Tentacle tutorial (Dialup Warning)

[Murdernickle]

Creating some random tech can be a lot of fun. It can produce some great effects that will turn heads. One of the coolest tech styles by far are the tentacles. They draw attention…especially if you’re some freaky hentai fan…ahem, now moving on, I’m going to show you how to make some groovy tentacles that can be used in a tech design. They’re surprisingly easy with photoshop’s filters so let’s get crakalatin’ (sorry I had to).

1. Okay, so let’s get moving. First things first, create a new document and make it whatever size you’re going to want. I’m going to use 500 x 500. Make sure you have the resolution set to 72 dpi because that’s all a monitor can display. Anything higher is for printing . Also make sure you have a transparent background. It’s just easier.

2. Now, select the gradient tool and press d then x to make white your foreground color and black your background color. Set the gradient type to reflect and make sure your status bar looks like this.



3. Now click in the center of the image and drag to the right, make sure the line is straight. It should look like this.



4. When you let go you should get a gradient that looks like this one.



5. Choose the rectangular selection tool and drag a selection out so it only includes the gradient and not all the extra black space like the one below.



6. Go to the Select menu and choose “Select Inverse”. You will notice the selection will change to include all of the extra black. Press Delete to get rid of it. Then press Ctrl + d (Mac: Command + d) to deselect the image. You should now have something like this.



7. Press Ctrl + t (Mac: Command + t) to bring up the transform tool. Drag the left side in and the bottom up until you get something like what I have below.



8. Now choose the Polygonal Lasso too and draw a selection like a triangle with one point at each of the top corners and the last point in the middle of the bottom of the gradient like the one I have below.



9. Again go to Select > Inverse and press delete. You should now have a triangle cut from the gradient. If you can’t see the bottom tip, create a new layer, fill it with black and move it below the original layer.


10. Now for some fun. Create a new document, it doesn’t matter how big. 200 x 200 will be more than enough. Create a blue (I recommend hex # 1dbdff for the blue) rectangle within it and go to Edit > Transform > Skew. Skew the side of it so you get something like this.



11. Duplicate that layer by dragging it to the “new layer” icon in the layers palette. Go to Edit > Transform > Flip horizontal. Then move that layer so the right edge lines up with the left edge of the layer below it. Press Ctrl + e (Mac: Command + e) to merge the layer down so you end up with this.



12. Duplicate the layer twice and move each layer down until you get 3 stacked v’s. Then press Ctrl + e (Mac: Command + e) twice to merge those layers like this.



13. Move these stacked v’s to the original tentacle image and place them over your gradient. Scale it so it looks like it will fit well. The Ctrl-click (Mac: Command-click) on the layer with the gradient to select it. Go to Select > Inverse and make sure that you have the top most layer still as the active one. Press delete to delete the excess of the v’s. Change the blend mode of the layer to color burn. Then go to Layer > Layer Style > Inner Shadow. Use these settings:



14. Turn visibility of the black layer off by clicking the eye icon next to the layer in the layer’s palette. Then choose Layer > Merge Visible. Turn the black layer back on and you should now have this.



15. Now choose Filter > Distort > Shear and use these settings.



16. There you are, you’re done. I continued to play around, adding a lot of tech material, a new background, some glassy orbs and came up with this...just one example of how it could be used.



My advice, with tentacles…don’t try to control them…they will inevitably control you. Instead try to picture an octopus and how it moves its tentacles.

[Reizenstein]

WOW... damn sweet tutorial. i sadly have no time to do this now since im forced to leave for school soon so i just read it through. damn good effect and really easy to understand. GREAT JOB!!

id accually love a tutorial on that background to... i want to know how to create those things

[rpaulsen]

Nice tut.. I'm planning on working on it, today :)

[Murdernickle]

Thanks guys, I really love this effect so iw as hoping others would too

[hazeaccord]

This is the easist tentical tutorail i have read. Very good job murdernickle!

[Jeff]

WOw dude A++++ this things are friggin' awesome!
Thanks so much for writing this!

[Murdernickle]

No problem. I enjoy writing tutorials...this one was a topic that i love.

[Fitzy#]

awsome.. fantastic and inspiring tut