WEBEXPEDITION18 Never Stop The Exploring

In this tutorial I will lead you through the process of creating a detailed, relistic radio icon from scratch, using Photoshop’s vector editing capabilities. We will use fundamental Photoshop tools and techniques in the process of creating iconc Braun SK-2 radio. It’s time get our hands dirty with Photoshop.

Fire up Photoshop and let’s get started!

Final Image Preview

Tutorial Details

• Program: Adobe Photoshop
• Version: CS5
• Difficulty: Intermediate
• Estimated Completion Time: 2 Hours

Tutorial Assets

The following assets were used during the production of this tutorial.

• Stock photo: Living Room

Step 1

Open Photoshop and create a new document with resolution of 72 ppi. Double click on background layer to unlock it, then open Layer Styles and apply Gradient overlay.

Step 2

Create new layer on top (Cmd/Ctrl + Shift + N), make sure that Foreground and Background colors are black and white, fill the new layer with black color, then go to Filter > Noise > Add Noise.

Change the Blend Mode to Soft Light and lower the Opacity to 40%.

Step 3

Create new group and name it “radio shape”.
Inside that group, draw grey (#d4cccc) rectangle, using Rounded Rectangle Tool (U) with radius of 50px. This rectangle will be the base of our radio. Apply Bevel and Emboss from Layer Style panel.

Create selection around rectangle (Cmd/Ctrl + click on Vector Mask Thumbnail), go to Select > Modify > Contract and contract selection by 10px.

Activate Soft Brush Tool. Paint highlights in the corners using white (#ffffff) color, like on the image below.

Lower the Opacity to 45%.

Step 4

Don’t clear the selection yet. Use Soft Brush to add depth. Use image below as reference.

Set the Opacity to 32% and clear the selection (Cmd/Ctrl + D).

Pick up Soft Brush again and paint over the bottom edge. For the color use #aba5a5.

Step 5

Invoke Rounded Rectangle Tool (U), set Radius to 30px, and draw new rectangle, smaller then radio base. For the color use #ecebe6.

Apply Inner Shadow and Stroke.

Step 6

Draw one small circle with Ellipse Tool (U).

Select its path, hit Cmd/Ctrl + Alt + T, and move it to the right.

Repeat this process until we cover the whole area, like on the image below.

Set Fill to 0% and add Inner Shadow and Pattern Overlay from Layer Style.

Next we’ll add speaker. Draw a black circle.

Cmd+click small circles to create selection around it.

Apply Layer Mask, that way the black circle will be inside the holes.

Set the Opacity to 35%.

Step 7

Let’s add frequency indicator. Start by drawing large circle (for the color pick #8f8e8e). Apply following layer styles: Drop Shadow and Gradient Overlay.

Next draw one more circle, but smaller then previous one.

Open Layer Styles panel and add following layer styles: Inner Shadow,

Inner Glow,

Bevel and Emboss,

and Gradient Overlay.

Cmd/Ctrl + click on Vector Mask Thumbnail (the last circle we created) to load selection, create new layer on top, and fill selection with #706f6b.

Grab Rectangular Marquee Tool (M), draw selection like on the image below,

go to Layer > Layer Mask > Hide Selection.

Set the Opacity to 50% and Blend Mode to Multiply.

Step 8

Now, we’ll add power indicator. Draw a small circle, turn off Fill (set to 0%) and apply Inner Shadow and Bevel and Emboss.

Duplicate this layer (CMd/Ctrl + J), change color to #84b96e, clear layer styles and apply new: Bevel and Emboss and Stroke.

Step 9

In this step we will create frequency scale. Pick up Line Tool (U) and draw 2px weight line. For the color use #5b5a55.

Go to Edit > Transform > Wrap, for the Wrap choose Arc and set Bend to 80%.

Draw small grey rectangle (#5b5a55), rotate a bit a position like on the image below.

Duplicate rectangle, rotate, and place it like on the image below.

Repeat until you have something like this.

Add frequency numbers and scale names (UKW and MW) using Horizontal Type Tool (T).

Pick up Line Tool (U), set weight to 3px, color to #8f2c15 and draw a line. Apply Drop Shadow, Inner Shadow and Bevel and Emboss.

Finally add circle on top using Ellipse Tool (U) and add following Layer Styles. Use images below as reference.

Drop Shadow,

Inner Glow,

Bevel and Emboss,

and Gradient Overlay.

Step 10

It’s now time to add the reflections. Image that is reflected on the screen is listed in tutorial assets.
Open it in Photoshop and drag it into your document, then scale and place over the radio.

Go to Edit > Transform > Wrap, choose Inflate and set Bend to 50%.

Set Opacity to 10% to be able to see what you are doing. Using Elliptical Marquee Tool (M), create selection and apply Layer Mask (Layer > Layer Mask > Reveal Selection),

and change Blend Mode to Overlay and lower the Opacity to 2%.

Duplicate reflected image and move it couple pixels to the right. Change the Blend Mode to Color Burn and set Opacity to 5%.

Cmd/Ctrl + click on reflected image thumbnail mask to load selection, create new layer on top and fill it with white (#ffffff) color.

Add Inner Shadow, change the Blend Mode to Overlay and Opacity to 10%.

Grab Brush Tool (B), and with soft brush dub one white spot and lower the Opacity to 90%.

This what we have right now.

Step 11

In this step we will create our command buttons. With the Ellipse Tool (U) create a light grey (#f7f7f7) circle and add layer styles.

Create smaller circle on top. For the color use #ebebeb and apply Drop Shadow, Inner Glow and Bevel and Emboss.

With the Rectangle Tool (U) create a square holding Shift, then rotate the square (45 degree) and position it like on the image below. For the color use #f6f6f6.

Add one more button using the method explained above.

Step 12

We’re almost there. Let’s add foot to our radio. Pick up Rounded Rectangle Tool (U), set Radius to 10px, color to #aeaeae and draw small rectangle, just below radio.

Add Layer Styles.

Load selection around “foot”, create new layer on top, and with Soft Brush (Opacity set to 20%), using Black color dub few spots to add shadow.

Add the other “foot” and place it to the other side of the radio.

Step 13

Add shadow and reflection below radio and that’s it. We’re done!

Tutorial Summary

I hope that this tutorial has helped you improve your skills with fundamental Photoshop tools and techiques. I also hope that you have fun while following this tutorial.
Thanks for reading!

Authored by Nikola Lazarevic

Web Designer, Blogger, M.Sc in Electronic Engineering from Nis, Serbia. Founder of webexpedition18.com. You can find me on Twitter.