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Photoshop CS3 or later

Per Gustafson demonstrates how to make an abstract masterpiece from simple circles

All-new abstract illustration techniques

When I was working in a company in London last year, I always had Photoshop open for those moments when I was waiting for feedback or more work. I would play around with different Photoshop elements and effects the circle was a common element, as its simple to create and duplicate, and easy to make interesting shapes from. First, I simply create a circle and fill it with a gradient colour. Create more circles, then merge the layers to transform the circles into a single layer.

In this tutorial I will show the Polar coordinates lter techniques I discovered when creating my new series, Renaissance. As always, in this tutorial I use standard effects in Photoshop not additional plug-ins focussing more on how to use them rather than what they do. Its not tools that make the piece great, but what you do with those tools; its more about pushing boundaries and trying out new perspectives on techniques.

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Add a radial gradient below the merged circles layer and play with the opacity of the circles. To experiment with the colours of the piece, I add another layer on top, fill it with yellow, and select the Exclusion blending mode from the Layers panel menu. This inverts the colours of the layers beneath, and brings a whole new tone to the artwork.

To add more depth to the composition, I create some more merged circles on a new layer beneath the top layer and go to Filter>Distort>Polar Coordinates, checking the setting Polar to Rectangular. This will give the circles a new look, and ensure the piece so far can be used as a larger background element without massive quality loss.

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Per Gustafson This Swedish graphic designer and artist uses his site Modern Style (www. modernstyle.se) as a platform to publish and develop his art, which is a mix of traditional paint and digital techniques. See more of his work at www.per gustafson.com

Time needed 1 hour Skills Working with colour schemes Working with filters Using the Polar Coordinates filter

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Use the Free Transform tool to adjust the elements so theyre just as you want them. It shouldnt be too obvious what effects have been used.

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When we added the Exclusion effect to the top layer in Step 2, it also affected all layers beneath. Using Image>Adjustments>Hue/Saturation will change the colours of these layers slightly, and make the piece more interesting. I like to experiment with the colour adjustments as I go.

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I continue to apply effects such as the Polar Coordinates filter, to the background layer. I also work with the Transform tool (Edit>Transform), playing with the Perspective, Warp and Distort options. Be careful not to overwork it, to keep the layers sharpness. This can be tricky as Photoshop is pixel based, but I prefer experimenting in this program as I feel there are more different ways to work than in Illustrator.

Now I hide the background layer and show the other earlier circle layer, created in Step 3. Were going to use this in front, and transform it with the Wave effect (Filter>Distort>Wave). It takes some practise to learn how to control this effect, so I recommend duplicating the layer and saving a back-up of the original element.

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An alternative way of transforming an object is to blend it with another image using the Displace effect (Filter>Distort>Displace). This is a new favourite of mine because you can either control it carefully, or have fun creating random patterns.

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Choose the Photoshop image you want to use for the pattern. In this artwork, I have used an early version of this piece to add a twist. This filter takes some practise to use to good effect, so take your time and, if it doesnt turn out the way you hope, use history to go back to the original.

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To make this layer even more interesting, I use the Ripple filter (Filter>Distort>Ripple) then cut and paste parts of the shape to create a totally new form.

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In this piece, I have used circles in a lower opacity to get the different shadow effects when I duplicate the layers and transform them over each other. They can be made much more solid if you like, but I like the slightly pale contrast in the composition. I transform the final object from Step 10, to build a larger object. This is going to work as the central element of my composition, and sit on top of the background we created earlier.

Now turn all the layers on, and begin adjusting the colour of the background. Its always good to never flatten the image (unless your machine is grinding) and to save elements on separate layers, or at least make back-ups of layers if you want to start merging them. This way you can experiment with colour schemes throughout the whole session, bringing more life to your composition without taking too many risks.

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Computer Arts May 2010

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Technique New abstract techniques

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CV Visualguide to

In pictures: a rk of the career and wo iters our Technique wr

Per Gustafson
Five favourite works from the designers back catalogue

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I continue with the colour adjustments on the various elements. To make it come together, I add another layer with the Color mode from the Layers panel drop-down and a low opacity. I fill it with a colour picked from the background.

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To add some light, I once again create a circle but paint in it with a regular brush instead of filling it solid. In a new layer, I start to paint with a very smooth brush in a low opacity to make a glow effect. I add some motion blur (Filter>Blur>Motion Blur) and tweak the perspective a bit.

Neo Cartoon Lover cover art August 2009 This is a record sleeve I made for the Swedish group Neo Cartoon Lovers new record. It was created in Photoshop. Renaissance series November 2009 One of my Photoshop creations in the Renaissance series, this was made for my personal gallery (www.modern style.se). Its also available as a wallpaper and iPhone background on request.

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I drag a line onto a new empty layer and add Shear (Filter>Distort>Shear) to it to get some shape. After that I add Motion Blur again. I do this after adding the Shear filter, rather than before, to get the variation in the shape of the line.

I duplicate the line, merge the layers, duplicate again, move the duplicates alongside each other to create a pattern, then merge the layers. Finally I transform it into the position you see above.
Clouds January 2010 This is one of my latest pieces, made for an upcoming release on the Modern Style website. It was created in Photoshop, with help from acrylic and watercolour paints. Untitled February 2010 Another piece from the new series for Modern Style, created with the use of acrylic and watercolours. Shield February 2010 This is based on paintings composed in Photoshop. Its made via one of my many new work processes. The original file is a painting by me, but this is the final artwork.

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I merge all the light layers, then invert the result to be able to see it in the Preview area of the filters. I play with the Wave effect a little, then when Im satisfied I invert it back. I duplicate these layers, then rotate them to such positions that they increase the light effect in the piece.

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When the lighting threads are in position, I duplicate the layer and change the colour balance to make it a bit more alive. For the final touch I add another colour-filled layer on top of the whole composition. I play around with the layer blending modes but finally go for Hue at 38% opacity.

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Computer Arts May 2010

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