Create Gloomy Text Effect by Utilising the Amazing Cloud Filter in Photoshop
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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:
Alternative darker version: (I adjust the brightness and contrast of the final effect, and some abstract texture to it)
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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:
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:
On the text layer, apply the following blending options:
Inner Shadow
Gradient Overlay
Pattern Overlay
and you will have the following effect so far:
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:
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:
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)
You will have followin effect:
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:
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:
Duplcate the cloud layer once and position it to the lower position as shown below:
Change the blending mode of both cloud layer to “Hard Light”, you will have the following 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:
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:
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:
Step 5
OK now we can do some fine tuning to the text by adding a Curves adjustment layer to it:
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:
Alternative darker version: (I adjust the brightness and contrast of the final effect, and some abstract texture to it)
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!
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impressive
Excellent job, but how did u jump to step 5?
Im new
Peace
Nice tutorial! Really easy.
Good tut, thanks.
Wow, thats amazing and colorful, grat tutorial my manner.
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!
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.
Excellent nad useful tutorial.
Thanks.
Mine didnt look like this… hmm. i just cant seem to get the hang of photoshop…
i like to design
Excellent tutorial
this is amazing :) thanks
I cant do the step 2!
I just do what you say but…doesn’t work :(
Anyone can help me?
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!
awful tutorial as usual,not understanding.all of the tutorial that belongs to that man are not un-der-stand-ing…
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.
hm im new user of adobe pls help me to design this one.. thanks.. C:
Need more info….
Interesting tutorial. Just wondering how you added the color. Brush? Gradient? I tried them both but I just couldn’t get them to look like the ones here….
@JB: I add a new color layer on top of all layers, set blending mode to “overlay” (or “color”) and use a soft round brush to paint around the text.
Uuuh, i can’t understand parts of this tutorial :s
HI, awesome tut but the psd file is not available in the vip section. any chance you can upload it?
im having a hard time to add colors on the text please help me. please explain it further
I really liked the look of this text effect and wanted to give it a shot, but, alas the tut is written in a way that most of it is written so vague I can’t follow. If I try to come up with an own resolution for the step I couldn’t follow my result looks so different. So, please, why bother to write a tut at all when it’s written so poor most people can’t follow?
@parsleybrain: could you be specific about which part of the tut you can’t follow?
Hi nice tutorial but pliz peudes xplicarlo best video or would be better in step 2 I do not understand market New I put a layer or color overlay and nothing happens I put the mask layer but when I go with the brush I painted gray or color lso that takes 2 squares of color where the black and white and there porfa respond faster ago
hello look at the 2 step and nose can continue as is that of multiplying layers of granting them leave me ami white color and not peudo raterizo paint only if the layers from the 2 step nose can follow the tutorial
how i puts colors on a text?? You can explain steps between the 4 and the 5?
thk
Nice effect and easy to follow tutorial for newbie like me ^^
I found this abit confusing, Im quite good with photoshop and the end result was seriously ugly. I know we are supposed to make it our own but more details would have helped.
Psd Dowloand Link Pls ?
faz uma video aula e melhor vc não mostra tudo
can you give us a video ?
I’m stuck on getting the color. Help please :(