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This tutorial is sponsored by the Xemion Web Designer Directory.

Step 1 Start out with a 600x400 black background canvas. Select the ellipse tool and edit the elipse option with the settings below. draw a #4D3119 oblong shape, the size should render 120px x 180px if you set the setting to fixed size.





Step 2 Add the following layer style settings:

Note: The image I used for the pattern in stroke and pattern overlay came with Photoshop 7.0. Click here to download the pattern pack if you don't have it.

Inner Glow: - Blend Mode: Color Burn - Opacity: 45 - Noise: 0 + Color: #000000 - Technique: Softer - Source: Edge - Choke: 0 - Size: 18 - Contour: Default + Anti-aliased: Uncheck - Range: 50 - Jitter: 0 Stroke: - Size: 1 - Position: Outside - Blend Mode: Normal - Opacity: 34 - Fill Type: Pattern - Pattern: Picture below - Scale: 100

Satin: - Blend Mode: Color Dodge + Color: #FFFFFF - Opacity: 41 - Angle: 0 - Distance: 3 - Size: 9 - Contour: Picture below + Anti-aliased: Uncheck + Invert: Uncheck Gradient Overlay: - Blend Mode: Color Dodge - Opacity: 56 - Gradient: Default + Reverse: Check - Style: Reflected + Align with Layer: Check - Angle: 0 - Scale: 94

Pattern Overlay: - Blend Mode: Overlay - Opacity: 9 - Pattern: Picture below - Scale: 100 Color Overlay: - Blend Mode: Color - Color: #A4987B - Opacity: 100

Step 3 Go to Select > Load Selection > Default to select the entire shape. Constract the selection by 15px which can be achieve by going to Select > Modify > Constract > Constract by 15 px. Create a new layer and grab the paint bucket tool to fill the selection with #4D3119. Now deselect the selection and go to Filter > Blur > Gaussian blur > Radius 6.1.



Step 4 Add the following layer style settings:

Note: The image I used for the pattern in stroke and pattern overlay came with Photoshop 7.0. Click here to download the pattern pack if you don't have it.

Pattern Overlay: - Blend Mode: Color Burn - Opacity: 10 - Pattern: Picture below - Scale: 100 Color Overlay: - Blend Mode: Color - Color: #A4987B - Opacity: 100

Gradient Overlay: - Blend Mode: Overlay - Opacity: 100 - Gradient: Default + Reverse: Check - Style: Radial + Align with Layer: Check - Angle: 90 - Scale: 103

Tricks To make a custom shell, experiement with editing Pattern Overlay and Color settings. If you want a random shell instead of a perfect circle, take a splatter type brush and brush the edges of the first layer with color #6D421F.

Nice tutorial to learn how to use the patterns.