Creating high-end product advertising designs in Photoshop is an essential skill for graphic designers and marketers. This tutorial will guide you through a step-by-step process to create a professional Apple Watch advertising design, covering everything from image selection to composition, lighting, shadows, and color grading.
By the end of this guide, you will learn how to: ✔ Select and manipulate high-quality product images. ✔ Create a realistic environment using textures and overlays. ✔ Apply professional lighting, shadows, and color grading. ✔ Use Photoshop tools like the Pen Tool, Smart Objects, and Blend If for advanced editing.
Let’s get started!
Step 1: Understanding the Advertising Concept
Every advertising design starts with a concept. For this Apple Watch ad, the idea is to show how the product supports an active lifestyle.
Key visual elements:
- The Apple Watch as the main subject.
- A running man to reinforce the fitness concept.
- A track and grass texture to add realism.
- A motivational tagline: “Level up your life with small daily steps.”
The composition will have the watch enlarged as the main focal point, with the runner integrated into the scene.
Step 2: Choosing and Preparing Images
The first step in creating a compelling composition is selecting high-quality images.
Image Selection:
- Apple Watch: Find a high-resolution top-view image of the Apple Watch.
- Running Man: Search for a top-angle image of a runner to match the scene.
- Grass Texture: Choose a realistic sharp-edged grass texture.
- Track Texture: Find a track surface image to blend into the composition.
Once the images are selected, they must be cleaned, organized, and imported into Adobe Photoshop.
Step 3: Setting Up the Photoshop Document
Creating a New File:
- Open Photoshop and create a new document with the dimensions 3000x2000px.
- Start with a solid color adjustment layer:
- Base color: A dark teal.
- Secondary light: Add a bright teal gradient using a soft brush.
This will serve as the background.
Organizing Layers:
- Create groups for different elements (Watch, Runner, Grass, Track, Text).
- Naming layers correctly helps in better workflow management.
Step 4: Importing and Adjusting the Apple Watch
1. Selecting the Watch:
- Open the Apple Watch image in a separate file.
- Use Select Subject to create a mask around the watch.
- Convert it into a Smart Object for non-destructive editing.
2. Adjusting Perspective:
- Go to Edit > Perspective Warp.
- Define the planes of the watch using the bounding box.
- Adjust the perspective to make the watch appear flatter.
3. Scaling & Positioning:
- Use Ctrl + T (Cmd + T on Mac) to resize and rotate the watch.
- Position it in the center of the canvas.
Step 5: Adding the Grass Texture
1. Creating the Selection:
- Use the Pen Tool to create a mask around the bottom edge of the watch.
- This will make the grass appear embedded inside the watch.
2. Importing the Grass Texture:
- Select a sharp-edged grass texture.
- Use Select > Color Range to remove the white background.
- Convert it into a Smart Object and place it inside the masked area.
- Use Ctrl + T to scale and align the grass.
3. Duplicating and Blending the Texture:
- Duplicate the grass layer and align it across the watch surface.
- Use a soft brush on a layer mask to blend the edges.
- Reduce opacity slightly for a natural transition.
Step 6: Creating the Running Track
1. Drawing the Track:
- Use the Rectangle Tool (U) to draw a pathway shape.
- Press Ctrl + T, rotate, and adjust it to match the watch surface.
- Use Edit > Transform > Distort to align perspective.
2. Applying the Track Texture:
- Import the track texture image.
- Create a clipping mask to fit it into the drawn track shape.
3. Enhancing Realism:
- Use Blend If (Layer Styles > Blending Options) to subtly integrate the texture.
- Add soft shadows under the track for depth.
Step 7: Integrating the Running Man
1. Selecting & Masking the Runner:
- Open the runner image.
- Use the Object Selection Tool to extract the subject.
- Duplicate the original image to preserve the shadow details.
2. Adjusting Shadows:
- Change the shadow layer’s blending mode to Multiply.
- Use Ctrl + L (Levels Adjustment) to enhance the shadow contrast.
3. Positioning the Runner:
- Scale and place the runner inside the watch surface.
- Apply motion blur on the legs for dynamic movement.
Step 8: Refining the Composition
1. Adding Track Lines:
- Use the Line Tool (U) to create white running track lines.
- Use Blend If to make them integrate naturally into the track.
2. Adjusting the Colors:
- The red shirt of the runner doesn’t match the theme.
- Create a Hue/Saturation adjustment layer → Clip it to the runner layer.
- Shift the reds towards a desaturated blue.
3. Adding Light & Shadows:
- Dodge & Burn technique:
- Create Curves Adjustment Layers for highlights & shadows.
- Use layer masks and a soft brush to paint light and depth.
- Apply soft highlights on the runner and watch edges.
Step 9: Creating the Text & Branding
1. Designing the Tagline:
- Use the Bebas Neue or Proxima Nova font for the headline.
- Write “Level up your life” in bold.
- Add “With small daily steps” below in a smaller font.
2. Adjusting Text Perspective:
- Convert text into a Smart Object.
- Use Ctrl + T > Distort to match the perspective of the watch.
Step 10: Final Color Grading & Effects
1. Applying Selective Color Adjustments:
- Adjust Reds, Yellows, and Greens to create a cinematic tone.
- Add a Vignette using Curves Adjustment Layer.
2. Adding Glow & Lighting Effects:
- Create a new layer, set blending mode to Screen.
- Use a soft brush to add subtle light glow on the edges.
3. Final Touches:
- Apply Gaussian Blur (1-2px) for a professional look.
- Export as High-Resolution PNG or JPG for use in advertisements.
Conclusion
By following these steps, you can create a high-quality advertising composition in Photoshop. This technique can be applied to various product advertising designs to create visually stunning marketing materials.