PSD Tutorial: Designing A Cartoon Christmas Snowman Illustration
Now that the Christmas season is upon us once again, I thought that I'd get all of our wonderful fans at Airwalk in the festive spirit with a cartoon snowman illustration. It does look a bit comical, but the overall effect is still quite artistic. It has all the common characteristics of a snowman, like a wrapped scarf, twigs for arms, buttons, a mouth, a carrot nose and a top hat, yet it is made completely from scratch (we only used one brush). You can combine the effect with our Christmas Card Photoshop Tutorial mentioned in the article, both of which finishes with an elegant Christmas Card font.
If you don't have Adobe Photoshop, or you would like to upgrade to the new CS5.5 Version, take a look at the Adobe Special Offers from the online Adobe Store. If you're new to Photoshop, we have some beginner tutorials and basic tips coming very soon for some of the lesser established designers.
If you don't have Adobe Photoshop, or you would like to upgrade to the new CS5.5 Version, take a look at the Adobe Special Offers from the online Adobe Store. If you're new to Photoshop, we have some beginner tutorials and basic tips coming very soon for some of the lesser established designers.
Download Photoshop (PSD) File
Download Icy Textured Background
Download Twig Photoshop Brush
Download Stars & Space Background
Download Mysterious Light Rays Background
Merge This Photoshop Tutorial With This Photoshop Effect
Photoshop Tutorial Step 1: Designing The Icy Christmas Background
1.1. Begin a new A5 document (File » New) and make sure the Image » Mode is CYMK (if you intend to print your design).
1.2. Add a Gradient Overlay ranging from #333399 to #000033. Make the Scale 150% and the darker colour on top.
1.3. Paste in the Stars & Space Background, Edit » Transform » Scale it to document size.
1.4. With Brightness/Contrast, lower the contrast to the minimum. Do the same with Saturation in Hue/Saturation.
1.5. Alter the Blending Mode to Vivid Light, the Opacity to 40%, Duplicate, change the Blending Mode to Overlay and Opacity to 70%.
1.6. Paste in the Mysterious Light Rays Background, Edit » Transform » Scale it to document size.
1.7. Alter the Blending Mode to Divide and Opacity 70%. Duplicate (Ctrl + J) again.
1.8. Paste in the Icy Textured Backgroundand Scale it to document size. This must always be the layer on top.
1.9. Alter the Blending Mode to Overlay, the Opacity to 80%, and the lower the Saturation at Image » Hue/Saturation.
1.2. Add a Gradient Overlay ranging from #333399 to #000033. Make the Scale 150% and the darker colour on top.
1.3. Paste in the Stars & Space Background, Edit » Transform » Scale it to document size.
1.4. With Brightness/Contrast, lower the contrast to the minimum. Do the same with Saturation in Hue/Saturation.
1.5. Alter the Blending Mode to Vivid Light, the Opacity to 40%, Duplicate, change the Blending Mode to Overlay and Opacity to 70%.
1.6. Paste in the Mysterious Light Rays Background, Edit » Transform » Scale it to document size.
1.7. Alter the Blending Mode to Divide and Opacity 70%. Duplicate (Ctrl + J) again.
1.8. Paste in the Icy Textured Backgroundand Scale it to document size. This must always be the layer on top.
1.9. Alter the Blending Mode to Overlay, the Opacity to 80%, and the lower the Saturation at Image » Hue/Saturation.
Photoshop Tutorial Step 2: Forming The Body & Head Of The Snowman
2.1. With the Elliptical Marquee Tool and holding Shift (on a New Layer), create a circle and Fill it to create the snowman body.
2.2. Add a Gradient Overlay. Leave the colours as they are, Scale to 150%, and the Opacity at 15%.
2.3. Add an Inner Shadow with 75% Opacity, 0px Distance, 0% Choke and 15px Size.
2.4. Add a Drop Shadow with 40% Opacity, 0px Distance, 0% Spread and 70px Size.
2.5. And now do the same again, but creating a head this time.
2.2. Add a Gradient Overlay. Leave the colours as they are, Scale to 150%, and the Opacity at 15%.
2.3. Add an Inner Shadow with 75% Opacity, 0px Distance, 0% Choke and 15px Size.
2.4. Add a Drop Shadow with 40% Opacity, 0px Distance, 0% Spread and 70px Size.
2.5. And now do the same again, but creating a head this time.
Photoshop Tutorial Step 3: Making The Snowman's Eyes, Mouth & Nose
3.1. Repeat the Elliptical Marquee Tool technique to form a black eye, and then add a Bevel & Emboss.
3.2. Leave all the settings as they are but make the Soften 16px. Duplicate this layer and Scale it 50%.
3.3. Add a Layer » Layer Style » Color Overlay and make it white. Duplicate, Scale to 35%, and make it black.
3.4. Dupliate again, make it white, reduce the Opacity to 50% and move it a little offset into the outer black zone to make an eye.
3.5. Merge all the eye layers, and duplicate to create two eyes on the snowmans face. Duplicate this layer again.
3.6. Scale 50%, make the Color Overlay black, add a Bevel & Emboss with 16px Soften, and then duplicate to form buttons/mouth.
3.7. Repeat the Elliptical Marquee Tool technique again but fill it #FF6600.
3.8. Add a Chisel Hard Bevel & Emboss with 18px Size, 0px Soften, 60% White Opacity, and 30% Black Opacity.
3.9. Add a Drop Shadow with 30% Opacity, 2px Distance, 0% Spread and 5px Size. Make eyes/mouth 85% Opacity and the nose 95%.
3.2. Leave all the settings as they are but make the Soften 16px. Duplicate this layer and Scale it 50%.
3.3. Add a Layer » Layer Style » Color Overlay and make it white. Duplicate, Scale to 35%, and make it black.
3.4. Dupliate again, make it white, reduce the Opacity to 50% and move it a little offset into the outer black zone to make an eye.
3.5. Merge all the eye layers, and duplicate to create two eyes on the snowmans face. Duplicate this layer again.
3.6. Scale 50%, make the Color Overlay black, add a Bevel & Emboss with 16px Soften, and then duplicate to form buttons/mouth.
3.7. Repeat the Elliptical Marquee Tool technique again but fill it #FF6600.
3.8. Add a Chisel Hard Bevel & Emboss with 18px Size, 0px Soften, 60% White Opacity, and 30% Black Opacity.
3.9. Add a Drop Shadow with 30% Opacity, 2px Distance, 0% Spread and 5px Size. Make eyes/mouth 85% Opacity and the nose 95%.
Photoshop Tutorial Step 4: Brushing The Twiggy Arms
4.1. Now Create A New Layer, and with the Twig brush, create the two arms. Use Edit » Transform if required.
4.2. I suppose this is a very short step, so move onto the next one.
4.2. I suppose this is a very short step, so move onto the next one.
Photoshop Tutorial Step 5: Desiging The Scarf With A Pattern
5.1. Again, Create A New Layer, and Fill a rectangle with the Rectangular Marquee Tool - long and thin like a collor around it's neck.
5.2. Add a Layer » Layer Style » Stroke and make it something like 30px. Now flatten the styles of this layer (important).
5.3. Add a Gradient Overlay. Use the Transparent Pastel from the Noise Samples with a Hard Mix Blending Mode - Scale 150%.
5.4. And now use the 63 Watercolor Loaded Wet Flat Tip brush to make the scarf crumpled, and then open up Hue/Saturation.
5.5. Make the Hue 115, the Saturation 75, add a Bevel & Emboss with 50% Opacities and 16px Soften and an Inner & Drop Shadow.
5.6. Inner Shadow: 0px Distance, 0% Choke and 30px Size. Drop Shadow: 60% Opacity, 3px Distance, 0% Spread and 10px Size.
5.7. Duplicate, rotate, and then change the Angle of the Gradient so the pattern direction is realistic.
5.8. Reduce the scarf layer's Opacity to 95%.
5.2. Add a Layer » Layer Style » Stroke and make it something like 30px. Now flatten the styles of this layer (important).
5.3. Add a Gradient Overlay. Use the Transparent Pastel from the Noise Samples with a Hard Mix Blending Mode - Scale 150%.
5.4. And now use the 63 Watercolor Loaded Wet Flat Tip brush to make the scarf crumpled, and then open up Hue/Saturation.
5.5. Make the Hue 115, the Saturation 75, add a Bevel & Emboss with 50% Opacities and 16px Soften and an Inner & Drop Shadow.
5.6. Inner Shadow: 0px Distance, 0% Choke and 30px Size. Drop Shadow: 60% Opacity, 3px Distance, 0% Spread and 10px Size.
5.7. Duplicate, rotate, and then change the Angle of the Gradient so the pattern direction is realistic.
5.8. Reduce the scarf layer's Opacity to 95%.
Photoshop Tutorial Step 6: And Finally The Top Hat Tutorial
6.1. First, Create A New Layer, make an oval shape (base of the hat), and then Fill (G) it black.
6.2. Do the same again with the cylinder type section. Create another oval and then erase the sides to make them flat.
6.3. With this new cylinder shape, cut a circle off the top to make that into a seperate layer. Now we'll make it 3-Dimensional.
6.4. Add Add a Layer » Layer Style » Bevel & Emboss with a 16px Soften onto all layers of the top hat.
6.5. Merge all the hat layers and then add a Drop Shadow with 60% Opacity, 5px Distance, 0% Spread and 13px Size.
6.2. Do the same again with the cylinder type section. Create another oval and then erase the sides to make them flat.
6.3. With this new cylinder shape, cut a circle off the top to make that into a seperate layer. Now we'll make it 3-Dimensional.
6.4. Add Add a Layer » Layer Style » Bevel & Emboss with a 16px Soften onto all layers of the top hat.
6.5. Merge all the hat layers and then add a Drop Shadow with 60% Opacity, 5px Distance, 0% Spread and 13px Size.
