Advanced Photoshop Tutorials - 3D Effects
by Piero Desopo
Phoenixart

Part 1   Part 2   Part 3   Part 4

Part 3: recessed areas.

Well, another nice effect that you can make with the previous technique is bring down a shape.

Follow this example. As always we have a PSD file (zip format) with a background and a layer: this layer has a 3d shape.

To add a recessed area you can use again the channel like in the example 1.

Well you can try to add a circular shape recessed. To do this make a circular selection on the shape layer and then save it (circle channel).

With the selection active press CTRL/c then CTRL/v to copy this shape area into another layer. Make this layer invisible (click on the eye icon).

Now duplicate the circle channel and apply Gaussian Blur filter: radius=4.

Filter menu, Stylize, Emboss: angle=150, height=4, amount=160.

Duplicate this channel and invert it.

(here's a way to duplicate: right click and then select Duplicate Channel)

Use the Level controls to select the gray with the black picker.

Repeat this step for the circle channel.

Now load the two circle channels selection. I've loaded first the circle blurred selection.

Ok. To recess this area you should invert the brightness direction. So for the current selection you must use high brightness values.

Image menu, Adjust, Brightness/Contrast: brightness=70.

Now load the second circle channel selection and apply a lower brightness correction, like -80.

As you'll remember you have copied the circle area from the shape layer and then you have pasted it into a new layer. Make visible this layer.

So reload again the circle channels selection. But this time you must use the brightness direction with a right direction: so the dark brightness to the right and the light brightness to the left.

Here's the final image:

Part 1   Part 2   Part 3   Part 4