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In this tutorial, we are going to create some fancy Holiday Wreaths in Photoshop. We’ll cover some “Path” basics along the way!

Step 1

Before we can get started on our Wreath, we need to create a special “Brush” that imitates the leaves on a wreath. In other words, we need to create a single one of those spiny leaves which will help us create hundreds of Similar leaves. Create a new document in Photoshop, 500×500, White Background.

Now, grab your Pen tool from the toolbar. Select Black as the Foreground Color. Create a point near the bottom of your image by clicking.

Step 2

The pen tool is used to create vector graphics. This point you see on your canvas is not actually a visible element in your graphic, but rather just a point. Create another point just up, and to the left of this one. When you click the mouse, hold down and drag up to the left a bit:

Create a few more similar points to create the shape. To finish it off, click your first point to close the shape.

Step 3

Disable the “Background Layer” for your document, and Define your spine shape as a new Brush Preset (Edit > Define Brush Preset). Your shape will now be a usable Brush with the brush tool.

Step 4

We are now going to setup our brush for drawing the Wreath. Begin by selecting your new brush from the Brushes Window (shown above). Then proceed to apply the following settings to your brush:

Brush Tip Shape: Diameter: 12, Spacing: 1%
Shape Dynamics: Size Jitter: 20%, Angle Jitter: 15%
Scattering: Scatter: 140%, Count: 1
Color Dynamics: Foreground/Background Jitter: 20%, Hue/Saturation/Brightness Jitter: 3%

Select #29511e as your Foreground Color, and #0c3a0e as your background (or similar greens). Your brush is now set up.

Step 5

Close out of your first document, and create a new document (500×500, White Background). Create a new Layer for your Wreath.

It would be awfully hard to draw a perfect circular wreath using the brush tool, unless of course you have a knack for that sort of thing. However, for those of us who don’t, there is an easy way to achieve a perfect circle while using the brush tool. Select the Ellipse Tool from the toolbar, and set the mode to Paths.

On your new canvas (in your new layer) draw an ellipse while holding shift to make a perfect circle. Right Click after you’ve drawn your circle anywhere on the canvas, and click Stroke Path. From the Tool Dropdown, Select Brush.

Note: You should have a full circle. I cut out half of the circle to show the path, and the stroked segment.

Step 6

Repeat this stroke several times to get some dense leaves. After 3-5 repeats, resize your path (Edit > Transform, or Ctrl + T). Hold Alt + Shift while resizing to keep the path centered, and to scale. Make the path just a bit smaller than it was before, Press Enter to apply the transformation, and repeat step 5. Do this several times until you have what looks like a complete wreath. To get rid of your path, press Enter, or Go to the Paths Panel, and manually delete it.

Step 7

One more thing to do. Let’s shade our wreath using the Dodge and Burn tools to make it seem a bit more real. Using the Burn Tool, with a Large, very soft brush (Hardness set to 0%), brush along the inside, and outer rim. Try to get only the shadow and midtone ranges. Then go back over with the dodge tool, highlighting the highlights and midtones around the center of the wreath.

That’s it!

Additionally, you may choose to decorate your wreath with some extra foliage, some ornaments, or perhaps throw a ribbon on there as I have (just a few shapes I put together with the pen tool).

Happy Holidays!