Step 1. Creating background
Start with a new document with 600x400 px. Create a new layer and make a radial gradient going from dark blue to a lighter blue.
Now we are making a snowflake background. Load this snowflake brush set.
Create a new layer. Make your foreground color white. Choose Brush Tool (B), select a snowflake brush you like most and set these parameters:
Also you can play with Opacity. My result so far is:
Create a new layer and repeat this procedure for another snowflake. Repeat this step until you get a desired result.
Choose first layer and go to Filter > Blur > Gaussian Blur. Set radius to 1. Apply Gaussian Blur with radius 2 to a second layer. And now you should get something like this:
These actions will give your background more depth.
Step 2. 3D Text
Create new layer. Choose Horizontal Type Tool (T) and write "S" - first letter of the word "Santa" - with these parameters:
Now select your text layer. Hold Alt and press the right key several times. This will duplicate the layer and move it one pixel to the right.
Now select all the text layer except the original layer and merge them. Move your original layer on top of the copied layer. Go to Blending Options > Color Overlay and set the color to #780A0A. This is my result so far:
To make the letter softer add these settings to the original layer:
And use Blur Tool (R) with the Soft Round Brush (diameter 13px) on the letter:
Create the rest of the word the same way.
Step 3. Creating snow
Create a new layer and go to Blending Options > Inner Glow:
Choose a Brush Tool (B) and open the brush-list in Options Bar. Find "Airbrush Hard Round 9". Then set the foreground color to white. Then start by drawing some snow on the text.
And again use Blur Tool (R) with Soft Round Brush (diameter 13px) on text if you want. This is my result so far:
Step 4. Drawing Stana's Hat
Create a new layer and begin to draw santa's hat.
Go to this tutorial. Try to create something similar to this hat. This is my result:
And now everything you should do is to put this hat on "S":
This is it. I hope your find this tutorial useful for you web design experiments.
