Groovy Retro Text Effect

In this tutorial, I will show you the methods I use to Create Abstract Shining Text Effect with Groovy Font in Photoshop. This is a beginner level tutorial with lots of tips and tricks about effective text manipulation. Have a try :)

Along the way, I will show you a number of methods I use to create nice abstract effect to make the overall design look cool, as well as the use of slice tool to create your own stripe brush.

Here is a preview of the final effect:

Download Font

Step 1

Create a new document (sized doesn’t really matter here), fill the background layer with the gradients shown below:

Create a new layer on top of the background layer, either paint or render some cloud on the center and bottom – this acts as the foundation of the text effect:

Hint: don’t paint or render too much cloud, a subtle effect will do.

You can use the perspective option via Ctrl + T (right-click) for the cloud on the bottom to adjust its shape:

Step 2

Use the font we downloaded, type some text to the center of the canvas: (I used a yellowish colour)

Apply the following layer blending options to this text:

Drop Shadow

Inner Glow

Bevel and Emboss

Stroke

and you will have the following effect:

Duplicate this text layer twice and move each duplicated layer towards the top left a little, reduce their layer opacity to 15% and 40% respectively – this creates a layered text effect:

Step 3

Now let’s get to create the stripe brush :) Create a new document with the same size as our text document, add a new layer on top of the background layer.

Choose the slice tool from the toolbox:

Right-click on the canvas with the slice tool selected, choose “divide slice … “:

Tick the “Divide vertically into” box and enter “10″ into the textbox, click on “OK”:

Then use the rectangular marquee tool to draw selection for every second slice: (make sure you hold down “shift” key for multiple selection)

Fill the selection with black colour:

and you will have the following effect:

Turn off the background, and go to Edit > Define Brush Preset and define a vertical stripe brush set:

Now we can also rotate this stripe layer a bit and define another brush set:

Then we can use it to paint some stripe pattern on top of the text: (make sure you reduce the brush flow and opacity to be both around 30%)

Step 4

Now let’s create a base for this text effect. Create a new layer under the text layer and use the vertical stripe brush to paint the following pattern:

Go to Filter > Distort > Twirl and apply the following settings:

Hit Ctrl + F and re-apply the twirl filter, you will have the following effect:

Use the Free Transform tool to compress it down, and reduce the layer opacity to around 30%, then use a soft eraser to remove its edges. You will have the following effect:

Create a layer on top of the base layer, use a soft black brush to gently paint some shadow under the text:

Step 5

Now let’s create another abstract pattern with the stripe brush we created. Create a new layer and make a selection with elliptical tool, grab the vertical stripe brush (reduce brush tip size) and paint inside the selection: (Make sure you set the brush opacity to 50%)

Then duplicate this layer once, rotate the duplicated layer 90 degree CW:

Merge the two layers, you will have the following effect:

Then we can use the warp tool to manipulate its shape, as shown below:

Once you finish the warping, duplicate this pattern layer a few times and resize each of them, scatter them around the canvas as shown below:

Hint: make sure you adjust the layer opacity, or use a soft eraser with 50% flow and opacity to remove some part of the pattern, in order to create more depth for the image.

Step 6

OK we’re almost done! For the final touches, I added a new layer on top of all previous layer and use a small soft white brush, and painted some shining dots around the text, as shown below:

I also created another new layer on top and set its blending mode to “overlay”, use a soft white brush to paint around the edges of the text to add a glowing effect: