Geometric objects are all the rage in the design industry today. And you can create interesting designs with a few simple shapes in Adobe Photoshop.
Learn how to create these cool elements and convert them to Smart Objects before applying an awesome grunge texture for a weathered effect.
Or feel free to browse the wide selection of amazing geometric assets from GraphicRiver.
Tutorial Assets
The following assets were used in the production of this tutorial:
1. How to Create a Circular Geometric Design
Step 1
Before we begin, make sure you have all the shape elements you need to carry out these designs. So select the Custom Shape Tool (U), and go to the drop-down menu next to Shape. Then click on the option All to make sure you have the full selection of shapes available.
When Photoshop asks to replace the current shapes with the new collection, simply hit OK.
Step 2
Start with a large New Document; I’ll be using one at 2500 x 2500 pixels. Now let’s start on the first design. Select the Ellipse Tool (U) and create a large black circle.
Step 3
Control-J to Duplicate the circle and resize it to be smaller with the Free Transform Tool (Control-T). This time set the Fill to transparent with a white Stroke of 10 pixels.
Step 4
Duplicate (Control-J) the white circle. Change the Stroke to 5 pixels and Free Transform it to be smaller, about half the size of the previous circle. Position this circle at the top with both circles nicely against one another.
Now Duplicate the smaller circle and place the copy towards the bottom.
Continue to Duplicate the smaller circle six more times. Start placing each new circle around the design in a counter-clockwise direction. Start with the right and left sides to finish the first four as an anchor for the rest of your circles.
To position the remaining copies, make sure your Smart Guides are enabled by going to View > Show > Smart Guides. Use the Move Tool (V) again to move the rest of your circles into place.
Here is the final circular design without the texture. When you’re finished, select all the shape layers and Right-click to Convert to Smart Object. This will allow you to apply any texture or photo easily in later steps.
2. How to Create a Tribal-Inspired Geometric Design
Step 1
For the next design, I was inspired by sacred angular elements often seen in spiritual designs. Select the Ellipse Tool (U) and draw a large circle. Set the Fill to no color and the Stroke to a Dotted black line at 15 pixels. If you feel the need to see the Properties panel at any time, just go to Window > Properties.
Step 2
Now select the Custom Shape Tool (U) and grab the Triangle Shape. Draw a large triangle in the center of the circle with a solid black Stroke of 15 pixels. Control-J to Duplicate the triangle, and then go to Edit > Transform > Flip Vertical and position the second triangle in place.
Duplicate one of the triangles again and Free Transform (Control-T) it to be a little smaller. Position the third triangle in place. Duplicate the smaller triangle you just created and go to Edit > Transform > Flip Vertical to position the opposite triangle for more balance.
Duplicate one of the triangles one last time and position it towards the middle of the circle a little off center.
Step 3
Use the Pen Tool (P) to create a shape to fill in the middle diamond with black.
When you’re finished, select all the layers and Right-click to Convert to Smart Object. Here is the final design below.
3. How to Create a Flower-Like Geometric Design
Step 1
For this next geometric design, we’re going to do a unique flower-inspired shape made with only five circles. Select the Ellipse Tool (U) and create a large black circle. Duplicate (Control-J) the circle and Free Transform (Control-T) the copy to make it smaller. This time, leave the Fill alone, but set the Stroke to a solid white line at 30 pixels.
Position the circle towards the upper right corner of the first.
Step 2
Duplicate the circle that has the white stroke three more times. Free Transform (Control-T) the next two circles to make them smaller and position them so that they’re hitting the opposite sides of the circle. This ends up creating a cool 3D look.
Step 3
Free Transform (Control-T) the last circle to make it the smallest and place it in the center. Just like before, select all your shape layers and Right-click to Convert to Smart Object. Here is the final design!
4. How to Create a Hexagon Geometric Design
Step 1
For the last design I’ll be creating a simple hexagon-inspired shape. Select the Polygon Tool (U) and create a six-sided hexagon shape with No Fill and a black Stroke of 5 pixels. Set the line for the Stroke to a Dashed Line.
Step 2
Duplicate (Control-J) the hexagon shape and make it slightly smaller with Free Transform (Control-T). Change the line to a Solid Line and the weight to a Stroke of 10 pixels.
Step 3
Now grab the Custom Shape Tool (U) and use the same Triangle Shape from before. Create a large triangle with a solid black Stroke of 10 pixels and position it in the center of the hexagon.
Step 4
Now select the Line Tool (U) and create a solid black line at 10 pixels on the left corner of the hexagon, connecting it towards the center of the left triangle line. Duplicate the line and go to Edit > Transform > Flip Horizontal to position the second line. Finish off by creating a third line connecting the bottom of the triangle to the bottom hexagon point.
Step 5
Lastly, finish this design by selecting the Custom Shape Tool (U) and creating a triangle for the center of the design. Fill the triangle with black and keep the Stroke at 10 pixels. Like always, make sure you select all the shape layers and Right-click to Convert to Smart Object.
5. How to Apply Photos & Textures to Geometric Objects
Step 1
Now for the texture! Since we’ve created Smart Objects from our different geometric designs, we can now apply a cool texture or photo for an awesome effect.
Place each geometric Smart Object into its own Group.
Step 2
Let’s add some texture! Here I’ll be using the sixth grunge texture from this Grunge Texture Pack from GraphicRiver. Simply Copy and Paste the texture onto a New Layer for each Group. Right-click to set the texture as a Clipping Mask to the Smart Object and change the Layer Blend Mode to Hard Light. Make sure that the Smart Object only has a transparent background or else you’ll get some unwanted edges.
Feel free to move the texture around and position it differently for each geometric design.
Step 3
Alternatively, you can also add a cool picture as a Clipping Mask underneath the texture or without the texture at all. Here I used this Sunset Stock from Pixabay.
This time, set the Layer Blend Mode to Screen for the photo.
4 Premium Geometric Design Packs
Save all the hassle of creating these objects yourself by downloading amazing geometric assets from GraphicRiver and Envato Elements.
These four bundles are jam-packed with dozens of geometric elements I’m sure you’ll love! Include them in your design kit as the ultimate graphic resources and get started making awesome designs today!
60 Abstract Geometric Elements
Make an impressive statement with these geometric designs. This collection features 60 amazingly unique designs you’ll want to incorporate into your next project. Included is a high-resolution PNG file for your convenience.
40 Geometric Art Designs
Need some cool elements for your posters, logos, or web designs? Check out this awesome pack of 40 geometric designs featuring beautiful circular and angular elements.
Geometric Vector Textures
This set of high-quality vector geometric designs can be used in both Illustrator and Photoshop. Download this package to get access to 40 unique designs that can be scaled to any size.
80 Geometric Vectors Bundle
For the ultimate design bundle, consider this wicked collection of 80 geometric vectors. These shapes have an added vintage touch that is perfect for branding, print design, and so much more! Download this pack to get access to these geometric goodies!
Conclusion
I hope you enjoyed this tutorial! Remember that creating interesting geometric shapes in Photoshop is easy once you get familiar with the Shape Tool.
Continue experimenting with more designs and have fun incorporating these elements into any creative project! If you have any questions at all, feel free to leave a comment below.
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