100 Styles 20 - Shadowy Creatures - Shadow

Shadow effect (Click the image to see it bigger)

A simple name, and some simple layer styles, but what really makes this effect are a couple of Smart Objects. Read on for info on how I created this shapeshifting shadow, as well as to be able to download the PSD file (just a style file doesn't really cut it for this effect).

100 Styles 6 - Gradients - Ball

3D ball effect created using the gradient overlay effect (Click the image to see it bigger)

This week I'm going to try and answer the question "In how many places can gradients be used in Photoshop Layer Styles?". Though to make it more interesting I'm off course not just going to do it as a list, but try to find more interesting effects than that. Because of that this is probably not going to be the best place to learn the basics of gradients in Photoshop as I intend to try and experiment to do things I didn't know about before. (That said, I'll try to explain things where I can so everyone can at least reproduce the effect, and hopefully learn something in the process as well.) Starting off the week is a way to make a simple circle look like a ball, just using the Gradient Overlay effect (and a stroke around it, but that's just icing on the cake).

Experiment 126: Dancing petals

Created in Photoshop CS4 Extended

Another "happy accident", or perhaps not all that accidental, a lot of fun experimenting before I got to this though. (If anyone is interested I can provide a bit more detailed description ;-) )

Experiment 123: Bright memories of the future

A digital photograph enhanced with the help of Photoshop CS4 and a Wacom Intuos 3

It's been a while since the last experiment, but this is just the first of several images of a bit larger experiment... There's more to come in other words. And just to clarify, the image is not only an experiment in itself, but the subject matter is a bit of experimenting for the future...

Experiment 122: Desert sun

Created in Artrage 2.5 using a Wacom Intuos 3

Playing around a bit in Artrage. Inspired by a tutorial on the Artrage forums.

Experiment 114: Carrot motorcycle

Created in Adobe Photoshop CS4 Extended using a Wacom Intuos, a scanner and a carrot

I was a bit bored and wanted to play around a bit in Photoshop so I asked a friend to say three words, the words were carrot, motorcycle and monotone and that got me inspired enough to end up with the above image.

Experiment 111: Inner light

Created in Artrage 2.5.20 using a Wacom Intuos 3

Just playing around a little, I liked it enough to keep it though and thought I'd "show it to the world" here. There's something about these kind of caves with light in the end of the tunnel :-) I'll not be surprised if I'll make more on that theme.

Day 84: Interstellar flight

Created in Photoshop CS3 using a Wacom Intuos 3

Playing with some "fractal brushes" today too, it's great fun so I'd not be surprised if that happens again.

Day 83: Futuristic fractals

Created in Photoshop CS3 Extended using a Wacom Intuos 3

I read a tutorial somewhere about making brushes from fractals generated by the program Apophysis (http://www.apophysis.org/ ) and got inspired and ended up with this. While there are several things I'd like to do better another time I'm really happy with the way it turned out.