Orb with border

This is one of my favorites. It's to make an orb that has an image inside. Included in the tutorial is how to make the metallic border.

Prerequisites

Please know how to do the following before using this tutorial.

  • Exercise: Selections - Please be sure you know how to load a selection. In this tutorial, I name the layer with the base circle as "base". I will say "Load a selection on layer base" a lot, and this means, I want a selection of that original circle.
  • Layers window: Know your Layers window well! Make sure it is open by going to Window >> Show Layers.
  • Blending Options, Opacity, Layer Style: Make sure you know where these 3 are on your Layers window.
  • Layer names: I also name all of my layers for easier reference. To name your layers the same as mine, you can right click a layer and hit Layer Properties.

Objective

Final Result

Tutorial

  1. Make a new canvas, and make a New Layer New Layer on it. I will name this layer base.

  2. Using the Elliptical Marquee tool Elliptical Marquee, hold Shift and draw a circle. Then choose a color, one that is a bit duller than what you want the result to be, and fill the circle with the Paint Bucket tool Paint Bucket.

  3. Make another New Layer New Layer on top of base. I will name this lower light.

  4. With a selection still on the circle, make a white to transparent, Linear Gradient Gradient from the bottom to about halfway up.

  5. Then, set the Opacity of layer lower light to 30%.

  6. Make a New Layer New Layer on top of layer lower light. I will name this inner shadow.

  7. Load a selection on layer base, and then fill layer inner shadow with black with the Paint Bucket Paint Bucket.

  8. Go to Select >> Feather. Set it to 15px, then hit Delete on your keyboard.

  9. Set the Blending Option on layer inner shadow to Overlay.

  10. Make another New Layer New Layer. I will name this one highlight.

  11. Load a selection on layer base, and then go to Select >> Modify >> Contract. Set it to 10px. Fill layer highlight with white using the Paint Bucket Paint Bucket

  12. Move the circular selection to the upper left, and then Inverse (Ctrl + Shift + I) it. Hit Delete on your keyboard to make a leaf-like shape.

  13. Load a selection on layer base again. Apply Filter >> Blur >> Gaussian Blur to layer highlight. Set it to 10px.

  14. Set the Opacity of layer highlight to 70%.

  15. Let's add a little color to make this more interesting. Make a New Layer New Layer above layer lower light. I will name this lower color.

  16. Load a selection on layer base. Using a Paint Brush Paint Brush, put some color on the lower right of layer lower color.

  17. With the selection still on, go to Filter >> Blur >> Gaussian Blur and set it to 20px. Then set the layer's Blending Option to Overlay.

  18. Now to make some extra highlights. Make a New Layer New Layer above lower color. I will name it lower highlight.

  19. Load a selection on layer base, and then go to Select >> Modify >> Contract. Set it to 5px. Fill layer lower highlight with white using the Paint Bucket Paint Bucket.

  20. Move the circular selection up and left a little. Hit Delete on your keyboard to make a crescent shape.

  21. Load a selection on layer base, and use the Eraser tool Eraser to break up the shape a little.

  22. Do Filter >> Blur >> Gaussian Blur and set it to 5px. Set the Opacity of layer lower highlight to 30%.

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