Digital Darkness

Step 1

Create a new document of any size, for this example I will create a document that is 1024x778 - for a standard desktop background. Fill the background with black (#000000).

Step 2

Create a new layer. Get out the rectangular marquee tool, and make a selection like so near the bottom left corner (region) of the canvas:

Fill this selection with the paint bucket using the color #4a4a4a.

Step 3

Press Ctrl + D on your keyboard to deselect the selection. And go to Filter->Distort->Wave and apply the following settings:

Tip: Click the 'randomize' button until you get an "random" result, avoid a pattern look.

Result:

Step 4

Now Press 'V' on your keyboard to get out the move tool, and position the scattered blocks near the center of the canvas.

Press Ctrl + J on your keyboard to duplicate this layer.

Go to Edit->Transform->Flip Horizontally

Press Ctrl + E on your keyboard to merge these two layers together.

Press Ctrl + J on your keyboard again to duplicate this layer.

Go to Edit->Transform->Rotate 90 Degrees CW

Press Ctrl + E on your keyboard to merge these two layers.

Result:

Step 5

Double click this layer, and apply the following blending options:

Inner Glow:

Stroke:

Result:

Step 6

Next get out the Dodge tool ( ) and apply the following settings:

Using these settings scribble over top of our shape a few times to create some contrast in the color as I've done here:

Step 7

Next get out the Burn tool ( ) and apply the following settings:

Once again, using these settings scribble over top of our shape a few times to create some contrast in the color.

Step 8

Now create a new layer below this layer (above the background), here is what your layers pallet should look like:

Now click on the topmost layer (the one with the scattered blocks) and press Ctrl + E on your keyboard to merge it with the new layer we'd just created. Doing so will rasterize the layer effects we had added to the layer.

Step 9

Now go to Filter->Stylize->Extrude and apply the following settings:

Result:

Step 10

Press Ctrl + U on your keyboard to bring up the color balance tool, and apply the following settings:

Result:

Step 11

Press Ctrl + J on your keyboard to duplicate this layer.

Change the new duplicate layers blending option to "overlay", and drop the opacity of this layer down to 45 percent:

Merge these two layers by pressing Ctrl + E.

This should bring out the colors a little bit more.

Step 12

Press Ctrl + J on your keyboard to duplicate this layer. Click on the middle layer (the one we just duplicated) to select it:

Now go to Filter->Blur-Motion Blur, and apply the following settings:

You can drop the opacity of this layer down to around 60 percent to give it a little more of a blended effect.

Result:

Step 13

Click the topmost layer, and press Ctrl + J on your keyboard to duplicate this layer once again. Now select the

Click on the layer directly below our duplicate layer to select it:

Go to Filter->Blur->Motion Blur, and apply the following settings:

Drop the opacity of this layer down to around 75 percent.

Result:

Step 14

Now select the topmost layer (the one that hasn't been blurred at all) and go to: Filter->Sharpen->Sharpen.

Press Ctrl + F on your keyboard to repeat this process.

Result:

Step 15

Press Ctrl + E on your keyboard twice to merge the top three layers together.

Now press Ctrl + J on your keyboard to duplicate this layer.

Change the blending mode to "screen" and drop the opacity of this layer down to 90 percent:

Now press 'V' on your keyboard to get out the move tool, and position this duplication near the top right corner of the canvas:

Step 15

You can repeat step 15 a few times if you wish, however at this point I simply used the crop tool, found a section of the design that I think looked nice, and cropped it out for a banner background. Here is my final result after adding a simple panel border:

I hope you enjoyed this tutorial!