Glass Orb with Logo

This tutorial with guide you through how to make a glass orb with a logo:

1. Open Photoshop and create a new image. I used 400x400

2. Create a new layer, Ctrl + Shift + N

3. Using the Elliptical Marquee Tool draw a circle that covers most of the image

4. Fill the circle with Black. Press D to reset colours then press Alt + Delete

5. With the selection still active go to Select >> Modify >> Contract

6. Set to 2px then press OK

7. Create another layer and fill this with a dark grey I used #666666

8. With the layer still selected go to Filter >> Blur >> Gaussian Blur

9. Set to 5px then press OK

10. Merge the 2 layers together by highlighting both layers and pressing Ctrl + E. To highlight both layers Ctrl + Click both layers, not on the preview

11. Ctrl + Click the preview next to the merged layer and create a new layer above it

12. Go to Select >> Modify >> Contract

13. Set to 5px then press OK

14. Using the Gradient Tool set it to Foreground to Transparent

15. Set the foreground to White. You can do this by pressing D then X

16. Drag the gradient from the top of the selection to the bottom while holding shift to keep it straight.

17. Set the blending mode of this layer to overlay then press Ctrl + E to merge it down.

18. We now have the backing of our orb.

19. Duplicate the current circle layer by pressing it in the Layers panel and pressing Ctrl + J

20. You now have 2 layers with the same thing. With the new duplicated layer press Ctrl + T

21. On the Transform Toolbar set the width to 80% and press the Link button so that it keeps the same ratio

22. Ctrl + Click the preview of the layer and fill it with White.

23. Deselect the selection by pressing Ctrl + D

24. Now we are going to apply some blending options to the duplicated layer.

This is that I used:

Inner Glow Colour: #2F469A

Satin Colour: #335F88

Colour Overlay: #74A1BB

25. Now you should have a simple 2D orb like this:

26. Create a new layer then merge the 2 layers together by highlighting both layers and pressing Ctrl + E. To highlight both layers Ctrl + Click both layers, not on the preview

27. Using the Colour Dodge Tool dodge the bottom of the circle with the Range set to Highlights and the Exposure set to 50%

28. Create a new layer and using the Elliptical Marquee Tool draw a circle 75% the size of the blue circle.

29. Place this at the top of the blue circle, then using the Gradient Tool with Foreground to Transparent selected, put the Foreground to White and draw from the top of the selection to the bottom

30. Then go to Filter >> Blur >> Gaussian Blur

31. Set to 5px then press OK

32. You should now have something like this:

33. Now we need to add the logo or text

34. Put the text or image in to the center of the image then apply a Gaussian Blur of 2px.

35. Ctrl + Click the text or logo layer preview the press the White gradient layer and press Delete

36. Then either Delete the text or logo layer or hide it by clicking the eye next to the layer

37. Or alternatively you can make the text or logo white and just leave it how it is. As long as you don't put it at the top as it won't come out very well

38. For my logo I left it how it was but just changed the Blending Mode to Vivid Light

39. This is what I came up with: