creative studio layout

Thing you need for this tutorial:

Please click on the following links, right click on the image, and choose “Save image as”

1. Background image
2. Logo Image
3. Header image

Create a new document with the following size: 960 x900 pixels.
Open the background.jpg and header.jpg images in Photoshop and go to Edit > Define Pattern. You will create two patterns which you will use in this tutorial.
After you have the two patterns ready you can close the images, and you will need to select Paint Bucket Tool. Be sure you have the right pattern selected

Click one time inside the document. Your document will be filled with this nice wood texture.

Create a new layer (press on CTRL+SHIFT+ALT+N), and then with Rectangular Marquee Tool create a selection with the following size:

960 pixels is the width of the document, and the 178 pixel value is the height of the header.jpg image. This is my selection

Grab Paint Bucket Tool, and choose the other pattern you just created from the heade.jpg image. Press one time inside your selection, and then press on CTRL+D to deselect

Create a new layer (press CTRL+SHIFT+ALT+N) and with Brush Tool (select a smooth round brush) add some drawings

Change the blending mode for this layer to Soft Light. This is my result.

Open the logo.jpg image inside this document, and place it like in the following image

Duplicate these images one time (select the layer and then press on CTRL+J to duplicate). Move the duplicated image to the right side of the layout, and then press on CTRL+T. With Move Tool change the look of the shape by moving the anchor points

Here we will place some icons. These icons will be available tomorrow on Grafpedia

Please note: the blending mode for these layers are changed to multiply.
In the middle of the layout I will place some round shapes. I will use the Ellipse Tool to create them.

For all these round shapes I will add the following layer styles.

Click on the following image to see the full size layout

I will fill these shapes with some images from my latest VIP packages

I will select Rounded Rectangle Tool, and I will create a shape under these circles. I will use the following color: #fff3dc

I will right click on the layer and I will choose Rasterize layer

I will select Elliptical Marquee Tool, and I will create a small selection like in the following image

Press on Delete on your keyboard. Move the selection to the right several times and repeat the steps. This is what I am trying to achieve. A sort of spiral notebook paper

I will go to Edit > Transform > Warp and I will move the bottom right corner to the middle of the shape

Warp tool is available from version CS2 of Photoshop. For this shape please a drop shadow

This is the result

Select Line Tool, and draw some horizontal lines. When you select Line Tool be sure you have the line weight set to 1 pixel.

Select all line layers and then press on CTRL+E (this action will merge all the layers into a single one)
Change the blending mode to Luminosity, and the opacity value to 20 %.

Select Eraser Tool, and with a grunge brush delete some parts of the lines. You can find some good brushes loaded with Photoshop (Faux Finish brushes). This is my result so far

I will create some buttons on the top of the layout. The buttons was made using Rounded Rectangle Tool. Then I will cut the bottom part of the shape. This is very simple task, and I am
sure any novice Photoshop user can complete this step alone. In case you have trouble please let me know.

I will write now some text with Horizontal Type Tool. Please click on the following image to see the full size layout.

My last step is to create some arrows near the slide show. I will use Custom shape tool, and I will choose an Arrow from the default set of custom shapes. I will add a simple layer style
with a gradient and a 1 pixel stroke.

This is my final result. Please click on the following image to see the full size layout

How to Create a Unique Wordpress Theme

Create a new document (press CTRL+N) or go to File > New. Use the following values.

Change your foreground color to #232323 and with Paint Bucket Tool press one time over your canvas.
Next step is to add some noise for this background. You can add noise if you go to Filter > Noise > Add noise

On top of the website I will place a shape with Rectangle Tool. It doesn’t matter the color right now.

I will create a new document and with Pencil Tool (set the brush size to 1 pixel) I will make the following drawing. Please note this image is zoomed to 1600 %.

The normal size is:

Please note that you can create this triangle also with Pen Tool.
From this triangle I will create a pattern. To create a pattern first you need to go to Edit > define pattern. Choose a name for this pattern and click on OK. You can now close this small document. On our layout please create a selection at the bottom of the orange shape.

Create a new layer (press on CTRL+SHIFT+ALT+N), and be sure you have the new layer selected. With Paint Bucket Tool fill the selection. Please choose the pattern you just created a few steps ago.

Here is my result. If your selection is too big you will have the following result.

We will fix this problem in my next step. Be sure you have the layer with triangles selected, and then with Rectangular Marquee Tool make a selection like mine.

Hit the Delete key from your keyboard. In the same way you can create a selection on the top. Here is my result

With Move Tool I will place this layer near the orange shape

I will select both layers in my layer palette (the layer with triangles and the big orange shape) and then I will press on CTRL+E. This shortcut will merge both layers into a single one, and it will allow me to work further on the layout. For the new layer I will add the following layer styles

This is my result

On the bottom of the layout I will create a shape with Rectangle Tool

I will create another layer, and then with Rectangular Marquee Tool I will make a selection on top of this shape. I will add the same pattern but this time. I will use the same color I have used for the big shape.

With Eraser Tool I will delete the left side

I will duplicate this shape (select the layer and then press on CTRL+J) to duplicate a layer. The next step is to go to Edit > Transform > Rotate 180
With Move Tool place the layer on the bottom of the shape like in the following image.

Select all three layers on your layer palette, and then press on CTRL+E. The next step is to add a layer style

Hold down the CTRL key and with your mouse pointer click on the layer thumbnail.

You will see that a selection will become active around the shape. Select Rectangular Marquee Tool, and hold down the ALT key
When you hold down the ALT key you will activate subtract from selection feature. Make a selection around the left side of the selection. After you release the mouse button you will have the following selection.

With this selection active create a new layer (press on CTRL+SHIFT+ALT+N) and then with Paint Bucket Tool fill the selection with a random color. I have used #b2a891. Press on CTRL+D to deselect. This is my result.

Create another shape with Rectangle Tool

With Pen Tool I will create another shape

With the same tool I will create also some sort of shadow for this shape.

Between the header and the body of this layout I will create other shapes. Please click on image to see full size image

I will add some images in the white area. The images are from my last tutorials.

On the left side I will add a button

The same I will add on the right side. I will not explain one more time how this button was made. You have the steps above.
Now I will add some text and images on the layout. Please click on the image to see the full size layout.

With Line Tool I will add some details. I will create two lines both with a weight of 1 pixel. The top line will have a white color and the bottom line will have a dark color.

I will create a new layer above all layers, and with Brush Tool I will make a drawing

I will change the blending mode for this layer to Soft Light. This is my final result. Click on the image to see the full size layout

If you are a VIP member you can download this set of 27.000 Photoshop Gradients. It will allow you to change the color of this layout in seconds. Here are other color variations