Before we jump right into creating the graphic, we're going to make a seperate document so I can show you how the abstract swirls are created in photoshop. This is my personal way of doing them.
To practice get out your pen tools and have the following options selected.
Now let's begin with the creation of the swirls. I first start out with a medium sized distance away from my starting point, then I curl it slightly. Make your first point, then make another one slightly further away and as you do so twist it slightly, then you can let go.
Now where you began your first point, finish off the swirl by creating your last point there, do not unclick though, drag the point down to make the top of the swirl as shown for steps 1 and 2 marked on the following image.
Connect back to the start to finish off the swirl. If the end of it looks funny, don't worry because we'll end up cutting it off to suit whatever image we're using, it's the upper top parts that we're concerned about right now. To give this some color just right click and select Fill Path. Later on we'll be doing these on seperate raster layers and giving them gradients, but for now a plain color will do. To delete the path, right click again and select Delete Path.
Final swirl should look like this.
To make a swirl the other way, simply curve the first part the other way.
I'll assume that you know how to create the swirls, so when I ask in the tutorial to make one, get that pen tool out!
Now let's start on that image. We'll begin by making a new raster layer (CTRL + SHIFT + N). Initially we will create a new one for every swirl, so you can name them to make life easier. After a while it becomes a headache to try to find a certain swirl with 50 raster layers floating around.
The placement of the collective swirls is very important. I've chosen to start near the end of her hair for the first collective.
Now fill this with any color (any color, really), and then get out your selection tool. We need to fit the swirl so it looks like it's coming out of Amanda's hair. To get a good cut you can lower your opacity to about 60%.
May take a few tries to get it perfect. I've adjusted my swirl and cut it down shorter. You can adjust it any way you like, just remember to bring the opacity back up after you're done!
That red color is hurting my eyes, so thank god we're going to be replacing these colors with gradients. Gradients will make these swirls look much more appealing and abstract looking. So go on over to that raster layer (the one with the swirl) and double click it, this should open the FX window. Go to Gradient Overlay. You're on your own with the color selection (you'll be changing these around tons once you're all done, trust me), I usually select random transitions like dark green to light green or white to pink, but anything nice looking will do. To get the right look to these swirls you will have to work with the styles. Linear and Radial are the ones that will work best. If you're having trouble, I've screened some examples that might give you some color/style ideas.
I'll probably end up changing the color now, but I've chosen to stick with the last pink screen cap. Now make another raster layer, then create a swirl, slightly skinnier. To make swirls skinnier, make the point (the 3rd point) closer to the starting point. Refer to the third screenshot, part 1 circled in red. Go through the same steps, filling with any color and then right clicking, deleting path and adding a gradient.
If you didn't know already, many people who create graphics using swirls simply duplicate and re use the same swirls over and over again. It would be such a pain to have to do 50 unique swirls, so duplicating them, changing their size and rotation is a much easier alternative. Drag this swirl layer under the first swirl layer we made previously. Then press CTRL + T to transform, and then slightly turn the swirl to its side. After you're done double click to apply the effect.
Cut off the end of the swirl and begin the process of making a whole collective. Duplicate the layer with your new swirl (CTRL + J) and reposition and rotate it it accordingly. You might have to make new swirls, make some smaller, fix the coloring or even change the layer order, but go ahead and do a trial and error. :)
Now I'm going to start on another collective. Creating more swirls! This time I'll add them so it looks like they're starting out from her arm.
For some final touches I added two 'baby swirls' to the side of her arm.
I also changed up the coloring in my first collective.
Now onto adding all the extra things. Go to your brush tool and make sure your current brush settings are as follow. This will ensure that the following shapes will have a 1 pixel size.
Now start by going to your shape tool and selecting the ellipse tool.
Hold shift and create a medium sized circle. Then right click and select Stroke Path. Don't forget to delete your path after you're all done.
I like to chop up my circles and add them so they fit with the image. Try making more circles with different colors and sizes.
Now do the same exact thing, but this time with your pen tool we'll be making curved lines. I'm making these lines blue and lime green.
This is what I have so far:
Now we're going to add some lighted blurs to make the picture look nicer. If you don't already have some abstract line brushes, download some. (Number 72)
Rotate them by selecting your brush palette, going to Brush Tip Shape and spinning that little rotation wheel. Angle 77 is what I'm using. Make sure your brush color is white.
After applying your brush on your image (place it anywhere you'd like) go to Filter > Blur > Gaussian Blur at 18.6 pixels. I did this again two more times (place brush and blur).
Here is a diagram of the 3 directions I've placed the brushes and blurred them. It's ugly but hey, it gets the point across! (remember to rotate them accordingly!)
I've added some splatters behind the swirls and around some of the image to finish it off. You can find many splatter brushes here.
To finish the graphic, we're going to add the coloring. I'll be giving you the coloring file, all you'll have to do is download and load it into photoshop and change the layer setting if necessary. Easy, right?
Download the first file and go to Layers > New Adjustment Layer > Selective Color and then select Load and select the file. After you're done set this layer to Color.
Now download this file and go to Layers > New Adjustment Layer > Channel Mixer and load the preset. Set this layer to Color aswell, at 69%.
Last but not least, the texture! Take this texture and set it to Linear Burn at 25%. You should be all done :)
Check out the final product!
