checkmark) to exit text editing mode.

Step 9: Resizing the Text Using Free Transform (FreeTransform)
Your text will likely be too small at this point (as in my case), so go to the menu Editing(Edit) and select Free transformation(Free Transform) or press Ctrl+T (Win)/ Command+T (Mac) to call Free transformation(Free Transform) using hotkeys:


Go to Editing - Free transform.

This action will place a free transform window and handles around the text. To change the text size, hold down the Shift key and drag up any corner marker (small square). Holding the Shift key while resizing allows you to maintain the exact proportions of the text so you don't distort its shape. To move text, click anywhere inside the bounding box and simply move it with your mouse. When you're ready, press Enter (Win)/ Return (Mac) to apply the changes and exit. Free transformation(Free Transform):


Move and resize the text as needed.

Step 10: Move the Text Layer Below the Texture Layer
Click on the text layer in the Layers panel and, while holding down the mouse button, place this layer between the gray texture layer (Layer 1) and the Background layer. When you see that a selected stripe has appeared between these two layers, release the mouse button and Photoshop will move the text layer to this place:


Place the text layer between the Background layer and Layer 1.

Step 11: Create a Clipping Mask (ClippingMask)
Click on Layer 1 in the Layers panel to select it. Then go to the Layer menu and select Create Clipping Mask(Create Clipping Mask):


Go to Layer - Create Clipping Mask.

Layer 1 will appear offset to the right in the Layers panel, indicating that it is now "clipped" by the text layer:


The Layers panel now shows that Layer 1 is now clipped to the text layer.

If we look in the document window, we can see that the gray texture is now only visible inside the text:


The black color from the background layer is now visible around the text.

Step 12: Adding a Layer Style (LayerStyle) Embossing (Bevelandemboss)
Click on the text layer in the Layers panel to select it. Then click on the icon Layer Styles(Layer Styles) at the bottom of the layers panel:


Click on the Layer Styles icon.

Select Embossing(Bevel and Emboss) from the list of layer styles that appeared:


Select Bevel and Emboss.

This action will open a dialog box Layer Styles(layer Syles) set to parameter Embossing(Bevel and Emboss) in the middle column. First change Method(Technique) on Hard cut(Chisel Hard), then increase Size(Size) up to 7 pixels. Drag the parameter slider Depth(Depth) towards the right to a value of 500%:


Bevel and Emboss Options.

In the settings section Shading(Shading), click on the thumbnail Gloss contour(Gloss Contour):


Click on the Gloss Contour thumbnail.

This action will open Path Editor(Contour Editor). Click on the drop down menu Settings(Preset) at the top of the dialog box and select from the list Ring(Ring):


Select the Ring setting.

Click OK to exit Contour Editor(Contour Editor). Then, back to basics dialog box Layer Styles ( Layer Styles), check the option Smoothing(Anti-aliased) to the right of the thumbnail Gloss contour(Gloss Contour):


Check the Anti-aliased option.

Don't close the dialog box yet Layer Styles(Layer Styles). We have some more to add, but your text is on this moment should look like this:


Text after applying the Bevel and Emboss layer style.

Step 13: Adding a Layer Style (LayerStyle) Gradient overlay (GradientOverlay)
Click directly on the title Gradient overlay(Gradient Overlay) in the left column of the dialog box Layer Styles(Layer Styles). You need to click directly on the name, not on the mark field, in order for the parameter to appear Gradient overlay(Gradient Overlay):


Click on the name Gradient Overlay.

In the middle column of the dialog box Layer Styles(Layer Styles) the marked parameters for Gradient overlays(Gradient Overlay). By default, Photoshop chooses a gradient based on the current colors From main to background colors(Foreground and Background colors) (black and white), but if another gradient is selected, click on the gradient preview bar:


Click on the gradient preview bar only if it is set to a gradient other than black and white.

Then click on the thumbnail From foreground to background(Foreground to Background) (top left) in Gradient Editor(Gradient Editor) to select it:


Select the Foreground to Background gradient.

Click OK to close Gradient Editor(Gradient Editor). Return to main dialog box Layer Styles(Layer Styles), change Blend Mode(Blend Mode) on Overlap(Overlay), then reduce Opacity(Opacity) up to 70%. This will add a highlight effect to the metal:


Gradient Overlay options.

Click OK to exit the dialog box Layer Styles(Layer Styles). Here is an effect with added layer styles:


The effect after applying layer styles.

Step 14: Adding a new layer set to Overlay mode (Overlay)
Click on Layer 1 in the Layers panel to select it. Holding Alt key(Win) / Option (Mac), click on the create icon New layer(New Layer) at the bottom of the layers panel:


Hold down Alt (Win)/Option (Mac) and click on the New Layer icon.

This action tells Photoshop to open a dialog box New layer(New layer) where we can set some parameters before the new layer is added. Check the option on the left that says Use Previous Layer to Create Clipping Mask(Use Previous Layer to Create Clipping mask), then change Mode(Mode) (shortly from Blend Mode(blend mode) on Overlap(Overlay). Click OK when you're ready to close the dialog box. A new empty layer called Layer 2, set to Overlap(Overlay), will appear above Layer 1 (layer 1) in the layers panel. Like Layer 1, it is clipped by the text layer below it:


Dialog box New Layer (new Layer).

Step 15: Applying the Clouds filter (Clouds)
Let's add random highlights and shadows to the metallic effect. For this we will use a Photoshop filter Clouds(Clouds) along with Blend mode(Blend Mode) Overlap(Overlay), which we have already set for the layer. Go to menu Filter(filter) at the top of the screen, select Rendering(Render) and then select Clouds(Clouds):


Go to the menu Filter - Rendering - Clouds (Filter - Render - Clouds).

“Clouds” create many light and dark areas:

Step 16: Apply the Gaussian Blur filter (GaussianBlur)
The clouds need to be smoothed out a little so that they look more like shadows and highlights. We will do this by blurring them. Go to menu Filter(Filter), select Blur(Blur) and then Gaussian blur(Gaussian Blur):


Go to the menu Filter – Blur – Gaussian Blur (Filter – Blur – Gaussian Blur).

When the dialog box appears Gaussian blur(Gaussian Blur), drag the slider to the right to increase the value Radius(Radius) up to 10 pixels.


Set the Radius to 10 px.

Here's the image after the clouds are blurred:


The cloud effect now looks more like a subtle lighting effect.

Step 17: Adding a new layer set to Multiply mode (Multiply)
Hold down Alt (Win)/Option (Mac) again and click on the create icon New layer(New Layer) at the bottom of the layers panel to open the dialog box New Layer(new Layer). Check the Use previous layer to create option Clipping Mask(Use Previous Layer to Create Clipping Mask), then change Mode(mode) on Multiplication(Multiply). Finally, check the Fill with neutral mode color option. "Multiplication"(white) (Fill with Multiply-neutral color (white)) at the bottom of the dialog box. Click OK when you're ready to close the window and add a new layer:


Add another new layer, this time in Multiply mode.

Step 18: Add Noise
Let's dirty up our metallic effect a little by applying stains and scratches. Go to menu Filter(Filter), then select Add noise(AddNoise). A dialog box will appear Add noise(Add Noise) with the same settings we used earlier. There is no need to change them, just click OK to exit the dialog box. Now the text is filled with noise, and since the layer is set to Multiplication, only dark spots will be visible:


The Multiply mode hides the white colors, leaving only the dark specks of noise visible.

Step 19: Applying the Median Filter (Median)
To turn the noise into something that sounds like dirt or scratches, go back to the menu Filter select again Noise and then select Median:


Go to the menu Filter - Noise - Median.

Filter Median(Median) is designed to remove noise from an image. Click in the window Radius(Radius) and use the up arrow key on your keyboard to gradually increase the value while looking at the image in the document window. As the radius value increases, the noise will disappear, leaving instead “clumps” that create the effect of dirt and scratches. The value is about 9 pixels. should do. Click OK when you're ready to exit the dialog box:


Increase the Radius value to reduce noise.

Step 20: Lower the Opacity (Opacity) layer
If the stain and scratch effect looks too dark, reduce Opacity(Opacity) of the layer. You will find the option Opacity(Opacity) in the top corner of the layers panel. I'll reduce mine to 70%:


Layer Opacity parameter.

And now we're done! Here is the final result of the metal text effect:


The final result of the metal text effect.

Editable text settings
One of the nice things about creating this metallic effect is that our text remains completely editable, and we can even change the font we use if we don't like the one we started with! To change the font, just select the tool Text(type/Text) in the Tools panel, click on the text layer in the Layers panel to select it, then select any font from the Options panel (you may need to change the text size using Free transformation(Free Transform) - see Step 9). For example, I did not change anything except the font on Trajan Pro Bold:


Same effect, different font.

Here I have edited the text, changing the word from "Metal" to "Steel". If you save your document as Photoshop. PSD file, you can open it again any time you want and edit your text without recreating the metal texture:


Same effect, different text.

If you've ever tried to paint metal, you probably know how difficult it is. Metal reflects everything and distorts what is reflected. It is also quite difficult to paint the surface of the metal so that the colors are natural and at the same time give volume.

Today we will learn how to draw real metal, voluminous and detailed. Once you master this technique, you can apply it to other reflective surfaces.

Let's start!

Final result

Step 1

Most metal drawing tutorials teach us how to draw metal balls. But who then draws balls in their works? Full, complex armor - here best example! You can follow this tutorial or draw your own ideas - the rules we'll cover here are absolutely universal.

Let's imagine that you have drawn a character and some background, but you don't know how to draw armor. To simplify the whole process, you need to use a clipping mask (Ctrl + Alt + G). The boundaries of the armor will be considered the boundaries of the mask. Everything drawn on top of it will belong to the armor.

The best and most versatile paint brush is a simple round brush with soft edges and low pressure. It allows you to blend your strokes and it looks very natural. The tool also imitates a real brush, since the stronger the pressure, the more saturated the color becomes.

Step 2

Every surface (not just metal) reflects light, so it is very important to first determine the light source and think about where its shadows will be located. In my work, there is a fire on the left, which is reflected from some invisible object on the right, which has a purple color. Since fire has an orange-yellow tint, I chose a low saturation yellow as the base color for the armor (it will appear gray to most eyes). For shadows I use even less saturated and darker shades of the same yellow color. Draw with them between the base color layers and the sketch itself.

Add some light where the light penetrates best. To find the right shade, change the brightness of the base color slightly.

Now add more shadows. Remember: the body and, accordingly, the armor on it are not flat, they have their own edges. When light hits one face, making it bright, there must be a shadow on the other face!

This is the rare moment when you can use black. Use it to darken the shadow parts of the armor, but don't even try to use black in the highlights!

Step 3

Let's remember the law of contrast in color science. Since our base color is yellowish-gray, we need to find a contrasting color to it. First, copy the base color code.

Go to Color Scheme Designer and paste our color code into the field, as shown in the screenshot below.

Now go to the Complementary tab to find out which color is paired with our base color. You can remember the received code or import it into Photoshop samples.

Select the Load Swatches option to see the additional color. We will also need its darker shades.

Step 4

Since we now have a new dark shade (it's not black!), we can emphasize the lines of the sketch. Create a new layer above the sketch layer and draw the lines again. After that, delete or hide the sketch layer.

Now paint the shadows with the same dark color. If you're wondering why we paint where we've already painted, here's the answer: a low Flow setting allows for great color mixing.

This is what our work looks like now.

Step 5

The time has come to define more precisely all the forms. Use black to draw lines between the shapes.

Black lines give a feeling of unreal volume. To fix this, you need to add contrast between the two shapes that the line separates. Think about where the light doesn't really hit and paint those areas black. Don't go beyond the black lines!

Connect the dark areas and black lines together until the lines are almost invisible.

Step 6

Select a color from some light part and with a soft brush, first lowering the Hardness to 0%, cover all visible elements. One rule: don't move too close to the black lines! The color must lie exactly in the middle of each element in order for volume to appear.

Change the Hardness parameter to 100% and select the Screen mode. Thanks to this mode, your brush strokes will be lighter. Using the same color as before, paint some highlights around the black lines and some highlights.

At this stage this is the last effect. Notice how well the use of black and off-white works to create dimension.

Step 7

As we have already said, metal reflects everything around it, including color. Determine the colors that are closest to each piece of armor and lightly paint them onto the metal. Remember: don't cross the lines, but dark areas can be given a different shade.

Use the dark version of our complementary color to yellow and draw shadows as shown in the screenshot. They will imitate reflections on metal of different shapes. Draw them quickly, this is not the time for absolute precision.

Reactivate the Screen mode, use light bounce colors, orange and purple, and cover up the dark areas you just painted a little. This action may seem pointless to you, but in fact it has a very interesting effect. Our goal here is to cover up the dark areas without removing them altogether.

Now we need to work creatively again. Look at the shapes we got as we added and added layers. You will see repeating lines in the reflections of the metal. They need to be emphasized even more! You can take colors from areas of skin or hair if the metal part is located close to them.

This is what our work looks like now:

Step 8

An important element of every armor is chain mail. As you may already know, it consists of small links fastened together. Yes, these are also metal parts, and they will also reflect their surroundings. Painting each link individually would be too much work, so we'll just create a special brush for the chain mail. Create a new document and draw one small black link. The Opacity and Flow parameters should be at 100% so that you can avoid translucent spots. Then go to the Editing tab > Define Brush Preset.

Your new brush will appear in the list, but it has default settings. Select the Brush Tip Shape tab and move the Spacing slider until the individual elements. They should overlap each other slightly.

Create a new layer and apply the Emboss style to it (

",this,event,"320px");">Layer Style - Bevel and Emboss). For the Highlight parameter, take the bright yellow-gray color from our suit.

Style - Inner Bevel, Method - Smooth, Lightening Mode - Lighten, Shadow Mode - Multiply.

Now draw the chain mail on the layer that has these styles applied to it. I recommend drawing each chain on a separate layer, copying the style for each layer so that the colors of the chains do not mix with each other. To avoid clutter, select all these layers in separate group(Ctrl + G).

Now merge all the layers in the group into one and add a mask (

",this,event,"320px");">Layer Mask). Now you can use three colors to fit the chain mail into the overall tone of the work: black to make it invisible, white to make it visible, gray to make it translucent. Use black with different Flow values ​​to achieve different shades of grey.

Draw the surface under the chain mail to give it the correct shape.

Now you know how to easily draw chain mail. Add it to other places where you need to emphasize the flexibility of the suit. At this stage I also worked on other parts of the costume, so that with each step it became more complex and interesting.

Step 9

Our suit is almost ready, but we need to polish it a little. Use a black brush to paint sharp reflections. They look great next to the light pieces.

Here's the effect we need to achieve:

Combine all layers of armor into one. If you still need a clipping mask, make a copy of the resulting layer and attach a mask to it. Using a brush set to Screen, paint powerful highlights using the color on the right. These lights should be sharp and you shouldn't use them often as they fake reflected light rather than direct light.

Here is our result at this stage:

Let's draw more colored and direct light. Take the color on the left and paint its reflections on the suit using the Color Dodge brush mode.

Switch back to Normal mode and paint the reflected light spots. They should be soft, very light, but no lighter than the side that reflects light.

Also work on those elements that we recently covered with a dull color in the Lightening mode (Screen). We're almost done!

Sometimes, you need to quickly apply some effect and this is where actions come to the rescue. With one click of a button, you can easily recreate the desired effect.

In this tutorial we will create a metallic text effect while recording an action for it. At the end of the lesson, you will be able to reproduce this effect by simply clicking on the Play button in the Operations palette.

Final image:

Step 1

Create a new document (File - New) (File > New) ( Ctr + N) size 600x300 pixels with a resolution of 72 pixels/inch.

Tool Text(Horizontal Type Tool) ( T) and write the text “Design Instruct”. In my case, the font Franklin Gothic Heavy was used, but you can choose a different one. The main thing is that the font style is bold.

Step 2

Before we continue, we need to create a new action that will record all our actions in this tutorial. Open Operations palette(Window > Actions) ( Alt+F9), click on the folder icon at the bottom of the palette (Create new set) and name this group “Metal Text”. Now click on the icon creating a new action(Create new action):

Once a new action is created, recording should start automatically (You will see a red circle at the bottom of the Actions palette indicating that recording has started).

Step 3

Go to the menu (Select > Load Selection) and then create a new layer ( Shift + Ctrl + N). Fill the new layer with white (#FFFFFF) and make the original text layer invisible.

Duplicate the new text (Layer > Duplicate Layer) and move it under the top text layer.

We need to create two lights, and this text layer will contain the first light. Add a Layer Style Shadow(Layer - Layer Styles - Shadow) (Layer> Layer Style> Drop Shadow). Set the settings as in the screenshot and turn off the Use Global Light checkbox. This option sets the shadow and emboss to the same angle, but we need two different sources.

Note: Both light sources should be above the original text layer.

Step 4

Apply a layer style to the top text layer Shadow(Layer - Layer Styles - Shadow) (Layer> Layer Style> Drop Shadow):

Step 5

Now let's add embossing, which will help create a metallic effect. Layer - Layer Styles - Emboss(Layer > Layer Style > Bevel and Emboss).

Step 6

Now let's add a layer style Gloss(Layer - Layer Styles - Gloss) (Layer> Layer Style> Satin):

Step 7

The last layer style, Gradient overlay, will darken the text and help add a light reflection (Layer - Layer Styles - Gradient Overlay) (Layer > Layer Style > Gradient Overlay).

Step 8

We need to add a metallic texture to the text. With the top layer active, enter the menu Load Selection(Selection - Load selected area) (Select > Load Selection).

Create a new layer(Layer - New - Layer) (Layer> New Layer) ( Shift +Ctrl +N) and fill the selection with white. Now apply it to it filter Noise(Filter - Noise - Add Noise) (Filter > Noise > Add Noise).

Step 9

Deselect (Select - Deselect) (Select > Deselect) ( Ctrl+D) and apply the Motion Blur filter (Filter > Blur > Motion Blur).

Select the first text layer and load a selection area Selection - Load Selection(Select > Load Selection). Now invert the selection (Select > Inverse) ( Shift + Ctrl + I). Delete the selected area. This will get rid of the noise that was outside the text. Change the blending mode to Multiplication(Multiply).

The action is ready. Click the stop button at the bottom of the Actions palette.

Step 10

Open the wall texture, drag it into the image and place it below all layers.

Step 11

Let's add texture to the text. Open an image of an old film and transfer it to our document. Place the old film texture above all layers and reduce it to 30% ( Editing - Free Transform) (Edit > Free Transform) ( Ctrl+T) to fit the document size. Change the film texture blending mode to Overlay.

Step 12

Now let's add a warm color tone to the image. Let's do this through an adjustment layer. Gradient map(Layer - New Adjustment Layer - Gradient Map) (Layer> New Adjustment Layer> Gradient Map). Create a gradient from yellow to magenta and enable the checkbox Inversion(reverse). Change the blending mode of this adjustment layer to Overlap(Overlay) and reduce the opacity to 30%.

Step 13

Now let's darken the edges of the image. Tool Rectangular areadischarge(Rectangular Marquee Tool) ( M) draw a selection and feather it by 50 px ( Shift + F6). Create a new layer (Layer - New Layer) (Layer> New Layer) ( Shift +Ctrl +N). Invert selection ( Selection - Inversion) (Select > Inverse) ( Shift + Ctrl + I) and fill the selection on a new layer with black. Change the blending mode of this layer to Color Burn.

Step 14

Using a tool Brush(Brush Tool) ( B) add a glow to the text. Set the brush size to 20 px and Hardness to 0%. Create a new layer ( Shift + Ctr + N) and place it under the film texture layer. Select the color white (#FFFFFF) and add light dots to the edges of the letters. Change the blending mode of this layer to Soft light(Soft Light).

Step 15

Merge image ( Layer - flatten) (Layer > Flatten Image). Duplicate the resulting layer (Layer - Create a duplicate) (Layer> Duplicate Layer). Apply a filter to the duplicate Colour contrast to sharpen the sharpness a little (Filter - Other - Color Contrast) (Filter > Other > High Pass). Set the radius to 10 px. Change the blending mode of this layer to Darkening the base(Color Burn) and reduce the opacity to 30%. Now merge both existing layers into one.

Step 16

Select a tool b(Quick Mask Mode) ( Q) :

Tool Gradient(Gradient Tool) ( G) radial type, draw a circle in the center of the document.

Exit mode Quick mask (Q) and invert the selection ( Selection - Inversion) (Select > Inverse) ( Shift + Ctrl + I).

Step 17

Finally, let's add a filter Shallow depth of field blur(Filter - Blur - Shallow depth of field blur) (Filter > Blur > Lens Blur):