Liquid Digital Lava

Grab your 'G'radient tool and choose any color gradient. Your results will almost never be exactly the same as any other time or anyone else's use of this tutorial or technique.

Here I'm using the dark gold gradient created in another tutorial. Go ahead and put the gradient blending mode on difference and just crazy with it (on the background layer). Make purposeful intersections or whatever you want while on the reflected gradient tool.

 

I've also added a few radial gradient swipes. Keeps looking freakier and freakier doesn't it? That's ok. When you think you're done, go to the Image: Adjustments: Desaturate. This draws all of the color out of your gradients.

If you end up with gradient background that is too dark, go ahead and duplicate the layer by dragging it to the new layer icon and change the blending mode to one of the light set. I'm using linear dodge in this case which brings out the light values of the two layers naturally.

Go to Filter: Sketch: Chrome and choose some settings (which will look mostly the same across the board).

Now you've got a silky chrome field of digital warm goo. Remember that you can use this technique a dozen different times and get completely different results!

Create another blank layer and just use the radial gradient tool on difference. I've chosen the default goldbar gradient (bright yellow).  If you're interested in seeing the Big Picture of Photoshop click here.