Hi-Tech Skin (Part 1)

This tutorial will show you how to make this skin. You'll also learn some photoshop techniques that will help you with lots of things in the future.

Open the channels tab (window > channels), create a new layer (it should create an alpha layer) and draw a shape something like this. use the circle and square marquee tool to make your selection, then fill your selection.

Gaussian blur the shape (use a blur of 7) then go to adjust levels (Image > Adjustments > Levels)

With the levels window open, drag the outer arrows in to the middle so that your shape now looks sharp with rounded edges.

CTRL click the alpha layer (so that it is selected) go back to your layers pallete, create a new layer, and fill the selection with black.

(If you're having trouble making this work, read my "smooth objects" tutorial. It goes into much more detail.)

Your image should now looks something like this.

Double click your layer to open the styles window and set up a gradient that looks like the one pictured here. Also add a drop shadow and inner shadow, both with a distance of 0, size of 3, and opacity of 35.

Your image should now looks like this. I like to add in a radial gradient or two, just to break it up a bit and make it look a little less flat. An easy way to do this is CTRL click your layer, then create a new layer and draw some radial gradients with white fading to transparent.

Now it looks a little less flat.

On the next page, we'll create the glass display.