Create Glossy Button with Rounded Rectangle Tool and Clouds Filter
From this Adobe Photoshop tutorial you will learn how to create really glamorous looking colorful button with the help of Rounded Rectangle tool. I myself am not a fan of the square and round buttons as they are so often used that they became kind of annoying stuff. Now together we are going to create something a bit more interesting. In the process of our work we are also going to use Transformations (Edit, Transform, Rotate), Clouds Filter, Ellipse Tool, Layer Styles and above all, awesome colorful gradients to achieve the final enchanting color combination.
The button can be made in any version of Adobe Photoshop as no brushes, instruments or custom shapes exclusive for CS6 are used.
Let's get started and firstly see what you are going to create:
STEP 1
Open Adobe Photoshop and create a new .psd file of 1000 pixels Width and Height. As you can see from the following screenshot, I have called my document Beautiful Colorful Button, have set its Resolution to 96 Pixels/Inch and the Color Mode to RGB Color then have chosen Transparent for Background Contents.
If you have used the same settings, you should get transparent Layer 1 in your Layers panel. Double click on its name and type Background in the white space, then press Ctrl+G (Layer, Group Layers) and rename the so created Group 1 to Background.
Create Awesome Textured Background Using Paint Bucket Tool and Clouds Filter
In the following four steps you will firstly have to colorize your Background with vivid orange color using Paint Bucket tool, then you are going to change the Foreground Color to soft pastel blue and the Background Color to black. After you have changed both colors in the Tools bar, apply Clouds Filter on a new layer. When you are ready, you should change the Blend Mode and reduce Opacity of the Coluds layer in order to texturize your Background.
STEP 2
In the Tools bar change your Foreground color to nice orange- #ed853f and drag with Paint Bucket tool on the canvas to colorize your Background.
STEP 3
Create a New Layer on top of Background Group and call it Clouds Filter 1.
Change the Foreground color to #060400 and Background color to #121214 then go to Filter, Render, Clouds.
STEP 4
This is the result of applying the Clouds Filter:
STEP 5
Change Blend Mode of Clouds Filter 1 layer to Multiply and lower its Opacity to 30%.
Create the Button Body Using Rounded Rectangle Tool, Transformation and Five Layer Styles
In Steps 6-12 you will have to draw the first Rounded Rectangle of Fixed Size and Radius 350px then use Edit, Transform function to rotate it. After the rectangle is ready, your task will be to add Shadow, Reflected Gradient, blue shaded Stroke and 3D Effect.
STEP 6
Create a New Layer on top of Layers panel and name it Rounded Rectangle 1. Now grab Rounded Rectangle tool from the Tools bar then navigate to the Options bar. Firstly change its Mode to Pixels and Radius to 350px then click on the Gear icon, check Fixed Size and set Width and Height to 800px both.
Before drawing the shape drag two guides which intersect in the middle of the canvas and will help you to put your shape in the center. When you are ready with preparing the settings of the instrument, set your Foreground color to sky blue- #a4caed and draw the Rounded Rectangle.
Keep Rounded Rectangle layer highlighted and press Ctrl+G to Group it. Rename the new Group to Rounded Rectangles.
STEP 7
Now go to Edit, Transform, Rotate and in the Options bar insert 45 degrees for Angle of Rotation. Press Enter key to tell your program to accept the Transformation.
This is our first Rounded Rectangle after being rotated at 45 degrees:
STEP 8
Double click on Rounded Rectangle 1 layer's thumbnail to activate Layer Style dialog box. Firstly check Drop Shadow and change only three of its settings: set Distance to 0px, Spread to 25% and Size to 60px.
Keep Layer Style box opened as another four Blending Options are to be added.
STEP 9
The second Layer Style to be added is Gradient Overlay- change its settings like this:
Blend Mode: Normal
Dither: unchecked
Opacity: 100%
Click to Edit the Gradient like this:
First Color Stop (Location 0%): #003c41
Second Color Stop (Location 100%): #83f5ff
Reverse: unchecked
Style: Reflected
Align with Layer: checked
Angle: 90 degrees
Scale: 100%.
STEP 10
Now apply Inner Shadow Layer Style and change only three of the settings: insert 0px for Distance, 20% for Choke and 35px for Size.
STEP 11
In this step we are going to add thick blue shaded Stroke so check Stroke Layer Style and change its settings as follows:
Size: 10px
Position: Outside
Blend Mode: Normal
Opacity: 100%
Fill Type: Gradient
First Color Stop (Location 0%): #233e54
Second Color Stop (Location 50%): #abd5fd
Third Color Stop (Location 100%): #233e54
Reverse: unchecked
Style: Linear type of gradient
Align with Layer: checked
Angle: 90 degrees
Dither: not checked
Scale: 100%.
STEP 12
The last Layer Style to be added to Rounded Rectangle 1 layer is Bevel and Emboss. Change only these settings:
Depth: 115%
Size: 95px
Color for Highlight: #42d0ff
Color for Highlight Opacity: 100%
Color of Shadow Opacity: 30%.
Now you can press OK button to apply the Blending Options and to close Layer Style dialog box. Our work on Rounded Rectangle 1 layer is done.
This is how your button base will look after applying the previously described five Blending Options:
Draw the Second Rounded Rectangle, Colorize it and Add 3D Effect
In Steps 13-17 you should draw a bit smaller Rounded Rectangle of Fixed Size and 300px Radius, then Rotate it, using Transformation option. You need to apply Gradient of vivid colors and Overlay Blend Mode, Inner Shadow of bigger Size and increased Opacity, as well as blueish Bevel and Emboss.
STEP 13
Your Foreground Color should be set to #a4caed. Now Create a New Layer on top of Rounded Rectangles Group and name it Rounded Rectangle 2. Take Rounded Rectangle tool from the Tools bar in Pixels Mode again, but this time set its Radius to 300 px and insert 700px for both Width and Height. Draw the shape in the middle of the canvas.
STEP 14
Repeat Step 7- go to Edit, Transform, Rotate, then insert 45 degrees for Angle of Rotation and press Enter to apply the Transformation. You should get this result:
STEP 15
We need to add three Blending Options in order to colorize the inner part of the button and to give it volume and shadow. The first Layer Style to be applied is the following Gradient Overlay:
Blend Mode: Overlay
Dither: unchecked
Opacity: 100%
Click to Edit the Gradient like this:
First Color Stop (Location 0%): #297a79
Second Color Stop (Location 50%): #ff0000
Third Color Stop (Location 85%): #fffc00
Reverse: unchecked
Style: Reflected
Align with Layer: checked
Angle: 90 degrees
Scale: 100%.
STEP 16
This time apply Inner Shadow Layer Style and change five of its settings:
Opacity: 100%
Distance: 0px
Choke: 30%
Size: 133px
Contour: Rounded Steps.
STEP 17
Now check Bevel and Emboss Layer Style to add 3D effect and change six of its settings:
Style: Pillow Emboss
Depth: 1000%
Size: 25px
Color for Highlight: #68acff
Color for Highlight Opacity: 100%
Color of Shadow Opacity: 45%.
Here is our button after adding the three previous layer styles to Rounded Rectangle 2 layer:
Create Grey Circle of Fixed Size, Colorize it and Apply 3D Effect, Shadow and Stroke
In Steps 18-22 you will have to draw gray circle using Ellipse tool of Fixed Size and apply the respective Blending Options. You should add Shadow with Rounded Steps Contour, Blue to Orange Radial Gradient, thin colorful Stroke and Bevel and Emboss of default black to white colors.
STEP 18
Create a New Layer on top of Layers panel and name it Ellipse Tool or just Ellipse. Press Ctrl+G to Group it and rename the new Group to Ellipses.
Change the Foreground Color to #c1c1c1, grab Ellipse Tool in Pixels Mode, click on the Gear icon in the Options bar and check Fixed Size. Set both Width and Height to 500px and draw the circle in the middle of the canvas.
STEP 19
Now we have to add four layer styles to Ellipse Tool layer so firstly apply Drop Shadow- set its Distance to 0px, Spread to 30%, Size to 25px and change Contour to Rounded Steps.
STEP 20
Tick Gradient Overlay in Layer Style box and change the settings as follows:
Blend Mode: Overlay
Dither: unchecked
Opacity: 100%
Click to Edit the Gradient like this:
First Color Stop (Location 0%): #290a59
Second Color Stop (Location 100%): #ff7c00
Reverse: unchecked
Style: Radial
Align with Layer: checked
Angle: 90 degrees
Scale: 100%.
STEP 21
In this step we are going to apply this thin Gradient type of Stroke:
Size: 3px
Position: Outside
Blend Mode: Normal
Opacity: 100%
Fill Type: Gradient
Select Red-Orange, Blue-Green Gradient
from the Gradient Picker
Reverse: unchecked
Style: Reflected type of gradient
Align with Layer: checked
Angle: 90 degrees
Dither: not checked
Scale: 100%.
STEP 22
The last Layer Style to be applied on Ellipse Tool layer is Bevel and Emboss. Change only its Size to 85px and reduce Color of Shadow Opacity to 30%.
This is how the middle circle will look after adding the previously described four layer styles:
Texturize the Middle Part of the Button Using Clouds Filter and Apply Four Blending Options
In Steps 23-30 your task is to add more Texture and volume to your Colorful Glossy Button. Firstly you have to Create a New Layer then Load Selection on the Circle created in Step 6 and fill it in the new layer with Clouds Filter. You have to change the Blend Mode and reduce Fill Opacity of this second Clouds Filter layer then add to it Glow, Shadow, thin black Stroke and 3D Effect.
STEP 23
Create a New Layer on top of Ellipses Group and call it Clouds Filter 2.
We need to Load Selection on Ellipse Tool layer so hold down Ctrl and click on its layer's thumbnail. Keep Clouds Filter layer highlighted and the selection active.
STEP 24
Change Foreground Color to #e5e1b4 and Background Color to #0f0f0d. Navigate to the Menu bar and choose Filter, Render, Clouds.
STEP 25
This is how our cloudy circle should look after applying the Filter:
STEP 26
Change Blend Mode of Clouds Filter 2 layer to Multiply and lower its Fill Opacity to 40%.
STEP 27
We'll start with the Blending Options again. The first Layer Style to be applied on Clouds Filter 2 layer is Inner Glow. Set the Color of Glow to #fcc78f, select Edge for Technique, then change Choke to 25% and Size to 40px.
STEP 28
The second Layer Style to be added is Inner Shadow. Reduce its Opacity to 30%, set the Distance to 0px, Choke to 45% and Size to 50px then increase Noise to 15%.
STEP 29
The third Layer Style to be ticked in Layer Style box is Stroke. Increase the Size to 4px, choose Inside for Position and lower the Opacity to 40%.
STEP 30
The fourth Layer Style to be added to Clouds 2 layer is Bevel and Emboss. Increase its Size to 117px, set the Color for Highlight to #f9ff99 and lower Color of Shadow Opacity to 25%.
This is the result of the Blending Options applied on Clouds 2 layer:
Add Glossy Effects Using Gradients and Blend Mode Changes
In the last eight steps of this tut you should add more glowing effects to your Button. Firstly you have to draw a small Ellipse at the upper part of the Button, fill it with Gradient and set its Blend Mode to Soft Light to increase its transparency.
You will add more glow using Selection loaded on the Button base. You have to fill the Selection with light blue, then remove part of it with the help of Elliptical Marquee tool.
STEP 31
We don't need the guides from now on so go to View, Show and uncheck Guides in the fly-out menu.
Now Set the Foreground Color to very pale yellow- #fbf9c6. Create a New Layer on top of Layers pane and name it Light 1. Press Ctrl+G to put it in a Group and rename the newly created Group to Lights.
Now take Elliptical Marquee tool and draw an ellipse at the upper part of the button. Then select Gradient Tool, choose Foreground to Transparent Gradient from the Gradient Picker and click on Radial Type icon. Drag with the instrument from the upper to the bottom part of the ellipse.
STEP 32
Change Blend Mode of Light 1 layer to Soft Light.
STEP 33
Duplicate Rounded Rectangle layer and move the duplicate above Light 1 layer in Lights Group. Right click on it and select Clear Layer Style to get rid of the previously added Blending Options. Rename the layer to Light 2.
Use Elliptical Marquee Tool to draw a selection as you see on the screenshot below.
STEP 34
Now press Delete key to remove the selected parts of the blue rounded rectangle then press Ctrl+D (Select, Deselect) to get rid of the selection. You should get the following result:
STEP 35
Change Blend Mode of Light 2 layer to Soft Light and lower its Opacity to 70%.
STEP 36
Duplicate Rounded Rectangle 1 layer again and remove its layer styles. Place it on top of Lights Group and rename it to Light 3. Then grab Elliptical Marquee Tool and draw the selection you see on the screenshot below. Press Delete to remove the selected parts then press Ctrl+D to deselect.
STEP 37
Change Blend Mode of Light 3 layer to Soft Light and reduce its Opacity to 60%.
STEP 38
Our work on the beautiful colorful button is finished. You should have four groups of layers in Layers panel- Background, Rounded Rectangles, Ellipses and Lights.
STEP 39
Your button saved in .jpg or .png format should be similar to the one on the screenshot below if you have followed all steps of this tut in detail. You can apply Filter, Sharpen, Unsharp Mask to sharpen the edges.
That's all, folks. Hope you liked this tutorial and learned something new from it. Thank you very much for reading and God bless! :)