those modes are kick ass stuff..
..there's nothing to it!
Oooh, it's magic!

Let's see what you can do.
I like hammerheads -grin-
Are we don yet? No.
Notices I changed the thruster :)
It's possible when you work in lots of layers...
hmm... is this right?
Voila, all done.

Introduction

At school I am working on Lingo. An important aspect of working with Macromedia Director. They gave us a tutorial on how to program Space Invaders. I don't care too much about the Lingo, it's the graphics that attract me. First thing I did when I got the tutorial was: creating a cannon for the game. This is how I did it:

Lets go

First you need some basic shapes. When I started up photoshop I had no idea what the ship was going to look like. So I drew a very basic shape and took one step at the time... how convenient. Oh, rename the layer with the shape to: Main.

After creating the base shape I take the airbrush add that dark spot there. Then I set it to color burn (roll menu in the 'options window') I take a 9 pixel brush, soft and set the pressure to about 5% make sure you work with the color black. Then I shade both sides and add a little curve on the tale. Watch out, you can easily overdo things using the airbrush in color burn mode. Then I set the color to white and the switch to color dodge. Now I add highlights to the nose and the top of the 'inlet'. Also lighten the bottom a bit.

Now I set the brush to a small hard one, normal mode and make a little cockpit. Use simple shapes like the ones you see.

Then create a new layer (I always put every part of a graphic on a new layer, give you lots of control over the final image) and take a small soft brush take a light color blue or white and set the pressure to 12-15 %. Add two highlights on the top and bottom of the cockpit. This is you windshield.

The Wings

Now add some wings. First create a new layer, put it below the layer called 'main' (that's the one with the basic shape) Either use the polygonal lasso tool or use the airbrush to draw a wing. I made a black hole as some sort of inlet. Then take the color white, soft brush, 9 px, color dodge, and pressure 15%. Now add some highlights. When you are done, copy the layer and flip it horizontally, hold shift and move it to the other side. Done!

Make a new layer on top of the wings set it to overlay opacity 80%. Take the airbrush, 3 px, color black, normal. Draw some lines on the wings. They have no real purpose, but it looks good. Oh, and always use a pressure that lies below 25 %, it give you control over what you draw.

Now create another layer and take a bigger brush. Add some shading to the inlets and the back of the wings. Simpel no?

Now a little trick to create sharp, highlighted edges. Make a new layer. Set it to color dodge. Take a the color white and grab the line tool. Set it to 1 px, opacity 100% and anti-aliased. Draw lines like I did. It might look odd at first but that's because you have to change the opacity of the layer. Then blur it a bit using the filter. Copy and flip again, now you have to.

Do the same stuff with the frame of the ship. Add lines around the cockpit for that stealth look. Remember where you place the layer :) Put it on top of the main layer.

It looks a bit plain now. So we add a new layer, set it just like the one before and add even more highlights making this brighter. This time you better use the airbrush, 3 px brush, normal, pressure 12%.

Do it yourself

Hopefully you learned a few things by now. Anyway, it's time do do it yourself. We're gonna add two more wings, tailwings. Use the same techniques we used before.

Nothing to it, right?

It now looks pretty good, but still a bit plain. It needs some more... style. I thought of a hammerhead. Just like the sharks have (as seen in 'space above and beyond'). Make a new layer and take the airbrush again, pick a color blue like your ship. This time set the pressure to 100% and draw a lil wingshaped thingy. Add some highlights using the color dodge mode at the airbrush options.

Finishing touches

Now add some of your own. I added metal things, some shading on the wings besides the cockpit, a thruster and grey spots(?). Make a new layer on top of all layers, set it to saturation. Take the airbrush, 5 px, white, pressure 50% and make some spots. Gives the extra army look.

We know there's something missing but what? Create an adjusment layer and fool around with the contrast and brightness. If you use an adjusment layer you can always change or remove the effect. You can also add one more layer on top of the others. Set it to color dodge. Grab the airbrush, 9 px, soft, pressure 6% and highlight some more. The nose, the wings, the tail. Just fool around a bit... like I did.

Now for the real finishing touch. Plasma stuff!. Take an 9 px airbrush and a dark color blue. Low pressure. Draw a basic gradient.

Now take a brighter color and a smaller brush and add a flame shape. Bright on the inside darker on the outside. Us an even smaller brush to add swirls and things. Then use the small brush to add little sparks or bits of plasma waste.

Now you're done. You have a great loking space invader cannon.... Now the rest of the game :(