Create a Set of Weather Icons in Adobe Photoshop

Hi there. This tutorial will teach you how to create a set of weather icons in Adobe Photoshop. You will learn how to use and combine basic tools to create vector shape icons and how to have a perfect alignment using the Snap to Grid feature. Next, you’ll find out how to add effects via the Layer Style window. In the end, you will know how to create your own weather icons by applying these techniques and if you play with the Layer Style settings you can easily make your own unique design. Let's get on!

Tutorial Details

Program: Adobe Photoshop CC
Estimated Completion Time: 45 minutes
Difficulty: Beginner-Intermediate

Step 1

Create a 600x600px document, go to View > Show > Grid to enable the Grid and then go to View > Snap To > Grid to enable the Snap to Grid. Hit Control + K to open the Preferences, go to Guides, Grid & Slices and enter the settings mentioned in the next image. The grid will make it easier for you to create the shapes.

Step 2

Concentrate on your Toolbar, fill the foreground color with #02C0D1 and select the Paint Bucket Tool. Move to your canvas and click there to change the background color.

Step 3

Change the foreground color to #FFFFFF and using the Ellipse Tool create 4 circles: 30x30px, 30x30px,35x35px, 20x20px. Place them as you can see below. Tip: Hold the Shift button from your keyboard to create a perfect circle.

Step 4

Use the Rectangle Tool to create a 15x35px vector shape and place it as shown in the image below. Look inside the Layers panel, select the vector shape made in this step with the vectors shapes made in the previous step, right click on one of these shapes and click on Merge Shapes.

Step 5

Look inside the Layers panel, double click on the name of the vector shape made in the previous step and rename it "Cloud". Now, double click on this vector shape to open the Layer Style window and enter the settings mentioned in the next images. In the end, place this cloud in the upper left corner of your canvas, approximately as shown in the last image of this step.

Step 6

Change the foreground color with #FCD524 and use the Ellipse Tool to create a 35x35 px circle.

Step 7

Rename the yellow vector shape made in previous step "Sun". Go to the Layer Style window for this vector shape and enter the settings mentioned in the next images.

Step 8

Now select the "Sun" vector shape and place it as shown in the image below.

Step 9

Select your "Cloud" and "Sun" vector shapes and duplicate them using the Control + J keyboard shortcut. Look into the Layers panel and make sure that the "Sun" copy is below the "Cloud" copy. Now, select these copies one by one, focus on your canvas and place the copies as you can see below.

Step 10

Make a new copy of your "Cloud" vector shape and place it as shown in the next image. Look into the Layers panel and rename this new copy "RainyCloud".

Step 11

To ease your work, you must change the grid to every 1px. Go to to Edit > Preferences > Guides, Grid & Slices and enter 1 in the Gridline Every box. Switch the foreground color with #57DAFF, concentrate on the "RainyCloud" vector shape and use the Ellipse Tool to create a 4x4px circle.

8 comments on “Create a Set of Weather Icons in Adobe Photoshop”

Edgar says:

November 12, 2018 at 7:55 am

Thank you Razvan. Nice and clear tutorial. Although I think you should have made it higher-res to begin with since you are using layer styles. Also a lighter background would look better. But nonetheless it is a good tutorial.

Alcides says:

September 18, 2017 at 2:39 pm

Cool!!!

Your mam says:

March 30, 2016 at 9:38 am

gr8 m8 i r8 it 8/8

Igor M. says:

March 17, 2016 at 2:50 am

Thank U
Very easy tutorial.
Nice work

You mam says:

March 16, 2016 at 9:55 am

Great job.. if you were a preschooler

Martin says:

July 24, 2015 at 5:10 am

Very good tutorial!!!

Anonymous says:

June 10, 2015 at 3:45 pm

Nice tutorial, well done.

Igor says:

April 24, 2015 at 4:04 pm

NICE!!!