How to create a grungy text effect

In this tutorial, I will show you the steps I took to Create this Abstract Text Effect with Metal Texture and Cloud Effect in Photoshop. This is an intermediate level tutorial so some steps can be a little tricky, but why not have a try :)

Here is a preview of the final effect I have for this tutorial: (click to enlarge)

OK Let’s get started!

To complete this tutorial, you will need the following stocks:

Metal Texture

Splatter Brushes

Debris Brushes

Step 1

Create a new document sized 700px * 960px with black background. Load the metal texture into Photoshop and select a portion of the image, copy and paste it onto our document, adjust its size with free transform tool so it cover the whole canvas:

Reduce the layer opacity to be around 20%:

Step 2

Apply the following 3 image adjustment layer to this metal texture layer:

Black and White

Levels

Layer mask on the levels adjustment layer: (use a big soft eraser with 70% opacity and flow on this layer mask)

Curves

And you will have the following effect so far:

Step 3

Create a new layer with 20% layer opacity, draw a selection with a 40px feather Lasso Tool as shown below, and render some cloud with the cloud filter in it:

Now we can create some random abstract pattern with the liquify filter. Use the rectangular marquee to draw a selection and fill it with black colour as shown below:

Use the liquify filter’s forward warping tool with the following settings:

Warp it until it forms the following liquid flowing shape:

Then, duplicate this layer a few times, rotate and scatter them around the canvas (adjust the layer opacity of each duplicated layer to create depth):

Optionally, you can invert (Ctrl + I) the colour to white and mix them with the black pattern:

Step 4

Create a new layer and type a letter onto the centre of the canvas as shown below with black colour, drop the layer opacity of this new layer to around 45%:

Add the following gradient overlay setting to this text layer:

Add a layer mask to this text layer, use the splatter brush as eraser and remove some part of the text as shown below:

Hint: you can set the brush flow and opacity to be around 50% and reduce the size of the eraser for a layered effect.

Load the selection of the text layer and move it to the metal texture, select a portion and paste it onto our text:

Again we remove the edges and parts of the texture with a soft eraser and splatter eraser:

Apply the following 3 image adjustment layers as clipping mask for this new metal texture layer:

Black and White

Levels

Curves

and here is the effect so far:

Step 5

Now let’s blending this text into the background. Firstly, we can render some cloud (using the method mentioned above) on the bottom of the text and compress it down as shown below, this will form a ground texture:

Create a new layer with 50% layer opacity, again render some cloud above the ground:

Create another new layer with 30% opacity, render some cloud over the text as shown below:

Now you can use the splatter brush downloaded, add some decorative painting around the text:

Use a soft eraser to remove the edges of the painting so they fade into the background to add more depth to the image:

Optionally, you can add some abstract black pattern from the previous step over the text, as well as some flying particle with the debris brush downloaded:

Step 6

OK we’re almost done! For some final adjustments, we can flatten the image, duplicate this background layer once and apply the following High Pass filter setting to the duplicated layer:

Change the layer blending mode of this new high pass layer to “Hard Light”, you will find you parts of the image being slightly sharpened:

You can also add some cloud warp into the image to create some motion effect: (check out this tutorial to learn this technique)

Adjust the levels of the ground and the background a little with the levels adjustments tool, this will create a floating effect and more depth for the image:

You can then apply some colour effect onto the image via either colour balance adjustment layer, or use soft brush to paint on a new layer (with layer blending mode set to “colour” or “overlay”). I will leave the choice of colours to you, but below is my colour combination (I decided to apply an ancient, rusty theme to the text)

That’s it for this tutorial! Hope you enjoy it and find it useful :) Till next time, have a great day!