Grunge-Type Background

[ALovelyLie]

This tutorial is available as a PDF. Click here to view or download it

Moderator's Note: Pictures have been rehosted and the wording improved by ReMake!

I know that I'm pretty much a noob on this account, but I've been reading around the forums here for a while... Just too lazy to actually make an account. xD

Well, I'll be teaching you (Yes you) how to make a Grunge-type looking background. Hopefully in the end, you'll end up with something like this:

This tutorial really focuses around using Clouds, so keep that in mind.

Required Plugins:

Glass Blocks, Jitter, and Splatter (all from pyrochild, woo-dee-doo!)

Feather or AA's Assistant

Step 1:

a) Open up a new file with the dimensions of 600 x 300 (don't worry, you can resize it later). Name this layer 'Glass Blocks.' Make sure that your Primary color is black and that your secondary color is white. Go to Effects > Render > Clouds. Set your settings to something like this:

b) Now, go to Effects > Distort > Glass Blocks and put the settings to this:

You should end up with something like this:

Step 2:

a) Add a new layer and name it 'Dark.' Well, once again, go to Effects > Render > Clouds and set scale to 125, and leave the rest of the settings the same. Now, go to Adjustments > Brightness/Contrast (Ctrl + Shift + C) and put the settings like so:

b) Now, set the blending mode of this layer to Darken. Now your picture should look similar to this:

Step 3:

a) Add a new layer and name it 'Jitter.' Now, again go to Effects > Render > Clouds and this time, set the scale to 360 while leaving the other settings alone. Next, go to Effects > Distort > Jitter and set the settings like so:

b) Now, set the Blending Mode to Overlay. Your picture should be coming along looking like this:

Step 4:

a) Woo, now we're done with Clouds! Now add a new layer and name it 'Splatter.' Next, we get to go to Effects > Artistic > Splatter. Here I find that you might encounter some trouble getting the right look. I just went crazy with my mouse, sending it all over the place (for a lot of lines), and stop every here and there for the big circles. My splatter looked like this (after a few tries):

Here are some tips:

Don't cover the whole canvas with black. It will ruin the end result.

Don't end up with nothing on your canvas either, it will have no effect and look weird.

Don't have a bunch of big circles everywhere.

Don't have a bunch of stringy lines either.

b) It might take you a couple of tries to get the right look (or if you're good/lucky, maybe on the first try, xD) but once you've got something that you like, set the Blending Mode for 'Clouds' to Overlay, and you're almost there! Go to Adjustments > Brightness/Contrast (Ctrl + Shift + C) and put the settings at this:

c) Now, head on over to 'Dark' and go to Effects > Object > Feather and put the settings like so:

or apply AA's_Assistant effect (Effects > Object > AA's_Assistant) with default settings:

And now you're done! w00t! xD Hope you like what you ended up with. Comments, blah, something else, blah all accepted. Also, feel free to add whatever you like to it, like a border, and... other stuff. xD If you know some HTML, you can add a new layer, paint bucket that sucker white, and lighten up the opacity and viola! You've got a background for a table (That's where the HTML part comes in).

[Ouchy_S]

I like it, but it seems far too busy and cluttered.

[jonesy_135]

am i being dense or did those links to the plugins not include the glass blocks one?

i am a n00b at this

so be gentle

[Kemaru]

Kristen failed a little bit. Glass Blocks isn't a Pyrochild plugin.

[jonesy_135]

yeah cool i found i found it now

cheers

[survulus]

Awesome texture, I'll be sure to use it something, a really good outcome. Here's what I came up with, I messed about with the colours too.

[LFC4EVER]

Great tut, well written good outcome. I think the splatter kills it though.

[Jam]

Could you post the link for the glass box again?

[DoctorGeorge]

nice, I like it :wink:

[Maggot]

Why does my Jitter looks different? :?: :?:

I am totaly confused because it is from pyrochild

What should i do now?

[Chris_Rulez]

Very nice texture for a background if your making a signature. I really like it and I can see myself using this one day. Nice tut!

Edit: Likey?

[BL00DYKID]

glass blocks were made by ed harvey not pyrochild

My sig is my end result

[Qreeves]

its n awsome background

[georgian]

meh,my first post in this forum:

this background combined with firey thingy, and another thing saw on another tut:

not that good,but i'm kind of new to PDN

[Arave]

Awesome texture, I'll be sure to use it something, a really good outcome. Here's what I came up with, I messed about with the colours too.

Hey mang how u turn from dull into colourful...

Teach us all.. mang

[cassieemily]

amazing!

it's simple and easy.

here's mine.

i added a bit of colour

[witakr]

Cool tutorial. This was perfect for a wallpaper design I was looking to make for a wallpaper. I'm a die hard Tampa Bay Buccaneers fan and I wanted a new wallpaper for my laptop. Here is my design taking your tutorial, tweaking it a bit and adding a little.

[Woodsy]

Hey @ReMake, thanks for rehosting the pictures for this tut! And getting it out of the Graveyard.

And a PDF has been added.

[Seerose]

My thanks go to   @ALovelyLie and  @ReMake and  @Woodsy!

 

I mean big picture works much better. My picture is too small.