Photoshop Tutorial : Create a Simple Gaming Layout

In this week’s tutorial we are going to create a simple template for a gaming website. You will learn how to create basic highlighting, color combination, alignment, what background works, and many other important things. I hope you can follow me from start to finish.

You have two options: to follow the tutorial and acquire all the techniques listed here, and soon you can design something relevant to this. Or you can just download the file, but I promise you that you will be confused if you just download the file. The best thing to do is to follow the tutorial, it takes less than 30 minutes!






Don’t forget to Subscribe to Email Newsletter, Follow us on Twitter and Like us on Facebook – for recent updates.Here is what we will be making, click on the image for full preview:

Resources for this tutorial

• Texture

Step 1: Setting up the Document

Open up Photoshop and create a 1200px x 1600px document.

Make sure that you turn on Rulers and Guides

• Rulers: Ctrl + R
• Guides: Ctrl + ;

Create a 960px wide space. Go to View – New Guide 120px Vertical, repeat the step and change the value to 1080px.


In every layout it is important to organize your layers and place them in well labeled folders. Every step we work through you will create or use a folder. For example “Step 2: Working with Background” all layers that we have created in making the background will be placed in the Background folder. It’s really up to you in how well you organize your work.

Step 2: Working with Background

Fill background layer with #0b0b0b. Open the texture that you have downloaded and choose Metal hole, place it in our canvas. Texture is too big so resize it by pressing Ctrl + T.



Add this Blending Option

• Gradient Overlay

Duplicate the layer and place it on the bottom.

Step 3: Working with Navigation

Using Rectangle Tool create a 960px by 60px shape 170px from the top. You can do this by using View – New Guide – 170px Horizontal or by using Ruler Tool measure it starting from the top. You can view the measurement in the information panel.



Add this Blending Option

• Inner Shadow: #fff

• Gradient Overlay: #000000, #121212

• Stroke: #000000

Using Text Tool add navigation links “Blog, Community, Media & Matches”. Make sure each link is 40px from the right.


Now that we have links let’s add a divider for each link. Using Rectangular Marquee Tool create a 1px line and fill it with #2a2a2a the height will be the same as our navigation. Duplicate the line and change the color to #000000.



Merge the two line layers and add a layer mask by clicking the square icon with a circle beside fx icon in the layers panel. Then, select Gradient Tool make sure the the foreground is #000000 and background #ffffff. Select the mask thumbnail in the layers panel and start masking the layer starting from the bottom to top.



Just duplicate the layer to add separators in the remaining links.

Step 4: Adding Highlights to our Navigation

Using Rectangular Marquee Tool select some portion you want to highlight. For this example refer to the screenshot provide below. When you already select a portion set the foreground color to #fffff and select Gradient Tool – Reflected Gradient – Foreground to Transparent – Opacity 60%. Then, start filling the selection.

Repeat the step and highlight another portion if you want to.

Step 5: Working with Logo

Using Rectangle Tool create a 250px by 80px shape as show in the screenshot below.



Transform the shape by pressing Ctrl + T, right-click on the canvas and chose Distort drag the bottom right point 40px to right. Add the same Layer Style we applied on our navigation.



Using Text Tool add our site name. I named it GD-Gaming. Font name is Magneto, Bold, size 30pt.
Add this Blending Option

• Gradient Overlay: #ffffff, #9e9e9f

This will be the result, I also added highlights.

Step 6: Working with Slider

Using Rectangle Tool create a 960px by 300px shape. For the meantime color will be #1f1f1f the later on we will change it to #000000.



Using Text Tool add text as shown in the screenshot.



Using Rounded Rectangular Tool & Ellipse Tool we were going to create our slider controls. First, Select Rounded Rectangle Tool create a 95px by 20px shape with a fill color of #000000 place it at the bottom left of the slider. Next, using Ellipse Tool create 4 10px x 10px shape and align it to the first shape that we have created. Just refer the screenshot below.



What we’re going to do now is to make the controls 50% transparent and viewable in any backgrounds. To do this first set the foreground to #000000, select the 3 white shape layers in the layers panel and Ctrl + E to merge it. Next Ctrl + Click to the thumbnail to make a selection, Ctrl + Shift + I to inverse the selection and now select the rounded shape layer and click the mask icon from the layers panel. Done! we have finished masking those circles to our rounded shape. Last is set the Opacity to 50%.



Grab a sample image to our slider make the width 956px by 300px align it on the center and this time change the background color to #000000.



Last step for our slider is to add a shadow on both sides. Using Rectangular Marquee Tool make a 20px selection as shown in the screenshot below. Select Gradient Tool – Linear Gradient – Foreground to Transparent set the foreground color to #000000 and fill the selection with gradient star from right.



Using Eraser Tool hardness to 0% erase the area on top and bottom.



When you are happy with your result duplicate the layer and place it on the other side.

Step 7: Working with 3 columns

Let’s start by creating the base layer, select Rectangle Tool create a 960px by 250px shape with a fill color of #000000. In your background folder duplicate the texture that we created. Resize it using transform tool and place it at the top of base layer.

In both corners we’re going to add highlights using the same process as we did for our logo and navigation. But this time set the layer mode to Screen, Opacity to 10%.



Using Rectangle Tool create a 300px by 250px with a fill color of #000000. Make a selection of it and place it as shown in the screenshot below.



Set the foreground color to #161616, using Gradient Tool – Reflected Gradient – Foreground to Transparent fill the selection.



We will fill our base box with a text header and content. Below the header there will be a 2px #000000 line and below it a 1px #161616 line. Refer to the screenshot below for the text format and also add some highlights.



Now we’re going to create a Read more button. Using Rounded Rectangle Tool set the Radius to 10px and create a 90px by 25px shape any color will do.



Add this Blending Option

• Inner Shadow: #ffffff

• Gradient overlay: #0a0a0a, #191919

Using Ellipse Tool create a 17px by 17px shape and add Gradient Overlay with the same color we applied to the base but this time reverse it.



Select Custom Shape Tool, browse an arrow the same in the screenshot below and make the arrow color #c31212. Align it properly and add also a more text color #ffffff.



Duplicate the first column twice and place it as shown in the screenshot below.



To complete our 3 columns use Rectangular Marquee Tool and create a #1a1a1a 1px line. -randomly-placed down-load file to see if people are following- Place it as shown in the screenshot below.

Step 8: Working with Base Body Background

This will be the background for our content to be placed. Using Rectangle Tool create a 960px by 715px shape with a fill color of #000000. Duplicate a copy of #1a1a1a 1px line we did earlier place it as shown in the screenshot below.



Create a 952px by 70px shape and place it at the bottom of our base background.



Add this Blending Option

• Inner Shadow: #ffffff

• Gradient overlay: #0a0a0a, #191919

Result



Duplicate a copy of the texture we did in 3 column rotate it 90 degrees and place it as shown in the screenshot below.



At the right side this will be our sidebar area. Using Rectangular Marquee Tool make a selection as shown in the screenshot below and fill it with #ededed.

Step 8: Working with Left Content

First grab a sample image preview size 600px by 90px. Place it as shown in the screenshot below.



Add this Blending Option

• Drop Shadow: #ffffff

• Stroke: #000000

Result


Using Rectangle Tool create a shape as shown in the screenshot below.



Add Post title and sample content using Text Tool.



Duplicate a copy of read more button. Add a 1px line below the content the same color we applied to the image preview. Place it as shown in the screenshot below.



Grab a sample 70px by 70px thumbnail and apply the same layer style we did in sample image preview.

Step 9: Working with Sidebar

Using Text Tool and Rectangle Tool apply the same layer style and text format.

Step 10: Working with Footer

Using Text Tool add your copyright text.

Done!

I hope you learn something for this tutorial. I’d love to see you post your outcome below. Cheers all




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