Learn to create a safe illustration

Create a new document 800x600 pixels with a transparent background, Fill (G) your background layer with any color then add a "Gradient Overlay" using the settings below.

You should have something like this.

Creating The Safe Front

Select the "Rounded Rectangle Tool" (U) with a radius of 5px. In the options part of the tool bar change your path type to "Shape Layers".

Now drag out a rectangle about 400x370 pixels.

Once you've dragged out your rectangle change the the perspective by going to "Edit - Transform - Perspective". Select one of the bottom corner anchor points then drag them inwards until you have something like this.

Now add a "Gradient Overlay" to your shape using the settings below.

Now right click your layer and go to "Convert To Smart Object".

Quick Tip:

Smart Objects are layers that contain image data from raster or vector images, such as Photoshop or Illustrator files. Smart Objects preserve an image's source content with all its original characteristics, enabling you to perform nondestructive editing to the layer.

Once the layer has been converted add some noise using the noise filter "Filter - Noise - Add Noise". Use the settings below.

Finally label your layer "Safe Main" then add a "Inner Shadow" and "Stroke" using the settings below.

You should have something like this.

Creating The Safe Top

Select the "Rounded Rectangle Tool" (U) then using the same settings as before create a rectangle above your first rectangle. Once you've created the rectangle drag the layer in the layers window underneath the "Safe Main" layer.

Adjust the perspective of the rectangle by going to "Edit - Transform - Perspective", now drag one of the top corner anchor points inwards.

Label your layer "Safe Top" then add a "Gradient Overlay" using the settings below.

You should have something like this.

Now right click your "Safe Top" layer and go to "Convert To Smart Object".

Quick Tip:

Smart Objects are layers that contain image data from raster or vector images, such as Photoshop or Illustrator files. Smart Objects preserve an image's source content with all its original characteristics, enabling you to perform nondestructive editing to the layer.

Now that the "Safe Top" layer is a smart object we can add our noise filter like we did the first time round to our "Safe Main" layer. When adding the noise filter "Filter - Noise - Add Noise" use the same settings as before.

Now add the following layer styles to your "Safe Top" layer using the settings below.

You should have something like this.

Creating The Safe Door

Duplicate your "Safe Main" layer then rename the duplicated layer "Safe Door". Press "Ctrl + T" or "Edit - Free Transform" then drag one of the corner anchor points whilst holding down the "Shift and Alt" keys on the keyboard. Resize the shape down by about 15px - 20px.

Quick Tip:

Holding down SHIFT and ALT keys whilst dragging will resize the element from the middle anchor, instead of resizing from the corner anchor you are dragging from.

Once you've resized the shape you should have something like this.

Double click your "Safe Door" layer to access the layer styles window. Remove the current layer styles by unticking the ticked styles, then add the following layer styles.

You should have something like this.

Creating The Safe Screw Fixings

Select the "Ellipse Tool" (U) the create 4 small circles in each corner of the safe.

Now add the following layer styles to each of the circles.

You should have something like this.

Select the "Zoom Tool" (Z) then zoom into one of the screws. Select the "Rectangular Marquee Tool" (M) then create two 1px lines next to each other roughly the same height as the screw. Fill (G) the first line in black #000000 and the second line in white #ffffff.

Now set the lines blend mode to "Overlay" and "Opacity" to 50%.

Creating The Safe Rivets

Select the "Pen Tool" (P), then change path type to "Paths". Inside your safe area create a path from each corner of the safe, trying your best to keep the lines in shape with the contours of the safe.

Select the "Brush Tool" (B) with a brush size of 4px. Open the brush window (F5) then apply the following settings.

Create a new layer at the top of your layer stack then label it "Rivets". Select the "Pen Tool" (P) then right click your mouse button on the canvas and select "Stroke Path" from the menu.

Once the path has been stroked right click once more and go to "Delete Path", you should have something like this.

Now add the following layer styles to your rivets layer.

Creating The Safe Combination Dial

Select the "Ellipse Tool" (U) then create a circle in the middle of the safe door.

Once you've created the ellipse label your new layer "Outer Dial" then add the following layer styles.

You should have something like this.

Now create a 2nd ellipse inside of the one you just created, only this time about 20px-30px smaller.

Label your new ellipse layer "Inner Dial" then add a "Color Overlay" using the settings below.

Repeat the same process again only this time make the ellipse only about 10px smaller. Once you've created the ellipse label your layer "Knob Rim".

Now add the following layer styles to your new layer.

You should have something like this.

Lastly create another ellipse about 10px smaller than the last one then label your new layer "Knob".

Now add a "Gradient Overlay" to your last ellipse using the settings below.

You should have something like this.

All that's left to do now is add some detail to the knob and add the dial indicator lines. We'll start with the knob detail, select the "Zoom Tool" (Z) and zoom in on the knob. Once zoomed in select the "Rectangular Marquee Tool" and create two 1px lines next to each other. Fill (G) Your first line in white #ffffff and your second line in black #000000, then set the layer blend mode to "Soft Light" and opacity to "75%".

Now select the "Type Tool" (T) and your "Inner Dial" layer, move your cursor over the vector path until the cursor changes to indicate "Text On A Path". Apply the "Text On A Path" then type out some vertical bars (||||||) followed by some full stops (...) keep going until you have a pattern like this (|.....|.....|.....|).

Once your happy add the following layer styles to your text layer.

You should have something like this.

Creating The Safe Feet

Select the "Polygonal Lasso Tool" (L) then create two shapes like the image below at the bottom of your safe. Make sure these shapes are on new layers at the bottom of your stack.

Now add a "Gradient Overlay" to your two shapes using the settings below.

Still with the "Polygonal Lasso Tool" (L) create yet another shape like the image below, making sure these shapes are on a layer above your last shapes.

Now add a "Gradient Overlay" to your new shapes using the settings below.

Creating The Safe Reflection

Highlight all your safe layers "Excluding" the background layer then go to "Edit - Copy Merged" (Shift + Ctrl + C). Once everything has been copied to the clipboard go ahead and select "Edit - Paste" (Ctrl + V). With your new image flip it vertically "Edit - Transform - Flip Vertically" then select the "Move Tool" (V) and place it directly underneath your safe.

Add a layer mask to your flipped layer then drag a "Linear Gradient" from the bottom of the reflection upwards.

Creating The Safe Shadow

Select the "Rectangular Marquee Tool" (M) then create a black #000000 square underneath your safe, make sure the rectangle is about the same width as the bottom of the safe. Once you've created the square blur it using the guassian blur filter "Filter - Blur - Guassian Blur". Finally set the layers opacity to about 32%.

Adding The Shiny Bits

Select the "Ellipse Tool" (U) then drag out a really thin ellipse over one of the edges of the safe.

Add a "Outer Glow" to your ellipse using the following settings.

Now add a layer mask to your shape, set the foreground color to white #ffffff and background to black #000000. Drag a reflected gradient from the middle of the shape and drag outwards towards either side of the canvas.

Repeat the last couple of steps and build up your shininess to your taste.

Conclusion

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