3D Grunge Text Tutorial

Resources:

Grunge Brushes Part 1 from Deviant Art

Dirty Brushes from Deviant Art

Grunge Brushes from BenBlogged

Grunge Paper Texture No. 4 from Fudge Graphics

28-Days-Later font from DaFont

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This will be the end result:

3D Grunge Text

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Open a new file 600 x 400px 72px resolution.

Open the Grunge Paper, rotate the canvas 90 degrees in either direction, and resize the image to 800px width, auto height.

With the rectangular selection tool draw a selection to include most of the paper but none of the white edges.

Select > All, then copy and paste the selection into your project.

Create a new layer, set foreground colour to #C63535 and select the brush tool.

Using the BenBlogged Grunge Brush set, brush 1566 with size reduced to about 170px, daub a good coverage over the canvas:

Set layer mode to Overlay.

Create a new layer, set foreground colour to black, and select the brush tool.

Using Grunge Brushes Part 1, brush 1053 and click once on the canvas which should more or less cover it.

Create a new layer, set foreground colour to #EC8F20 and select the brush tool.

Using Dirty Brushes set, use a selection of brushes, adjusting the sizes to randomly cover the canvas as shown below:

Change the layer mode to Multiply

Go to Layer > Merge Visible. If necessary rename the layer ‘Background’

Select the text tool and font 28-Days-Later, size around 180, black foreground and type an I , right click on the layer in the layer palette and click on Rasterize Type – this will be used for all the lettering throughout this tutorial.

• Select the text tool and type your first letter
• Duplicate the layer, then working on the bottom layer, Ctrl + Click on the thumbnail to select all, set background colour to #E2C69C, Edit > Fill > Background colour. Ctrl + D to deselect.
• Select the Move tool, and using the arrow keys on the keyboard, move the letter 10 pixels up and 10 pixels to the left.
• Double click on the black letter layer to bring up the Blending Options and add a stroke: #E2C69C 1px
• Create a new layer between the 2 text layers, select the pencil tool and with #E2C69C as your foreground colour roughly block in the two letters to give the 3D effect.

• Now create a new layer, select the Text Tool and with black as the foreground colour, type an I, right click on the layer in the layer palette and click on Rasterize Type – this will be used throughout this tutorial for creating the black blocks for the lettering.
• Make the I layer active, using the rectangular marquee tool, select a part of the I.  Edit > Copy, then Edit > Paste (or Ctrl + C, then Ctrl + V).
• Work out how many times you will need this block for the letter you are working on (G requires 3 blocks), and duplicate the layer accordingly.
• Most often you will need to rotate the layer 90 degrees – either CW or CCW – preferably alternating between the two to give different grunge effects.
• To rotate the layer, Ctrl + T, then right click in the transformation box and select Rotate 90 degrees.
• While still in transform mode, move the block more or less into position, then press enter to accept the transformation.
• Reduce the layer opacity to about 50% so you can see the underlying layers, then erase the block, leaving 1 – 2 pixels as an outline, as shown below:

• Turn the visibility off of all the layers that do not make up this letter, then go to Layer > Merge Visible.
• Repeat these steps for each letter required, using the original I layer for your blocks.

When all letters are completed, use the transform tool to adjust size and angle to your liking.

Turn the visibility of the background layer off, then merge all visible layers.

Create a new layer and with foreground colour set to #221281, select the brush tool.

With Dirty Brushes set, use a variety of brushes to daub blue over and around the lettering.

Duplicate this layer, then working on the duplicate layer, Ctrl + Click on the thumbnail for the lettering layer to select all, Select > Inverse, then hit the delete key. Ctrl + d to deselect.

Reduce the layer opacity to around 75%.

Go to Filter > Blur > Motion Blur and set to around 15.

Make the original blue layer active, Ctrl + Click on the thumbnail for the lettering layer to select all, then hit the delete key.

Change the layer mode to Multiply, then drag this layer below the lettering layer.

And you’re done!

 

The finished project