Pattern Wire

Bloodfist · Posted: 22/12/2007 20:56 Post subject: Pattern Wire

This is gonna be fun!

There are so many things you can do while making different kinds of wires, and here I'll show you a few techniques that will get you started.

Ok - open up a new document, or an existing document you want to add the wire to. Create a new layer called WIRE. Then use the Pen Tool Pattern Wire Pattern Wire

to create the shape of your path.

Pattern Wire Pattern Wire

Then select the Brush Tool Pattern Wire Pattern Wire

and select a 13 pixels soft brush. Make sure you have White as your foreground color and switch from Layers to Channels. Create a new channel (Alpha 1). Then select the Pen tool again and right click the path and choose Stroke Path - Brush - OK. Your image should now look like mine in step 2.

Pattern Wire Pattern Wire

Now go to Image - Adjustments - Levels - and drag the right and left arrows to the center until your image looks nice and sharp.
Click here to see my settings.
(You could always just stroke the path in step 2 with a solid brush - I'm just used to doing it this way - think it gives really smooth edges...)

Pattern Wire Pattern Wire

Duplicate the Alpha 1 channel by dragging it down to the Create New Channel tab.
Hit Ctrl + the Alpha 1 layer to load its transparency. Then go to Blur - Gaussian Blur - 3 pixels.

Keep your selection.

Pattern Wire Pattern Wire

Ok - switch back to Layers again. Activate the WIRE layer.
Fill you selection with a gray color (#4B4B4B).
Then go to Filter - Render - Lightning Effects and enter these settings.

Pattern Wire Pattern Wire

Still keep your selection.

Pattern Wire Pattern Wire

Create a new layer and call it PATTERN.
Hit D to set the default colors (black as foregorund color).
Activate the Brush tool Pattern Wire Pattern Wire

nd select the 18 pixels circle brush. If you don't see it in your brush palette hit the arrow on the top right and load the "Assorted Brushes".
Then select the Pen tool Pattern Wire Pattern Wire

and right click the path. Chose Stroke Path - Brush - OK.
Deselect.
Your image should now look like mine in step 6.

Pattern Wire Pattern Wire

Now still at the PATTERN layer do a Filter - Sharpen More. This will make the pattern layer nice 'n crispy.

Pattern Wire Pattern Wire

Then just add a nice Drop Shadow layer style to the WIRE layer and you're done!

Pattern Wire Pattern Wire

Ok - I'll just give you a few more examples to show you how you easily can change the look of the wire.

To achieve the effect shown in step 8 I just added this Bevel and Emboss layer style to the PATTERN layer.

Pattern Wire Pattern Wire

And to achieve the effect shown in step 9 I added this Bevel and Emboss layer style to the PATTERN layer.

Pattern Wire Pattern Wire

Final example.
The wires to the left are the same wire as in step 9. I've just added a Stroke layer style to the WIRE layer - 1 pixel - Outside - Color Black.

To make the wire green I just added a Hue/Saturation adjustment layer to the WIRE layer with these settings.
PS! Be sure you check the Colorize option.

Pattern Wire Pattern Wire

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