Creating a 3D Illustration: Part 2

In this part of the tutorial you will learn how to create a custom pattern and use a Pattern fill layer to make the tile floor for the library. Then, you will use patterns to add a marble-like texture to the fireplace. These are techniques I have found to be useful in many situations. They’re not difficult, but there are a few "gotchas" you need to watch out for.

Design the Floor Tile

You will create the floor in a separate document, then move it your final library illustration. The floor needs to be wider than the final illustration to allow you to transform it and create the illusion of perspective.

STEP 1   Make a new document 10" x 7", 150ppi, CMYK.

STEP 2   Select the Rectangle Tool and choose a tan foreground color (I used C-18%, M-34%, Y-38%, K-1%). Hold Shift and make a square about 3" x 3".

STEP 3   Press Command/Ctrl-J to duplicate this layer. The new layer will be automatically named Shape 1 copy. Click on the color preview of Shape 1 copy to open the Color Picker. Change the color to black.

STEP 4   Press Command/Ctrl-T to activate the Free Transform command. Enter 90% in the width and height fields in options bar and click the check mark or press enter.

STEP 5   Duplicate Shape 1 copy and change the color of Shape 1 copy 2 to C-23%, M-57%, Y-80%, K-3%. Activate the Free Transform command and enter 95% in the width and height fields and click the check mark.

STEP 6   Duplicate Shape 1 copy 2. Change the color of Shape 1 copy 3 to black. Use the Free Transform command to rotate the shape 45°. Enter 68% in the width and height fields. Click the check mark.

STEP 7   Duplicate Shape 1 copy 2. Change the color of Shape 1 copy 3 to black. Use the Free Transform command to rotate the shape 45°. Enter 68% in the width and height fields. Click the check mark.

This now represents one tile. You will use this to create a custom shape for making the rest of the floor.

Create a Custom Shape

STEP 1   To add a custom shape to the Shape presets, you make a square selection around the area you wish make into a pattern and go to Edit>Define shape. BUT, here are a couple of the gotchas, Photoshop won’t let you define a shape if you are on a vector layer, such as a Shape layer. You have to have a regular pixel-based layer highlighted in the Layers palette. Click on the layer background in the Layers palette. Also, you can’t use my favorite selecting trick to make the selection - Command/Ctrl-Click on the vector mask. It seems you have to use the Marquee Tool to make the selection around the area you wish to define as a pattern.

STEP 2   With the layer background highlighted, select the Marquee Tool. Hold the Shift key and make a square selection just inside the edges of the Shape 1. Then go to Edit>Define pattern.

STEP 3   Once you have your custom pattern created, you really don’t need the shape layers any more. Click the eyeballs to hide them or drag them to the trash at the bottom of the Layers palette. Save your document as Floor Pattern.psd.

Put Your New Pattern to Work

Now all you need is a layer filled with your custom pattern. You could do this by creating a new regular layer and go to Edit>Fill>Pattern and choose your pattern. But, you would not be able to scale the pattern. You’d be stuck with the pattern being whatever size your selection was when you defined the pattern. By using a Pattern fill layer you can scale the pattern to create a floor with only a few large tiles or a very complicated floor with many small tiles. Once you have the Pattern fill layer just the way you want it, you will use the Transform command to distort the layer, making it appear to be in perspective. But, here’s another gotcha, you can’t use the Transform command to distort a Pattern fill layer. So, you will first create the Pattern fill layer, make a copy of that layer, rasterize the copy layer, bring that into your final illustration and then perform the transformation. Sounds complicated, right? It’s really very easy.

Create a Pattern Fill Layer

STEP 1   Add a new Pattern fill layer by clicking on the Create new fill or adjustment layer button at the bottom of the Layers palette and selecting Pattern, near the top of the menu. When the Pattern Fill dialog appears, if your new pattern doesn’t appear, click on the preview and choose your pattern from the presets. It will be at the very end.

STEP 2

Enter 49% in the Scale field

Rasterize the Pattern Fill Layer

STEP 1   Duplicate Pattern Fill 1.

STEP 2

With Pattern Fill 1 copy highlighted, go to Layer>Rasterize>Fill Content. Rename the rasterized layer floor. Save your document.

Putting the Floor in Perspective

Refer to The Image Above for the next eight steps.

STEP 1   Keep the document Floor Pattern.psd open and open your library illustration, created in Part 1.

STEP 2   In your library illustration, make a new group above background. Name it floor.

STEP 3   Select the Move Tool. Click on floor in the document Floor Pattern.psd. Press Shift and drag the layer floor into the group floor you just created in your final library illustration. The Shift key will cause floor it to be centered in your library illustration. Save and close Floor Pattern.psd.

STEP 4   Activate the Free Transform command. Zoom out and drag open the image window so you can access all the handles around the Transform bounding border.

STEP 5   Click the top center handle and drag down until it is just slightly above the lower edge of the wall.

STEP 6   Command/Ctrl-Click on the upper left corner handle. Hold Shift and drag it in to the left edge of the image window. Command/Ctrl-Click on the upper right corner handle. Hold Shift and drag it to the right edge of the image window.

STEP 7   Click (do not press Command/Ctrl this time) on the bottom center handle and drag it to just below the lower edge of the image window.

STEP 8   To exaggerate the perspective, Command/Ctrl-Click on the lower corner handles and drag each away from the center of the image. Visually center the floor on the fireplace, with one of the vertical seams in the floor intersecting the middle of the fireplace. When you think the perspective looks believable, press OK. Save.

Make the Hearth

Refer to The Image Above for the next four steps.

STEP 1   Choose a foreground color that is a slightly lighter shade of red than the fireplace surround (I used C-6%, M -86%,Y - 86%, K- 0%).

STEP 2   Highlight the layer surround and use the Rectangle Tool to create a new Shape layer that is as wide as the distance between the bookcases and a bit higher than the tiles are deep at that point in the perspective. Overlap the wall about 1/8". Click on the individual corner points of the path with the Direct Select Tool and adjust so the hearth appears to be in the same perspective as the floor tiles. You don’t have to get this perfect right now. You will probably want to adjust these points further after the next step. Name this layer hearth.

STEP 3   Use the Marquee Tool to select the portion of hearth that overlaps the wall. Press Option/Alt, then click Add layer mask at the bottom of the layers palette.

STEP 4

Click Add a layer style at the bottom of the Layers palette and choose Bevel and Emboss. Set the parameters as follows: Style - Inner Bevel, Technique - Chisel Hard, Depth - 271, Direction - Up, Size - 10, Soften - 0, uncheck Use Global Light, Angle - 90°, Altitude - 16°, Opacity for both Highlight and Shadow - 75%. Choose a deep yellow for the highlight color and a dark brown for the shadow. Before clicking OK, click on Blending options (in the left pane right below Styles). In the Advanced Blending pane check Layer Mask Hides Effects. This is a great trick, write it down and remember it. Click OK. The bevels appear on the sides and bottom, but not on the masked area at the top.

Add the Marble Texture

Refer to The Image Above while performing the following five steps.

STEP 1   Highlight surround in the Layers palette. Option/Alt-Click on Create new fill or adjustment layer. Choose Pattern.

STEP 2   Click Use Previous Layer to Create Clipping Mask. Click OK.

STEP 3   In the Pattern Fill dialog, click on the preview, then, click on the triangle in the upper right corner of the presets pane. Choose Small List to view the presets by name. Then choose Clouds. For now, leave the scale at 100%. You can go back later and experiment with different textures and scale. Click OK.

STEP 4   Change the Layer Blending Mode of the Pattern fill layer to Multiply.

STEP 5   Duplicate this layer and place the copy above the layer hearth. Press Option/Alt-G to use hearth as a Layer Clipping Mask.

Now that you know how to do it, you can play around with other textures and blending modes. If you think the effects look too dark, try lowering the opacity of the Pattern fill layer. Use these same techniques to make the floor and rear wall of the firebox.

In Part 3 I will show you how to fill your haunted library with books, make it appear that the room is being illuminated by the wall lamps, and create a reflection that will make your floor shine.

Courtesy of Layers magazine.