How to Create a Sleek Digital Art of a Portrait with Fun Elements

In this tutorial, I'll show you how to create an abstract artwork of a woman in with modern geometrical elements. You'll learn how to work with abstract elements, make lighting effects, enhance contrast and color and more.

Preview of the Final Result

Tutorial Resources

Step 1

Create a new 1300x1300 px document in Photoshop and fill it with white. Hit Ctrl+Shift+N to make a new layer and press G to active the Gradient Tool. Select Linear Gradient and pick the colors #b62741 and #2e3b9f. Drag a line from the top to the bottom of the canvas and you should have a similar result like below:

Step 2

Make a new layer and fill it with black. Click the second icon at the bottom of the Layers panel to add a mask to this layer. Select a soft round brush with black color with the opacity about 10% to paint on the middle section .

Step 3

Create a new layer and use a soft brush with the color #6db1bd to paint on the middle. Change this layer mode to Hard Light 100%.

Step 4

Add a new layer and use a soft brush with the color #885ca9 to paint around the canvas. Change this layer mode to Color 50% and add a mask to this layer. Use a soft black brush with the opacity about 10-15% to remove the color effect around the middle.

Step 5

Create a new layer and activate the Custom Shape Tool (U). Select Circle Frame and pick the color #63a1ec to draw a shape on the middle of the canvas.

Double click this layer, choose Drop Shadow and set the color of shadow to black.

Step 6

Duplicate this layer and change the color of the shape to #360955. Right click this shape layer, choose Clear Layer Style and use the Move Tool (V) to move it to the left a bit.

Change the mode of this layer to Overlay 50%:

Step 7

Duplicate this shape layer and change its color to #ec63bd. Move it to the right of the first one and change the layer mode to Overlay 30%. Add a mask to this layer and use a soft black brush with the opacity about 20% to erase the left of this circle.

Step 8

Duplicate this layer and move it a bit to the left. Change the color of the shape to #ec6663. I've changed the mode of the shape to show the original color.

Continue duplicating this layer and use the Free Transform Tool (Ctrl+T) to make it a bit smaller. Move it to the left of the existing circles and alter the shape's color to #431070. Change this layer mode to Normal 100% and add a mask to this layer. Use a soft black brush to erase around the shape to make some shade for it.

Step 9

Open the model image and drag it into the main cans using the Move Tool. Place it in the circles' area and add a mask to this layer. Use a hard black brush to remove the background and most of the body of the model, leaving the head and a part of the neck and shoulder visible inside the circles.

Step 10

Go to Layer > New Adjustment Layer > Hue/Saturation and set it as Clipping Mask. Reduce the Saturation values to -32:

Step 11

Make a Color Balance adjustment layer and change the Midtones settings:

Add a Curves adjustment layer and increase the lightness.