Distressed Metal

Distressed Metal

Creating Distressed / Rusty Objects for your Image
Skill Level: Intermediate
Programs Used: Photoshop version 5+

1. Using some simple techniques, you can create a great rusty or distressed metal effect.

2. Create a new canvas and insert your text / object. I chose to insert a text layer containing "DISTRESS" for obvious reasons FONT: Arial Black, SIZE: 80, COLOR: Light Grey.
NOTE THAT IF YOU HAVE USED TEXT YOU WILL NEED TO RIGHT CLICK THE "T" IN THE TEXT LAYER AND CLICK "RENDER LAYER"

3. Make sure that "Preserve Transparency" is ticked

4. Select the Gradient Tool (or hit G on the keyboard) and make sure that the Gradient is set to "Foreground to Transparent" do the following:

a) Select a dark grey color from the palette. (RGB:87,87,87)
b) Use the Gradient Tool from the top to about midway down the object / text
c) Select an even darker grey colour (RGB:38,38,38)
d) Use the Gradient Tool from the bottom to about midway again.
e) You will need to make sure that there is a certain amount of grey in the middle of the image.

5. Now we need to create the rust. Select a redish colour from the palette (RGB:153,0,0)

6. Use the paintbrush tool at different widths to stroke some of the edges of the text/object

7. We also need a lighter orange colour for the fresher rust (RGB:204,102,0)

8. Use this colour more sparingly but again stroke the outside edges of your text/object

9. Go to the Filter menu and click on NOISE > ADD NOISE

10. The amount of noise should be set to around 60 and make sure that Distribution is set to "Uniform" and that "Monochromatic" is ticked.

11. Go to the Filter Menu and click on BLUR > MOTION BLUR

12. Angle is best set to 0 and the distance to 10 pixels, but you may need to play around with these.

13. Make sure that your backround colour in the palette is some shade of grey or flat white.

14. Go to the Filter Menu and click on BRUSH STROKES > SPRAYED STROKES

15. You need a Stroke Length of "12", a Spray Radius of "5", and the Stroke Direction should be Horizontal.

16. Finished. You may want to finish it off with a very slight inner bevel from Photoshop's Effects menu as we have done here.

Creating Distressed / Rusty Objects for your Image Skill Level: Intermediate Programs Used: Photoshop version 5+

Creating Distressed / Rusty Objects for your Image
Skill Level: Intermediate
Programs Used: Photoshop version 5+