Date Finished

Tristan Pizel

Minimalistic Cityscape Wallpaper

Graphic Design Final

This tutorial will teach you how to create a vibrant and clean minimalistic wallpaper of a cityscape. By

using different layer styles along with the polygon tool, a unique effect is created. This style of wallpaper

design can be applied to most images, and can be achieved by new to intermediate graphic designers.

Step 1: Creating the Project File

Go to File and click New. Name the file as per your preference, and choose the resolution you’d like the

image to be. I chose 1920x1080 as that is the standard desktop resolution. Make sure resolution is at 72 and

keep all other parameters at default.

Step 2: Inserting the Base Image

Drag and drop the image you’d like to use for this project, and hit enter to place it on the image. I recommend a

very high resolution image, even as high as 4k, as we will be zooming in. By using a higher resolution image, the quality

will be retained throughout the entire image. If the image does not cover the entire canvas, use the move tool in the top

left in the tool bar.

Step 3: Rasterizing the Image

Right click the newly created layer, and click “Rasterize Image”.

Step 4: Creating the Selection to Enlarge

Click on the “Polygon Tool” and set the Sides parameter to 3. Make sure the foreground color is white,

or another color of your preference. While holding shift, click and drag down create an equilateral triangle.

The color does not matter, but this triangle will sit in the middle and will be the largest of the three, so keep

that in mind when sizing it. Using the “Move Tool”, carefully move the shape to the center of the image. It

should snap to each of the axis making it perfectly centered.

Step 5: Creating the Other Triangles

Click on the shape layer you just created, and press ctrl + J. Then click on the new shape layer that

you’ve just created and press ctrl + T. Hold shift and drag one of the corners so that the shape flips. Make this

triangle smaller than the original, and then press enter. Finally, click on the smaller shape layer and press ctrl +

J. Move these Triangles so the bottom or the top snaps to the middle triangle. They should also snap to a

distance between the center of the middle triangle and the edge of the image.

Step 6: Manipulating the Cityscape

While holding ctrl, click on the preview of one of the triangles in the layers tap. This creates a selection

around the triangle. Next, click on the cityscape layer so it is selected, and press ctrl + J. Move this layer so it is

above the triangles. Select the layer and press ctrl + T. While holding ctrl + shift, drag one of the corners to

enlarge the layer and press enter. Repeat this step for each triangle.

Step 7: Creating an Inverted Selection

While holding ctrl, click on the preview of one of the white triangles in the layers tab. Next, press ctrl +

shift + i. This will invert the selection. Then, select the enlarge cityscape layer that corresponds to the white

triangle that you’ve just used to create the inverted selection.

Step 8: Modifying the Selection

At the top of photoshop, click Select, Modify, and Expand. Set the value to around 15 pixels and press

enter. Make sure the enlarged cityscape layer is selected and press delete. Repeat steps 7 & 8 for the other

two triangles.

Step 9: Making a Selection to Create a Color Adjustment Layer

While holding ctrl, click on the preview of one of the enlarged cityscape images in the layers tab. Click

on the foreground color box and choose a color.

Step 10: Creating a Color Adjustment Layer

Click on the New Layer icon in the bottom right and select the paint bucket tool in the toolbar on the

left. Select the new layer and click inside of the triangle selection. Make sure this layer is above the others.

Step 11: Changing the Layer Style

Select the layer you’ve just created and click on the tab above the layers list that should read

“Normal”. This is how you change the layer styles to create interesting effects. This part is mostly personal

preference, and the colors you choose can affect how the layer styles interact with the layers below. Once you

are happy with the look of the layers, repeat steps 9 – 11. For a more uniform look, use the same layer styles

and a clean color pallet. Otherwise it is up to your own personal preference.

Step 12: Blurring the Background Cityscape Image

Select the original cityscape layer and click Filter, Blur, and Gaussian Blur. Use a relatively low number

of around 2-3 pixels. After this you can choose to add any color adjustments you want to the entire image to

bring it all together, but it is not necessary. Finally, click save. You’re done!

The Final Image