In Tutorials Jan 20, 201011

How to Create the Zen Mosiac Mp3 Player in Photoshop

Step 1

First off, open a transparent new document: 650 by 700 pixels. I have placed a white background temporarily which of course is to clearly show the shape drawn. From the Tools bar, select the Rounded Rectangle Tool (U) with its rounded corner set at 32 px.

Step 2

Have your new shape filled with the colour #535255. Now double click the “zen” layer to bring up the Layer Style option. Choose Inner Shadow and enter the parameters below.

Now the dimensions of the Zen is beginning to take shape.

Step 3

Still under the same Layer Style, select the Inner Glow and click it’s gradient and select both Color Stop as #e5e8e9. Also, reduce the transparency of Opacity Stop on the upper right corner to 0%.

Step 4

Go to the menu and select Filter > Noise > Add Noise. In the dialog box, set the amount to about 1.67% and also make sure Monochromatic is checked. The Zen current state might appear unassuming for now but, with more adjustments it would steadily gain a solid realistic look.

Step 5

We are now going to add a matt reflection of light for the Zen.For the purpose of illustration, I have outline the area this reflection should cover. In a new layer, select a Rounded Rectangle Tool (U) and draw a rectangle as shown below. Apply a Gradient Overlay Layer Style to the rectangle with the gradient colour as #dedde5 and its Opacity Stop reduced to 68%. On the menu, go to Filter>Blur>Gaussian Blur and increased blur Radius to 35.4 px.

Proceed to have the outline of the rectangle cleared by encircling it with the Marquee Tool (M) and then pressing the delete key.

Step 6

For accuracy, I’ve decided to employ the use of grids as my guidelines by selecting View > Show > Grids on the menu.You may however use rulers if you prefer, by pressing Ctrl+R and dragging the lines of the rulers into position. Now create a new layer and select the Rectangular Tool (M) once again. Choose a 1 px rounded corner for your rectangle and draw a screen for the Zen.

Step 7

If your foreground colour is black, press Crtl+Backspace to fill the shape. Double click the “screen” layer for a Layer Style and select Gradient Overlay and edit the gradient colour with the right Color Stop set as #323233.

Step 8

The Gradient Angle should be placed at 130 and the Gradient Scale increase to 120%.

Step 9

Duplicate the “screen” layer by right clicking it and selecting Duplicate Layer. Name this new copy “screen bevel” and apply a Color Overlay Layer Style to it. It’s colour should be #e8e9eb and its opacity reduced to 25%. That done, with your keyboard’s arrow key move the screen bevel to the right only just slightly.

Step 10

Create a new layer and and select the Rectangle Tool (U) and draw an ‘active’ screen within the screen bevel (name the layer “screen2″). Fill the new shape and choose the Gradient Overlay style for it. When editing the gradient colour, adding from the left, colours of the stops should be as follows #330715, #7f041e, #941019, #f89af2, #fae3f9. That done, check Reverse and from the drop-down list of the Gradient type, select  Radial and Scale to 145%.

Step 11

Right on top of the screen create a new layer, select the rectangle Tool (U) to draw a set of squares. Where for every square drawn, right click and select Fill Path > Color.

Square colours:1.#a47380  2.#a47380  3.#cd728a  4.#e3d4d8  5 #f7f5f6  6.#f2d7de  7. #e7d2d6  8. #ebe7e8  9.#c06f82  10.#c3a7ad 11.#d4c0c5  12 #d7c8cb  13.#f9d5de (*note:don’t forget to clear the outline of each square after it has been filled before proceeding to the next square).

Step 12

Duplicate the “screen2″ layer and reduce it’s opacity to 50% and then place it above the “squares” layer.

Step 13

Now add a new layer for one of the five bars that will be drawn. Select the Rectangle Tool, then fill and add a Gradient Overlay style to it. On the Layers Palette, the “bar 1″ layer’s opacity should be lowered to about to 30%.

Step 14

For other bars to follow, below are the colours of their gradients. For “bar 2″ and “bar 5″, check the Reverse box.

Step 15

There must be a thin gap between “Bar 5″ and “Bar 4″. When done, go to the Layers Palette and reduce the bars’ opacities: bar 2 – 30%; bar 3 – 30%; bar 4 – 40%; bar 5 – 55%.

Step 16

Select the horizontal Type Tool (T) and on the menu, go to Window > Character to bring up the Type Tool Presets for more options.

Create a new folder “text” for your text group. Do this by clicking on the fifth icon from the left right below the Layers Palette. This is for better organization and not making the layers in the palette painstakingly too long as the folder is collapsible. Name your text layers and arrange them accordingly as shown below.

Text colour for “menu” and “music” layers are #d6ced4. For other text layers, colour should set to #e7e4e6.

Step 17

We’ll attempt to draw a music note (a beamed note)now. In new layer select the Ellipse Tool (E) and sketch out two not-so-rounded circles and then fill.(*note: Do not clear the outline of the circles just yet).

Step 18

Add a Bevel and Emboss style to the circles.

Step 19

Still working on the note, create a new layer and on the Tools bar, select the Rectangle Tool to draw a
horizontal line and have it tilted at an angle selecting Edit > Free Transform > Distort. Follow it up with two vertical lines.

Step 20

Yet again, add a Bevel and Emboss style.

Place this layer behind the layer with the circles.

Step 21

For the battery icon, draw a small rectangle and apply a Gradient Overlay Layer Style to it.

Increase the Gradient Overlay’s Opacity to a 100%.

The battery icon here, is aligned with the “menu” text.

Step 22

For the tip of the battery, draw a small vertical rectangle on the right side of the battery icon and fill with a white colour.

Step 23

Create a new layer and select the Rectangle Tool and draw a horizontal line across the width of the Zen. Fill this thin rectangle bar with black and add an Inner Glow Layer Style to it with it. For the glow’s colour, set it to #e9eaed and reduced the upper-right Opacity Stop to 0%.

Make the adjustments below:

By right right clicking the “Line” layer, duplicate this layer three times.

Step 24

On the Layers Palette, click on “create new group” for the buttons of the Zen and name it “Buttons”. For a new “button1″ layer, pick the Rounded Rectangle Tool to draw a square button.

The Color Overlay Layer Style colour; #a5d1d8.

The parameters for the Inner Shadow style:

For Stroke style enter the parameters below with the Stroke Color as #1d1d1e.

Go to Filter > Add Noise and set it’s amount to 5.55% and have Monochromatic checked as well. Then blur only just slightly (Filter > Blur > Gaussian Blur).

Step 25

Duplicate the “button 1″ layer twice.

Step 26

With the Move tool (V) selected, arrange the two button copies. For the button on the second row, change it’s Stroke style colour to #e3e3ea(*note: the button’s former black Stroke colour would still remain).

Step 27

Create another layer for another button and name it “button 2″. With a square drawn as the same size as the previous button, fill with colour; #2e3e41 and add Noise; 1px .Add a Bevel and Emboss style as below:

Go to Filter > Blur > Gaussian Blur and set the Radius to 0.2 px. Also, reduce the “button 2″ opacity to 68%.

Step 28

Duplicate “button 2″ and arrange in the order below:

Step 29

For another button, draw a square and fill with colour; #535255. Add a Bevel and Emboss Layer Style.

Step 30

Duplicate “button 3″ layer two times.

Step 31

Create a new layer for the centre button – “button 4″. Fill the button with a white colour and for a Layer Style select Bevel and Emboss:

Step 32

Under Bevel and Emboss style, click Contour an select contour type as Cove-Deep. Also select Stroke and choose a black colour for it and set the size to 1 px.

Step 33

Click on Inner Glow and set the glow colour to #e9eaed and enter these parameters:

Go to Filter > Noise > Add Noise and set the amount to 5.54% with monochromatic checked as well.

Step 34

Create a “button 5″ layer and add a Gradient Overlay Layer Style. Edit the gradient colour. From the left: 1. #2e3e41 2. #37494c3. #2c3a3d 4. #798b91 5. #2b3a3f 6. #161819.

When done entering the parameters below, on the Layers Palette reduce the “button 5″ layer’s opacity to 50%.

Step 35

Duplicate the “button 5″ layer and postion it right below the original.

Step 36

Name the layer where the next square to be drawn (with rounded corners of 1 px), “button 6″.

Step 37

Set the colours of the stops:

On the Layers Palette, reduce “button 6″ opacity to 95%.

Step 38

For a new “button 7″ layer, add a Gradient Overlay Layer Style:

Reduce the “button 7″ layer’s opacity to 85%.

Step 39

For “button 8″ layer, the Layer Style for the Gradient Overlay:

Step 40

For the Inner Glow Layer Style for “button 8″, set it’s colour to #e5e8e9 and fade it’s gradient opacity to 0%.

The “button 8″ layer’s opacity itself should be reduced to about 60%.

Step 41

A new layer should be named “button 9″ with the parameters of Gradient Overlay and Inner Glow styles shown below:

Reduce the “button 9″ layer opacity to 60%

Step 42

On the Tools Palette, select the Custom Shape Tool and go to it’s menu and and select the Polygon Tool. Set it’s sizes to three for a triangle and then draw this triangle for the “Button 1″ layer.

Step 43

For the sign “Up” colour: #2e3e41 and the Bevel and Emboss style:

Step 44

Place the triangle “up navi. sign” on the “button 1″.

Step 45

Duplicate the “up navi. sign” layer and go to Edit > Transform > Rotate 90 degrees CCW. This “left navi. sign” layer should be placed above “button 2″.

Step 46

In a new layer, draw another triangle and fill it with the colour #c5d1d8 and enter the following parameters for its Bevel and Emboss style:

Step 47

Under Bevel and Emboss style, select Contour and select Cove-Shallow. Reduce the layer’s opacity to 85%.

Step 48

Have the layer duplicated twice and position these signs on “Button 4″, “Button 5″, and “Button 6″. Also rotate the signs accordingly as shown below by going to Edit > Transform > Rotate.

Step 49

For the next sign – “Play/Pause”, draw a triangle and two vertical standing rectangles. Fill these shapes with the colour #3d3e40.

Step 50

For the “Play/Pause” sign, the parameters of Bevel an Emboss style should be as follows:

Step 51

Contour type set be Cove – Shallow.

The result:

Step 52

For a new layer, use the Rounded Rectangle Tool set at 1 px to draw the shape below. A triangle had been added as well.

The colour to use; #474b4a.

Step 53

The “Sign 4″ Bevel and Emboss style paramters:

Step 54

The Contour type; Cove – Shallow.

Step 55

With the Line Tool (U), draw four vertical black lines and add an Outer Glow Layer Style to these lines.

Step 56

With the Pen Tool (P), draw a short curve (spear-like) over a triangle that’s facing downwards. Fill the shape(s) with colour #48494a.

Step 57

Parameters for the Bevel and emboss Style:

Step 58

Contour type; Cove – Shallow.

Step 59

Now for the Zen logo, select the Horizontal Type Tool (T) and have the Type Presets displayed (Go to Window>Character on the menu).

Step 60

Select the text type as Arial Rounded MT Bold and it’s fill colour as #868d96. Type the letters “ZEN”.

Step 61

Add a Gradient Overlay Graident Style to the text. Here, the first Opacity Stop from the left should be set at 40% and the second, set at 0%.

Step 62

For an emboss look for the base of the screen, draw a rounded rectangle at 2 px and fill with the colour #cdced1.

Step 63

Set it’s Blend Mode to Soft Light and reduce the opacity to 45%.

Step 64

For a scroll bar, select the Rounded Rectangle Tool with rounded corners of  2 px.. The Color overlay; #7d8183 and Opacity; 86%.

The Bevel and Emboss style parameters:

Step 65

Create a new layer for the background and draw a large square. You may use the Gradient Tool (G) or add a Gradient Overlay Layer Style.

Step 66

For the shadow casted by the Zen, draw a rounded rectangle with corners set at 1 px.

Step 67

Go to menu and click on Edit > Transform > Distort to shape the rectangle from both
sides.

Step 68

Adding a Gradient Overlay Layer Style to the “shadow” layer, edit the gradient as shown below:

Step 69

In another layer named “reflection”, draw a Rounded Rectangle with rounded corners set at 2 px.

By David Ella Ella

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