Creating a 3D Illustration, 1 of 3

I was recently asked to create a quick, 3D-looking concept rendering of a haunted library. I wasn’t given much time, so I had to dip into my Photoshop bag of tricks and find something that would give me that 3D, CG look I was after without taking the time needed to actually create the illustration in a 3D program. I discovered I could do a lot just using shapes and layer styles. I added some patterns for texture, created a custom pattern for the floor, a few gradients and brush strokes for lighting effects, and voila, a fairly decent concept rendering of a haunted library.There’s no end to the detail you can put into an illustration like this. In this three-part series, I will walk you through tools and techniques you need to create the major elements and effects in the illustration. Then, with a little imagination and experimentation, you can add as much detail as you like. Here is what you will learn in each part of the tutorial.

• Part 1 – Create the bookshelves and fireplace using the Shape Tools and Layer Styles.
• Part 2 – Create the floor and add texture to the fireplace using custom patterns and Pattern fill layers.
• Part 3 – Use gradients and brushes to create the illusion of illumination, making the illustration look more natural and adding a sense of drama.

For those who are new to shape layers, they are created using the shape tools, which are located with the vector tools about half way down the toolbox. These tools are used to create shape layers. Each shape layer consists of a Solid Color fill layer and a vector mask. Vector masks use paths to reveal or hide the fill layer. Layer Stylesare used to add cool effects, such as bevels and drop shadows, to objects. The Layer Styles menu is accessed by clicking on the f button at the bottom of the Layers palette.

(Note: When key commands are given, the Mac command will be given first followed by the Windows command. For example Command/Ctrl-R indicates that for the Mac you would press Command-R and for the Windows Control-R)

Setting up the Document

Refer to The Image Above while performing the following five steps.

STEP 1

Make a new document 5″x7″, 150ppi, CMYK (you can use RGB if you prefer).

STEP 2

To help set the color tone for the illustration, fill the white background layer with a dark tan (I used C-9%, M-34%, Y-68%, K-2%).

STEP 3

Set guides to define the position of the bookcases, width of the fireplace, and the height of the wall. To set guides, show rulers (Command/Ctrl-R), click on the vertical ruler and, using the top ruler as a reference, drag a guide out. Place it at about 0.75″. Place another guide at 3.5″.

STEP 4

From the horizontal ruler at the top of the image window drag two guides down. Place one at 3″ and another at 5″.

STEP 5

Go to View>Snap and make sure Snap is checked. From the Snap To (directly below Snap) dropdown menu select Guides.

Tip: From time to time you may wish to hide the guides to better see the results of your work. Press Command/Ctrl-; (semi-colon) to hide or show guides. I will show or hide guides in the figures depending on whether or not I think they are helpful or distracting.

Make the Wall and Bookcases

STEP 1

Option/Alt-click on the Create a new group button at the bottom of the Layers palette. Name the new group WALL/SHELVES.

STEP 2

Select the Rectangle Tool. Choose Shape Layers in the options bar.

STEP 3

Choose a medium brown foreground color (I used C-28%, M-66%, Y-91%, K-16%). To create the first shape, drag from the upper left corner down to the 5″ horizontal guide and across to the right edge of the image window. It may help to open the image window slightly and begin and end the drag slight outside the image area. Rename this shape layer wall.

STEP 4

Make another group named RIGHT BOOKCASE. This group should be above wall and within the group WALL/SHELVES.

STEP 5

Temporarily hide wall. With the Rectangle Tool and the same foreground color as wall, click just outside the upper right corner of the image and drag to the first vertical guide and down to the lower of the two horizontal guides.

STEP 6

In the options bar, choose Exclude overlapping shape areas and temporarily uncheck Snap (under View in the main menu). Make another rectangle inside the first one so you end up with something resembling a picture frame. Rename the layer bookcase.

STEP 7

Use the Path Selection Tool (the black arrow) to select both paths (press Shift to make multiple selections). Use the Align buttons in the options bar to center the rectangles vertically and horizontally.

STEP 8

With the bookcase’s vector mask still active, choose Add to shape layer from the options bar. Draw a narrow horizontal rectangle about 0.75″ from the top of the shape. This is the first shelf. With that path still active select the Path Selection Tool. Click on the path and press Option/Alt to duplicate the path. Press Shift to keep the copy from moving to the left or right. Drag down about an inch. This will copy the path and create another shelf. Repeat this four times, giving you a total of five shelves.

STEP 9

Select all of the shelves and click Distribute vertical centers in the options bar Click the vector mask preview in the Layers palette to deactivate the paths and see what the shelves look like.

STEP 10

Click the Add a layer style button at the bottom of the Layers palette and select Bevel and Emboss. Set the parameters as follows: Style – Inner Bevel, Technique – Hard Chisel, Depth – 101%, Size – 24px, Soften – 2px. In the Shading pane, uncheck Use Global Light. We want the light to appear to come from the wall lamps (sconces) that will flank the mirror. This means we will need to manually set the light source, controlled by the Angle and Altitude settings, to get the effect we want. To set the light source, click on the small crosshairs inside the circle between Angle and Altitude and drag it to the approximate position of where the wall sconces will be. Later you will set the light source by entering numbers in the Angle and Altitude fields. Change the highlight mode color to a light, slightly orange yellow and the shadow mode color to dark brown.

STEP 11

Change the foreground color to black and make a rectangular shape on a new layer the same size as the bookcase. Place it below bookcase. Save your document.

You now have one completed bookcase (sans books). To make the other bookcase, simply click on the group RIGHT BOOKCASE and drag it to the Create a new layer button at the bottom of the Layers palette. Use the Move Tool to drag the new group to left. Rename the new group LEFT BOOKCASE. Change the light source in the Bevel and Emboss dialog to make it appear the light is from the right rather than the left.

Construct the Fireplace – Create the Main Elements of the Mantel

Refer to The Image Above for the next seven steps.

STEP 1

Close the group WALL/SHELVES and make a new group named FIREPLACE. Recheck Snap and press Command/Ctrl-; (semi-colon) to show guides.

STEP 2

To create the mantel select the Rectangle Tool and make a new shape about 0.25″ high and the width of the space between the bookcases. The top of the shape should be at the horizontal guide 3 inches from the top. To add richness, choose a slightly darker brown. Name the layer mantel.

STEP 3

Add a Bevel and Emboss layer style with the parameters set as follows: Style – Inner Bevel, Technique – Chisel Hard, Depth – 181px, Size – 8px, Soften – 1px, Angle – 90º, Altitude – 10º. The highlight and shadow colors can remain yellow and dark brown. Three-dimensionality is all about light and shadow. For an object to have volume, it must cast a shadow. Before closing the Layer Style dialog, click on Drop Shadow. Make the Opacity 75%, the Distance – 3px, Spread – 0px, and Size – 5px. Click OK.

STEP 4

Make another rectangular shape layer about 0.125″ high and about 0.25″ or so less wide than the mantel. Nudge the shape right up to the bottom of the mantel. In the Layers palette drag the new layer below mantel. Name the new layer large molding. The same layer styles used on mantel should have been automatically applied to the new layer. If not, add them.

STEP 5

Duplicate large molding (Command/Ctrl-J). Use the Move Tool to move the shape down so the top of the shape butts against the bottom of the original layer large molding. Rename the copy layer small molding.

STEP 6

Choose the Direct Selection Tool (the white arrow) and click on the bottom segment of the path on the layer small molding. Press the Shift key and drag the segment up until the shape is about half as high as large molding.

STEP 7

Click on the vector mask preview of small molding to deselect the path. To center the three elements of the mantel, highlight the layer mantel then press Shift and click on large molding and small molding in the Layers palette. Click Align horizontal centers in the option bar to center the three shapes on each other.

Add Detail to the Molding

Refer to The Image Above for the next six steps.

STEP 1

Click on the vector mask preview of large molding to activate the path. Select the Rectangle Tool and choose Exclude overlapping shape areas from the options bar.

STEP 2

Start about 0.25″ from the left edge of the original path and make a rectangle about 0.125″ wide. The rectangle should either be exactly the same as the original path or extend slightly above and below the original path. The layers above will hide any overlaps. Press Option/Alt +Shift to copy the rectangle and move it to the right about 0.25″. Repeat this until you have 12 rectangles “cutting holes” in the original shape.

STEP 3

Choose the Path Selection Tool. Press Shift and click on each of the new paths until they are all selected. Click Distribute horizontal centers in the options bar.

STEP 4

With the new paths still selected, use the arrows on your keyboard to visually center the new paths within the original path. (If you were to select the original path at the same time as the new paths and then press Distribute horizontal centers, you would end up with one piece in the center that is larger than the others).

STEP 5

The light source should be from directly above. If it is not, open the Bevel and Emboss dialog and change the Angle and Altitude settings.

STEP 6

Make a black shape the same size as large molding and place it at the bottom of the mantel stack. Name it mantel shadow. Eliminate the layer style by clicking on the word Effect and dragging it to the trash at the bottom of the Layers Palette.

Make the Columns

As with the bookcases, you will first make the right column then copy it, move it to the left and change the Angle and Altitude settings in the Bevel and Emboss dialog. Refer to The Image Above as you do the following steps.

STEP 1

Make a new group named RIGHT COLUMN. Place it below the mantel layers within the FIREPLACE group.

STEP 2

With the Rectangle Tool, choose Create new shape layer in the options bar, and create a new shape about 0.4″ wide extending from the top of small molding to the bottom of the wall. Name the layer column. Set the Bevel and Emboss parameters as follows: Depth – 141%, Size – 6px, Soften – 1px, Angle – 117º, and Altitude 30º. Uncheck Use Global Light. In the Drop Shadow Structure pane make the Opacity about 60%, the Angle 117º and uncheck Use Global Light.

STEP 3

To make the base of the column, change the radius of the Rounded Rectangle Tool to 55px in the options bar. Make a new shape about 0.5″ wide and 0.15″ high. Center the shape on column and have it overlap the bottom of column so it straddles the line between the base of column and the area that will be the floor. Name this layer base. Set the Bevel and Emboss parameters as follows: Style – Inner Bevel, Technique – Chisel Soft, Depth – 321%, Direction – Up, Size – 54px, Soften – 8px, Angle – 82º, Altitude – 53º, Highlight Mode Opacity – 61%, Shadow Mode Opacity – 75%.

STEP 4

Select the Rounded Rectangle Tool. Set the Radius in the options bar to 25px. Start just below small molding and drag down ending just above base. Make the path about 0.05″ wide.

STEP 5

Use the Path Selection Tool and the Option/Alt key to duplicate this path twice. Select all three paths and click Distribute horizontal centers in the options bar. Name this layer grooves.

STEP 6

Grooves should not have a drop shadow. To create the illusion that these are carved into the column rather than protrude out, open the Bevel and Emboss dialog, uncheck Use Global Light and set the Angle to -20º and the Altitude to 26º.

STEP 7

Duplicate the group RIGHT COLUMN and move it into position on the left side of the fireplace. Rename it LEFT COLUMN. Reverse the light Angle in the Bevel and Emboss dialogs for column and grooves to make it appear the light source is from the right and above.

STEP 8

Choose a deep red color and, with the Rectangle Tool, make a new shape below the group RIGHT COLUMN slightly larger than the space between the columns and the molding. Name this layer surround. Select Exclude overlapping shape areas in the options bar to create the fireplace opening.

STEP 9

Create a black rectangular shape a little larger than the opening in surround. Name this layer firebox and place it below surround in the layer stack.

Now, using what you have learned so far, create the panel above the fireplace, the mirror, the wall sconces and the curtain. The sconces may look complicated, but they are really just a bunch of ellipse and rectangular shapes. The tricky part may be getting the lighting to look right. This may take some experimentation. Try different settings for Depth, Angle and Altitude, and opacity of the highlight mode. I tried to make it look like the lower elements of the sconce were being shaded by the first, larger piece of molding and actually being lit from below by light reflected off the mantel. The curtain is easy. It was created using the Pen Tool with Shape layers selected in the options bar. Start and end the path for the curtain beyond the sides and top of the image window so the bevel will only appear along the bottom and the curtain will appear to extend beyond the frame.

In Part Two, you will learn some of my favorite tricks – creating custom patterns and using Pattern fill layers. You’ll be amazed how easy it is to create the appearance of an intricately tiled floor.Daniel Sorenson is an award winning print and motion graphics designer, author, lecturer, and educator. With over 15 years experience in entertainment marketing and advertising he has worked on many high profile campaigns with some of the industries biggest players. His list of clients include FOX Sports, FX Networks, CBS, Universal Television, CNN, TNT, Twentieth Century Fox, Disney, Warner Brothers and Sony Pictures Entertainment.