Home Photoshop Drawing Techniques How to Draw Globe Icon Using Photoshop

How to Draw Globe Icon Using Photoshop

Added: Dec 15, 2010 Level: Beginner Software: Photoshop

Step 1: Create a 3D Ball

Our first step is creating a 3D ball. Let's start by creating a new file with size 512x512 px. Draw a circle on its center. You can see any color you want, it doesn't matter. We will change it using layer styles.

Step 2

Double click layer shape to open Layer Style dialog box. Add Inner Shadow, Outer Glow, Inner Glow, and Gradient Overlay.

Step 3

I believe we will have this result.

Step 4

Ctrl-click circle shape to create selection based on its shape. Create new layer and paint lower part of the ball with black. Use a very big and soft brush, hardness: 0%.

Step 5

Create new layer and draw a radial gradient from white to transparent.

Step 6

Create an elliptical shape, reduce its Fill to 0%. Add layer style Gradient Overlay from white to transparent and set its blend mode to Screen. This will add a highlight to the ball.

Step 7: Adding World Map

We're done with the 3D ball. Now, we need to add the continent map. Drawing this manually takes more time and skill. So, we'll use a nice free vector stock from Vector Open Stock. You can download the stock from Vecteezy. Open the file in Illustrator. We will use vector map from bottom right artwork.

Step 8

Double click shape. Select the dots shape and delete it. This will left us with the map only.

Step 9

Select the continent maps and hit Ctrl + C to copy it.

Step 10

Paste the vector map to Photoshop (Ctrl + V). Click Add Adjustment Layer icon and select Solid Color. Use #005d2c for its color. Copy path from our first circle and paste it onto the map. Select Intersect from option bar.

Step 11

Add Gradient Overlay with this settings.

Step 12

Let's duplicate continent map layer shape. Change its color to lighter green. Select all continents path, without selecting the circle path, and move it 5 pixel up and 5 pixels left. Next, select circle path only and resize it to 101%. This will add extra tickness to the continent and make it not so flat.

Step 13

This is our globe so far. There's something wrong with its perspective. If you notice the emboss effect on the continents, it seems flat.

Step 14

Activate lower continent map. Select some of the points using Direct Selection Tool and move them until we have correct perspective. You can see the difference before and after moving some of the points.

Step 15

Activate topmost continent map and add layer style Gradient Overlay.

Step 16

Ctrl-click its thumbnail layer and create new layer.

Step 17

Paint outer part of the selection with black. Use big and soft brush (Hardness: 0%)with low opacity (20%).

Step 18

Let's add more highlight onto the map. Create an elliptical selection. Add new layer. Fill selection with white to transparent gradient. Deselect and give it a Gaussian Blur (Filter & gt; Blur & gt; Gaussian Blur) with big radius.

Step 19: Draw Shadow

Create new layer and place underneath all layers. Draw an elliptical selection. Create new layer, fill selection with black. Deselect. Soften it by adding Gaussian Blur (Filter & gt; Blur & gt; Gaussian Blur).