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Photoshop Tutorials To Improve Your Modeling and Design Skills

By Vailancio Rodrigues, November 3rd, 2008 in Tutorials | 70 Comments | Forum

by Vailancio Rodrigues and the Smashing Magazine Editorial Team

You have to use Adobe Photoshop for a really long time to understand its potential completely. There are many things you can do using its endless features. You need to discover them and decide how to use them in new and innovative ways to create the creative, beautiful and realistic digital art. In this article, we look at Photoshop in a different way: as a tool for designers to create realistic objects and 3D models.

Below you’ll find over 50 Photoshop tutorials that teach you how to create beautiful realistic objects and 3D models. Let’s see what it takes to turn Photoshop into a design workspace.

We also have a plenty of tutorials on using Photoshop to improve the quality of your images:

USB Drives

Floating USB
This tutorial shows how to illustrate a USB key floating in the air and reflecting on a surface.

USB Stick

Notebooks

MacBook Pro
Design a MacBook Pro in Photoshop using shapes and different blending options to get a realistic look.

Slick MacBook
Create a slick white Apple MacBook in Photoshop.

MacBook Air
This 20-step tutorial explains how to make the MacBook Air ad.

Watches

Unique Watch

Watch
In this tutorial, you will learn how to create a watch from scratch in Adobe Photoshop.

Screens

Realistic LCD HDTV
This tutorial teaches you how to create a photo-realistic wide-screen LCD HDTV from scratch.

LCD Monitor
Learn how to create an LG-style LCD monitor icon from scratch in Photoshop.

Cellphones, PDA & Co.

HTC Touch
Create a mobile phone styled like the HTC Touch Diamond using Adobe Photoshop.

Loox Pocket PC
This tutorial shows you how to create an interesting pocket PC using only Photoshop.

Apple iPhone
Designing the Apple iPhone in Adobe Photoshop.

Realistic Blackberry
Create a realistic Blackberry-style mobile phone from scratch using Adobe Photoshop.

Sony Ericsson W800
Very detailed tutorial that teaches you how to draw the Sony Ericsson w800 Walkman phone from scratch in Adobe Photoshop.

Speakers

Bangin’ Woofer Embedded in Wood
Create a realistic speaker, and make a simple wood texture for the background.

3D Speakers
Designing 3D speakers in Adobe Photoshop.

Apple iMac

Apple iMac
Create an Apple iMac in Adobe Photoshop.

Slick Black iMac
Turn a white iMac into a black iMac in Photoshop.

Computer Mice

Mouse
Designing a mouse in Adobe Photoshop.

iMouse
Designing the Apple iMouse in Adobe Photoshop.

Screenshot

Music Players

Fantastic 3D MP3 Player
Learn how to create a 3D MP3 player from scratch using only Photoshop.

Shiny Photo-Realistic Apple Remote
This tutorial teaches you how to make a shiny Apple remote.

iPod Shuffle
Learn how to create an Apple iPod Shuffle.

Black Zune 2
Designing a black Zune 2 in Photoshop.

iPod Classic
Photoshop tutorial to create an iPod Classic or an iPod Nano.

iPod Touch
This tutorial shows you how to create an iPod Touch from scratch in Photoshop using no source images.

4th Gen iPod Nano
Designing a photo-realistic iPod Nano in Adobe Photoshop.

Cars

Mustang Car Illustration
Tutorial shows how to use and organize layers in Photoshop to create a car illustration.

Quick car rendering in Photoshop
This tutorial shows how to quickly render a car in Photoshop with a marker rendering style.

Porsche
This tutorial shows how to create a Porsche illustration in Photoshop starting from a scanned hand-drawn sketch.

Game Consoles

Wii Controller
A Photoshop tutorial on designing the Wiimote controller.

Retro Style Game Controller
“In this tutorial, we’re going to be drawing a retro game console controller. Rather than a perspective look, this one will have an isometric look. This tutorial is extremely detailed, and will be fun for all you classic arcade lovers.”

Nintendo Wii
This Photoshop tutorial shows you how to design the console by Nintendo.

Xbox 360
Draw Microsoft’s Xbox 360 console in Photoshop using a reference image, simple techniques, such as the gradient tools, and the pen tool.

Sony PlayStation 3
Create a realistic-looking Sony PlayStation using Adobe Photoshop.

Other Models and 3D-Objects

Realistic 3D rack server

This tutorial shows a very nice technique for creating 3D servers.

Convert 2D Image Into 3D Model Using Photoshop
Adobe Photoshop CS3 tutorials on converting a 2D image into a 3D model.

Design a Detailed Compass Icon In Photoshop
A drawing tutorial for icon lovers in which the authors explains the design of a metallic compass step-by-step.

Making a 3D scene using 3D models
In this tutorial, create a nice 3D scene using 3D models in Adobe Photoshop CS3 Extended.

Realistic Wine Bottle
This tutorial teaches you how to create a super-realistic bottle of wine completely from scratch. You will learn how to use the pen tool effectively, as well as gradient/pattern overlays and other drawing techniques.

Camera
Tutorial for Adobe Photoshop 6 and 7 users that will teach you how to create a photo camera from scratch.

Electronic Torch Light
This tutorial explains how to create an electronic torch light icon in Adobe Photoshop.

Vintage Film Style Video
Photoshop CS3 Extended allows you to edit video and animations. Also, you can convert an existing video into a Smart Object and apply filters to it. This time we’re going to give a video a vintage feel and mock it up inside an old TV screen.

Dramatic 3D Wood Cup
In this basic tutorial, you’ll learn how to create a 3D cup from scratch in Illustrator, how to apply some texture to it in Photoshop, and also how to use the Vanishing Point filter to create a mock-up and apply realistic shadows.

Super-Shiny Pencil
This tutorial shows how to create a super-shiny pencil icon.

Matchbox
This tutorial consists of creating a digital illustration of a box of matches in Photoshop, creating the matchbox cover design and the striker from a pattern, placing the cardboard texture on the box and then aligning everything into a 3D perspective.

Swiss Army Knife
Learn how to create a Swiss Army knife.

About the author

Vailancio Rodrigues is an emerging webmaster who also maintains a blog of his own, Technology Tips, which provides reviews, tips and tricks for various gadgets. (al)

Published in Tutorials, November 3rd, 2008
Tags: 3D, modeling, photoshop, Tutorials

1.

Tyler (November 3rd, 2008, 2:58 pm)

Great article!!

Although, now I must admit that I’m very disappointed in Smashing Mag for having a “Vote Yes on Proposition 8″ ad on here!!! That just made me lose A LOT of respect for this site!!

How about picking ads that relate to the content on your site, like you’ve usually done so well with???
2.

Vitaly Friedman & Sven Lennartz (November 3rd, 2008, 3:00 pm)

@Tyler: could you be more specific? Where did you find this ad? Not in the sidebar, right?
3.

Tyler (November 3rd, 2008, 3:02 pm)

@Vitaly Friedman & Sven Lennartz

At the very top of the post… ride under the post title!! I almost want to say it’s a Google Ad, because I saw one similar on another site…

Say it ain’t so guys!!! ;) LOL!
4.

AEN (November 3rd, 2008, 3:04 pm)

Hey Tyler, I don’t think a political ad will appear on this sort of site. Hmm…
5.

Will Leffert (November 3rd, 2008, 3:04 pm)

@Tyler: Quite often they don’t get to pick and choose their ads. They just serve what the ad networks provide them without having the opportunity to screen the content.
6.

Vitaly Friedman & Sven Lennartz (November 3rd, 2008, 3:06 pm)

Will Leffert is right.
7.

Tom Ross (November 3rd, 2008, 3:13 pm)

Thanks for posting my realistic bottle of wine tutorial. This is a great list, with several tuts that I hadn’t seen before.
8.

Tyler (November 3rd, 2008, 3:14 pm)

Yeah, I just hate how these horrible ads get through!!!

BUT, I’m over it!! I’ll blame AdSense!!! LOL!!

Great resources SM!! Keep up the great content!!
9.

earl (November 3rd, 2008, 3:33 pm)

Nice collection.
10.

Pablo Celsi (November 3rd, 2008, 4:45 pm)

Yeah, I love the car examples
11.

Steven McCurrach (November 3rd, 2008, 6:22 pm)

I love some of those speaker and TV tutorials.
Quite a few things here that will surely be useful for future web designs I make for clients.

Thanks a bunch.
Smashing!
12.

Michael (November 3rd, 2008, 9:10 pm)

Great list of some pretty sweet tutorials.

I saw “Yes on Prop 8″ google ads served up on several sites today, including lipsum.com!

But knowing how those ads work, I don’t blame site owners.
13.

FBrushes.com (November 3rd, 2008, 9:36 pm)

I like these a lot. Bookmark it…very useful post.
14.

brian (November 4th, 2008, 12:09 am)

yeah… pretty pathetic ad, and not very smart when you consider how many designers are gay.

It should be pretty easy to start blog that says “no on smashing magazine”
15.

brian (November 4th, 2008, 12:15 am)

now that it has been pointed out - the next step is REMOVING it.
16.

Frank (November 4th, 2008, 12:16 am)

Very nice list of tutorials!

For the people who don’t like ads: Use firefox and install the plugin Adblock Plus, and almost no advertisement will apear on any website.
17.

Shine (November 4th, 2008, 12:57 am)

Nice.. but is this site turning in to a tutorial site for photoshop and illustrator? More good examples of web stuff!
18.

Dominic (November 4th, 2008, 3:15 am)

Shine, this site provides tutorials of Photoshop + Illustrator to let the users create MORE interesting web stuff. I think, such a round-up of issues increases the richness of this site. And that’s why I’m always turning back to here. Should SmashingMagazine never close down! Well done.
19.

Kosimo (November 4th, 2008, 3:27 am)

I LOVE YOU SMASHING!!!
20.

Bart G (November 4th, 2008, 3:44 am)

For this kind of art I’d recommend using 3d apps like Maya or 3D Studio Max instead of Photoshop.
21.

Dan (November 4th, 2008, 4:03 am)

Awesome roundup of tutorials. Thanks!!
22.

Azhar Khan (November 4th, 2008, 4:15 am)

Artworks n related material are completely AWESOME…..WOW….
23.

Stone (November 4th, 2008, 6:42 am)

I dont know with Photoshop, they can make many great works like that :-?
24.

mikey (November 4th, 2008, 6:53 am)

HAHA, the first MP3 player says “LINKING PARK”

nice resources, thnx.
25.

Daniel (November 4th, 2008, 7:13 am)

There are ads on this site?!?!? I will never know…thank you adblock.
26.

Dave (November 4th, 2008, 8:07 am)

Real talent there - some of these almost look real.
27.

Amarjeet Rai (November 4th, 2008, 8:37 am)

Just use a hosts files, and you will hardly see any ads.
I don’t see any on this site.
28.

Liz (November 4th, 2008, 12:39 pm)

Awesome tutorials - I just did the pencil one - on the money, honey! :)
29.

Ali Reid (November 5th, 2008, 12:55 am)

The aliasing on these images is not great. Would have thought that was pretty important for potosop / graphic design related articles?
30.

Vinay Prajapati (November 5th, 2008, 8:23 am)

great tuts… thanks
31.

dev(Www.iHaCK.ASIA) (November 5th, 2008, 9:24 am)

Most of them really look great

Link [Www.ihack.asia]
32.

danny garcía (November 5th, 2008, 9:46 am)

nice tips. thks 4 share this.
33.

Fede (November 5th, 2008, 11:47 am)

Great collection, as usual! I found them very interesting!
34.

hvdesigns (November 6th, 2008, 12:10 pm)

Thanks for listing some of my tutorials

much appreciated
35.

steve (November 7th, 2008, 1:11 pm)

The iPhone one is cool, but the first letter of the month should be capitalized, just being picky ;)
36.

Roland (November 8th, 2008, 3:56 am)

If those wine bottles are realistic, my drawings are pure works of art that make Da Vinci cry like a baby, and I can’t even draw a stick figure correctly.

It just goes to show that for (semi) realistic 3D objects (the cell phones not included) one should use a 3D program (Maya, Cinema 4D, etc.) even if it’s only because getting shadows & highlights right is a huge pain for most people. Even something as simple as the matchbox looks stupid if the matches inside don’t cast/receive the right shadows and their heads are all 100% the same…

Still, it’s a nice article.
37.

indigo23 (November 9th, 2008, 5:15 pm)

RE: PROP 8 AD!

In defense of Smashing…

I had a similar experience the day before the election while visiting BittBox. (An AdSense advertisement promoting “Yes on Prop 8″.)

I was equally as disgusted and sent an email to the site owner stating my intent to remove his site from my list of frequently visited resource sites.

He was very kind and respnded to my concerns immedietly, and told me he would have never supported such an advertisement, and was not even aware that it was there.

I certainly can’t speak for Smashing, but I would hate for this fantastic and invaluable resource to get a bad rap because Google made the choice to accept advertisement dollars from that hateful political organization that supported Prop 8.
38.

web design company (November 12th, 2008, 3:11 am)

You have to use Adobe Photoshop for a really long time to understand its potential completely. There are many things you can do using its endless features. You need to discover them and decide how to use them in new and innovative ways to create the creative, beautiful and realistic digital art. In this article, we look at Photoshop in a different way: as a tool for designers to create realistic objects and 3D models.
39.

Timothy (November 17th, 2008, 12:53 pm)

Nice list! Very useful. Delicioused
40.

Flash Designer (December 3rd, 2008, 7:48 am)

Nice tutorial on this site for designers…Thanks!
41.

web design company (December 10th, 2008, 5:33 am)

3d ID in PSD
42.

Liz (December 17th, 2008, 11:14 pm)

A lot Most of these are actually really really tacky looking.
43.

Wazdesign (December 26th, 2008, 6:01 am)

Nice Collection of Tutorials
44.

sajjad (February 9th, 2009, 9:54 pm)

simply rocks, awesome job
45.

AMI (February 24th, 2009, 7:49 am)

the site in my reply url.
46.

Arun K M - 9846909408 (April 5th, 2009, 4:39 pm)

best of best..very good tutorials.
47.

Lanre (May 4th, 2009, 3:17 am)

You guys are the bomb……keep the tutorials coming
48.

منتديات ماى بكتشرز (June 14th, 2009, 9:45 pm)

very good tutorials.
49.

منتديات ماى بكتشرز (June 14th, 2009, 9:47 pm)

Link [www.my-picz.co.cc]