This tutorial will teach you some basic and advanced techniques that will help you create an attractive Windows Vista wallpaper.

Open a new file with 1024x768 px and 72 dpi. Then paint it with the shown color’s code 171D37.



Select the next instrument to draw an ellipse (the shadow).



Fill 0% on the layers.
Blending Options-Outer Glow



Make a copy of the new drawn ellipse and place them the way it is demonstrated below:



Selecting the previous instrument, create now the basis for a voluminous sphere.

Fill 0% on the layers.
Blending Options-Gradient Overlay



Gradient’s parameters:



Make three copies of the new represented layer, but change the parameters for each of them. Applying the Free Transform selection, make the copies smaller.



Blending Options-Gradient Overlay (for the red one)



Gradient’s parameters:

Blending Options-Gradient Overlay (for the green one)



Gradient’s parameters:



Blending Options-Gradient Overlay (for the yellow one)



Gradient’s parameters:



Select now the next instrument to represent the element giving the sense of volume on the picture.

Fill 0% on the layers:
Blending Options-Gradient Overlay



Gradient’s parameters:



Make three copies of this new made layer and make use again of the Free Transform selection to make the copies smaller, keeping the given proportions and parameters.



Blending Options-Gradient Overlay (for the red sphere)

Gradient’s parameters:



Blending Options-Gradient Overlay (for the green sphere)



Gradient’s parameters:



Blending Options-Gradient Overlay (for the yellow sphere)



Gradient’s parameters:

Using the same instrument, it’s possible to make the lowest half of the sphere looking a little lighter than the other one.





Fill 0% on the layers.
Blending Options-Gradient Overlay



Gradient’s parameters:



Make three copies of the new created layer and apply Free Transform option again to make the copies smaller.

Choose now the next instrument that we’ll use in two stages.
Create first a special sector (the element of volume). The first stage includes creating the first circle.
The second stage supposes to click on Alt button and applying the previous instrument to erase the unnecessary elements.





Fill 0% on the layers.
Blending Options-Gradient Overlay



Gradient’s parameters:



Make three copies of the new layer and change the parameters for all of them. Select Free Transform option to make the copies smaller, like it is demonstrated in this picture:

Blending Options-Gradient Overlay (for the red sphere)



Gradient’s parameters:



Blending Options-Gradient Overlay (for the green one)



Gradient’s parameters:

Blending Options-Gradient Overlay (for the yellow one)



Gradient’s parameters:



The same instrument may be helpful in representing the lowest gleam.





Fill 0% on the layers.
Blending Options-Gradient Overlay

Gradient’s parameters:



Make three copies again of this new made layer and apply Free Transform option to make the copies smaller again.





Select the following tool to draw that element necessary for giving the volume to the sphere.

Fill 0% on the layers.
Blending Options-Gradient Overlay



Gradient’s parameters:



Make three copies of the new layer and make use of the Free Transform selection to make the copies smaller and place them the way it is indicated here:



Select the previous instrument to represent one more layer, being semitransparent.

Fill 0% on the layers.
Blending Options-Gradient Overlay



Gradient’s parameters:



Make three copies of this new made layer and make them smaller, using the same option we applied earlier.



Select the same tool to create one more layer, reserved for the volume.

Fill 0% on the layers.
Blending Options-Gradient Overlay



Gradient’s parameters:



Copy again the previous layer three times and use the Free Transform option to make the copies smaller, like it is shown in the picture below:



Take the next instrument and represent the second element of the volume, situated on the upper part of the sphere.

Fill 0% on the layers.
Blending Options-Gradient Overlay



Gradient’s parameters:



Make three copies of the new layer and make the copies smaller again, applying the Free Transform option.



Use the last instrument for creating one more layer.

Fill 0% on the layers.
Blending Options-Gradient Overlay



Gradient’s parameters:



Make three copies of the new made layer and make use of the Free Transform option to make the copies smaller, like they are shown in the picture from below:



Using the last instrument, it’s possible to draw the lateral flare.

Fill 0% on the layers.
Blending Options-Gradient Overlay



Gradient’s parameters:



We should copy again the new made layer three times and use Free Transform option to minimize the copies.



Copy the earlier create layer of the lateral flare and make use of the Free Transform option to increase it a little this time.

Copy the modified layer three times also and making the copies smaller, place them the way it is indicated below.



Using the next instrument in two stages , create now a semi ring (the element of volume).
1) create the first circle;
2) press Alt button and use the previous instrument to move off the unnecessary elements.





Fill 0% on the layers.
Blending Options-Gradient Overlay



Gradient’s parameters:

Make three copies of the new made layer and apply Free Transform option to make the copies smaller on those places it is necessary.



The same instrument will help us to represent on the red sphere a central gleam.





Fill 0% on the layers.
Blending Options-Gradient Overlay



Gradient’s parameters:

Make a copy of the yellow sphere’s surface and apply Free Transform option to make the copy smaller.



Introduce now the title, keeping the demands from the next tables:



(Microsoft ©)



(Windows)



(Vista)

Blending Options-Drop Shadow

The final result!

View full size here.