From New to Old: Part Two of the Off the Chain Tutorial *Winner Update
This tutorial represents the second installment of a tutorial over at our friends PSDTUTSPLUS! In part one, we learned how to create this shiny chain from scratch in Photoshop. In this tutorial we’ll take that shiny new chain and weather, distress, and age it using layer styles, textures, and lighting effects to create our final result.
As a bonus, one lucky person will win a free Premium Membership to PSDTUTSPLUS by commenting on this tutorial!
And the Winner is
Rick – Congrats!
Now, back to the show…
So let’s get started!
Step 1
Download this zip file. Contained within this file are the four files:
- chain.psd – a half-sized and flattened version of the PSDTUTS final product.
- rustpattern.png – a tile able pattern
- rust.,jpg – a rust texture image from ZENTEXTURES
- chain-final.psd – end result from this tutorial.
Open “chain.psd” and “rust.jpg” and leave “rustpattern.png” for later in the tutorial.
Step 2
First we want to desatureate rust.jpg by pressing Cmd/Ctrl+U and moving the Saturation slider all the way to the left.
Step 3
Drag rust.jpg into “chain.psd”, move it to the top most layer and name it, “top”.
Step 4
Change the “top” layer’s “Blend Mode” to “Overlay”
Step 5
Create 3 new layers and name them, “fx base”, ” fx top” and “fx bottom”
and move each one to just above it’s link counterpart as seen below.
Step 6
Select the “fx base” layer and Cmd/Ctrl-click on “base link” to get a selection.
Step 7
Change your foreground color to “333333″, fill the selection by pressing Opt/Alt+Del/Backspace and change this layer’s Blend Mode to “Multiply”.
Step 8
Repeat this process with “fx top” and “fx bottom”. For layer “fx top”, Cmd/Ctrl-click on “top link”, fill with gray and change the Blend Mode to “Multiply”. Now do the same for “fx bottom”.
Step 9
Let’s go back to layer, “top” and turn the “Blend Mode” back to normal.
What we’re going to do next is create a new “Channel” to use as a “bump map” for our Lighting Effects. We’ll get to that in a moment but first, open your “Channels” by going to Window > Channels.
Step 10
Right-click any of the Red, Green or Blue Channels. and select, “Duplicate Channel…”. Name this new channel, “bump” and click back on the “RGB” channel.
Step 11
Turn the “top” layer’s Blend Mode back to “Overlay”
Step 12
Select the “fx base” layer and go to Filter > Render > Lighting Effects
Step 13
Change the “texture Channel to “bump” and rotate your lighting to match the image below. (It doesn’t have to be perfect, just make sure the light source is coming from the top left) Click, “Ok”.
Step 14
Select “fx top” and hit Cmd/Ctrl+F (repeat last filter) and do the same for “fx bottom”.
Step 15
Next we’re going to create a texture pattern to give our chain some real depth. Open the third and final file of the previously downloaded zip file, “rustpattern.png”
Step 16
Press Cmd/Ctrl+A to select all and go to Edit > Define Pattern… and press “Ok”.
Step 17
We’ll go back to our “chain.psd” and select the “fx base” layer. Apply a “Bevel and Emboss” by Double-clicking on the “fx” icon at the bottom of your layers palette, or going to Layer > Layer Style > Bevel and Emboss…
Step 18
Change the settings in the Bevel and Emboss dialog box to match the image below.
Step 19
Select the “Texture” box and change the Scale to “30″, “Depth” to “9″, and in the “Pattern:” drop-down select the pattern we created in step 16. Leave the Layers Style dialog box open and move on to the next step.
Step 20
In the Layer Style dialog box click on “Color Overlay” and chance the “Blend Mode” to “Linear Dodge (Add)” and change the color to “864719″.
Step 21
The final Layer Style will be “Inner Glow” change these settings to match the image below with a color of “573f29″ Now we can click “OK” and close Layer Styles
Step 22
Apply this Layer Style to “fx top” and fx bottom” by right-clicking on “fx base” and selecting “Copy Layer Style”
Step 23
Now paste this layer style on the other 2 layers by right-clicking and choosing “Paste layer Style”
Step 24
Create a new layer above “fx base” layer as seen below and name it “shadows”. Press Cmd/Ctrl+Click on the “fx base” shape layer to get a selection.
Step 25
Press Shift+M until we have our “Elliptical Marquee Tool”. We want to subtract a portion of this selection. Press and hold Opt/Alt. We can see that the minus sign is visible which tells us we’re going to subtract from this selection. Now simply drag your marquee on both sides of our original selection to subtract it from either side until you end up with a selection looking like the image below.
Step 26
Press Shift+F6 or go to Select > Modify > Feather and feather our selection by 15 pixels.
Step 27
To fill our feathered selection with black press “D” to get our foreground and background to their default state. Then press Opt/Alt+Delete/Backspace to fill with background, and deselect by pressing Cmd/Ctrl+D.
Step 28
With the “shadows” layer selected, Cmd/Ctrl-click on the “fx base” layer to make a selection. Then go to Layer > Layer Mask > Reveal All to create a mask layer.
Step 29
Fill the mask by pressing Cmd/Ctrl+Del/Backspace to fill with background, Cmd/Ctrl+I to invert, and then Cmd/Ctrl+D to deselect.
Step 30
Change the Blend Mode to “Overlay”.
Conclusion
Click here to see the final result!
If you liked this tutorial, head over to PSDTUTSPLUS and check out part one where you will create the shiny chain elements that we started off with in this tutorial. An extensive tutorial employing several different styles and techniques that you’ll be able to use in other designs you create!
Contest Info:
- One lucky person will win a Premium 6-Month Membership to PSDTUTSPLUS!
- Just post a comment about this tutorial below
- Contest ends on Monday December 7th (5pm EST).
Sources
The “rust.jpg” image comes from ZENTEXTURES and “rustpattern.png” was created from this texture as well.
Further Reading
Check out this other great tutorial over at Fuel Your Interface, “How To Use Textures (Better Than You Used To)”
Grab the Feed
Fantastic!
Nice!This tut rocks. Heading over to check out part 1
Thanks for this great tut!!!
I have to say, see when you view the original chain and then the re-done one, It actually looks real.
Thanks for the tuts, very smooth :)
Regards
Craig
Great Tutorial, but I guess I like the shiny version more :)
Love the work – there’s a great depth to creating the chain and then adding the rust, great depth and so well presented. Thanks!
I thought this was a great idea of taking one resource and transforming it into a second useful file.
Awesome! The tutorial is worthy to read. I consider myself as a photoshop amateur, but I love to make all kinds of things with it, pleasing myself with success overcoming something. This tutorial, along with the first part, provided me with some difficulties, but after finishing it, it was such a delight to make a surreal chain. :)
Very nice results! I like this sort of alliance between psdtuts+ and Fuel you Creativy, it makes us to feel that we’ll get even higher quality tutorials from now on.
Just when I was in need for something like this chain. Thanks!
I’m a big fan of psdtuts+ and this is my first time at Fuel Your Creativity. I look forward to more collaboration between the two.
Link from step 1 is broken. Great tutorial!
Thanks for letting us know, the link has been fixed!
Now, there’s a wiinner! Hehe
I like the tutorial anyway. Thanks for sharing Fuel!!
These chains look sweet :D Hooray :D
Cool Stuff! Final product looks great!
The overall effect is great. And clever to modify the original shiny version. One suggestion: I would make the rust texture “spill” over the edges to make them rough.
Nice tutorial, it looks pretty realistic!
Cool . I would i have some of the steel somewhere. but thats me . Awesome tut one up on the previous one.
the result could have been more realistic, though a nice rusty chain tut!!
Great tutorial, love the rust effect!
Nicely done!
Nice tutorial! love it :)
Nice tut, looks like an original chain. More of this…
Greets from germany
I just want to say that I’m really grateful to you for this Amazing Tutorial, ’cause I’ve learned again something new with this fantastic Program, but the best part was, that your explaining was so full of details, and I clearly followed all and really learned,I’ve got it!!! This Chrome effect to the chain, simply blows me away, I don’t mind if I’ll win this price or not, but what’s important to me is that I’m really grateful and appreciate any time that some guys, like you, post something awesome like this Tutz. Thanks again man and go ahead anytime with this, I’m your best fan.
Thanks
goozer71
Nice article.
The main problem here is that, ok, you are saying “how to” but not “why so ?”.
So I am actually not learning much.
For instance : “First we want to desatureate” … ok, let’s do it ! But why ? Why desaturate ? What the point of doing so ? I don’t know why I am doing that ? Am I learning something when I don’t know why I am doing what I am doing ? Will I able to reproduce the same stuff in another environment ? NO !
or ” STEP 4 : Change the “top” layer’s “Blend Mode” to “Overlay” ”
Would it cost so much more to add a little “so that ” or “in order to …”
This will help me understand the process and the what & why behind the steps and in the manipulation I am doing.
Without such explanations, there is no learning possible in any tutorial, and here, I am afraid we are seeing this kind of failure.
Still, please, don’t get me wrong, advance PS users will probably grab something from this article and the overall result is really good, but there is no learning.
Hi Roni,
Sorry you didn’t find the tutorial very useful. However, the tutorial was how to take the new chain and make it old, and not a, “How Photoshop Bend Modes and Layer Effects Work.” Maybe I’ll write that tutorial as well.
The idea behind the tutorial was to teach what is possible and not why it’s possible, thus the title.
Photoshops’ tools are like chameleons. Take Drop Shadow for an example. The name paints a pretty clear picture in your head of what the filters result will be. But make the drop shadow a lighter color instead of dark and you get a highlight. Looking almost like what you’re applying it to is being pushed in and not hovering above.
There are “intended” uses and then there are not traditional, “experimental” uses of many of Photoshops tools. None of which are right or wrong. We learn from experimenting, pushing boundaries, and failing. You will actually learn less if everything is handed to you.
Hey Jeff,
thanks for your reply.
The article is interesting, don’t get my wrong.
But if I redo it at home,( I yet haven’t had time, but I will ), I am not sure I’ll be able to re-use the same tool, if needed some kind of similar effect in another project, as I don’t get the underlying idea of this or that manipulation. This might be really personal.
I agree 100% with you on “take all and learn less” that’s why I like to understand why I do what I do – Use this tool here and click here than click there – :)
Still, no worries, I’ll continue to follow your articles with great pleasure. :)
So many ways to go with this one! I’m going to use some of these techniques on a photo of a carabiner for a climbing post I’m doing. Thanks – Cheers – Mal
Very nice tutorial. Fuel for thought! ;)
Wow! Great techniques and thorough instructions. I’m a Photoshop amateur trying to learn to make my own digital scrapbook elements so this is much more helpful to me than showing me how to manipulate a photograph. Thanks again. I’ll be following this website from now on.
i know you are giong to let me win the free membership , because you are generous and beacause this tut was uncrideble, fantastic , great , amazing , useful , awsome , nice , cool and all good things but let me win….hehehe
Awesome tutorial =)
Our best friend, The Magician, Photoshop cutting off chains….
Nice tutorial…
It´s Awesome what Blending Options can do. Can you imagine how many time I could spend trying to paint something like this Chain?
Thnks for the leason.
By the way, Free Premium Membership?
Man that was cool! I use gimp, but was able to duplicate what you did. I sure learned a lot!.
Really great tutorial and thanks very much for the contest too.
I used this tutorial for a school project and it was a big hit! Thanks!
I loved both tutorials, so thank you! Very easy to follow and the results came out really well!
I must say I am finding these tutorials usefull as I’m finding tools and effects I did not know were there. Thanks!
Thanks for the tutorial.
Great tutorials, thank you. For sure will try to implement the ideas in future. Everything’s clear and easy.
Great tutorials, thank you. You are awesome
Cool tut! This will come in handy for some of the things I am doing. Thank you so much!
Su
Very realistic! Great job
Very nice tut. I had already bookmarked part 1 and will do the same with part 2!
Congratulations Rick!!!
I depend on free tuts…
I’m a freelance w no degree. I have no plans or needs of paying for a diploma when quality tutorials like this are available for free. I can not thank you enough!
My pleasure Robot! …ok that just sounded weird!
Thanks so much for taking the time to put this tutorial out there; I’m also self-taught and couldn’t do most of my work without these types of tutorials.
The organization that I work with just built a museum chronicling the history of slavery in Florida, and I used this to create all of the promotional materials. Thought I would share.
http://assets.theatlantic.com/static/mt/assets/food/estabrook_museum_3-2_post_Julia%20Perkins.jpg