How To: Create an old rusty control panel in Photoshop

Pixel Perfect is the "perfect" show to help you with your Photoshop skills. Be amazed and learn as master digital artist Bert Monroy takes a stylus and a digital pad and treats it as Monet and Picasso do with oil and canvas. Learn the tips and tricks you need to whip those digital pictures into shape with Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator. In this episode, Ben shows you how to create an old rusty control panel in Photoshop.

Bert creates an old control panel this week using various Photoshop filters and layer styles.

First, Bert adds texture to the background with noise, crystalize, blur and facet filters. He then create metal borders (vertical and horizontal) to begin the shape of the panel. Bert draws a line with the line tool and then adds a bevel/emboss layer style. Bert creates rust to add to the panel by first taking a splatter brush tool, and then adjusting the brush with the brush engine (increases the spacing, adjusts the shape dynamics and adds color dynamics). Bert then adds the rust brush throughout the image, especially near the metal borders.

Bert then adds screws to the image with the circle tool, radio gradient, drop shadow and bevel/emboss layer style. He then creates a large button with the circle tool, noise filter, and layer styles. For the big control in the center, Bert uses the rounded corner tool, noise filter, layer style and reflective gradient.

To create the wires, Bert makes a new brush stroke with a square shape as the basis. He then draws a path from the control panel and adjusts the brush in the brush engine (adjusting spacing, shape dynamics). Then he strokes the path with the brush and adds texture to the shape with the dodge and burn tool.

Search Pixel Perfect on WonderHowTo for more Photoshop episodes from this Revision3 show.