Step 1 – First we need to create our canvas, to do this simple go to File -> New… Then choose your canvas size. I chose 300 x 300 and put it on a transparent background but that is up to you.

Step 2 – Now you want to choose your symbol or letter for your main part or the focal point. I chose a font called “Danube” and chose the size 100px and set it to AA- Strong. Then I put the letter “S” in the middle of the canvas. It doesn’t matter what colour your font is because that is all going to be changed.

Step 3 – Now we need to right click our text layer and select blending options. If you are trying to attempt the same colours as mine then take a look at these screenshots and follow the settings carefully. Or feel free to adjust the settings to your own taste.

Drop Shadow :

Inner Shadow:

Inner Glow:

Satin:

Gradient Overlay – Most important part with the blending options so watch closely:

Here’s what the finished letter looks like :

Step 4 – Now that we have done our main symbol we need to create the little bars that go underneath it. To do this you go to the shape tool and choose the “Rounded Rectangle Tool” then you create a bar that seems long enough for your needs and then press “Ctrl + T” and rotate it the way you want it. Don’t forget to move it underneath your symbol in the correct place.

Step 5 – Now we need to duplicate the rectangle three more times using the shortcut “Ctrl +J” while being clicked on the first one. Or do it manually using right click – duplicate layer. Now you need to move all four shapes to their correct positions on mine they are next to each other going to the right diagonally. Then change the colour of all 4 to match the colours you used on the gradient. ( I also lowered the opacity on each of them to 65% ) You should also see the drop shadow now too.

Step 6 – Now you need to create a splatter shape in Illustrator or get some splatter brushes which are good quality and good variety. Choose a nice one and brush it onto your canvas just the once. Make sure its bang in the middle of the rest of your items and place the layer underneath everything else (except the background obviously) Now we need to add some blending options.

Inner Shadow

Gradient Overlay

Step 7 – Now for the final step all you need to do is place the middle text in the middle of your symbol this could say anything but mine says “Portfolio”.. Just use the font “Danube” again and set it to a small size. Then add a drop shadow and maybe a few other things to make it look better for you.

That’s it! Congratulations if you finished the tutorial with a nice result and I hope you get to use it somewhere nice. Remember you can change the colours at any time.. If you liked this tutorial please sign up at www.Sigvault.com/forums for a lot more. You can download the final PSD here.

Step 1 – First of all get a good stock. Not only good but one you like. This time, we’re going to make a tag with a black and white stock. You can get the tag we used here.

Step 2 – As you can see, the stock isn’t big enough to cover the entire canvas When this happens, pick the Clone Stamp Tool and while holding ALT, cick somewhere in the tag (a place where the background is uniform).

Step 3 – Then let go of the ALT key end and click in the parts where the stock doesn’t reach. This will recreate the background you ALT-clicked on that area, In this case, this method was used two times.

Step 4 – Make a new layer and apply image (Image > Apply Image). Then delete most parts with a splatter brush, and after this, just reposition that layer somewhere in the canvas.

Do this again but show another part of the layer.

Step 5 –With the splatter brushes you used on the two above steps, brush once in the area where both layers you did above encounter themselves. Brush in a color that blends well (in this case, black and white are fine).

Do this again, but with another color.

Step 6 –This part can be tricky to people inexperienced with doing masks and so I’ll explain it as detailed as possible. First, make a small circle with Eliptical Marquee Tool and fill it with white. Then on another layer apply image. Then right click on that layer and choose “Create Clipping Mask”, and that layer will have a small arrow pointing at the layer below (in this case, the applied image layer will have an arrow pointed at the small circle layer). Now just move the applied image layer around and you’ll see the layer moving behind the circle. as in a keyhole

Here’s the result of this long step:

Step 7 – Repeat this step but show another part of the layer.

Step 8 – Once again, apply image in a new layer and now delete about half of it. Then, brush some of the areas remaining with a hard brush in white.

Step 9 – With the layer you did in the last step selected pick the Clone Stamp Tool and on a new layer, with a hard brush clone the area you want to clone. Don’t do it neither too big nor too small pick the best size.

Step 10 – Make a new layer, apply image end delete some parts of it. After that, go to the Bending Options menu, click on Color Overlay and pick the black color. Then reposition the layer.

Step 11 – Pick the Line Tool and draw some lines with different sizes and thickness. Use colors which blend well with the tag you’ve made so for (In this case, as usual black and white are good colors)

Step 12 – Pick some random render, preferably a unicolored one. If it has multicolors just put a Color Overlay through the blending options of that layer. Now position it anywhere in the tag so it gives it some flow without ruining the mainly coloring.

Step 13 – Now create a new layer and apply image. Delete most of the layer with some splatter bashes and then reposition it.

Step 14 – Apply image once again in a new layer and now. besides deleting some parts with splatter brushes, use the Clone Stamp Tool to erase or enhace some parts.

Repeat this step once more on a new layer.

Step 15 – Make a new layer, apply image, and delete most of the layer with splatter brushes. Then just reposition it somewhere in the canvas.

Repeat the last step once again.

Step 16 – Now its the time to really add something from outside. Choose a C4D render and put it in your canvas. Depending on the render you picked and placed choose the most appropriate blending mode. With this render, its best to put it in Darken.

Step 17 –Remember how to create clipping masks? Well you’re going to create one now. Choose a custom shape from the ones that come from photoshop (in this case, we’re using the arrow), and after creating a new layer and applying image, create a clipping mask.

Step 18 – Create a new layer, apply image, and go to Edit >Transform > Flip Horizontal.

Apply image in a new layer and while using the clone stamp tool delete some parts with splatter brushes.

Step 19 –Now its time to add some color to it. With a soft brush, brush some small spots of light, and put that layer in lighten (Colour used: #FEO5BA).

Step 20 – With the Pencil Tool, draw some small curved lines coming from the light spots with the same color as used.

Step 21 –Make a new layer, apply images, add some random filters (you pick a good selection), and delete parts with splatter brushes, as usual.

Step 22 –Now its time to pick the Blur Tool and blur some minor parts of the tag. Don’t blur it too much, as it may look bad. Then put this layers opacity at 80.

Step 23 –Remember that random stock you used before? (In this case, it looked like a wing) Well pick it up again, and put it somewhere in the middle. Delete some parts of it, but keep it visible.

Copy it again into your tag and erase some other parts of it, and also change its position.

Step 24 – With a soft round brush in a new layer, make another spotlight, with more intensity this time (make it white). Put that layer in Lighten. Then duplicate it (the duplicated layer should come already in Lighten If not, just put it in lighten).

Make another spotlight in a new layer, in a different place, but this time, put it in overlay.

Step 25 – Using the Dodge and Burn Tools make some areas darker than others as well as ones lighter than others. This creates more contrast between different areas as well as increases the overall depth of the tag.

Step 26 – For the last time, pick the random stock you used before (the one like a wing in this case), and put it near the focus point, to make some kind of ‘wall’ between the background and the focus point. Delete some parts of it, so it doesn’t look too thick when compared to the other background components.

Step 27 – Make a line with the Line Tool, and fill it with a bright color (not necessarily white, but recommended).

Make a block small circle away from the focus point, to once again enhace the flow.

Step 28 – Make some vertical and horizontal lines in your tag, once again using the Line Tool. Don’t make them too near to the focus point, because it may take away the attention from it. On the other hand don’t make it too away from the focus points because the contrast between the background and the lines color may create another focus point.

Step 29 – Apply image for the last time, in a new layer, and once again use the Blur Tool to take the attention away from those areas. This step may come in handy when you have more than one main focus point. It helps you concentrate the others attention to where you want and not to where they want.

Step 30 –With a hard round brush, brush some connected black circles. Then, using the Eraser with a soft round brush (slightly smaller than the one used to create the circles), erase most of the circles you just designed. Then put that layer in Dissolve, to create a soft dot pattern.

Redo the last step, but instead of creating connected black circles, create connected white circles. Then while erasing erase a bit less than before to make the dots (after you put the layer in Dissolve) more dense.

You can download the final PSD here. Feel free to share your results on our forums.

Step 1 –Start by opening a new file and use the sizes you prefer. Size on this tag is 400×150 px.
Fill your background with a darkish grey (#6c6964 in this sig)

Step 2 – Now bring out your stock and paste it in a new layer (ctrl+shift+N). We used this. If needed move it around a bit and resize it by clicking
ctrl+T if needed. Hold shift then and drag one of the corners inside to make it smaller (holding shift contains your proportions).
Then take out your eraser tool and erase all the unwanted parts. In this case, we erased all of the background and kept
the girls face.

Step 3 – Now, the next step might be hard, but the most important thing to do is to use your imagination. So make a new layer (ctrl+shift+N)
and now you can do 2 things.
Either you take out a fractal brush that you like and brush a bit to create some flow or you can search up another stock picture,
preferably abstract-like and paste that into the new layer and then erase everything you don’t like. Additionally, you can also skew the stock
(edit < transform < skew) to alter the shape a bit. Now when it comes to the colors, we’re gonna color it later so when your brushing,
do so in a grey/black color and when you do the stock method, desaturate your stock by going to image < adjustments < desaturate
(ctrl+shift+U)

Step 4 – Make a new layer (ctrl+shift+N) and paste in your original stock again. Now we’re gonna apply a filter to it, to create some more detail
on the background. So go to filter < sketch < chrome and play around with the settings a bit. This looks a bit bland so we’re going to add an extra effect to it. Go to filter < brush strokes < ink outlines and mess with the settings
until you are pleased with what you have.
Then move your stock around a bit to find some nice pices on it and then erase everything you don’t like. When it comes to erasing, try
to use a soft round brush with a lowered opacity and flow, this way you can have better blending when erasing.

As you can see, erased quite a bit here. The whole idea is just to give that tad bit of extra in the end

Step 5 –Create a new layer (ctrl+shift+N) and get out a C4d. In general, every type of C4d will do but we used a kinda fractal like
C4d in this sig. The color we used was red, this will give a nice effect in contrast with the grey.
So when you’ve placed in your C4d, set it’s blending mode to lighten and erase everything you don’t like, such as on her face.

Step 6 – The next step is again about find a nice stock picture. We’re going to add a bit of grunged effect to it, so try looking up some
texture stocks. Once that you found one that you like, paste it on a new layer (ctrl+shift+N) and erase a lot of it. Again, it’s
just to add detail and depth to the background. Also, set that layer to lighten.

Step 7 – Make a new layer (ctrl+shift+N) and go to image < apply image. This will combine all your previous layers into one. Go to
filter < brush strokes < sprayed strokes and play with the settings, make sure the directions of the sprays matches your flow.
Next, we’re going to add the ‘ink outlines’ filter again, so go to filter < brush strokes < ink outlines.
Yes, it tends to come on a tad strong, so don’t be afraid to erase unwanted parts, such as on the face and slightly erase over the
rest with a soft brush (lowered opacity and flow) to reduce the effect there, but to still have it present.

Step 8 –New layer again (ctrl+shift+N) and apply the image once more (image < apply image). Then add the chrome filter again.
Filter < sketch < chrome. Now, erase almost everything, just keep a few touches of it to soften out some parts.
Set the blending mode of that layer to lighten. As you can see, not much of the filter has been
kept, but it does give that little bit of extra to
the sig.

Step 9 – Make a new layer layer (ctrl+shift+N), take out your paintbucket tool and fill it with black. Meaning of this layer will be to
create shadows and to enhance existing shadows, so erase some main parts and then take out the soft eraser brush wit lowered
opacity and flow again. As you can see here, we allready have some shadow on the left of her faces, so we can slightly enhance this
effect by erasing some of the black there, but not all off course. We also added some shadow around her eye there, as extra detail. As you can understand, hard to explain how to do it, since it will be different for every stock.

Step 10 – More filters will follow on the next layer, so start off by making a new layer (ctrl+shift+N) and applying the image (image < apply image).
First filter will be the ‘find edges’ filter, so go to filter < stylize < find edges.
Next will be to add some sprayed strokes. Go to filter < brush strokes < sprayed strokes and mess around a bit there, but keep a fairly
high spray radius.
And for the final filter, we‘re gonna sharpen it, so go to filter < sharpen < sharpen.
After those filter, set you layer’s blending mode to lighten and reduce the opacity to 20%. All you need to do now is to erase all the part
you don’t want.

Step 11 – Now repeat that previous step. But set the opacity to 50% this time.

Step 12 –New layer (ctrl+shift+N) and apply the image (image < apply image). Now, you see the part of stock on the right of her face,
the stock/fractal brush from one of our very first layers. We’re gonna do something with it again. Press ctrl+T on your applied image
layer and flip around your image a bit (go outside the square with your mouse and an arrow should appear, which allows you
to flip the image.
Find the position you like and erase everything you don’t like.

Step 13 – Filter time again. Make a new layer ctrl+shift+N) and apply the image (image < apply image). First, desaturate (ctrl+shift+U).
First filter will be the ocean ripple. Go to filter < distort < ocean ripple and play around with the settings a bit.
Then go to filter < brush strokes < sprayed strokes and make sure the direction follows your flow.
As final filter, go to filter < brush strokes < ink outlines.Again, erase all the parts you don’t like and maybe move it around a bit. Let your imagination go wild

Step 14 – New layer (ctrl+shift+N) and apply the image once more (image < apply image) Now move it a bit to the left.

Step 15 –New layer again (ctrl+shift+N) and apply the image (image < apply image) Go to filter < brush strokes < sprayed strokes.
Play around with the settings and again make sure your direction goes with the flow.
Then set that layer to lighten and move it around a bit and as usual, erase all the unwanted parts.

Step 16 –Make a new layer (ctrl+shift+N) and apply the image (image < apply image). Simply reduce the opacity of this layer to 10%. This gives a slighty softer look to your sig.

Step 17 – Now we’re going to repeat some steps we did in the beginning. Look up another abstract-like stock and paste it on a new layer (ctrl+shift+N)
Desaturate it (ctrl+shift+U) and go to filter < brush strokes < ink outlines. After that, go to filter < sharpen < sharpen.
Then set that layer to lighten at 30% and erase all the parts of it that you don’t like and also move it around a bit maybe.
Like said before, use your imagination!

Step 18 –And now it’s onto the easy part
Time to do some coloring, so add a gradient map. To do so, click on the little black&white orb (New fill or adjustment layer) in the bottom of your layers palette window. Then click on gradient map and choose the black to white one.

Set that layer to multiply on 40%

Step 19 – Add another gradient map, this time a blue-ish (#3f5654 in this case) color to white. If the blue isn’t you foreground color, simply
tick off the reverse box.

Step 20 – Turn the blending mode of that layer to soft layer and reduce it’s opacity to 50%

Step 21 – Now add another gradient map and this time we added another home made gradient. You can either take this one, or experiment
yourself. Of course, that later is highly encouraged. To make your own gradient, simply click on one of the premade ones and you will be taken to it’s edit screen where you can adjust and
save it then.

Set that layer to soft light, at 50% opacity.

Step 22 – Make a new layer (ctrl+shift+N) and apply the image (image < apply image). Then go to filter < blur < gaussian blur and blur it by
a 2 pixel radius. Then reduce the opacity of that layer to 20%

Step 23 – Make another new layer (ctrl+shift+N) and apply the image once more (image < apply image). Next, go to filter < sharpen < sharpen.
Reduce the opacity of the layer to 30% and erase some parts that you don’t like.

Step 24 – Now add a brightness and contrast layer. To do so, click on the little black&white orb again and choose brightness and contrast.

Then reduce the opacity of that layer to 50%. Off course, you aren’t obliged to take those settings, you should play around a bit
and see what’s most fitting for your sig.

Step 25 – Now make a new layer (ctrl+shift+N) and apply the image (image < apply image). Leve it like that and make another new layer (ctrl+shift+N).
Fill that layer in black and set it to overlay on 50% opacity. Now, while still being on that layer, press ctrl+E, this will merge that layer with your
previous layer.
And then reduce the opacity on your freshly merged layer to 30%. It might be a bit dark on the sides, so if you feel it necessary, just erase some
parts on it that you don’t like.

Step 26 –And to finish it up, we’re going to add some text to it. The font used here is Garamond, set to smooth on 12 px.
The color is one picked from the signature (#232d1b here) and then place it somewhere you like.

You can download the final PSD here. Feel free to share your results on our forums.

Start off by making a new document, any size will do, we chose 400×90. Fill your image with a dark color like black.

Now add in your stock, we used this. Try to have your main focus in the middle of the sig. If your sig doesn’t take up the whole canvas, don’t worry, a bit of black won’t make a difference.

Add in the same stock again, except move it over to the left or right, to get a bit of a repeating pattern. Something like this :

Add in your stock once again, except this time resize it. Then erase with some brushes to have some of the old background showing.

Again, apply image. Smudge a tiny bit. Erase bits of it to get something like this :

Apply image on a new layer and smudge slightly. Erase parts and leave on Normal.

Make a new layer and get your softbrush out. With something like 5px, make one orange dot on your sig. Leave it on Normal.

Add this gradient map, and set it to Soft Light for some nice coloring.

Next with the pen tool or the lasso tool, make a rectangular shape going out from your sig. Fill it with any color.

Press Ctrl+Alt+G to add a clipping mask.

Repeat the previous step, by making another rectangular shape.

Add a clipping mask to it.

Add a third rectangular shape.

Add another clipping mask.

Make a new layer and apply image. Move your layer over a bit, then erase most of it so you have a few blotched spots to give it a distorted sort of look.

Add in a photofilter.

Apply image on a new layer. Take out your rectangular marquee tool, and make a small selection. Duplicate it, and move it over a bit.

Repeat the last step, except make a different selection and move it over to another spot.

Now make two pink circles like this. Here’s a quick explanation. Make a circle with the eliptical marquee tool. Then make a smaller circle inside the filled one, and press delete.

Now add a clipping mask to the two circles.

Add this gradient map and set it to Soft Light, 100% opacity.

Make a new layer, with a small 3px soft brush and make a couple of pink dots across your sig. Set the blend mode to Color Dodge.

Make a new layer, and on the sides brush in a pink and orange color. Leave blend mode on Normal.

Add this gradient map and set it to Soft Light, 100% Opacity.

Brush in pink with a soft brush on a new layer. Brush on the sides and a little on the focus. Set the layer to Soft Light.

The next step is to brush in a light color, or smudge.

Add a black and white gradient map. Set it to Multiply, 24% opacity.

Add in a photofilter.

Add another black and white gradient, and set it to Color, 100% opacity.

Make a new layer and put a couple of pink dots with a soft brush. Set the layer to Color Dodge.

Apply image, and add a Gaussian blur, but very slightly (Something like 0.1)

Make two dots with a turquoise soft brush. Set it to Color Dodge and try to have it complement the other dots that you made, in this case the magenta ones.

Apply image, and smudge the slightest bit. Leave it on Normal.

Cut out a part from your sig, and move it to another spot.

Repeat the previous step.

On a new layer, make a couple of 2px dots with a white softbrush.

Add a brightness/contrast layer.

Next add a levels layer.

Make two more turquoise dots with a soft brush on a new layer, leave the layer on Normal.

Add a black and white gradient layer and set it to Luminosity, 100% opacity.

Add this brightness/contrast layer :

Add this gradient map and set it to Color, 66% opacity.

Apply image on a new layer and go to Filter > Sharpen > Sharpen. If over sharpened, then go to Edit > Fade Sharpen.

Apply image again, and Gaussian Blur the sig, but at a very minimal level.

Make another circle at the bottom of the sig using turquoise color.

Add this gradient and set it to overlay.

Lastly, add any effects that you want like Photofilters. Otherwise, you’re done! You can download the final PSD here. Feel free to share your results on our forums.