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Make a Glossy Icon

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In this tutorial, you'll learn how to creat glossy buttons like this one:

First, open a blank document in photoshop. Mine will be 100x100, so you might want to do the same for your first time with this technique.

Now fill the background with a solid color.

Next, switch your foreground color to a darker tone of the same hue, like so:

Then select the gradient tool and in the gradient menu, select the "Foreground to Transparent" gradient. Below the one with a thick border is the correct gradient.


Now draw a gradient from top to bottom. The result should look like this:


Create a new layer.


Next, change your foreground color to white:

The selected gradient now looks like this:


Draw a gradient from top to bottom with the white gradient on the new layer. Your document will now look something along the lines of this:

Go under "Layers" and select "Duplicate layer".

Then select the lasso tool (make sure your setting are like mine!)

Select the corner of the document like I did. This area will be the part that seems to reflect the light.


Now, hold down the keys control, option, and i (or apple+option+i if you use a mac), and your selection will be inverted.

Now press delete.

If you want, change the layer's mode to soft light as seen here. The edge won't be quite as defined.


All that's left to do is add your finishing touches and save.

Figmint © Frisby. Please enjoy and respect my work. Terms of Use.
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