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GoaliGrlTilDeath — Creating a Metal Text Effect in Photoshop
Published: 2013-04-12 18:34:11 +0000 UTC; Views: 12013; Favourites: 318; Downloads: 338
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Description
A while back I uploaded a Catalog Cover I did featuring drippy paint over metal layers. In the process of creating a drippy paint tutorial based on it I realized there was a complete second tutorial waiting just in how to do the text effect. Thus, this tutorial.Feel free to use this tutorial but don't forget to play with it and make the effect your own! Doing this word-for-word means you're not doing your own design, you're doing someone else's. Use this as a jumping-off point and get creative!
The original cover and the drippy paint tutorial, as well as my other two tutorials:
Wood background was a paid, royalty-free stock from ThinkStock.com
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Comments: 37
What a fantastic tutorial! Thank you for sharing your process like this.
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Any time 
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Great tutorial! I'd like to start making some of my own (maybe); how do you plan yours?
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Well, basically you start with the idea. What do you want the piece to be and say? From there you figure out the best way to say it; in my case, it was with a metal text effect. From there you start building it.
Usually you don't start with an effect and then figure out the content (unless you're simply practicing) because the message of the piece is most important and the effects should be to enhance that message.
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Thanks for the advice!
When creating your own letter styles, do you look up tutorials, or do you play around with layer styles and filters to find the desired effect? How do you know what to use?
I'm a high schooler interested in graphic design, so your advice is very appreciated! How did you get started in graphic design?
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Well I do do some playing around with styles but at this point I have enough experience that I can pretty much think of a style that I want to achieve and then just do it. You have to know every little thing the layer styles are capable of to do that though 
I got started in design because it was a way of making a living off of being creative. In college I would have loved to be a ceramicist but I was smart enough to know I'd never make a living from it
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I agree that playing around helps. A lot of what I know so far has come from simply experimenting or setting my own challenges. Tutorials are also very helpful, so far.
I think that my biggest weakness so far is designing itself. I know my way around Photoshop fairly well, and with practice I'll be able to produce something good with those basic skills, but I have trouble making layouts that are visually appealing. It's the one thing that tutorials don't really teach you how to do, so that part is the hardest to learn, at lest for me.
I love ceramics, but I'm very good at it. I take a ceramics class every weekend that's very fun, but I never know what to build. It's a very difficult art form to master. It's nice to know that you found an alternative that you're happy with!
How long have you been working with design?
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I've been working as a graphic designer for 6 years now.
Learning design can be a bit tricky. I mean, you can learn the basics in classes; spacing, arrangement, typography, emphasis, etc. However you can know everything in the book and still produce technically-correct, mediocre designs if you don't have the eye for it. So it's a combination of learning the technical aspects that make good, useful design and having that talent for coming up with good design ideas. Practicing the technical side of it can often lead to sparks of talent, though
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Wow, you have a lot of experience!
That's very true – it's very much how I feel about my own work. It really helps to look at good designs and use them as inspiration, or to critique mediocre designs (I find myself doing that all the time). I think reading and practicing are really important to improvement.
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Glad you like it!
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You are very welcome again!
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It was really helpful even for creating a metal texture generally 
Thank you
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I'm glad it helped you!
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You are very welcome, and thank you!
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Thank you
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