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Welcome to another Photoshop Signature Tutorial. We’re going to create a Sprite Signature with the use of a cinema4d stock, and a lot of sharp smudging, creating a “blast effect”. The PSD of the signature can be Downloaded in the Premium Member section. The cinema4d render we used can be downloaded here.This signature was designed by nFx, who also designed the Skate signature posted earlier. Use your own imagination when you follow this tutorial! 

The outcome of the Photoshop signature tutorial:

Create a new file, our size was set to 400 pixels by 97 pixels. Fill the background with black:

Add a render in your canvas. You can download the render we’ve used here. Erase the sides and the areas that are too bright. We’re going to smudge this and use it as our bakground:

Select the smudge tool, and use your favourite smudge settings. Erase anything that appears too bright. Try to create a focal point by creating a flowing direction from the center outwards:

We’re going to add a sprite on the stock. You can pretty much use any sprite you like, however try finding one that we can create a “blast” effect with.

Here’s the sprite we’ve used:

Placed on the canvas:

Paste the render we provided in the beginning back on top of the sprite. Try covering it only partly, and make sure it follows the general direction of the color flow.

Duplicate the sprite layer, and place it on top of the render. Using the eraser tool, we’ve removed a part of his backleg. This makes it seem like the sprite is partly behind the render.

Create a new layer, and select Image > Apply Image. Now grab the smudge tool, and slightly smudge the sharp edges on the right side:

Paste the cinema4d render on your canvas again. Erase most of it, but keep a light piece of the render next to his hand. We’re going to use this to create the “blast effect”.

Grab the eraser tool, and erase some more. Then grab the smudge tool with a hard brush, and smudge it upwards a little. Erase, smudge, repeat until you get something you like. Our blast effect:

Set this layers blending mode to “Color Dodge”.

Duplicate the layer (Layer > Duplicate Layer) to enhance the explosion:

Now create a new layer, and select Image > Apply Image. Now with a hard brush, smudge the render into an explosion coming out of his right hand: Smudge the background as well, create some detail into it:

We’re going to add some Gradient Map adjustment layers. Select Layer > New Adjustment Layer > Gradient Map… The first gradient map is a black to white gradient to blend the signatures colors:

Set the blending mode to Multiply, and reduce the opacity to about 40%-50%:

Add another gradient map adjustment layer, This time the Purple to Orange adjustment layer:

Set the blending mode to Overlay, and reduce the opacity to about 50%-55%:

Create a Photo Filter (Layer > New Adjustment Layer > Photo Filter). We used Deep Yellow, and the density set to 62%:

Outcome (Blending mode kept on normal and the opacity at 100%):

A final Photo Filter to finnish the lighting:

Outcome with the blending mode kept on normal and the opacity still on a 100%:

Next we’re adding depth by blurring the area around our sprite. You can do this manually by using the blur tool after applying the image (Image > Apply Image), or select Filter > Blur > Blur More:

Now use the Eraser tool to erase the blurring on our sprite, keep the area in front (his legs) and around the explosion and background blurred:

Apply the image on a new layer (Image > Apply Image) and sharpen everything we haven’t blurred. You can do this either by using the Filter > Sharpen, or by using the sharpen tool:

Add a Brightness/Contrast adjustment layer (Layer > New Adjustment Layer > Brightness/Contrast….). Don’t use the exact same settings as these probably will not produce the same result:

The outcome of the Brightness/Contrast layer:

Apply the image on a new layer (Image > Apply Image). We’re going to use the burn and dodge tool to add some extra depth.

Using the dodge tool in the top of the signature to add lighting (You can also do this by brushing with a light color, then setting the layer to screen).

as a finnishing touch, add a Photo Filter adjustmetn layer (Layer > New Adjustment Layer > Photo Filter):

We’ve kept the blending mode on normal, and the opacity on 100%. This brings us to our final result:

We hope you’ve enjoyed this sprite signature tutorial. Premium Members can Download the PSD file in the Premium Section. Sign up now!