Poster + Blogger Meet
Hey all,
First of all, here is one of the posters that I have made for an event “Algorithm Writing”, taking place in our college’s annual fest. The seniors really loved it!! 
And now the other topic: The second Delhi Blogger meet. The last one was awesome!! But unfortunately I wont be able to attend this one due to 1) Too far away 2) Have to go somewhere else that day 3) EXAMS!!!! 
Anyways, get the details by clicking this image:
So, will you be attending this meet? And do tell me how you like the poster. I am also making posters for 2 more events, so ideas are most welcome. One event is a “Tech Quiz”, other is a kind of “Junkyard Wars”, but at a smaller and more logical/algorithmic level. I have the grunge effect in mind for the second one.
Holi Greetings!!
Hello readers!!
Wishing all of you a very happy holi!! (Even the ones who don’t know what it is)
Here is a wallpaper/greeting for you all… Send it to all your friends/family whom you want to wish!! (Do see this pic in full size for the proper 3D effect)
1920×1200:
1280×1024:
1280×800:
For those of you who have no idea about Holi, here is a heads-up from wiki:
Holi , called the Festival of Colours, is a popular Hindu spring festival observed in India, Suriname, Guyana, Trinidad, the UK and Nepal.
On the first day, burning of the demoness Holika, Hiranyakashipu’s sister, in huge bonfires at night. It is called Kama dahanam in Andhra Pradesh.
On the second day, known as Dhulheti, people spend the day throwing coloured powder and water at each other. The spring season, during which the weather changes, is believed to cause viral fever and cold. Thus, the playful throwing of the coloured powders has a medicinal significance: the colours are traditionally made of Neem, Kumkum, Haldi, Bilva, and other medicinal herbs prescribed by Āyurvedic doctors. A special drink called thandai is prepared, sometimes containing bhang (Cannabis sativa).
Read the rest of the article here.
The splatter/splash brushes that I have used in this image are from here.
Awesome Wallpaper and Movie
Heylo readers!!
You so totally gotta check out this awesome 16 min short film titled “Validation“. It is one of the best shorties I have ever seen. Lot better than Pixar’s Knick-knack and stuff. Check it out::
And here is an awesome wallpaper. (Literally). I got the quote from JoOlz.
1900×1200:
1280×800:
1280×1024, 1024×768:
Do comment on the wallpaper!!
Merry Christmas!!
Hello Humans!!
Wishing you all a very merry Christmas!! May the Santa bless you
Here are 2 wallpapers to celebrate the Christmas spirit (unlike Scrooge)!!
The first one doesn’t seem to be worth a tutorial 
Here is the tutorial for the second one:
1. Start with a new image, size 1900×1600. (I will now be making images in larger size on recommendation of Mayank )
2. Make a subtle dark to light blue gradient.
3. Make a christmas tree shape using the pen tool, or download mine.
4. Open the brush in Photoshop. Select the new brush and hit F5 to open the Brushes window. Apply following settings:
5. On a new layer, and foreground color set to dark-blue, make a horizontal swipe with the brush. Repeat twice using lighter colors on new layers. Merge the 3 layers.
6. Now for the snow… Search google for some nice snow flake brushes. You will find some good ones on Deviantart though. Select the new brush and apply following settings:
7. This step is all about hit and trial. Just go and blow some snow onto the canvas.
8. Now for the text. Type out in a suitable font. I have used “Chiller”. Apply following settings:
DONE!! Here is the final image:
Here is the same one which can be used once the Christmas spirit is over.
Tada!!
The Vista Interface Tutorial
Heyloz people!!
Long time no post!! Here comes a tutorial that you have all been waiting for (hopefully).
This time ’round I will be telling you how to make the popular Vista transparency effect in Photoshop. Like always, here is the finished product first:
Looking nice huh?? Well then, let’s begin!!
Step 1: The Basic Shape
Start with a suitable background. I used this:
Using the “Rounded Rectangle Tool”, and the foreground color Black, draw a suitable sized rectangle on a new layer. The placement/position doesn’t matter because this window will be movable like the real one!!
Open up the layer styles window for this layer by Right-clicking on the layer name and selecting “Blending Options”. Set the “Fill Opacity” to 0%. Mind it that this is the “Fill Opacity”, not the normal “Opacity”. This will make your layer contents transparent while retaining the opacity of the layer-styles that we will apply. Sweet huh??
Next apply the following settings:
[Be sure to select "Contour"]
[The color and its opacity is totally your choice]
This completes our basic shape and effects for the Vista window. But there is still a lot more to come!! This is what you should have by now…
Step 2: Move over the basics
Ctrl/Cmd + Click on the thumbnail next to this layer to make a selection of all visible pixels on this layer. Save this selection by going to “Select>Save Selection”. Give it any name you like. I named mine “windows”.
Now, pick up the “Rectangular Marquee Tool”, and while holding down the “Alt” key, make a selection out of the LOWER half of the rounded rectangle. Let me explain… Holding down Alt ensures that what-ever you select next, is subtracted from any already existing selection on the canvas. This is what you will get:
With the Gradient Tool selected, and the forground color set to White, set the Gradient mode to “Foreground->Transparent”. Drag out from the center of the window (the one we are making) to the top of the same. Apply a Gaussian blur of 3-5px.
Reduce the opacity of the layer to 40%. This finishes the environmental reflection.
Step 3: The Details
Pick up the Rectangular Marquee Tool, white foreground color, and on a new layer, make a rectangle in white color as shown:
“Free Transform” (Ctrl/Cmd + T) this rectangle and rotate it to an angle of -45 degrees. (You can set it in the bar at the top). Hit ‘Enter’ to accept the free transformation. Go to “Select>Load Selection” and select the selection you saved earlier by the name of “windows”. Select “Intersect with Selection”. Hit OK. This will create a selection out of the areas that were intersecting in the two selections that you had made.
Hit “Ctr+Shift+I” to invert this selection. This will select everything but the earlier selection on this layer. Hit “Del” to delete. This leaves you with the white area only in the Vista window.
Apply a Gaussian Blur of about 3-5px. Pick up a large, soft eraser and rub out the right side edge of the white rectangle.
Repeat the above step to make more such reflections. 4-5 will do.
Step 4: The final touches
This finishes the window effect. To put in some material in the window, again pick up the rounded rectangle tool, and with the foreground color set to Black, make a rectangle which leaves equal spaces on the left, bottom and right, while around triple of this space at the top.
Now for the window title. Microsoft uses the Segoe UI font in size ’8′ by default. Type out the title in Black color. Open up the “Character Palette”, and change the “Horizontal Spacing” to 50. Open up the Blending Options window for the text layer, and set an Outer Glow of White color. Spread: 8%. Size: 13px.
Done!!
I will be adding the Close, Minimize and Maximize buttons soon. Will put up their details in the next post probably. That also reminds me that I have to put up a tutorial for the Bokeh effect. By the way, I learned this effect from Tutorial9.
Biotech Geek
Hey all..
I was asked to design the logo for one of my friends’ website. Here are two of the ones I came up with. Check it out at the website here.
The following one has been used:
Please do contact me if you also want a new logo for your site. Totally personlized logos for free!! (well, free for the first few people atleast.. 
)
Anything you put in the comments will be mailed to me..so please contact me through the comments section. (I get enough spam even without posting my gmail ID here.. )
Transparent Glass Text
Hey again!!
In this tutorial, we will make a transparent glass effect text ala Vista style. We will use layer styles to make the basic transparency and gradients+opacity to make final glass effect. I did not come up with this effect, but learned it some time back from “PSDTuts”. I have linked to it at the end of the post.
You can use this effect to make vista like glassy, shiny buttons also!! Here is what we will be making:
Lets begin…
Step 1: The Background
We need a nice gradient to set the mood. You could use the default gradients, but I made one up with 3 colors in it. To make your own gradient, select the gradient tool, and then, on top, click on the small rectangle that shows you the sample gradient.
Step 2: The Text
To make glass text, I think we will need some text
Here I use the letter ‘G’ in font “Monotype Corsiva”, because it gives a nice curvy G. And also, I will be writing the word GLASS.
Step 3: The Transparency
Now for the transparency and light effects. Select the text layer, and open up the blending options (Layer>Layer Styles>Blending options). Apply settings as shown:
The most important and interesting thing here is the “Fill Opacity”, that only changes the opacity of the text, not the layer styles. It is very useful, so remember it!!
Step 4: The Glass Effect
Now for the glass effect i.e. the reflection and refraction (sorry for the technical terms, but since I am doing a B.Tech in CSE, it is a force of habit )
“Ctrl+Click” on the thumbnail on the text layer next to the layer name, in the layer palette. This will make a selection of everything on the layer. In this case, the letter G.
After making the selection, pick up the gradient tool, and select the “White to Transparent” style. Then on a new layer, make a gradient starting from the center of the background gradient to the middle of the letter G. This gives the effect that the light is coming from the bottom right. Set the layer mode to “Overlay” to fade it into the text.
Next, on another new layer, make another similar gradient, this one starting from the top of the letter ‘G’ to the middle. Set the opacity of this layer to 40%.
Now press “Ctrl+D” to deselect the selection. Pick up the “Elliptical Marquee Tool” and make a large ellipse on the same layer.
Press “Ctrl+Shift+I” to invert the selection, and hit “Del” on the keyboard to delete the selected part. This will make the gradient end suddenly, giving it the popular glass effect.
Step 5: Final Touches
I used a star brush I downloaded from DeviantArt to make some glossy sparkles to add the finishing touch. Make these with a polygon tool if that is what you like . Just make sure you add them to the brightest spots on the letter.
DONE!!
You will a more detailed tutorial (the one where I learned this effect) here.
People, please do comment!!
