How to Make Chirstmas Ball Icons in Photoshop

Photoshop Christmas ball icons

These cute icons add fun to a web page during the holiday season. They are not difficult to make of what it seems with many steps involved. Adobe Photoshop software is great for making objects for web site needs, and it particular is excellent at creating buttons and icons. This tutorial will show you how to design a basic Christmas ball icon that you can add to your web page. You can then add interesting patterns (even real pictures) to your Christmas ball icon, once you know the basics. Instructions >>

Things You'll Need

• Adobe Photoshop 5.5 ~ CS4
• Keyboard
• Mouse, optical preferred
• Some experience with Photoshop software

Instructions

1. 

   Begin with a new file, File > New. Name the file and set the dimensions. Use at least 72dpi for resolution. Use any color for the 'foreground' and 'background'. The colors you pick don't matter because we are going to change it later. Click OK.

2. 

   Grab the Elliptical Tool and draw a round shape on your canvas. Go to Layer > Layer Options, give the round shape a gradient by adding the settings in the Gradient Overlay window. See image for details.

3. 

   Create a new layer, Layer > New, name it 'Shadow 1'. Press down the Ctrl key and click the Elliptical Shapes layer on your layers panel. This will load a selection around the round shape you did in Step 2. With the selection tool now activated, use the Intersect with Selection option and drag an outline as shown in the image here.

4. 

   Use the Linear Gradient Tool and drag a line for where you want a softer color on the round shape.

   Apply the Step 3 instructions and the Gradient Tool, your image should now look something like here. You can see now a Christmas ball is forming.

5. 

   Add a second shadow by making another layer, name it 'Shadow 2'. Again, press down the (Windows) Ctrl key / (Mac) Cmd key and click the Elliptical Shapes layer on your layers panel. This will load another selection around the Christmas ball. Use the Elliptical Tool and drag out a selection.

6. 

   Use the Linear Gradient Tool again, drag to add a gradient like you did in Step 4.

   Apply the Step 5 instructions, add a gradient, and your image should look like this.

7. 

   Add a new layer, name it 'Shadow 3'. We make reflection to the Christmas ball. Pick color 'white' for the foreground. Use either the Pen Tool or the Rectangular Marquee Tool and draw four squares where you would like the reflection to be.

8. 

   Make the reflection follow the curves on the Christmas ball, this will make it 'look natural'. Still on the 'Shadow 3' layer, Go to Edit > Transform > Wrap. Drag the corners to wrap reflection around your Christmas ball to conform to the curves.

   The Christmas ball is done at this point. Now on to add a reflection directly below the Christmas ball. This is to make the ball appear as if it were placed on a shiny surface.

9. 

   Make a copy of your Christmas ball and drag it slightly below your original ball. Flip the copy 180°(degrees) and then go to Layer > Layer Options. See image here for the settings on the Christmas ball copy.

10. 

    Blur the reflection to make it more realistic, Filter > Blur > Blur More; repeat until you are satisfied with the result. Now make the reflection semi-transparent. Again, go to Layer > Layer Options and see image for settings.

11. 

    When finished, your Christmas ball icon will look like this with its reflection on the ground. You can add pattern to the icon like those in this tutorial lead photo by using custom brushes on your Brush Panel, or use the Pen Tool and draw them out. Save your Photoshop Christmas ball icon and consider it done.