I recently did an artwork where I was re-creating a desk feel. It was filled with all sorts of objects you would find strewn across a desk. In this tutorial I will be re-creating them so you can design your very own desks.
Preface
OK, so obviously a desk will be filled with whatever you require. There are unlimited variations, so today I’ll be showing you a few effects to get you started:
This should surely get you started on your desk interface. Bear in mind, this is from a birds eye point of view, not a 3D, with the light source coming from 120º (top left).
As a background image to start with, you will need a relatively big wood texture. For this one, Banxter has kindly provided this perfect wood texture for us.
Torn Paper Notes
The torn paper effect originally came from another tutorial I was reading, but I found it to look inauthentic, so created a smoother and faster method. Here are the steps to follow:
Step 1
First some patterns we will be using.
Paper Texture
- Fill a 150×150px new document with a neutral grey, around #bfbfbf.
- Apply some really light noise ( Filter> Noise> Add Noise) to the layer, with these settings: Amount: 2.5%; Distribution: Uniform; Monochromatic: Selected
- To turn it into a pattern, click (Edit> Define Pattern) and call it ‘page texture‘ or whatever else you deem suitable.
Paper Lines
- Create a new document with the dimensions of 1×18 pixels (the height is whatever line height you want for the text).
- Using the Pencil tool (B) on 1px with the colour light blue (this will be the colour of the lines, so pick whatever colour the lines are in your notebook. I used #1a438d), click the very bottom pixel so a dot appears.
- Define this as a pattern too, name it something like ‘paper lines’.
Step 2
So now you have these 2 patterns, it’s time to make our paper. Fill a selection with the paper texture we made. Add a light Gradient Overlay, from white to very light grey, and lower the Opacity to about 70% so it is still bright white, but you can notice the page texture. Add a Pattern Overlay using the ‘paper lines’ pattern we made earlier. Lower the Opacity a little till it looks realistic. Finally, add some shadow. Our Light Source is coming from 120º (top/left). Add a Drop Shadow that is only 50% Opacity.
Step 3
Now to make our paper look torn. Select the Lasso Tool (L), and zoom in. Run up and down roughly with the Lasso Tool all the way around the edge of the paper. Once you reach the end, double up and go all the way back around the outside in a large circle. press delete, so the edge now looks rough.
Step 4 (optional)
Zoom in super close this time, and select a 3px Smudge Tool (R), strength 70%. Go all around the edges and smudge away from the paper so it creates the torn effect.
Doodles
This effect is really easy to pull off, and looks great if you get the right colours and density.
The brush
We use a 1px Brush (B) with an Opacity of about <em>70%. You can use any colour you want, but I used: #234b94 or #942323 or #4b4242.
The drawing
There isn’t any trick to this… If you have a tablet this step is a whole lot easier. I use a trackpad for this, and hold one finger on the click and my drawing hand’s index finger to draw on the trackpad. Just, well, doodle. This part of the tutorial is the creative part. The picture above is what I came up with. On top of doodling, you can use some text in a handwritten-style font if you want.
Scratches
Next we’ll emulate the look of graffiti scratched into a hard surface. This technique isn’t restricted to wooden backgrounds!
Step 1
Draw your text in white or write it using an appropriate font. Set the Blending Mode on your scratchy layer(s) to ‘Soft Light‘.
Step 2 (see final example above)
Duplicate the layer(s), and Invert (CTRL+I) their colour to black. Move your second layer up and left 1px or 2px if you want a deeper scratch.
Polaroids
Polaroids are a great way to show off work, but more interesting than just a thumbnail. They are just as easy to make as well!
Step 1
