3D Poloroid

We'll begin this tutorial, by creating a new canvas at a size of 300 x 376 then select the "Pen Tool". Draw the below shape as illustrated using White as the color.

Now right click on the photo shape layer and select, "Blending Options...". Now click on "Inner Glow".

Do not click "OK" yet. Still more to do.

Now click on "Color Overlay".

Do not click "OK" yet. Still more to do.

Now click on "Gradient Overlay".

You may now click OK.

You should now have the below image.

Next, duplicate the Photo layer, then clear the layer style by right clicking on the layer in the layers palette and selecting "Clear Layer Style". Then go to the main menu and select "Edit" then "Free Transform" and decrease both the width and the height by 10%.

Next we will need to move the bottom two anchor points. To do this select the "Direct Selection Tool" and then select the bottom anchor points and drag up as I have done below.

Next, duplicate the bottom Photo layer again , then clear the layer style by right clicking on the layer in the layers palette and selecting "Clear Layer Style" as done before. Change the color to black then move the shape down as illustrated below.

Next go to the main menu and select "Filter" then "Blur" and lastly "Gaussian Blur" and use the below settings.

Using the "Eraser Tool" you can rid the black from the blur that we did in the previous step where the arrows point to below. You should now have the below image.

Next, find an image that you would like to use and put above all other layers in the layers palette. I will be using the below image.

Now you will need to pen/trace the whale and some of the water splashes. To make things easier, I turned down the opacity on the whale image so I could see exactly where the Poloroid graphic was placed. Then grab the "Pen Tool" and begin to pen out, in this example, the whale and splashes. Midway through this process, I turned the opacity of the shape layer down to 0%.

Now "Ctrl" click the new shape layer to create a selection around it then delete it. The below selection shows my shape path. Then go to the main menu once again and click on "Select" and lastly "Inverse" then go to "Edit" and lastly "Cut".

You should now have the below image.

Now select the "Eraser Tool" and select the below Splatter brush. Then patiently start single clicking around the stem of the splash on both the left and right side.

You'll notice two arrows pointing to an outline of the pool in the background. To rid this, select the "Clone Tool" and select a soft 15 pixel brush. Then to select the area of the image you want to cover this with, hit "Ctrl" on the keyboard once, then start click-dragging to cover the outline/pool area. This will take some time to get it perfect.

You should now have the below image.

Now "Ctrl" click the image window layer to create a selection around it as I have done below. Then select the "Brush Tool" with a soft 10 pixel brush (color Black), create a new layer, above the Orca layer, then begin to paint along all the edges except the top right corner where the Orca is. Deselect the selection.

The Results!!!

As you can see, the color of the water has been slightly altered and the title "3d photo" was added to the finished Poloroid. I hope you enjoyed this tutorial.

3D Computer Monitor Image

I was surfing the internet the other day and I came across an ad that had an image of a computer monitor with a car looking like it was driving right out of the screen. This is a very cool pop out effect. Although this technically not a 3D drawing, it certainly has the feel of it.

The first thing you will need to do is get a picture of a computer monitor. You can use your own if you like, but there are a lot of these available on the internet. Just do an image search. The effect will be better if the screen is at a bit of an angle. Here is the one I am going to use.

The next thing is to figure out what you are going to use for the image on the monitor. You will want to think about which part of the image you will want to come out of the monitor for the 3D effect. Cars coming at you, or motorcycles make a good choice. Also people with their arms or legs sticking out are also good for the pop out picture. I am going to use the car image below.

As you can see, this picture is much too large to fit on the screen of our monitor picture. I will need to scale it down a little. Select image/Image size and reduce the settings until you have it the way you want it. Never use a picture that is too small to begin with. Unless the resolution is above 72 pixels/inch, the quality will be sacrificed if you try to enlarge the picture. You will have to play around to get it the right size. Unfortunately there is no magic number here. Once you have it the size you want it, use the move tool (Hotkey V) to drag it onto the monitor document as below.

Next, reduce the opacity of the car layer to around 60%. This is just temporary to allow us to see through to the monitor behind.

Now we need to do some transforming to get the perspective right. Select Edit/Transform/Skew. Now you will need to drag the corners of the picture so that the vertical and horizontal lines of the car layer line up with the vertical and horizontal lines of the monitor. This does not have to be exactly perfect, just close. We aren't trying to size it to the screen in this step.

After you have the perspective, move it around so that the entire screen of the monitor is covered. You will need to decide what and how much of the subject is going to pop out of the screen. For mine, I am going to have the the driver side head light and tire area popping out.

I am going to use the Pen Tool to cut the image to fit the monitor screen. This is where the reduced opacity really helps, as you can see through to know where to click. Click around the edges of the screen to select it. Once you get to the 3d area that is popping out, select around it. Go all the way around until you come back to where you started to close the path that the Pen Tool makes. You made need to zoom in and adjust the opacity as you are doing it. Whatever is easiest.

Now that we have a closed path, we will need to change it to a selection. Do this by clicking on the paths tab in the layers palette. Then right click on the work path and choose "Make Selection" with a feather radius of 1 pixel. When you are done click back onto the layers tab.

You should now have the "Dancing Ants" indicating you have a selection.

Next choose Select/Inverse and hit delete. This should delete everything that we don't want in our picture. Hit Ctrl+D to deselect it. Bring the opacity back up to 100% and you are done. Here is what I came up with.

Now that's a 3D monitor! Here are a couple of other ones I did.

Pseudo 3D Sphere

So let's get started! Create a new one document of 500x500 pixels and 72dpi. Fill it with the colors of #6c256d and #21081f.

Select Ellipse Tool and make a new one round shape similar to this one below:

Now apply the Inner Glow and Gradient Overlay layer styles to this shape.

Ok, create another new layer and merge it with previous layer to get all layers styles in one. Then using the Burn Tool (Midtones, 30%) make a brownout on left and right parts of sphere.

Now, time to add a glossy shine to the sphere. Go to Select > Load Selection, then Select > Contract and contract your selection about 4 pixels. Create another new layer. Activate the Gradient Tool and a white to transparent linear gradient; fill in the work area as below.

Make a new one selection to cut the lower part of gradient.

Using Ctrl+Shift+I invert the selection and press Delete to make it clear. Deselect your image with Select > Deselect.

Ok, we are doing all things right! Now apply Blur Tool (Mode: Normal, Strength: 50%) to the left and write parts of the shine. Your sphere header should look like this one:

I would like to add one more shine to the sphere. Create a new one layer and make selection as shown on a picture below by using the Elliptical Marquee Tool. Fill it with the white color.

Now using the Elliptical Marquee Tool again make another selection and make it clear inside.

Make the same things three of times.

Remove the selection with Select > Deselect and mess with the layer mode & opacity/fill. I tried Overlay with opacity of 35%.

I think we should add some flare in the bottom to make 3D effect more real. Select Elliptical Marquee Tool and create a new one selection, then fill it with the black color.

Now you need to cut away part of black oval. Press Ctrl and click the Layer Thumbnail in the Layers Palette to make the selection, then using Select > Inverse invert the selection and cut away part of oval which is out the sphere area.

Remove the selection. Apply Filter > Render > Lens Flare using the following presets:

Make edge of surface almost invisible using the Eraser Tool and a soft round brush with opacity about 50%.

Change layer style to Linear Dodge (Add).

Ok, now to finish off with the sphere I think we should add one more glare on the bottom. Get out the Elliptical Marquee Tool, then select an area and fill it with the white color.

Make a new one selection as shown below and clear the selection:

Remove the selection and apply Filter > Blur > Radial Blur with similar settings to these:

After that apply Filter > Blur > Gaussian Blur with the next presets:

Now we have a picture like this:

Use Edit > Free Transform to convert image as below:

Apply the Inner Shadow layer style to this layer and put it under the layer with the flare.

Now I'm gonna make the sphere reflection. Merge all layers of sphere in one and make a copy. Use Edit > Transform > Flip Vertical to flip copied layer vertical and move it down to get something like this:

After that apply Quick Mask Mode with gradient as below:

Then go back to Standard Mode. Now we have some selected area.

Press Delete to clear the selected area smoothly as on image above and remove the selection. Set layer opacity to 50% up.

I would like to add a little bit shadow to surface. Use the Elliptical Marquee Tool and make the selection. Fill it with the black color.

Deselect the oval and set up opacity to 70% for this layer. Apply Filter > Blur > Gaussian Blur:

Pseudo 3D Sphere is finished! Looking pretty good! Don't you think?