Badass Bling Effect in Photoshop

Feb 06

Written by guest author Barton Damer.

Introduction:

This tutorial will show you step by step on how to create a “Badass Bling Effect” using layer styles in Photoshop. Once you create the layer style, you can easily “blingify” any layer. There is also a video tutorial as well.

Video Tutorial

STEP 1

Choose an image you want to sprinkle with golden Photoshop magic. In this case i chose a full color image of a boombox and I’m going to make it look like it is solid gold. Make the image into a grayscale image by “Desaturating” the layer in the Image/Adjustments/Desaturate menu.

STEP 2

Apply a color overlay Layer Style by clicking the FX button at the bottom of your Layers Palette.

STEP 3

Set the color overlay to a rich golden color and make sure the Blend Mode is set to Color Burn

STEP 4

Adjust your levels like so and…

Brace yourselves… We’ve got a solid gold boombox in less than 2 minutes! SUPER RAD!

STEP 5

Repeat the exact same steps for 2 different cars. I copied and flipped horizontally the radios and 90s sports car to get a symmetrical composition started.

STEP 6

We are creating a background for our composition that will look like a close of the boom box speaker shield. In Adobe Illustrator, draw 2 circles and separate them a descent width. Keep them aligned horizontally. Then choose Object/Blend/Make. You can also choose the blend tool from your tools palette.

Once you have a blend, you’ll want to open the blending options by going to Object/Blend/Blend Options or double clicking the Blend tool in the tools palette will bring up the same dialog box. Choose a # of blends that will leave some space between your circles.

STEP 7

Expand your blend by choosing Object/Blend/Expand. Now Each circle is treated individually and can be edited. Select your entire row of circles. Hold down option and drag it down a good distance. Hold down shift at the same time to keep the layer aligned vertically. Then repeat the steps to make a blend. I chose 15 steps. You can see that I have now blended my 2 rows of circles to make a grid of evenly spaced circles.

Select the entire grid and hold down option & shift while dragging on a 45 degree angle. You now have a circle pattern that should look like the pic below

dots

Copy and paste it into your Photoshop document

STEP 8

Apply Bevel & Emboss layer style to your grid of circles. Choose Outer Bevel.

Add a black background… and get crunk!

STEP 9

This is the hardest part of the tutorial… and it’s all trial and error… at least for me it was. We’re going to create our own layer style that take a solid 2d object and make it look all bling’d out. I chose this amazing vector artwork from Go Media’s Arsenal Set 1 Crests.

First use a Gradient Overlay from the FX Layer Style tab in your layers palette. I created this gradient of different hues and values of Gold. Make sure you have contrast in your gradient.

This is what the Go Media vector crest will look like after the gradient has been applied:

Apply a Satin layer style within the same dialog box. You will want to experiment with your settings. Each object you bling out could require tweaking the settings. You will see some depth start to take place and that is important. Choose a different Contour as well. I chose this double peaked one.

Choose a Bevel and Emboss from the Layer Style window. Select Inner Bevel. Adjust the size and softness. I chose 10 and 1. Set the Shadow Mode to Color Burn and you may want to decrease the opacity.

Check the Contour Box under Bevel and Emboss. Choose a Contour. Each one will give a different look.

Choose the Texture box under Bevel and Emboss as well. Select a pattern from one of the Photoshop presets. Adjust the scale and depth and watch how it effects the Go Media Crest. Again, experiment with these settings to get something that is really starting to look like gold reflections.

At this point I feel as though the crest is a little too orange. I could go back in and adjust my gradient overlay… but then i’d have to adjust each point in the gradient where there is a color change. Instead, add a color overlay. I chose a darker desaturated green to help tone down the red in my gold layer style. I adjusted the opacity until i felt it was beginning to match the golden cars a little better.

And the last layer style for our gold effect will be to add a drop shadow to help with some depth.

Now, before you close the Layer Style box. You are going to save this style so you can reuse it on anything! Click the New Style button just below “Ok” and give your style a name. Check both boxes – Include Layer Effects & Include Layer Blending Options.

Notice now that your style appears in the Styles palette! SICK!

And your new golden style shines so bright!

STEP 10

Add more bling to your design. I chose another Go Media Vector from Set 1 Wings.

Copy and paste into Photoshop and this time… apply your new style you just finished creating.

Repeat the same step for any additional elements you want to turn into gold.

STEP 11

We’re going to add some light effects using the airbrush and a layer style. Choose a standard airbrush and set it really large. I clicked one time at 100%.

Apply a Layer Style of Outer Glow from the FX tab in the layers palette.

Choose a color for the Outer Glow. Set the Blend mode to Add. Opacity 100%

Copy that layer and then place it in front of everything. Adjust the opacity to be quite a bit lower. Then use the eraser with an air brush setting that will allow you to erase over the middle of the car and near the edges. The result gives you the look of over spill from the light source.

STEP 12

We’re going to add some sparkle to our bling using Illustrator and more layer styles. We’ll then make a custom brush from our sparkle shape and bling this piece out with tons of rad sparkly things. Create a star shape in illustrator. I chose a 5 point star and duplicated/rotated slightly to get my final sparkle shape.

Copy and Paste it into Photoshop. Apply a Layer Style of Outer Glow. Only this time change the Blend Mode to normal and adjust the spread/size to give a faint blur around your sparkle shape.

Now option click directly on the Effect of the layer. It will bring up these options. Choose Create Layer. This will make the outer glow an actual image on the layer below your sparkly image.

Choose the layer above blurry sparkle shape. This should be the crisp sparkle. Choose Merge Down from the Layer Palette tab in the right hand corner.

Now go to Edit/Define Brush Preset.

Name your new brush.

And now you will see your new brush in the brush palette. (and you can see that I’ve created some of these before)

Click once in your desired spot to add sparkle to your bling! However… these sparkles could look even better with… another layer style applied to it! Why not? right!

Apply an outer glow with some color. Set the Blending Mode to Screen. Adjust the size/spread. Ba da boom. Ba da BLING!

To tighten this design up a little more, I’ve added the Go Media Logo complimented by an icy hot diamond because that’s how Chris Wilson likes to roll at Go Media. ;-)

I simply applied my own style that I created earlier in the tutorial. Unfortunately, not everything is quite as successful when the style is applied to it. I actually had to tweak my style settings quite a bit to get it to match the other Go Media vectors that turned gold fairly easy.

So there you have it. Some badass blingin’ sparklies. Feel free to post a link to anything you blingify in your comments.

Download the Photoshop Layer Style

Video Tutorial

Go Media is a creative agency based in Cleveland, Ohio. Besides the GoMediaZine, we also work for clients and sell stock artwork and design files on the Arsenal.

grunge, Photoshop, tech, tutorial, typography

This post was written by:

Barton Damer - who has written 6 posts on GoMediaZine.

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93 Comments For This Post

Stefano Barlocco Says:
February 6th, 2008 at 11:11 am -

great tut ;) and great layer style ;)

the avangelist Says:
February 6th, 2008 at 12:18 pm -

That is a great example of simple design and composition, something that would be useful in future is a basic explanation of why you have used a particular blend mode.

For example early on you explain that you set the color overlay to burn. Why? Why not say overlay or darken!

Tiling backgrounds is a darn ass knightmare! :-)

x0n Says:
February 6th, 2008 at 12:31 pm -

BADASS STUFF…
go media is ACE… so Inspiring….

Bente Says:
February 6th, 2008 at 1:20 pm -

Great tutorial, very inspiring! Thank you!

Sean Hodge Says:
February 6th, 2008 at 1:54 pm -

This is awesome. I gotta find some time now to design some *bling*. Thanks.

giackop Says:
February 6th, 2008 at 2:03 pm -

aaaaaaaaaaa that’s sick!! so nice!!

Don G. Says:
February 6th, 2008 at 2:35 pm -

That’s the absolutely the most nasty Photoshop bling bling I have ever come across! Props from Denmark…

Scott Says:
February 6th, 2008 at 3:00 pm -

ANOTHER awesome tutorial from Go Media. Thanks for the tuts and the well priced download packs.

barton damer Says:
February 6th, 2008 at 3:14 pm -

“For example early on you explain that you set the color overlay to burn. Why? Why not say overlay or darken!”

Color burn offered the most successful looking results (in my opinion). that’s the only reason why. i tried overlay and darken as well; but i chose color burn based on the results. no specific reason.

i would highly recommend trying many different modes on a regular basis. i’ve run into some very happy accidents by choosing a different mode than what i originally intended. the more you experiment with the modes the more familiar you will become with the way it will react.

Brett Says:
February 6th, 2008 at 4:57 pm -

GoMedia does it again!!!

Greg Says:
February 6th, 2008 at 4:57 pm -

Probably “the only” good bling tutorial I have ever scene… and so useful not just stupid gold text. Awesome job!

Justin Says:
February 6th, 2008 at 5:56 pm -

I’ve gotta say, I’m not usually into effects like this, but the results are really nice. I especially like the way the cars look. Well done guys.

PG Says:
February 6th, 2008 at 6:27 pm -

Nice tutorial and a good demonstration of how do use some of the features in both Photoshop and Illustrator. Other than that, when are we actually going to add bling in our designs? Haha. Unless of course you design album covers for Master P.

Joel Says:
February 6th, 2008 at 7:01 pm -

Wow really nice, I will try this out :)

djack Says:
February 6th, 2008 at 7:29 pm -

Thanks for the graphic luv go media!!!Definitely a good tutorial!

keith Says:
February 6th, 2008 at 9:30 pm -

awesome!

William Armstrong Says:
February 7th, 2008 at 12:08 am -

Man you make it look so damn easy.

Mordos Says:
February 7th, 2008 at 8:53 am -

damm great!! thanks. !

SNOW Says:
February 7th, 2008 at 9:23 am -

Exactly i watching for tutorial. Thank You!

newman Says:
February 7th, 2008 at 9:36 pm -

Thank you. Not only for the bling, I will in all honestly never bling something, but Thank you for taking the time to go threw in detail how all the modes work, I’m a wiz at corel painter for my concept art, but I find that photoshop really adds that polish. I can’t wait to show off in the flickr user group, thanks again. Newman

chopsicles Says:
February 8th, 2008 at 3:45 am -

Great stuff a very clear tutorial and very creative use of the tools. You’re gifted.

cchana Says:
February 8th, 2008 at 6:47 am -

Although it may not be something I use very much, a very good tutorial with good depth and an excellent result.

LAUREN Says:
February 8th, 2008 at 6:54 am -

The download photoshop layer effect doesnt seem to work : (

Will Says:
February 9th, 2008 at 3:38 am -

Prizzzopps, that ssshhhhh is of the hinges like the front door in a drug raid

CELSO Says:
February 9th, 2008 at 10:32 am -

Wow that was such a great tutorial, thanks man I learned a bunch too, anyway here’s the little one I made with your help.

http://flickr.com/photos/13637617@N04/2252015063/

snoots Says:
February 12th, 2008 at 10:21 pm -

Fantastic tute, reminds me of coverart from those terrible No-limit albums from the 90’s.

Jeff Says:
February 13th, 2008 at 1:21 am -

Haha I remember those, Mystikal, Juvenile, those were the days!

derry Says:
February 14th, 2008 at 9:38 pm -

woaaaaa nice tut and really usefull i’m gonna try it on my design. nice man, pretty nice

Adam Says:
February 15th, 2008 at 3:33 pm -

This is a very awesome tutorial, yet very simple in process. Very useful, and thanks for the layer style.

dmsuperman Says:
February 16th, 2008 at 1:03 am -

a damn good tutorial. You explain how to do the particular affect, but not only that you go above and beyond to add more affects and show a good example of how it might be used. 9/10 (only because i don’t ever actually see myself using this for anything practical).

safa Says:
February 16th, 2008 at 2:48 am -

thanks . it is really veryyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy
nice.

teehawlk Says:
February 17th, 2008 at 7:02 am -

great tutorial…

Design Freak Says:
February 18th, 2008 at 4:42 pm -

this is a kick a** tutorial. check this site out I found out about this from a co-worker.

http://web.archive.org/web/*/http://gomediazine.com

ShultsComm Says:
February 21st, 2008 at 11:34 am -

You guys ARE Bad Ass. Thanks for this and ALL the stuff you put out there!

MzWoods Says:
February 23rd, 2008 at 3:04 am -

Well I started on a project using this tutorial and this is what I have so far :)

http://www.flickr.com/photos/12466223@N07/2284849331/

Will Says:
February 24th, 2008 at 1:25 pm -

Love it, but ran into problems right away.
You’re using an apple which i noticed on the first pic, and i’m using my Pc!!!
I’d love to find out how to do this with my adobe photoshop elements 5.0, so if anyone knows how, please tell me!

fungai Says:
March 3rd, 2008 at 6:51 am -

THIS IS DEEP! please share with me creative work in photoshop. regards Fungai, based in South Africa

hassona3d Says:
March 4th, 2008 at 5:40 am -

wowwwwwwwwwwww what amazing tut and style i like it so much

Netridge Says:
March 6th, 2008 at 10:24 am -

This is a very nice tutorial. I have a hard time creating something like this. Thanks really helps.

Bobby Says:
March 8th, 2008 at 4:55 am -

I think is very usefull for my Phone Theme Project

asyntetyco... Says:
March 8th, 2008 at 10:40 am -

fuck is great, is what i was looking for, thank you very much.

Justine Says:
March 9th, 2008 at 2:24 pm -

very useful! thank you!!!

aris Says:
March 10th, 2008 at 7:13 pm -

great stuff
i’m waiting for your next tutorial…hehehehe

Katalog Stron Says:
March 12th, 2008 at 2:02 pm -

Yeah looks very very good!

hi Says:
March 16th, 2008 at 8:33 pm -

hi i cant get the thing in the illustrator work right in the PS , the Bevel & Emboss thing looks whole different on the dot layer

Zak Says:
March 20th, 2008 at 10:48 pm -

Great tutorial, wish I had noticed the download style link before i spent hours doing it myself but a good learning experience!

caline Says:
April 19th, 2008 at 4:54 pm -

oi
sou do brasil
nao entendi nada por que esta em inglish ou dizendo em portiguees engles

caline Says:
April 19th, 2008 at 4:55 pm -

hi!!!
vou tentar falar um pouco ingles
mai ingles Ã© muito dificil

Vita Says:
May 3rd, 2008 at 3:19 pm -

Wow!
Fab tutorial with great effects!!! Thanks.

ishaimaru kazuma Says:
May 13th, 2008 at 3:37 am -

Thanks for tutorial..very interesting for me.. thanks

Fran Says:
May 15th, 2008 at 2:48 pm -

Yea, nice tutorial. I liked so much.

Rajita - Logo Design Says:
May 16th, 2008 at 2:31 am -

The Bling effect is marvellous.

Mike Says:
June 16th, 2008 at 12:12 pm -

Hello,
Just wanted to know if there is a technique using other colors. eg. Black, red,blue…etc…

Thanks! Mike

Na Says:
June 16th, 2008 at 1:53 pm -

Great tutorial, but quick question. What was the RGB code for the “gold” overlay color that you picked. I’m trying to avoid the “yellowish” color that i’m getting, and get to the GOLD that looks so awesome here.

J phet Says:
June 24th, 2008 at 10:01 am -

Esta brutalll

ritch Says:
June 28th, 2008 at 9:52 pm -

i too was woundering if this only works in gold? is there a technique for black and red? thanks!

2low2rl Says:
July 23rd, 2008 at 9:21 pm -

love the art but not a very good job on the tut.

gaemolo Says:
August 7th, 2008 at 7:12 am -

i have to learn more about illustrator you’ve write above, please make another tuts about illustrator

Martin Pacesa Says:
August 15th, 2008 at 7:37 am -

Hello,

could someone send the dots background (the “membrane”) to komplex[at]kxdesign[dot]com in psd so I can edit it myself?I was unable to create it in adobe illustrator and I am desperate :((.Thank you very much!!!

James Kurtz III Says:
October 20th, 2008 at 9:12 am -

Yes. Can’t wait to use this tutorial. Have just the project in mind. Thanks!

Amy Says:
December 17th, 2008 at 10:00 pm -

Awesome tutorial!!! Here is my attempt! http://www.creativestable.com/files/blingbling.jpg

Musafar Says:
January 17th, 2009 at 4:44 am -

a good tutorial!

ChimpY Says:
January 21st, 2009 at 12:05 pm -

Hey, nice tutorial.. i tryed this tutorial but to be honest it is pretty hard so would there be any other way i could get the picture with no writing so i could put my own writing in there?

ChimpY Says:
January 21st, 2009 at 12:16 pm -

NICE TUTORIAL DUDE!!!! the bad thing is i cant even do this tutorial, im not that good with these type of tutorials but i REALY want this as my backround with my name on, do you think i could have the PSD???

SHANEKA Says:
February 5th, 2009 at 12:57 pm -

have I told yall lately that I Love You!!! thank you.. you have just upped my level even more..

fabulous boy Says:
February 12th, 2009 at 1:03 pm -

yo momma is gay like me

Moveis Mobiliario Says:
February 28th, 2009 at 10:54 am -

Thank you for the spent time. Very useful information

ur tutorial is a piece of shit Says:
March 5th, 2009 at 2:18 pm -

read the name u srry piece of shit

kiten Says:
March 20th, 2009 at 5:52 pm -

to all who are being extremely insulting, show us a better way to do it. if not, then be quiet, you are very rude, learn some manners please instead of insulting. i love the tutorial, and i'm gonna try it out for sure, looks great, and the techniques are something that can be applied to other things without being ostentatious or too bling for people's taste, i think :) very good work, keep it up :) i'm bookmarking this and ignore the people with no manners, you know you did a great job :) and if one has to resort to foul language to get their point across, its sad that their vocabulary is so lacking. *coughs* ;)

Aji Says:
April 27th, 2009 at 11:52 pm -

Cool….

club penguin Says:
June 4th, 2009 at 3:18 am -

A good demonstration of how do use some of the features in both Photoshop and Illustrator. Other than that, when are we actually going to add bling in our designs? Haha. Unless of course you design album covers for Master.

club penguin Says:
June 4th, 2009 at 4:18 am -

THE KING OF BLING!!! Says:
June 28th, 2009 at 6:07 pm -

REALLY NICE!!!

wholesale korean clothing Says:
July 9th, 2009 at 8:47 am -

really nice, so cool….:)

wholesale korean clothing Says:
July 9th, 2009 at 9:47 am -

really nice, so cool….:)

polisetty Says:
July 23rd, 2009 at 3:57 am -

very nice gold color good work & good Tutorial

mercedes car seats Says:
October 31st, 2009 at 1:01 pm -

great tutorial I am going to use this now

ashwinprsd Says:
November 23rd, 2009 at 6:47 pm -

nice tuts

handbags Says:
January 5th, 2010 at 7:06 am -

not only that you go above and beyond to add more affects and show a good example of how it might be used. 9/10 (only because i don't ever actually see myself using this for anything practical).

moveis Says:
January 24th, 2010 at 8:00 am -

http://www.moveisonline.pt