Customizable Easter Egg

Category:	Adobe Photoshop Tutorials
Added:	04/06/2007

Design a Custom Easter Egg

Tutorial Goal

Create a versatile 'web 2.0 style' Easter Egg in Adobe Photoshop. The technique allows for easy color, decoration and shape customization. The silver style is great for many applications beyond the Easter theme used in this tutorial.

Step 1 : Document Setup

Open Adobe Photoshop and Create a new Image:
Size: 310 x 370px
Background Color: 2F83C3

Step 2 : Creating the vector egg shape.

Using the Elipse Tool, , draw an elliptical shape on stage. It will not be perfect at first.
The trick is to use the Direct Selection Tool, , to adjust the curve points.

Click the top curve point and pull both handles in to make the egg more pointed.

Click the right and left curve points and drag them straight down until your satisfied with the shape.

Step 3 : Making the soft silver style.

Right click your vector egg layer, select "Blending Options" and apply the following settings.

Outer Glow : Makes the silver appear to radiate.

Inner Glow : Helps the 3D effect and simulates reflection.

Inner Glow - Contour Editor : Drag the nodes to create the curve below this creates highlights and shadowing.

Gradient Overlay : Solidifies the egg and provides the silver color.

Gradient Settings : For silver use below settings or change to suit your tastes.

Step 4 : Creating the egg shine.

Ctrl/Cmd click the vector egg layer to select its contour.

Select the Elliptical Marquee Tool, , and Alt click and drag a Oval to subtract. See below:

Create a new layer, , and Fill the selection in with White then reduce it's Opacity to 20%.

The Shine should look similar to:

Step 5 : Customizing your Easter egg.

Ctrl/Cmd click the vector egg layer to select its contour.

Create a new layer, , and add a Mask layer, , then disconnect the link between the Mask and the layer by click the link:

Now on this layer you can customize the design of your Easter Egg and it will not extend beyond the egg. Below I changed the gradient settings and then painted flowers across.
Hint: Reduce the layer opacity to make it appear to be on the egg.

Concluding Statements

Hope you have fun modifying the egg design and colors. You might consider saving the silver style to apply to future interface elements, it is very versitile. Try altering the vector shape to see what I mean. Happy Easter!