Create Gloomy Text Effect by Utilising the Amazing Cloud Filter in Photoshop

Posted on November 23rd, 2009 under Text Effects, it has 30 Comments and 34,866 Views so far.

In this tutorial, I will show you the steps I took to create this gloomy-looking text effect by using the amazing cloud filter in Photoshop. Have a try :)

The purpose of this tutorial is to show you the use of the cloud filter to create various effect, such as light and shadow, as a result bringing more depth to your text effect.

I personally love the cloud filter and I think it’s so versatile and you can use it to generate amazing effect and spice up your design. The trick is how you apply it and what other options do you use to combine it with (such as selection tools, other filter effects, or layer blending mode).

Here is a preview of the final effect:

5 final

Alternative darker version: (I adjust the brightness and contrast of the final effect, and some abstract texture to it)

gloomy-text-flatten

PSD File for this Tutorial

You can have this PSD File for only $2.00 via Paypal! Click the link below and you will be taken to the Paypal checkout page, after payment you will be redirect to the download page automatically.

Ok let’s get started!

Step 1

Create a new document sized 1400px * 600px (in fact size doesn’t really matter much in this tutorial), fill the background with the following gradients:

1 grad

Personally I like to start with a gradient background with light grey, as it helps setting the mood for the text effect later on we will be created.

On the canvas, type a letter on the centre with a big bold font (I chose this font) as shown below:

1 type

On the text layer, apply the following blending options:

Inner Shadow

1 inner sha

Gradient Overlay

1 grad ove

Pattern Overlay

1 patt

and you will have the following effect so far:

1 effect

Step 2

Duplicate the text layer three times, disable the layer effects for those duplicated layers and put them below the original text layer. Alter the font color a bit and adjust the position of the text to the left and right of the original text layer a bit.

Your result should be looking similar to the following screenshot:

2 type

Then on each duplicated layer, add a layer mask respectively and erase a portion of the text with a soft brush on the spots as shown below:

2 erase

The ulimiate goal of this step is to blend the edge of the text with the surrounding, so we can get ready for the next step.

To further increase the depth of the text, we can make a copy of any one of the duplicated text layer, replace the font color with a dark one, apply the following Gaussian Blur to the text layer: (Make sure this layer is beneath the original text layer)

2 gau blur

You will have followin effect:

2 shadow 2

Step 3

Create a new layer on top of all previous layers called “cloud” and grab the Lasso Tool and draw a selection with 25px feather around the text, as shown below:

3 lasso

Go to Filter > Render > Cloud and render some cloud inside it (with white as foreground colour and dark grey as background colour)

Hint: try experimenting with different feather settings for the Lasso Tool, you will see by changing the feather, the cloud with become either thinner or thicker.

Once you finish with the rendering, resize the cloud and position it as shown below:

3 resize

Duplcate the cloud layer once and position it to the lower position as shown below:

3 lower cloud

Change the blending mode of both cloud layer to “Hard Light”, you will have the following effect:

3 effect

Step 4

Duplicate the cloud once more and name the duplicated layer as “shadow”, put it just above the background layer, hit Ctrl + I to invert the colour and position it on the bottom of the text.

Change the blending mode of the shadow layer to “Normal” and opacity to 40%, you will have the following effect:

4 invert cloud

Duplicate the Cloud layer once and put it above all previous layer, rotate it to around 60 degree and apply the following motion blur setting to the duplicated layer:

4 motion blur

Name this layer as “Light”.

Change the blending mode of this light layer to be “overlay”, duplicate it a few times and drag them around the text, and you will have the following effect:

4 effect

Step 5

OK now we can do some fine tuning to the text by adding a Curves adjustment layer to it:

5 curves

and add some colour over the text by adding another layer on top of the curves adjustment layer with the “overlay” blending mode. Here is my final effect for this tutorial:

5 final

Alternative darker version: (I adjust the brightness and contrast of the final effect, and some abstract texture to it)

gloomy-text-flatten

Ok that’s it for this tutorial! Hopefully I gave you some ideas about the cloud filter and how you can use it for creating light, shadows and adding more depth to text effect.

Till next time, have a great day!

seven Says:
impressive
BEASTfrmEAST Says:
Excellent job, but how did u jump to step 5?

Im new

Peace
Vince Says:
Nice tutorial! Really easy.
Best Texture World Says:
Good tut, thanks.
Luis Lopez G. Says:
Wow, thats amazing and colorful, grat tutorial my manner.
fanky Says:
i need help!! with step 2, where you use the soft brush and the layer mask…how do you use these and where are they?

i canda new at this sortov stuff!
Bryan G. C. Says:
Good tutorial, thank you!
Inspired to this: http://bryan-kun.deviantart.com/art/B-in-Clouds-145063352

@BEASTfrmEAST: go to Image>Adjustments>Curves of press Ctrl/CMD+M.
photo masking Says:
Excellent nad useful tutorial.
Thanks.
Andrea Says:
Mine didnt look like this… hmm. i just cant seem to get the hang of photoshop…
irpan Says:
i like to design
Design Dazzling Says:
Excellent tutorial
Michelle Says:
this is amazing :) thanks
Fredd Says:
I cant do the step 2!
I just do what you say but…doesn’t work :(
Anyone can help me?
Yves Luxembourg Says:
beautiful tutorial ! But can u explain please how to do the very last step. I can’t add some colour on the last layer who’s over the curves layer, thank you very much!
kadir Says:
awful tutorial as usual,not understanding.all of the tutorial that belongs to that man are not un-der-stand-ing…
Scrax Says:
You need to explain your tutorials MUCH BETTER. Some parts are just “?????”.

Quote: “Duplicate the text layer three times, disable the layer effects for those duplicated layers and put them below the original text layer. Alter the font color a bit and adjust the position of the text to the left and right of the original text layer a bit.”

What did you do here? Explain?
Just saying.