Creating a 3D Illustration: Part 3

CATEGORIES: Photoshop, Tutorials | Daniel O. Sorenson | February 09, 2006

In this, the final installment of the haunted library tutorial, you will fill your shelves with books, reflect the bookcases in the floor to create a shiny surface and create the light effects that give the library atmosphere and real sense of depth.

You already have quite a few layers and, by the time you finish this part of the tutorial, you will have many more. If you have been diligent about keeping your layers organized into Groups, as suggested, you should be able to navigate through the document without too much difficultly.

FILL THE SHELVES WITH BOOKS
This is probably the most time consuming part of the entire tutorial. The steps are simple, but there just isn’t a quick way to create roughly 100 books. But, I will show you how to make a “master” book group and use that to create the rest of the books relatively painlessly.

Make a master book

Refer to The Image Above while performing the following four steps.<

STEP 1

Make a new group above WALLS/SHELVES named BOOKS. Within BOOKS make another group named BOOK 1.

STEP 2

With BOOK1 highlighted, select the Rectangle Tool. Be sure Shape Layers is chosen in the options bar. Pick a foreground color of your choice. Zoom in close on one of the shelves and create your first book. Name the layer book.

STEP 3

Add a small bevel, choosing Smooth in the Technique field of the Bevel and Emboss dialog.

STEP 4

Select the Pen Tool and choose Shape layers in the options bar. Create a new shape layer for the title area on the spine, curving the top and bottom segments to create the illusion of dimension. Rather than trying to match the width of the title area with the width of the book exactly, you may find it easier to extend the sides of the title area beyond the sides of the book and press Option-Command-G/Alt-Ctrl-G to use book as a Layer Clipping Mask.

Refer to The Image Above while performing the following two steps.

STEP 1

Choose black as the foreground color. Click Create new fill or adjustment layer at the bottom of the Layers palette. Select Gradient from the fill layers at the top of the drop down menu.

STEP 2

In the Gradient Fill dialog, click on the Gradient Preview to open the Gradient Editor. Choose the second preset, Foreground to Transparent and click OK. For Style, choose Linear. Enter −180° in the Angle field and 60% in the Scale field. Click OK. Save your document.

Make a Multiple books
Use the group BOOK 1 as the "master" from which your can create all the other books. To make the library look more realistic, vary the sizes and colors of the books.
Figure 2-3

STEP 1

Duplicate the group BOOK 1 to preserve it as your master. Hide BOOK 1 by clicking on the eyeball to the left of the name. With BOOK 1 copy highlighted, choose Merge Group from the Layers palette drop down menu .

Figure 2-3

STEP 2

Rename the merged layer using the appropriate color designation, such as red book. Make a new group to contain multiple copies of the layer red book. Drag red book into the new group. Make multiple copies of the layer red book by highlighting the layer and pressing Command/Ctrl-J. Or press Command/Ctrl-Click on the preview of red book in the Layers palette to load it as a selection. Then select the Move Tool. Press Option/Alt and drag to the left or right to make a copy of the book on the same layer .

Figure 2-3

STEP 3

Use this technique to fill all the shelves in the library .

USE A REFLECTION TO MAKE THE FLOOR SHINE

STEP 1

Hide the layer background and the group FLOOR.

STEP 2

Make a new layer above FLOOR and name it reflection.

STEP 3

Firmly press Option/Alt and select Merge Visible from the Layers palette drop down menu.

STEP 4

Activate the Free Transform command (Command/Ctrl-T). Control-Click/Right-Click within the Transform Bounding Borders and choose Flip Vertical from the contextual drop down menu.

STEP 5

Move the layer down so the bottom edges of the shelves are touching. Click OK

STEP 6

Show Background and FLOOR. Drag the layer reflection into FLOOR. Add a layer mask to reflection. Choose black as the foreground color and select the Gradient Tool. Choose Foreground to Transparent from the Gradient Editor presets and Linear Gradient from the Gradient Styles in the options bar. Working on reflection’s Layer mask,drag up from the bottom of the image window. Release just before the hearth.

STEP 7

Use a large soft brush at about 20% Opacity to gradually minimize the reflection in front of the fireplace.

STEP 8

Click on the image preview of reflection in the Layers palette (so you are working on the image itself, not the Layer mask). Add a Gaussian Blur of about 1.8px. Lower the Layer opacity to 80%

ADD FINISHING TOUCHES TO THE MIRROR AND CURTAIN

Before creating the lighting effects, you may want to make your illustration look more finished by putting an image in the mirror and folds in the curtain.

STEP 1

Make a group named MIRROR CONTENT below the layer mirror in the group WALL/SHELVES. Use the Elliptical Marquee Tool to make a selection slightly larger than the area inside the mirror, then, add a mask to the group MIRROR CONTENT.

STEP 2

Figure 2-5

Use a brush and multiple layers to create an abstract swirl as I have done, or create an image of your own. Blur the layers and try different Layer blending modes .

STEP 3

Figure 2-5

To add folds to curtain, define the folds by making a path with the Pen Tool (select Paths in the options bar). Press Options/Alt and add a layer above curtain. Name the layer curtain shadow and check Use Previous Layer to Create Clipping Mask. Load the path as a selection, feather the selection 4px, and fill the selection with dark red. Change the Layer blending mode to Multiply .

ILLUMINATE THE SCENE

Now for the really fun part, creating the illusion of light. This will set the mood and bring the library to life.

Figure 3-10

STEP 1

Make a layer at the top of the Layers palette named outer shadows. Use a large soft airbrush, foreground color black, flow 20% and paint an irregular “frame” around the outside of the image. Change the Layer blending mode to Multiply and modify the Layer opacity if necessary.

STEP 2

Highlight the layer wall panel within the group WALL/SHELVES. Option/Alt-Click on the Create a new layer button at the bottom of the Layers palette. In the New Layer dialog, name the layer panel shadow and check Use Previous Layer to Create a Clipping Mask.

STEP 3

Choose a dark brown color. Select the Gradient Tool. Choose Foreground to Transparent in the Gradient Editor and Linear Gradient from the Gradient Styles in the options bar. Drag from just outside the lower right corner of wall panel toward the center of the image. Release just as you reach the mirror frame. Change the blending mode to Multiply and lower the opacity to 60.

STEP 4

Make another layer above panel shadow, again use wall panel to create a Layer Clipping Mask. Name the layer panel glo.

Figure 3-11

STEP 5

Choose yellow as your foreground color. Select the Gradient Tool and choose Reflected Gradient from the Gradient Styles. Begin your drag slightly above the sconces and release slightly below. You may need to try this several times on different layers to the right spreading effect. Reduce the Layer opacity to 50% and use the Move Tool to reposition the panel glo, if necessary.

STEP 6

Make a new layer above LEFT SCONCE. Name it light glo soft. Select the Gradient Tool. Choose Radial Gradient from the Gradient Styles (still on the preset Foreground to Transparent). Choose yellow as the foreground color and drag from the center of the lamp out about 1/2″. Reduce the Layer opacity to 45%.

STEP 7

Make another layer above light glo soft and name it light glo bright. Again using a Radial Gradient, choose white as the foreground and drag from the center of the light out about 1/8″.

Figure 3-12

STEP 8

Duplicate light glo soft and light glo bright and position the copies above RIGHT SCONCE. Use the same technique to add an illumination effect above hearth.

Figure 3-13

STEP 9

On additional layers at the top of the layer stack, use brushes with black to add more shadows throughout the library. Change the Layer blending modes of these layers to Multiply and modify the Layer opacity as needed. On another layer, use a brush with yellow to add more highlights and glows throughout the library. Change the blending modes of these layers to Overlay and reduce the opacity as needed.

CREATE THE REMAINING ELEMENTS

Figure 3-14

The andirons were created using the Pen Tool with Shape Layer chosen in the options bar. The smoke and fire were created with Brushes. The sparkling embers were created by making a few spots of yellow on a separate layer and changing the Layer blending mode to Dissolve. The box on the mantel was created with Shapes and Layer Styles. The decorations on the box and the knobs holding the curtain, were created with the Custom Shape Tool which provides you with many decorative Shape Presets - select the Custom Shape Tool and click on the preview next to the word Shape in the options bar to access the presets (see above image). Now, go ahead and add some elements of your own to the library.

Although Photoshop is not a 3D modeling application, you now know how you can use it to create a 3D look – perfect for creating quick comps or, if you want to spend a little more time, even finished illustrations. And, look for ways to combine these techniques with photos for some very interesting results.

Daniel Sorenson is an award winning print and motion graphics designer, author, lecturer, and educator. With over 15 years experience in entertainment marketing and advertising he has worked on many high profile campaigns with some of the industries biggest players. His list of clients include FOX Sports, FX Networks, CBS, Universal Television, CNN, TNT, Twentieth Century Fox, Disney, Warner Brothers and Sony Pictures Entertainment.

Daniel’s new book, Photoshop CS2 for Advertising and Marketing: Secrets from an Entertainment Advertising Insider, published by Peachpit Press, shares Photoshop techniques and behind-the-scenes information invaluable to anyone using Photoshop in a commercial situation.

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