How do I achieve this effect?

[simonsko]

So I'm designing a backdrop for my band in the style of the backdrop that The Beatles used on their Budokan gigs. Here you can see it being mimicked by a tribute band:
https :// www . youtube . com / watch?v=WHnYE8n7G4Q (remove the spaces)

And I've been trying hard to achieve the same effect with the same colours without any success whatsoever; that is, the text starting sort of in the middle and coming out like that. I figured maybe somebody here could suggest what I should search for to find the right tutorial (I don't quite know what word is appropriate to describe the effect), or maybe even make a tutorial for me.

 

[IamSam]

Screenshots............

 

[Igrecman]

The text effect is a lot like the Superman 3D text. It has to be done in vectorial, thus in Illustrator or another vectorial program
Have a look at how the Superman 3D text is done https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=otPtRGeM7tw
I followed the same procedure doing this picture. http://i.imgur.com/3Ks0PRC.jpg
I was successful even though I have no experience at all with Illustrator.

 

[dv8_fx]

Like Igrecman, I would usually do this on a vector application. But since the subject is a Photoshop one, I'll have to adapt my vector procedure to PS setting and tools......


I'm doing this quick one during a short break from my work project so it's kinda rough.....






If this works for you, continue reading. If not, you can fore go reading.....



I used the Warp Text to get the ARC shape of the text.

In the first image, I added guidelines - vertical one centered on the canvass page and the other positioned below the text to serve as the "vanishing point".

Make sure you have the Snap To activated. Doing this, your Lasso point will snap to the crosshairs created by the guidelines.

I used the Lasso Tool to manually create the effect. Create the effect on a layer for each letter/character.

Select your foreground and back ground colors. You will be alternating the two when doing the fill - lighter color for the bottom areas and darker one for the side areas of the text.

BASIC TIPS 1 ...... The basic move is this...... To create the selection with the lasso, click your first point, hold down ALT and move mouse pointer to the crosshairs, click where the lasso snaps and move to second point, etc. complete the selection by releasing ALT. Then fill with appropriate color. You may have to set the fill to "behind" so you won't affect already completed filled shapes.

BASIC TIPS 2..... When you get to the right hand side group of letters, you have to reverse the order of the layers ... for example... I layer is underneath L layer, Z is below A, and so on so forth....

Basic Tip 3 ..... It will take trial and error to know which section to create the fill without affecting shape fills done earlier. Doing this, I worked from the bottom up. All the while my Fill was set to Fill from Behind.....


It's gonna be long and complicated if I break down every step I did. But if you examine my full image, you'll get the idea how I created the selections and fills.


I hope my outline isn't driving you batty.... :mrgreen:.



PS...... If I'm not mistaken, the Beatles's Budokan stage backdrop had lightbulbs along the text edges. But I don't think you want that so I won't touch on it.....

 

[simonsko]

After a bit of hassle, I managed to grasp your tutorial. Thanks!

 

[Ste Crook]

Div8-fx, out of curiosity what's the vector application you usually use? I'm quickly discovering that Photoshop isn't very powerful when it comes to text

 

[dv8_fx]

Photoshop is quite excellent in handling text. What don't you like about it? It might just be your setting.....


I use Corel Draw X5. The current version is the recently released X7. The entire suite is about $500.00 give or take a few. If you want to give it a try, there's a 30-day free trial download at the Corel site.

There's a "CorelDraw-ish" cheaper version, Xara's Designer Pro (currently ver. 10). I find it user friendly but maybe that's because the interface has similarities to Corel Draw. Also has a 30-day free trial at their site.



But adobe has Illustrator..... If you have that with your PS/CS/CC Suite package, give it a shot...... I don't use it much as I'm quite comfy with Corel having used it since the earliest Corel Draw 3 (no X)