Metal Orb

Metal Orb

Step 1
First of all, lets start out with our base used for the orb. The base layers I used are recycled from a skin I made and look like this. It doesn't really matter how you make your since most of it is covered by the lcd anyways.

Step 2
Next you would need to add the lcd display. In my case I used the color #5B7168. I'd suggest that you use a much more fun looking color than this boring green. If you want to duplicate this shape, its suggested that you make one half of the shape (left or right) and mirror it on the other half. This should save you some time from working with the vectors.

Step 3
Now that we have the lcd, lets add some layer styles to give it more dept.
Inner shadow: color=black [view settings]
Outer glow: color=#646464 [view settings]
Inner glow: color=#171A21 [view settings]
Satin: color=#black [view settings] [view contour]
Stroke: color=#272C38 [view settings]

When your done, you should have something looking like this.

Step 4
Next you'd need to add the font to the lcd display, its good to make the font big so it takes up most of the display. You want to font to stand out the most in the entire image as the center of attention. Latter the glass on top would help complement this allot. To the font you'd have to add some layer styles, these are the ones I used.
Drop shadow: color=#black [view settings]
Bevel: color=#default [view settings]

When your done, you should have something like this.

Step 5
Your next step is to add a little bevel around the lcd display. So right click on the lcd display layer thumbnail in your layer palette, and click "Select Layer Transparency". With the selection visible, click on your toolbar: Select > Transform Selection. Click the chain link on the toolbar to "maintain aspect ratio" . Then set the values in the toolbar to that of the image below. This should make the selection 5% bigger.

With the selection enabled, go back to the base metal layer and then Ctrl+C to copy that portion from the base. Then Ctrl+V to paste the selection to the new layer. Make sure the new layer is between the lcd display and the base layer.

Now apply these layer styles to the new layer.
Inner shadow: color=#black [view settings]
Bevel: color=default [view settings]

When your done, you should have something like this:

Step 6
Next you'd have to add the glass to the lcd display, and now we have a chance to make things look funky.
First: select layer transparency of your lcd display and select your gradient tool with white as your foreground color, automatically Photoshop would make a gradient called "Foreground to Transparent". [view settings]
Second: One a new layer, Create the gradient from the top of the lcd down to by about 60 pixels.
When your done, you should have something like this:

Third: With the the layer your just created selected, as your active layer. From your toolbar, click Edit > Free Transform. In the height box (H) from your edit box like Step5 make the height value about 215% to 220%. Then move the layer down a bit so that its just within your lcd display area.

When your done you should have something that looks like this:

Forth: We set the layer blending mode to "Overlay", now you should see the how the light intensity brightens the up the lcd display. No screenshot for you this time :(, look at the shot of the next step to see where you should be

Step 7
Next we do yet another gradient, so redo the First and Second parts of Step 6 in a new layer. Now we have a new third step
Third: With the the layer your just created selected, as your active layer. From your toolbar, click Edit > Free Transform. In the height and width boxes, make both values 75%. Then move the layer down a bit so that its just within the top areas of your lcd display area.
Forth: Set the layer blending style to "Lighten"

When your done you should have something that looks like this:

Step 8
Next we add a little area where the light darkens a bit, just for more color instead of having too much white at the top.
First: Select layer transparency of the lcd display area, create a new layer and fill with a gradient from the top of the selection with a distance of about 25 pixels. Use a gradient of with color: white to color:#89A99D (if your lcd is a different color, use a similar color variation) [view settings]. Before making the gradient, set your gradient type to "radial"

You should have something like this:

Second: From your tool bar, click Filter > Blur > Gaussian Blur, with a radius of about 4.0 pixels.
Third: Now that its blurred, the layer is a bit too much so reduce the Opacity of the layer to 50%.

When your done, you should have something like this:

Step 9:
Now you need to use your own judgment. Use your airbrush tool with color=#CCFFED. Use a gradient looking radial brush at a size of about 15. On a new layer, make one glob at the top tip of the lcd display with the middle of the brush being at the top most part of the lcd.
Second: Once you've done that, select layer transparency of the lcd display then go back to the layer and delete that portion of the layer.
Third: On your toolbar, click Edit > Free Transform and adjust the height and width of the layer until it suits the look that you like. Also reduce the opacity of the layer a bit.

When done you should have something like this:

Step 10:
Go back to the firs layer that you put on the of the lcd display, the one that you set the layer style to "overlay". If you did it correctly, some portion of the layer should be on top of the metal like mine did, just at the bottom lip.
Now duplicate that layer and carry it to the top of all the layers you have. Select the layer transparency of the lcd display and back to the layer you just duplicated. Then delete the area with that selection.

The layer should be barely visible so duplicate the layer again once or twice then merge them together. Then finally apply the layer style "Overlay" with color=#CCFFED. Feel free to reduce the opacity of the merged layer a bit if your fee that its a bit to much.

Mine looked like this:

This gives the effect of the light shinning outside the orb on the metal that lies opposite the light.

Step 11:
Finally add some little details to the metal layer and your done :)

When the final product is done, it should look like this:

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