Create Abstract Colorful Balls illustration in Photoshop

Final Image Preview

Taking inspiration from Andrew Footit and his LightSpeed poster.

Start working by creating a new document (Ctrl+N) in Adobe Photoshop CS5 with the size 1280px by 1024px(RGB color mode) at a resolution of 72 pixels/inch. Use the Paint Bucket Tool (G) to fill with #23123F color the new background layer.

Take now the Ellipse Tool (U) and drag to draw a small ellipse on the top of the canvas.

Set Fill to 0% for this layer and click on Add a layer style icon from bottom part of the Layers panel and select Outer Glow.

Add Gradient Overlay.

Click in the color bar to open the Gradient Editor and set the color stops as shown. Click OK to close theGradient Editor dialog box.

We’ve got the next effect on the ellipse:

Make now many copies of the drawn ellipse (Duplicate layer) and choose the Free Transform (Ctrl+T)command to change the copies’ sizes and their position on the canvas.

Make a copy of one layer with the ellipse on it, select Free Transform (Ctrl+T) command and change the copy’s size and its position on the canvas as shown.

Create a new layer above the last made one, select both layer and press CTRL+E to Merge Down. On the rasterized layer we’ll apply the next filter: Filter>Blur>Gaussian blur.

We’ve got the next result:

Make one more copy of the ellipse’s layer and choose Free Transform (Ctrl+T) command to enlarge the copy’s layer and place it as it is shown below.

We need to rasterize the layer with the circle the same way described above (Create a new layer above the last made one, select both layer and press CTRL+E to Merge Down). Apply on the rasterized layer the next next filter: Filter>Blur>Gaussian blur.

We’ve got the next result:

Combine in a group all the layers composing the ellipses (press CTRL button and select the necessary layers on the Layers panel. Then hold on the left mouse’s button while draging the selected layers on Create a new group icon from bottom part of the Layers panel.

Use again the Ellipse Tool (U) to draw a small ellipse under the made group already.

Set Fill to 0% for this layer and click on Add a layer style icon from bottom part of the Layers panel and select Gradient Overlay.

Click in the color bar to open the Gradient Editor and set the color stops as shown. Click OK to close theGradient Editor dialog box.

We’ve got the next result:

Make many copies of the last made layer containing the ellipse and choose Free Transform (Ctrl+T) command to change the copies’ sizes and their placement as shown.

Combine again in a group all the layers containing the last made ellipses (press CTRL button to select the necessary layers and hold on the left mouse’s button when draging the selected layers on Create a new groupicon from bottom part of the Layers panel).

We have to draw now the next ellipse between the groups, using the Ellipse Tool (U).

Set Fill to 0% for this layer and click on Add a layer style icon from bottom part of the Layers panel and select Gradient Overlay.

Click in the color bar to open the Gradient Editor and set the color stops as shown. Click OK to close theGradient Editor dialog box.

We’ve got the next result:

Make many copies of the last made ellipse’s layer and choose Free Transform (Ctrl+T) command to change the copies’ sizes and their placement, placing them as it is indicated below:

Let’s represent now the next ellipse, placing its layer above all the previous ones, using the same Ellipse Tool (U).

Set Fill to 0% for this layer and click on Add a layer style icon from bottom part of the Layers panel and select Gradient Overlay.

Click in the color bar to open the Gradient Editor and set the color stops as shown. Click OK to close theGradient Editor dialog box.

We’ve got the next result:

Make several copies of the last made ellipse and choose Free Transform (Ctrl+T) command to change the copies’ sizes and their placement on the canvas.

Make a copy of the recently made one ellipse and place it as it is demonstrated below:

Let’s rasterize the layer the same way we did before (Create a new layer above the last made one, select both layer and press CTRL+E to Merge Down) and apply for the layer the next filter: Filter>Blur>Gaussian blur.

We’ve got the next result:

On the next new layer we’ll choose a Hard Round brush from Brush Tool (B) to represent many small dots with different colors, use the colors from near ellipses. Choose colors with the Eyedropper tool (I).


Click on Add a layer style icon from bottom part of the Layers panel and select Bevel and Emboss.

We’ve got the next result:

Take now the Line Tool (U), set Weight to 1px in Options bar and drag to draw an inclined line of the color#FF7ABC.

Click on Add a layer style icon from bottom part of the Layers panel and select Drop Shadow.

We’ve got the next result:

Create a new layer and make a selection, using Rectangular Marquee Tool (M). Place the layer under the line’s layer.

Choose the Gradient Tool (G), open Gradient Editor from Options bar and select Foreground to Transparent gradient and apply the gradient inside the selection from bottom to top.

We’ve got the next result:

Using the Free Transform (Ctrl+T) command, we can turn over the gradient’s layer, placing it to the pink line.

Insert the mask on each layer by choosing Add layer mask on the bottom part of the Layers panel and choose the Soft Mechanical brush of black color.

Use this brush to paint in the mask to hide the line’s and gradient’s edges.

Put together both layers into a rasterized one (the layer with the pink line and the layer containing the half – transparent gradient). Select both layers, by pressing CTRL button and then finally press CTRL+E to Merge down. Using the Free Transform (Ctrl+T) command move the rasterized layer as shown.

Set the Blending mode for this layer to Linear Dodge.

Make a copy of the line’s layer and choose Free Transform (Ctrl+T) command to place the layer with the copy the same way demonstrated below. Set the Blending mode for this layer to Color Dodge.

Make one more copy of the line’s layer and choose Free Transform (Ctrl+T) command to place the copy as it is shown below. Set the Blending mode for this layer to Linear Dodge.

Choose Image > Adjustments > Hue/Saturation (CTRL+U) on the line’s layer. Drag the slider to the left to decrease the Hue value.

We’ve got the next result:

Click on Add a layer style icon from bottom part of the Layers panel and select Outer Glow.

We’ve got the next effect:

Create a new layer and choose Soft Round brush of white color to represent many sparks.


Create a new layer and use Soft Round brush of white color (set Opacity to 15% in Options bar) to represent a highlight.


Now we have to combine in a group all the layers containing the line, the sparks and the highlight (press CTRLbutton to select the corresponding layers and hold on the left mouse’s button while draging the selected layers onCreate a new group icon from bottom part of the Layers panel). Make a copy of the new group and rasterize it by selecting it firstly ant then press CTRL+E to Merge Down. Use the Free Transform (Ctrl+T) command to place the copy as on the next picture. Set the Blending mode for this layer to Luminocity.

Make a copy of the line’s layer and choose Free Transform (Ctrl+T) command to place the copy as it is demonstrated below:

Make two copies of the earlier made layer containing the pink line with Blending mode – Linear Dodge and apply Free Transform (Ctrl+T) command to change the copies’ sizes and their position on the picture.

Click Create new fill or adjustment layer from bottom part of the Layers panel and click to Curves to adjust the curve shape as shown to make a little color corrections.

We’ve got the next result:

The final result!
View full size here.
Download free Layered PSD file.