Hot Smudge Signature

Other signatures you can make with this technique:

1. Open a new document. I made mine 300x100.

2. Decide what stock or render you want to use.

3. Now using the Eyedropper tool (I) select 2 colors of the render.

4. Select the gradient tool (G) set it to radial gradient.

5. Do a nice gradient over your BG layer. Here's what I have.

6. Now make a new layer, and fill it with black. Now go Filter>>Render>>Lens Flare. Select 105 mm prime, and put it a little to the left from where you plan your render. then set that layer to screen. Here's what I have.

Fill black + Lens Flare.

Then Set to screen

7. Now set your render, where you want but in the center it will look better.

8. Ok here's where the things gets ugly. Duplicate your render 6 time and make all invisible for the original.

For this part of the signature you will need to do your own T Brushes.

To do that, create a new document (50x50 px) with transparent BG. With the Tupe tool make a big T that covers most of the BG.

And when you have what you like go to Edit>>Define Brush Preset.

Now when you next go to brushsets it should be the last one.

9. Ok, now that we nailed the Brush, lets continue with our signature. Get the Smudge tool (R) . Then, take the T brush you just made and go to brushes on the top right part and use the following settings:

10. Now we are going to begin the Smudging. While you are in the smudge tool set it to lighten, and put the strength to 90% and then begin smudging outwards in your original render. Now set that layer to overlay.

11. Ok now make the second render copy visible. Go to the brush tab and set scattering to 30. And Smudge in a different direction from the first one. Set that layer on soft light. (you still using 90% strength and lighten settings)

12. Now stop using lighten in the smudge tool settings and put 100% strength. And begin smudging in a different direction the next render and set that layer to color burn at 60% opacity.

13. Now go back to the brush settings and set scattering to 75%. And begin smudging your next render, and set it to overlay.

14. Go back to settings and set it to 0 scattering. Set the brush lighten 60% strength. And brush a lot the next render. When you are done set that layer to overlay.

15. For the next layer we are not going to use the T brush but one that comes as a default. Reset your brushes and look for "Dry brush tip light flow". Don't move any of the options and begin smudging the render. Set it to Soft Light.

Here's what I have at the moment.

16. Ok we are done with the smudging. finally I Know. OK now you have 1 render layer left. make a copy of it. And make the copy invisible. On the original go Filter>>Blur>>Gaussian Blur and set it to about 2,3. Now go to the copy render layer and set it to overlay. And go Filter>>Sharpen>>Sharpen 9 (you can do it 2 times if you feel like it).

17. Ok now go to the little "ball" in the lower part of the layer window and make a new gradient map with these settings. now set the layer to between 40-60% opacity.

18. Now go to the same ball and do an invert layer. Set it to hue at 20% opacity.

19. Now, go to the same ball and make a Photo Filter layer. I did it with these settings, but you do it with some matching your render's colors.

20. Now use the same ball and make a brightness-contrast layer. I used these settings and got these. you play with it till you get something you feel good with.

If you want, repeat the Lens flare step but this time put it to the right. New layer, Fill Black, filter, Render, lens Flare. Play with the opacity till you're happy with it.

21. Now add a border. Create new layer, hit Ctrl+A. then go to Edit>>Stroke and use it inside, black 3 px. Then repeat inside white with 2 px. then repeat but inside black and 1 px. then set that layer to 90% and overlay.

22. Now add some text and you are done.

Optional:

1. Make the text layer invisible. then make new layer and then go to Image>>Apply Image. this will put all the siggy in a single layer. now go to Filter>>Blur>>Gaussian Blur. then go to Edit>>Fade Gaussian Blur. Set that to lighten, and accept. Play with the opacity till you are satisfied.

2. Now in the same layer go to Filter>>Sharpen>.Sharpen an do it till you get something you like.

The end. Hope you learnt a lot.