Around the world tutorial

The questions about my techniques are slowly (but progressively) turning into spam :) Here I would like to explain how I make those weired lines (for example like those in header of my blog). Everything is pretty easy, all You need is just pure photoshop in Your hands.

Firstly we will create a shiny ball, and then we will create a line around the ball. The effect of 3d can be done in several ways, here I will show You two of them (I don’t mean that they are best, maybe You have one better, but I always pick one of them).

Step 1a
The first won’t give You a super 3d ball effect, but it’s easiest I know. Firstly create some circle- grab marquee tool, make round selection (hold SHIFT) and fill it with some light, gray color. Now all You have to do is just applying a Blending options. Belew You can see which one’s to setting up. Lately You can add a bit of noise for that ball.

Step 1b
This technique is pretty advanced (maybe not at all, but You have to paint Your own ball), here the main point are well prepared brushes. Just grab some light (10-30% gray) and dark (70-90% gray) colors and doodle around. Remember to make a selection or mask of our ball. With soft brushes we will create lights and shadows. Then softly (opacity set to about 5%) with hard-edged brush make a borders (it’s exactly some kind of texture) between light and dark colors.
Remember to choose the light source. Below is a template of lights and shadows based on my final result of painted ball.

Step 2a
Now we are putting the lines on the table. I won’t show You how I made them all- one example should reveal everything. Grab the Pen tool (P), remember to create new layer, now go to the Paths window (Window>Paths) and there click small icon on bottom named ‘Create new path’. Then set Pen tool to Paths mode- click the icon in the upper right area of Photoshop.

Step 2b
Now to the business- place 2 points with a Pen tool and then convert them with Convert point tool (under the pen tool in tools palette). Now go to Brush tool (B), choose some hard-edged brush, size about 3-4px, and color (it’s Your choice which one). Then in the Paths window click with right mouse button on our path and choose Stroke Path. In the pop-up window select brush and be sure to select Simulate Pressure. Press enter and enjoy Your line :)

Step 3
Give it the extra shine with dodge and burn tools. Just Clicc with holding CTRL on the layer in layers window, move the selection 1-2px to the top (with arrows on keyboard) and apply the shine, then do the same with burn tool, but reverse the selection.
Don’t forget about he shadows on ball and on the ground. How to do them? It’s simple- just select the layer (CTRL+CLICK on the layer in layers window), fill the new layer with black color, modify if with EDIT>TRANSFORM>DISTORT and apply Blur filter. If the shadow is on the ball- delete part outside the ball area.

Step 4
Now we will add a bit of dizzyness. Duplicate twice every layer of lines. Those on the top leave without changes. The one in between blur a little with Gaussian Blur. Now choose the third layer (those on bottom) and go to Liquify Filter. Find there a Turbulance tool (T) and make some small swirls with brush 7-10px. Apply the result and… This is it :)

In Photoshop tutorials by Majk