PixelPerfect #95: Add Magic to Photoshop - Part II

This week, Bert continues his quest to create an enchanted dagger.

To make the blade, Bert first outline the shape with the pen tool and fils it in using the gradient tool. Bert adds texture to the blade by adding dark tones, the dodge tool, and layer styles (outer and inner glow). To add a sheen, Bert makes a path in the middle of the blade, strokes it with a white brunch, and then turns the path into a selection to give it an inverted mask.

Bert creates the background by simply using the gradient tool, specifically the radio gradient.

For a leather case, Bert first makes the shape with the pen tool, fills it with a brown color and then adds the Texture-Craquelure, Gaussian Blur and Pixilate-Facet filters for texture. Bert creates a pouch indent with the burn tool. Then, he makes stitches for around the cover by first creating a shape with the rounded corner tool (Filled with the foreground color) and then turning the shape into a brush with the brush engine (increase the spacing, adjust the space dynamic and adjusting the angle jitter).

Finally , Bert adds a drop shadow to the blade/handle and cover to make his enchanted dagger stand out.