Signature Stop, Photoshop signature tutorials, renders, tag tutorials and signature backgrounds!

Thanks a lot to Michael (Sanity Penguin) over at sp-renders for providing the original tutorial in image format!

In this photoshop tutorial we will be making a Timeshift tag with a few fractal renders (check out our resources section for renders) smudging, and the high pass and plastic wrap filter effect. The outcome of this tutorial:

1. Open up Photoshop, and create a new file. Size is not really important. We picked a 370 pixels by 155 pixels file.

2. Select your gradient tool, and set it to Radial Gradient. Pick a color that matches the render you’re going to use as your foreground, and set black as your background color. Here, a shade of blue (#09435E) was used.

Now drag this gradient on this layer, from bottom to top:

3. Now paste your render on your canvas, and resize the render to fit. You can do this by pressing CTRL + T, hold shift, and select one of the four corner anchor points. Make sure you always keep a backup of this render. Duplicate it and drag it below your background.

Select the smudge tool, and grab a chalk brush. Select the brush settings (Right top corner) and apply the following settings to the brush:

Now smudge your render, and change its blending mode to overlay. We’ll be creating some texture and detail here, erase any parts that don’t look good and try creating some flow:

4. Duplicate the backup of your render (you should have it underneath your background layer if you’ve followed the instructions) and move it up top. We’re going to smudge this with a hard brush. Select your smudge tool, and click on the brush settings in the right top corner. Select these settings:

Now smudge your render to the right. Keep this layers blending mode on normal.

5. Repeat this step a few times, creating texture and flow. Duplicate the original render, bring it up top, and smudge, leaving its blending mode on normal.

6. Repeated the previous step:

7. Duplicate the original render, bring it up top, and flip it horizontally (Edit > Transform > Flip Horizontally). Smudge and erase:

8. We’re going to add a fractal render with a matching color. You can find plenty of renders in our resources section. Paste this layer on your canvas, and erase parts of the side:

9. Set its blending mode to screen, and erase any unwanted parts:

10. If you don’t have enough texture yet like we do, repeat the previous step. Move the fractal layer around a bit, and set its blending mode to screen:

11. Duplicate your original render, and drag it on top of your layer panel. Erase sides of the render to blend it into the background. Don’t overdo this step yet, we will do most of the blending later:

12. The render we picked has an awesome effect in its arms that we’re going to enhance. This effect can be applied to most renders that have a light focal point. Find some nice fractal render, and paste it on top of the arm:

13. Set this layers blending mode to screen:

14. If it’s not bright enough, duplicate the layer and keep it on screen:

15. We enhanced the effect one more time. If you feel like this will overdo the lighting, reduce this layers opacity:

16. Grab another fractal (or the same, doesn’t matter really) and paste it over his left arm. Like in the previous example, duplicate the layer if you’re not ahppy with the lighting.

17. We’re going to add a plastic wrap filter. Make a new image, and select Image > Apply Image… This will combine all your previous layers onto your new layer. Select Filter > Artistic > Plastic Wrap. Play around with the settings until you’re satisfied. Our result:

18. Set this layers blending mode to Color Dodge, and erase whatever looks bad:

19. Make a new layer, and apply the iamge again (Image > Apply Image). Select Filter > Other > High Pass… You can leave the radius at default or set it to about 10 pixels. Afterwards, hit ok.

20. Put this layer to overlay and reduce the opacity. Ours was reduced to 20%:

21. We’re going to add some adjustment layers. You can make these by selecting the black and white orb in your layer pallette.

22. Create a gradient map adjustment layer, and select the black to white gradient.

Set this layers blending mode to Multiply, and reduce the opacity to 40%

23. Add another gradient map, this time we’re using a custom gradient though. select a color from your canvas into black:

our colors used: #0E97D7 and #000000.

Blending mode changed to soft light on 20% opacity:

24. Add another black to white gradient map adjustment layer, and setting this layer to luminosity on about 60% opacity.

result (Dont forget changing this layers blending mode, Luminosty, 60%)

25. Nearly done! Add a Brightness / Contrast layer, and play around with it untill you’re satisfied with the outcome:

final result:

Please show us your result in the comments below! If you like we will feature your signature result in this post. (if you need a host, check out uploadstop.)