Design a Sleek Diamond Poster Advert

Final Image

As always, this is the final image that we’ll be creating:

Step 1

Create a new document (600X700px). Fill your background with black:

Step 2

Use your rectangular marquee selection tool to create a selection for the top 450px of your canvas. Then drag upwards a radial gradient (white to transparent).
Reduce the opacity of this layer to 40%.

Step 3

Cut and paste this photo of a diamond into your composition.
Diamond Photo
Then go to image>adjustments>desaturate.
Then apply the levels settings shown below to make your diamond more intense:

Step 4

Hide all layers apart from your diamond layer and then go to edit>define brush preset. Call your brush ‘diamondbrush’.

Step 5

Now select your brush tool and load your ‘diamondbrush’. Apply the shape dynamics and scattered options, and make sure that ’smoothing’ is turned out. Then make sure that your brush is white, and 30px.

Step 6

Now create a new layer called ‘diamonds’ and brush across your canvas:

Step 7

Apply an outer glow blending option to your diamonds layer (settings below):

Step 8

Copy and paste this photo of a ring into your document:
Ring photo.

Step 9

Duplicate your ring layer and move the duplicate beneath the original. Then reduce this layer’s opacity to 40% and go to edit>transform>flip vertical. Move the duplicate below the original. Erase the bottom area of your duplicate to give the impression of it fading into your background.

Step 10

My diamonds in the background are looking too intense, so I drop the opacity of this layer to 35%. Then I go to filter>sharpen>sharpen to make the diamonds more clean.
Now download this great lines brush set Lines Brush Set.
Apply some white brush strokes across the top portion of your canvas. Then reduce the opacity of this layer to 10%:

Step 11

Now create a new layer called ‘black strip’. Using your shape tool create a 100px wide black strip running from the top, center of your canvas. Then reduce the fill of this layer to 80% and apply a 1px white stroke blending option (settings below):
Also select your diamonds layer and apply a layer mask. Then use a large, soft black paintbrush (30%) to erase away the edges of your diamond cluster, making it seem more random.

Step 12

Now create a new layer called ‘diamond lines’. Use your line tool to draw out a basic diamond shape. Then merge all of your line layers together.
Apply an outer glow blending option (settings below) and then reduce the opacity to 40%.

Step 13

Use your marquee tool and gradient tool to create a variety of ‘bars’ that add detail to the top of your advert:

Step 14

Now add some text to the bottom of your advert. Then add an outer glow blending option (settings below):

Step 15

Now return to your radial gradient background layer. Duplicate the layer, and flip your duplicate vertically. Then move the duplicate gradient downwards, so that it acts as a reflection to your main gradient. Go to edit>transform>scale and reduce the height of your gradient, squashing it. Then reduce the opacity from 40% to 20%:
Then create a 1px white line dividing your two radial gradients. Use an eraser brush (40% opacity) to erase away parts of the center of your line:

Step 16

Now create a new top layer called ‘highlights’. Fill this layer with black and set it’s blend mode to ’screen’. This will completely hide all of the black. Then go to filter>render>lens flare and apply several lens flares over your document:
Generally I would advise against using the lens flare filter in your work, but for this example it’s a quick easy way to give your product an extra polish.

Step 17

Use a large, soft eraser (30% opacity) to erase areas of your lens flare layer until it looks good to you. Then use your dodge/burn brush tool to dodge/burn your ring layer, giving it more depth and intensity:

Step 18

Cut and paste in these images of gems:
Gem Photo 1
Gem Photo 2.
Resize and distort your gems so that they fit nicely into your composition. The gems are quite bright colors, not really fitting with the overall piece, so I go to image>adjustment>hue/saturation (settings below):

Step 19

Go to image>adjustments>levels and apply the settings shown below:

Step 20

Add more diamonds to your composition and then use the same reflection technique that you used on your ring:

Step 21

Repeat the lens flare technique, this time adding lens flares to your diamonds:

Step 22

Finally, you want to make the colors of your ring ‘pop’ more. Create a series of white-transparent radial gradients over your pink areas of the ring, and then change this layer’s blend mode to ‘overlay’. This should make the colors of your ring more saturated.

Step 23

To finish, return to your dividing white line layer and add a white outer glow blending option (settings below):

And We’re Done!

I really hope that you enjoyed this tutorial and would love to hear your feedback!