
Step 13
Press Ctrl + Shift + C to copy merged and Ctrl + V to paste the selection on a new layer. Because we only need the texture and not the colors desaturate the layer by pressing Ctrl + Shift + U. Change the layer blend mode to Overlay and lower the opacity to 40%. Move this layer on top and clip it to “Metal Ball” layer.

Step 14
Create a new layer above all layers (Ctrl + Shift + N) and clip it to the layer below (the texture layer). Select a round soft brush tool and set it’s Opacity to 40%. Paint gently the edges of the metal ball. Change the layer blend mode to Multiply and further lower the opacity to around 60%. This step will add a bit of shading to the metal ball – I will call it metal apple from now on.

Step 15
To further add some shading and get rid of the flat look of our metal ball let’s add Curves Adjustment Layer above all layers and clip it to the layer below. Drag the curve downwards to darken.

Step 16
Click on the Curves layer mask and press Ctrl + I to invert the colors thus filling the mask with black. Now select a round soft brush and paint again at the edges of the metal apple to give it some 3D look. Take a look at my layer mask below for reference.

Step 17
Now let’s make the little depressed area where the steam connects to the apple. In order to do this click on the background layer (the original one with three apples) and press Ctrl + J to duplicate. Move this layer on top of all layers (a handy shortcut for doing this fast is Ctrl + Shift + ]) and desaturate (Ctrl + Shift + U).

Step 18
Change the blend mode of the layer you duplicated in step 17 to Multiply. Add a layer mask (Layer > Layer Mask > Reveal All) and fill it with black (press D to set default colors and Ctrl + Backspace to fill with Background Color). With a round soft brush at 100% Opacity paint with white in the layer mask to reveal the depressed area.

Step 19
We will need a steam for the apple and I decided to use the one from the left apple. The reason for that is that the steam from the middle apple it’s too short and thin and it won’t look good. So go ahead and make a selection of the stem from the left apple using the Pen Tool or your favorite selection tool (to make a selection with the Pen Tool first create your path than press Ctrl + Enter to transform that path into a selection).
27 responses to “How to Create a Photo-Realistic Metal Apple in Photoshop”
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boo boo bam
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Hi I couldn’t download the Metallic Ball. I received an” Imagine could not be loaded” message. Is there another way to download this image?
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Mrs. Johnston? you probably don’t remember me but I think I am one of your 4th grade students.
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I tried to download the metallic ball and was told Image could not be found..
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I like me!
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Enjoyed it!
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Great tutorial, I learned a lot!
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THX! I did an awsome metallic cherry :)
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Amazing. . Very nice, thanks for sharing…………….
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Nice tutorial. Only think I didn’t like is that you kept forgetting to tell us when to add layer masks…
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techniques and ideas was great
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The detail in this is amazing
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This is fantastic!
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forgot to fix the white triangles at the bottom of the apples curve
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amazing work!
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Great!
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Great! I learned from it..
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Very nice tutorial..
khupach chhan explain kelele ahe -
fantastic!
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This is really good thank you sir.
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Nice, but the light sides (non-adjacent) of two non-metallic apples was left unfixed thus it didn’t jibe to the light source ‘you’ have indicated.
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no
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Exvellent tutorial!!! I like the fact that you are focusing on details!
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Impressive tutorial, Adrian!
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Good..!
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how do you un-desaturate
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