Photoshop: Tools and Textures for Beginners

This is a tutorial meant for novices. By the end you'll know how to make your own grungy textures, like this:

However, the main goal of this tutorial is to teach:

1.) Where to find certain basic tools
2.) How to create, use, and save gradients
3.) The uses, differences between, and merits of layer blending modes

This tutorial was created in Adobe Photoshop 7.0. The tool names and locations should either match or easily be found in any version of Photoshop 6+; the concepts will translate to any graphics program at all.

Please remember that this is simply how I enjoy making textures; there are dozens, if not hundreds, of other ways that work equally well. The tools you learn to use, however, will be universally helpful.

	1.) Create a new image of your chosen size. Mine is 100x100, because I'm making an icon-sized texture. When I go to File -> New to make an image, these are the settings I use.
	2.) Add a gradient. This is a shot of how to find the gradient tool in Photoshop. If it's the paint can you have up, clicking and holding for a moment, or right clicking, will bring up the option to switch tools.
	3.) Creating your own custom gradient The gradients I'm using in this tutorial are all from a gradient pack I made myself. I often make new gradients for each project I do, then save them in case I want them later. As you see in the first image, to get to the gradient editor, you simply click on the image of the active gradient in that toolbar up top there. The gradient editor is slightly more complicated. For a simple gradient, the important tabs are the ones marked A. If you click right in the little colored square on those, a color will appear in the box marked "Color" at the bottom. If you click on that box, you get the color-picker. When you've picked a color, the gradient uses it. Simple. When you click on the other tab, and pick a different color, the gradient as shown under B will change. For a truly simple gradient (sometimes the best kind), you're done. However, play with all the other tools in there a bit; you may get something you really like. When you're ready to save your new gradient, click where it says "name" and name it something. Then click "new." The gradient will be added to the open pack. If you wish to save the open set as a new gradient pack, click on "save" after you've added your new gradient(s). You can save the *.grd file as whatever you like, so that you can load up the gradients later and also share them with other people if you like. You apply the gradient by clicking somewhere on or near the image, dragging, and then letting go. Keep mucking about with that until you get it someplace you like it.
	4.) Adding layers! Before you do anything else, hit Shift + Ctrl + N to create a new layer. In the layers menu, as shown, make sure you've selected the layer you want before you do anything. For a screenshot of my brush selection list, click here. It's very nearly desktop-sized so it's too big to put in the tutorial. The list will show you (1) how to select a brush, and (2) it will give you an idea of the brushes I use and where to find them. In short, pick a brush. Pick a color. Apply the brush. This is what you will do to add every brush or gradient you desire: create a new layer, and add the new element.
	5.) The joy of Blending Modes. Whenever someone says "an exclusion layer" or "set to pin light," this is the menu they mean. These are your blending modes. Generally when I'm making icons, and doubly so when I'm making textures, each time I add a layer I just go up and down the list until I hit one that I like. In this particular case, I liked the way my brush layer looked set to "color burn." The image on the left is that of my first two layers both set to "normal." The image on the right is with my brush layer on color burn: . Which blending modes you like are entirely a matter of personal taste and of the effect you're trying to achieve. Remember: if it looks funny after you add more layers above and beneath, you can always change it later.
	6.) Lather, Rinse, Repeat! This is a screenshot taken about halfway through the process, simply to illustrate how it goes. Keep creating new layers and adding what you like. Using other tools, you can erase part of a layer if it's not working, or delete the whole layer and add a new one if you choose. Opacity and blending mode are the keys to each layer. Keep changing those up until the aesthetics of the layer please you. My layer palette here is blown up and moved next to the actual image-in-progress, so you can see how they relate.
	7.) Saving! When you are satisfied with the way your image looks, go to File -> Save for Web. This will enable you to save your image as a *.png, *.jpg, or *.gif, as you feel appropriate. For textures such as this, *.png or *.jpg are generally the most preferable file formats. That's it! You're done. Perfecting a texture is something you can only do through trial, error, and personal taste, but learning to use the gradient tool and layer blending modes are skills you can use in anything. Go to it!