How to Draw a Realistic Samsung Galaxy in Photoshop

In this tutorial, we are going to draw the famous Samsung Galaxy in Photoshop and Illustrator. We will start by drawing its wireframe in Illustrator and then exporting it to Photoshop to add some sophisticated lighting and other effects.

Step 1 – Preparing the Canvas in Illustrator

Open up your Adobe Illustrator. Make a new file in A4 size. Hit Ctrl + R to bring up the ruler. Make a new layer and name it guide. We will use this to place all our guides. Draw from the ruler onto the canvas to create a new guide. These guides are needed to help us draw the phone wireframe precisely. See the picture below for reference.

Step 2 – Basic Phone Shape

Our first step is to draw a basic phone shape. Activate the Rounded Rectangle tool. Click once on the canvas to open the Rounded Rectangle option dialog box. Don’t worry with the width and height settings. Make sure to enter 35 pt on Corner Radius. Click OK. You will have a new rounded rectangle shape.

You can simply delete it right away because we don’t need it, we just need to change the tool settings.

Step 3

Make sure to activate Smart Guides from the View menu. This feature helps us to snap objects easily onto guides.

Step 4

Click and drag to draw a rounded rectangle right inside the provided guide. See the picture below to get its placement.

Step 5

Select the rounded rectangle we have just created. Click Object > Path > Offset Path. Set Offset to -9 pt.

Step 6 – Screen Area

While the Rounded Rectangle tool is still active, click once on the canvas. Set Corner Radius to 5 pt. Delete the rounded rectangle made from the dialog box because we won’t need it.

Step 7

Draw a rounded rectangle inside the screen area. Use the guide to help you draw it precisely.

Step 8

Duplicate screen shape that was just created. Draw a rectangle under the shape. Select both shapes and then select Minus Front in the Pathfinder panel.

The rectangle will cut the screen area and turn it into half rounded rectangle that we can use as the Status Bar area.

Step 9

Activate Rounded Rectangle tool again and click once on the canvas. Set Corner Radius to 10.

Step 10 – Home Button

Draw a rounded rectangle on the lower part of the phone; this will be the Home button.

Step 11

Click Object > Path > Offset Path. Set Offset to -4 pt.

Step 12

Draw a rounded rectangle and set its Fill to None and Stroke to Black. Draw a rectangle covering its lower part. Select both shapes and select Minus Front in the Pathfinder panel. This will cut the lower half of the rounded rectangle and turn it into a half rounded rectangle.

Step 13

Use the Direct Selection tool and select its lower line. Hit Delete to delete it.

Step 14

While the shape is still selected, select Object > Expand. This will turn it into a fill shape, not just a line.

Step 15

Draw two small rectangles inside the shape.

Step 16

Draw a rounded rectangle and then cover its left side with a rectangle like shown. Select both shapes and select Minus Front from the Pathfinder panel. Use the Direct Selection tool to select its left side and then hit Delete.

Step 17

Select Object > Expand to convert this line into a shape.

Step 18

Draw a rectangle on the tip of the shape.

Step 19

Click the center of the left border of the rectangle to add a new point. Click the top and bottom corners to delete. We will get a triangle.

Step 20

Set Fill to Black and Stroke to None.

Step 21

Select both shapes and click Unite on the Pathfinder Panel.

Below are the buttons we have made.

Step 22 – Application Icons

Activate Rounded Rectangle tool. Click once on the canvas and set Corner Radius to 1 pt.

Step 23

Draw a rounded rectangle inside the screen for the icon base. Activate Move tool and Alt + Shift + Drag the shape to duplicate it.

Step 24

Select the rounded rectangles we have just created and the click Horizontal Distribute Center on the Align panel.

Step 25

Draw the shape of a phone’s receiver inside the first rectangle using the Pen tool.

Step 26

Use Type and add the label under the icon.

Step 27

Inside the next rounded rectangle, draw an avatar icon. Draw an ellipse for its head and manually draw its shoulder.

Step 28

Select both shapes and click Unite on the Pathfinder tool.

Step 29

In the next rounded rectangle draw an ellipse and a comma shape. Select both shapes and click Unite to turn it into a balloon callout.

Step 30

Inside the last rounded rectangle, draw four smaller rounded rectangles.

Step 31

Below are our completed icons!

Step 32 – Menu Navigation

Above the icons, draw small circles. Alt + Shift + Drag the shape to duplicate it.

Step 33

Select all the circles and click Horizontal Distribute Center inside the Align panel.

Step 34

Select one of the circles and resize it bigger. This bigger circle indicates that it is the ‘active’ page.

Step 35 – Signal Icon

Inside the status bar on the upper part of the screen, draw a small rectangle and then duplicate it. Drag the top line of the second rectangle upwards using Direct Selection tool.

Step 36

Repeat this process until we have four rectangles as shown below.

Step 37 – Battery Icon

Draw two rounded rectangles. Select both shapes and then click Unite.

Step 38 – Speaker

Draw a circle and Shift + Alt + Drag to duplicate it. Hit Ctrl + D a few times to repeat this duplication process.

Step 39

Draw a big rounded rectangle covering the small circles.

Step 40 – Camera

The "camera" is simply made from some circles with different sizes with the same origin.

Step 41 – Side Buttons

Draw two rounded rectangles on both sides of the phone as shown.

Step 42 – Preparing Canvas in Photoshop

We have finished working on the phone wireframe. It’s time to bring it to life using Photoshop. Open up Photoshop and then make a new file, File > New.

Step 43

Select all paths in Illustrator (Ctrl + A) and then save it to Clipboard (Ctrl + C). Return to Photoshop and then paste it (Ctrl + V). In the option dialog box select Path.

Step 44

The vector path will be kept in a new path inside the Paths panel.

Step 45 – Basic Shape

Copy the basic shape path into a new path. Click white and black circle in the Layers panel to add a new Adjustment Layer. Select Solid Color and set color to #0f1219 in the next dialog box.

Add Gradient Overlay to add subtle lighting onto the shape.

Step 46

Duplicate the shape we have just created and double click its thumbnail layer to change its color to #c3c6c9.

Step 47

From the option bar, set inner path mode to Subtract from path area. This will turn the shape into the phone edge.

Add Bevel and Emboss to convert shape into a three-dimentional shape.

Step 48

Make a new layer. Convert layer to Clipping Mask by pressing Ctrl + Alt + G. From now on, everything you paint will go inside the phone edge. Activate Brush tool and set foreground color to black. Paint subtle shadows on parts of the phone edges.

Step 49

Ctrl-click the phone edge layer to make a new selection based on its shape. Click Select > Modify > Contract by 1 px. By doing this you are making the selection smaller by 1 px.

Step 50

Make a new layer and paint other subtle shadows and highlights.

Step 51

Repeat the previous step, this time use Contract by 2 px. Draw shadows and highlights on the phone edges.

Below is the difference before and after adding highlights and shadows onto the edge. We can see that the result is more realistic.

Step 52 – Screen Area

Duplicate the screen area onto a new path. Click Add a New Adjustment Layer and select Solid Color. You can use any color.

Double click the layer to open a Layer Style dialog box. Add Inner Glow and Stroke.

Step 53

Let’s insert a wallpaper into the screen. Drop a wallpaper picture right on top of the screen area layer. Here, I use a nice nebula image.

Step 54

Hit Ctrl + Alt + G to convert it into a Clipping Mask. The wallpaper will automatically go inside the screen.

Step 55

Click icon black and white circle in the Layers panel to add a new Adjustment Layer. Select Hue/Saturation from the menu and use the slider to modify the wallpaper color. Set it to Clipping Mask again by hitting Ctrl + Alt + G. This way, the adjustment layer will only affect the wallpaper and not the phone.

Below is how your layer appearance should be.

Step 56 – Main Buttons

Duplicate the main button onto a new path. Add Adjustment Layer Solid Color with the color #cccfd2.

Double click the layer and activate Drop Shadow and Bevel and Emboss.

Step 57

Let’s paint highlights and shadows onto the button. The process is very similar to what we did with the phone edge in Step 48 to Step 51.

Ctrl-click the main button layer to make a new selection based on its shape. Click Select > Modify > Contract by 1 px.

Step 58

Make a new layer. Paint subtle highlights and shadows onto the buttons.

Step 59

Select the other two buttons and duplicate them onto a new path. Add a new Adjustment Layer Solid Color with white as its color.

Step 60

Bring down its Opacity to 20%.

Step 61 – Application Icon

Copy icon bases onto a new path. Make a new Adjustment Layer Solid Color. Set its color to blue.

Step 62

Double click layer and add subtle Gradient Overlay.

Step 63

Delete the other three shapes.

Step 64

Repeat previous process for the other colors.

Step 65

Duplicate icon shapes onto a new path. Add a new Adjustment Layer Solid Color. Set its color to white.

Double click the icon layer and activate Outer Glow and Gradient Overlay.

Step 66

Add an appropriate label under each icon.

Step 67 – Menu Navigation

Select four small navigation circles and copy them to a new path. Add a new Adjustment Layer Solid with color #7e899b2d.

Step 68

Repeat the same process with a bigger ‘active tab’ in the center, this time with the color #cbced4.

Step 69

Add a number on top of the activate tab. I chose 3 for mine.

Step 70 – Side Buttons

Duplicate side button to a new path. Make a new Adjustment Layer Solid Color with color #b0b3b6. Place it behind the phone.

Step 71

Add Inner Shadow with Angle 0 degree and Inner Glow.

Step 72

Repeat the process for the other button.

Step 73

Double click Layer button to open Layer Style dialog box. Add Inner Shadow but this time use 180 degree to add a shadow onto the button. Also, add Inner Glow.

Step 74 – Status Bar

Select status bar and duplicate it onto a new path. Make new Adjustment Layer Solid Color with black as its color. Add time information.

Step 75

Duplicate the battery to a new path. Add a new Adjustment Layer Solid Color. Select green as its color.

Add Inner Glow with the following settings.

Step 76

Duplicate the signal icon to a new path and add Adjustment Layer Solid Color. For its color select white. Double click Layer and activate Gradient Overlay.

Step 77 – Speaker

Duplicate the speaker onto a new path. From the option bar, set a smaller circle path mode to Subtract from the path area. Add a new Adjustment Layer Solid Color with #6b6f76 as its color.

Double click Layer and add the following Layer Styles.

This is the result.

Step 78 – Camera

Activate the circle and duplicate it to a new path. Add a new Adjustment Layer with the color #272d36. Do the same with the ring inside the circle but with the color #585a5e.

Below is the camera in 100% magnification.

Step 79 – Reflection

Duplicate the basic phone shape onto a new layer. Draw a polygonal shape cutting across the phone and set its mode to Intersect path area. Add a new Adjustment Layer Solid Color, set white as its color.

Double click the reflection shape and add subtle Gradient Overlay.

Step 80

Set Blend mode to Screen and reduce its Opacity to 70% and Fill to 0%.

Step 81

Ctrl-click reflection layer. Make a new layer and paint more highlight on its upper area.

Step 82

Place the phone layers inside a group by selecting all of them and hit Ctrl + G. Click the eye icon on background to hide them and make the phone sit on a transparent background. Hit Ctrl + A, Ctrl + Shift + C, Ctrl + V to duplicate phone to a new layer.

Step 83

Hit Ctrl + T to transform the phone. Right click and chose Flip Vertical. Put the phone under the original phone.

Step 84

Add a layer mask and paint a gradient from white to black to fade the reflection.

Step 85 – Shadow

Activate the Brush tool with big brush size and Hardness 0%. Make a new layer and draw a black line under the phone. Set its Opacity to 10%.

Step 86 – Background

Let’s work on the background. Make a new layer and start painting using different shades of blue. There’s no perfect rule here. Unleash your creativity.

Step 87

Add Gaussian Blur (Filter > Blur > Gaussian Blur). Use very big radius sizes and make sure to activate Preview options so you can see the result in real time.

Step 88

Let’s make a pixel pattern. Make a new file with size 6 × 6 pixels.

Step 89

Hit Ctrl + 0 to maximize the canvas magnification level. Make a new layer and draw a diagonal line using the Pencil tool with 1 px brush size.

Step 90

Hide Background so we only see the diagonal line. Click Edit > Define Pattern to save the image as a pattern.

Step 91

Return to our background, double click it and add Pattern Overlay using the pattern we have just made earlier.

Here’s the result.

Final Result

Finally, we can bring back our phone. As you can see, we have just combined the flexibility of vector drawing in Illustrator, and the ease of pixel painting in Photoshop to achieve a realistic product image. I hope you enjoyed this tutorial.

Download

Click here to download the final PSD for this tutorial.