This is an intermediate tutorial that uses Magic's Basic Brushed Background Tutorial as a base.

Following this tutorial, you should be able to achieve a "pulled taffy" effect that I rather like. I know you hard-core grungy brushers out there will be rolling your eyes at the fluid plasticky look, but too bad, I don't personally like the grunged-up look, and it's nice to know how to do a variety of effects.

So put away your grunge brushes for a moment, and we're going to make a simple background that looks something like this:

http://www.abandonia.com/~tomhenrik/...%20picture.png

Software used: Photoshop 7.0

Step 1:

Start out with your Basic Brushed Background, or create a new one. It's better to use an image that is larger than the intended size of your sig or banner.

I use 800x800, with a transparent background.

Mine looks like this (Surprise, I used the same one for my Distressed Glowy Background:

http://www.abandonia.com/~tomhenrik/...ull/Second.jpg
(Feel free to use mine if you don't want to bother with making a new one).

If your BG uses layers, go to Layers > Flatten Image, so you're left with one background layer.

Step 2:

Colorize your background by going to Image > Adjustments > Hue/Saturation (Ctrl+U). You can tweak until you find a color that makes you happy, or use my settings to achieve a nice red color:

http://www.abandonia.com/~tomhenrik/...Pull/Third.png
Don't forget to check the colorize box first.

My Result

Step 3:

Go to Filters > Liquify (Ctrl+Shift+X).

In the Tool Options menu on the right hand side of the Liquify pop-up window, make sure your brush setting is really big (it should take up at least a quarter of the image size, preferable a third or so). Or, just use my settings:

http://www.abandonia.com/~tomhenrik/...Pull/Fifth.png

Twirl the brush around in circles a few times. You'll have to click and twirl a few times to achieve a good effect. I typically do little circles as I make a bigger circle path around the image, much like pulling taffy (thus the name Taffy Pull for the effect :P ).

Continue until you're happy with the outcome.

If you mess up, or liquify it to the point it's just a blob, then you can start over by clicking on the Revert button in the Reconstruction menu on the right hand of the Liquify pop-up window.

http://www.abandonia.com/~tomhenrik/...Pull/Sixth.png

I ended up with this:

http://www.abandonia.com/~tomhenrik/...ll/Seventh.jpg

Step 4:

Voila! You've got a background! Now, all you have left to do is to cut out an interesting area to use for your sig or banner.

I'll post my cut out again:

http://www.abandonia.com/~tomhenrik/...Pull/Eigth.png

See? Simple and easy.

And, I'll be using this background for another simple effect for text. Yay. ^_^

Taffy pull... what a funny name.
I'm gonna try it right now.

Good job with the tutorial... once again, :D

:cry: My Photoshop isn't working right now, but I'll have to try this once I get it all installed and registered. Thanks! :ok:

Why aren't you using Photoshop CS2? Creative Suite has more effects and such.

People work with what they can afford and what they are comfortable with, Bobbin. Just because something has more effects, doesn't make it better, especially not if the user isn't comfortable with all the new effects. ;)

I don't use CS for a few reasons... one, I've spoken with a few people about it, and the only noteworthy new effects that have been mentioned is the ability to draw text to a shape path.

Cool, but not necessary, when I can basically find billions of interesting fonts to use and create nice effects for free.

For another, there's the cost, obviously. I bought the Adobe Publishing Suite when I was running my own business and designing business media for small companies. I'm not running my own business anymore, so the cost of the upgrade is prohibitive.

And the last thing is simply that I believe if you can make cool stuff the hard way, it means you're that much better off than if you can make it the easy way.

Another nice tutorial, I really do need to move away from the grunge stuff I've been doing as of late.

Now all I'll need is Photoshop...

Good news! My Photoshop is up and running (I use CS) and this tutorial is really neat, tai :D


Mine's green :ok:

Thanks, ally, I'm glad you like it ^_^

You should post your result... I'm dying to see people's results, but so few people are sharing :cry: