This tutorial, will show you how to create a brilliant magic tree illustration. We will use some untypical and unique techniques to achieve this kind of effect so you’ll learn a different approach to creating abstract things. Let’s start!

Magic Tree Illustration

Here is what you are going to create.

Step 1: 3ds Max Plug-in

First we will use 3ds Max and then Adobe Photoshop for this tutorial. In order to complete this tutorial you will need a plug-in for 3ds Max called Glu3D or similar plug-in. It has a demo version available on 3DAliens website so you may use it or you may create a mesh that looks like a fluid yourself. Open up 3ds Max. Go to ‘Create Tab -> Geometry -> glu3D pouring system’ and choose glu3D.

Step 2: Calculating the Scene

Don’t change anything and calculate the scene (select ‘glu3D text’ and hit ‘GO!’).

Step 3: Surface

Afterwards turn on glu3D toolbar and hit ‘Build surface’ and then ‘Hide/Show mesh surface in viewport and render’. Delete the bowl.

Step 4

Take a look at the glu3D settings for your mesh. Increase level of detail, drop size and decrease your drop size. Add a modifier called ‘TurboSmooth’ to your mesh. It should instantly start to resemble a branch of my tree from the final image.

Step 5

Go to material editor (M) and select a standard material. Use ‘Swirl’ for diffuse channel. Apply this material to your fluid and try to render it. Most likely it won’t look like mine one so try to play with the settings visible on screenshot below inside ‘Swirl’.

Step 6

Take a look at my examples. Your goal is to make it look like the second one. It’s all about playing with the settings I mentioned about above. I’m unable to specify them exactly because you’ll simulation will be different anyway. I used quite high level of detail (like 14) and 3 or 4 iretations for TurboSmooth. Then I was moving time slider back and forth to capture a good moment. I didn’t have to change anything inside ‘Swirl’ for most renders because it looked fine already.

Step 7: Moving to Photoshop

Go to Photoshop and create a new document with dimensions set to 1680 x 1050px. Fill the background layer with black using ‘Paint Bucket Tool (G)’. Move your renders to the Photoshop and use their alpha masks to get rid of their background. If you have some photo of a tree then you may use here. Otherwise go to any stock website and download one. My comes from cgtextures.com (browse their nature category). Place your tree in the middle of the image and get rid of its background if it has it. Also descrease its size a bit (Ctrl/CMD + T).

Step 8

Start placing your renders beneath the crown of a tree. Again, also here I can’t provide you a good solution on how to do it because your renders are different than mine ones. Just use your imagination.

Step 9

To recolor your objects simply go to ‘Layer -> New Adjustment Layer -> Hue/Saturation…’ and use any colors you like.

Step 10

Use your brush tool with colors set to light yellow and dark green or blue to paint something like on the image below. I also used some grunge textures in the background with very low opacity. Paint each part of your background on a separate layer and use gaussian blur to make them smoother.

Step 11

After that paint a few little dots near the tree and try to adjust your image using adjustment layers if you consider it necessary. You may also add in some other elements that I didn’t mention about like clouds or fruits on a tree.

Conclusion

I hope you enjoyed my tutorial! Please comment it below.

IPhone version is available. Download all the files below.

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