The Photoshop Guru's Handbook - Session 7 (Xtreme Designs pg2)

Xtreme Designs	Before we get under way... I just want to let you know that i think design itself is a very subjective thing.
It is neither to be controlled by the masses nor manipulated by the media. It is instead, to be shaped, molded and nutured by all those who dare persue it, until it is brought to fruition and released into the world through it's creator. Whom, or whatever that may be. This is my opinion.

Alright then, let's begin...

To begin with:
Create a new document - 240x240 will do for our purpose here..
Make it RGB / Background = White / Resolution = 72.

Step 1
The Shapes
When your new document is opened, the first thing you need to do is create a New Layer. You can name this layer shape 1.
Now grab the Rectangular Marquee tool.
Start at the top left corner, about 10 pixels in from the edge of your canvas and make a perfect square by holding down your SHIFT key as you size the Marquee.

To see the size of your square as you're drawing it, just click on the INFO Tab in your option palette BEFORE you start to size it. The numbers on the bottom right represent the size of the Marquee you are drawing.

Make your square 80 pixels x 80 pixels. When you're done sizing it fill it with black. Then deselect. (select none)
Ok now create another NEW LAYER. Call this one shape 2.
Repeat the same steps that you just did for the Shape 1 layer. Except this time make the square 140x140 pixels.
ALSO: make sure that you start this square at the same spot in the top left corner where you started the smaller one.
When your square is drawn & filled, deselect. (select none)

Click on the move tool and use your Arrow Keys to nudge this layer 5 pixels to the right & 5 pixels down.

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Step 2
More Shapes
Ok now we're going to start to create other secondary shapes to fit in & around our main shape.

To start with create a New Layer & call it shape 3.
Now click on the Rectangular Marquee tool & change it to the Elliptical Marquee tool.
(if you don't know how to do this yet I suggest you either read the manual or use the help files)

Here's a different way to create a Marquee selection, when you need it to be a specific size:

Go into the Options palette for the Marquee tool and in the Style window that says Normal, open the pop-down menu and choose Fixed Size instead. Then in the Width & Height boxes just put in the number of pixels you need your selection to be. Make sure the 'Feathering' is set to 0. And be sure to put the Option back on Normal when you're done.

For our purpose here type in 120 for both the Width & Height boxes.

Before continuing make sure your shape 3 layer is still active.
Now put the Elliptical tool over the top right corner of the shape 1 square, & click once. Voila! A perfect circle the exact size you need it to be.
Now fill it with black and deselect. (select none)
Click on the Move tool now. We're going to move this circle down a bit.
To make this easier for us we're going to Hold down the SHIFT key while we use our Arrow keys to nudge the layer around.

Reminder: Holding the Shift key moves the layer's contents by 10 pixels at a time.

Ok so hold down the Shift key and hit the Down Arrow key twice.
Now DUPLICATE this layer and reName it shape 4.
Now we're going to move this circle to a new position also. Hold the Shift key down again and hit the Down Arrow key 6 times, then hit the Left Arrow key 6 times.
Pretty quick huh? And exact too.

What you should have so far Ok this is what you should have so far.

Kind of odd lookin isn't it? {:?)

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Step 3
Just A Few More Shapes
Ok first create another New Layer. Call this layer shape 0. this is because we will be leaving this layer on the top-most level of the shape layers.
(which is right where it is)
Now select the Rectangular Marquee tool and in the Options palette change the Style to Fixed Size. In the Width box put 10 & in the Height box put 140.
Starting at the top right corner of the shape 2 square (the bigger square), click the tool once and then fill the selection with black like the others, then deselect.
Now you should have a thick line running down the right edge of that square.
Using the Shift and Arrow keys again, nudge this shape Down 5 times & Right 2 times.

Duplicate the shape 0 layer, but don't worry about the name because we will be merging this shape 0 copy layer with the original shape 0 layer.
With the duplicate made, go up to the LAYER menu and choose TRANSFORM / ROTATE 90^* CW.
Now use the Shift & Arrow keys again and nudge this layer Down 4 times & Left 4 times.
Now we'll merge the two layers together.
Click on the lttile arrow at the top right of the Layers Palette to open the palette Options menu. Choose MERGE DOWN.
There, now our two lines have been merged to make one shape.

At this point we now want to organize our layers.
To do this we will put them in numeric order. Do this now, by moving the layers up or down until you have shape 0 at the top, shape 1 below that, and continue until you have shape 4 on the very bottom of the layers palette, just above the Background layer.

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Ok we're finished with with making the general shape of our design.
Now go to the next page and we'll start applying the fun stuff.

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