Create an Ancient Stone Text Effect Inspired by The Elder Scrolls V: SKYRIM Game in Photoshop

Create an Ancient Stone Text Effect Inspired by The Elder Scrolls V: SKYRIM Game in Photoshop

Posted on August 14th, 2011 under Text Effects

In this tutorial, I will show you how you can create a Ancient Stone text effect Inspired by The Elder Scrolls V: SKYRIM Game in Photoshop. This is a basic, beginner-friendly tutorial with a nice end result, have a try :)

For those who have not seen or heard of The Elder Scrolls V: SKYRIM game, you can go check out their website here: http://www.elderscrolls.com/.

Along the way, I will show a number of ways you can use to apply textures to texts, layer blending modes and image adjustments.

Poster printing can be useful for promoting concerts, events, and political campaigns.

Here is a preview of the final effect I have for this tutorial: (click to enlarge)

skyrim text flatten 2 500x308 Create an Ancient Stone Text Effect Inspired by The Elder Scrolls V: SKYRIM Game in Photoshop

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vip sign up 250 Create an Ancient Stone Text Effect Inspired by The Elder Scrolls V: SKYRIM Game in Photoshop

OK Let’s get started!

To complete this tutorial, you will need the following stocks:

Font

Stone Texture

Dirt Brush

Step 1

Create a new document (size doesn’t really matter) with a black background, create a new layer and use a soft white brush to do a single click on the top edge of the canvas as shown below:

1 paint2 500x257 Create an Ancient Stone Text Effect Inspired by The Elder Scrolls V: SKYRIM Game in Photoshop

Use the Free Transform tool (Ctrl + T) to compress this layer down as shown below:

1 compress2 500x314 Create an Ancient Stone Text Effect Inspired by The Elder Scrolls V: SKYRIM Game in Photoshop

Drop the layer opacity of this layer to around 50% – you will have the following effect as a result:

1 drop 500x289 Create an Ancient Stone Text Effect Inspired by The Elder Scrolls V: SKYRIM Game in Photoshop

We can now render some cloud onto the canvas. Firstly set the foreground colour to be a light grey colour:

1 color picker 500x307 Create an Ancient Stone Text Effect Inspired by The Elder Scrolls V: SKYRIM Game in Photoshop

Then use the Lasso Tool with 40px feather to draw a selection, then use the cloud filter to render some cloud in it:

1 render cloud 500x242 Create an Ancient Stone Text Effect Inspired by The Elder Scrolls V: SKYRIM Game in Photoshop

Hit Ctrl + L to bring up the Levels adjustment tool, apply the following settings and adjust the contrast of this cloud layer a bit:

1 lv Create an Ancient Stone Text Effect Inspired by The Elder Scrolls V: SKYRIM Game in Photoshop

Drop the layer opacity of this cloud layer to around 50%, you will have the following effect:

1 effect2 500x198 Create an Ancient Stone Text Effect Inspired by The Elder Scrolls V: SKYRIM Game in Photoshop

Step 2

Use the font we downloaded, type some texts onto the document as shown below:

2 font 500x200 Create an Ancient Stone Text Effect Inspired by The Elder Scrolls V: SKYRIM Game in Photoshop

On this new text layer, apply the following layer blending options:

Drop shadow

2 drop sha 500x350 Create an Ancient Stone Text Effect Inspired by The Elder Scrolls V: SKYRIM Game in Photoshop

Bevel and Emboss: (make sure you set the technique to “Chisel Hard”)

2 bevel 500x350 Create an Ancient Stone Text Effect Inspired by The Elder Scrolls V: SKYRIM Game in Photoshop

Gradient Overlay

2 grad 500x350 Create an Ancient Stone Text Effect Inspired by The Elder Scrolls V: SKYRIM Game in Photoshop

Stroke

2 stroke 500x350 Create an Ancient Stone Text Effect Inspired by The Elder Scrolls V: SKYRIM Game in Photoshop

and you will have the following effect so far:

2 effect1 500x193 Create an Ancient Stone Text Effect Inspired by The Elder Scrolls V: SKYRIM Game in Photoshop

Step 3

Now we can add some stone texture onto the image. Load the selection of the text layer via Ctrl + Left-click on the thumbnail image of the text layer on the layer palette:

If you have difficulty with this step, I have a video tutorial here on PSD Vault YouTube Channel to show you the step:

and you will have the selection like this below:

3 sele 500x157 Create an Ancient Stone Text Effect Inspired by The Elder Scrolls V: SKYRIM Game in Photoshop

Select the Rectangular Marquee tool, then move your mouse over the text selection, click and drag the selection onto the stone texture image as shown below:

3 move 500x147 Create an Ancient Stone Text Effect Inspired by The Elder Scrolls V: SKYRIM Game in Photoshop

Copy and paste the selection onto our canvas, as shown below:

3 paste 500x180 Create an Ancient Stone Text Effect Inspired by The Elder Scrolls V: SKYRIM Game in Photoshop

Set the layer blending mode of this new stone layer to “Multiply”, drop the layer opacity to around 60%:

3 multiply 500x195 Create an Ancient Stone Text Effect Inspired by The Elder Scrolls V: SKYRIM Game in Photoshop

Duplicate this stone texture layer once and set the blending mode of the duplicated layer to “overlay”:

3 overlay 500x189 Create an Ancient Stone Text Effect Inspired by The Elder Scrolls V: SKYRIM Game in Photoshop

As you can see by duplicating the layer, we will have more stone texture detail and a greater contrast between the lighter and darker part of the textL

3 details 500x220 Create an Ancient Stone Text Effect Inspired by The Elder Scrolls V: SKYRIM Game in Photoshop

Step 4

We can now add some dirt and light effect for the text. Use the dirt brush you downloaded, paint some dirt texture around the text:

Hint: Do not paint too much dirt, and use a soft eraser tool to remove unwanted bits as you paint.

4 paint dirt 500x214 Create an Ancient Stone Text Effect Inspired by The Elder Scrolls V: SKYRIM Game in Photoshop

We can add some ground highlight to image by creating a new layer, then grab a big soft white brush to paint one dot in the centre:

4 dot 500x268 Create an Ancient Stone Text Effect Inspired by The Elder Scrolls V: SKYRIM Game in Photoshop

Then use the Free Transform tool (Ctrl + T) and compress it down as shown below:

4 compress 500x120 Create an Ancient Stone Text Effect Inspired by The Elder Scrolls V: SKYRIM Game in Photoshop

You can also add some more cloud using the method described in step 1, in order to add more dramatic effect:

4 more cloud 500x219 Create an Ancient Stone Text Effect Inspired by The Elder Scrolls V: SKYRIM Game in Photoshop

Step 5

Now we can do some final retouches for the image. I decide to sharpen the text and add some cold colour to it. So I flatten the image, duplicate the background layer and apply the following Reduce Noise filter settings (via Filter > Noise > Reduce Noise):

5 red noise 500x360 Create an Ancient Stone Text Effect Inspired by The Elder Scrolls V: SKYRIM Game in Photoshop

This is the before and after comparison for the Reduce Noise filter:

Before:

5 before reduce 500x277 Create an Ancient Stone Text Effect Inspired by The Elder Scrolls V: SKYRIM Game in Photoshop

After: (there are more details on the texture)

5 after reduce noise 500x190 Create an Ancient Stone Text Effect Inspired by The Elder Scrolls V: SKYRIM Game in Photoshop

Then I added a color balance adjustment layer on the top with the following settings to give the image a cold finish:

5 color bal Create an Ancient Stone Text Effect Inspired by The Elder Scrolls V: SKYRIM Game in Photoshop

and here is my final effect for this tutorial: (click to enlarge)

skyrim text flatten 2 500x308 Create an Ancient Stone Text Effect Inspired by The Elder Scrolls V: SKYRIM Game in Photoshop

That’s it for this tutorial! Hope you enjoy it and find it useful! Till next time, have a great day!

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  • http://www.photoshoplady.com/forums/text-effect-tutorials/2579-create-ancient-stone-text-effect-inspired-elder-scrolls-v-skyrim-game.html#post5180 Create an Ancient Stone Text Effect Inspired by The Elder Scrolls V: SKYRIM Game – Photoshop Lady Forums

    [...] number of ways you can use to apply textures to texts, layer blending modes and image adjustments. Click here to view this tutorial on psdvault.com Here is a preview of the final effect I have for this tutorial: Hope you enjoy it! [...]

  • Nieuwus

    nice tut!, i’m having trouble to find the font for Mac, since al of the fonts i saw are made for Windows :(.  Anyone suggestions? 
    Thanks

  • Trolololol

    get windows ((:

  • Gio

    im using mac and it work

  • http://www.colorexpertsbd.com Clipping Path Service

    wow! amazing Photoshop tutorial! I’ll try soon :)

  • Abruptlyfallen

    How did you get the clouds see through and shit?

  • http://www.psdvault.com PSD Vault

    You will need to change the layer blending mode to “Screen” on the cloud layer.
    Hope this helps :)

  • chrizzol

    If i use the lasso tool .. There won’t come any cloud effect like on your 4th screenshot .. 

  • chrizzol

    i mean .. Where can i find the cloud filter

  • Editor

    I think something is missing. In following along I can get the first 3 pictures to look like yours but then it doesn’t match up. The fourth picture (when you pick up a light gray color in the foreground) shows something different behind the pop up menu than I have. I’ve tried for over an hour to get a background to look even similar to yours and I just can’t seem to do it. Any suggestions?

  • Editor

    I think something is missing. In following along I can get the first 3 pictures to look like yours but then it doesn’t match up. The fourth picture (when you pick up a light gray color in the foreground) shows something different behind the pop up menu than I have. I’ve tried for over an hour to get a background to look even similar to yours and I just can’t seem to do it. Any suggestions?

  • http://www.psdvault.com PSD Vault

    @d3e0ed61ace11434d72654379002b0c3:disqus Hi there, don’t worry around make it look exactly like mine in the 4th picture – all you need to do is to set the foreground colour to light grey, background colour to black, and draw a selection with the Lasso Tool (40px feather) and render some cloud inside.
    Hope this helps

  • Wally

    Thank you! I totallly suck at Photoshop and I was still able to make some great looking Skyrim text….thank you!