Realistic Microphone in Photoshop
by Colin Smith
PhotoshopCAFE home
- Patterns
- Spherize Filter
- Custom Gradients
- Layer Styles
- Difficulty 7/10
1) 
Create a new Document 600 x600 -rgb, transparent bg
Make a circle with the marquee tool
2) 
Fill with a grid pattern. How to make Grids
3) 
We want to make our grid nice and spherical
Filter > Distort > spherize
Use 100% and run the filter 2X
Don't deselect
4) 
Create a new layer and move it beneath the mesh layer and name it "head"
5) 
Create a light to dark gray gradient
Use the circular settings and fill the sphere so it looks like the image shown
Deselect
6) 
Choose the Mesh Layer again
Add a bevel and emboss layer style as shown here
Set the gloss contour for double ring
Choose color overlay and make it a light gray color
7) 
You should have a sphere like the one on the left now, this is our mesh
8) 
Create a new gradient like the one here
9) 
Make a new layer
Draw a rectangle
Fill it with the new gradient, linear top to bottom
10) 
We want to add a bit of depth, so duplicate the rectangle 2X, move both copies beneath the gradient layer
Fill one copy with white and one copy with black
11) 
Nudge the black rectangle to the right by 1 pixel
Nudge the white rectangle to the left by 1 pixel
12) 
Repeat the steps 9-11 except make the rectangle narrower as shown in the illustration here
Link all the layer and choose create new set from linked
Name it head. We now have the mic head completed.
13) 
Lets make the shoulder of the mic now...
Create a new layer above the "head" layer set
Create a new rectangle
Fill with the same gradient that we used before on the ring around the head
14) 
Press cmd/Ctl+T for free transform
Right click and choose "perspective"
Drag the right side of the rectangle in as shown
15) 
Use the image > Canvas size to englarge the canvas for the rest of the mic
Create a new rectangle and fill with the gradient
16) 
Free Transform > perspective
Shape the body of the microphone
17) 
Darken up the body a bit:
Press cmd/ctrl+L for levels
Use the settings I used here, make sure you adjust the very bottom highlight slider
18) 
We now have a darker body for the mic
19) 
Duplicate the shoulder and move the duplicate all the way to the end.
20) 
Use free transform to make an endcap as shown
21) 
Lets add some text.
Create your text and rotate it.
Rasterize the text by clicking on its name in the layers palette and choose "rasterize"
Make a rectanglar selection around the text
22) 
Lets make the text wrap around the mic:
Choose filter > distort > spherize
Set it for 100% and vertical only
press ok
23) 
Deselect
The type should be wrapping around the mic now, if not then use the free transform to touch it up.
24)
There you have it, a microphone in Photoshop. I hope you enjoyed this tutorial.
