How to create a magical enchanted dagger in Photoshop

Pixel Perfect is the "perfect" show to help you with your Photoshop skills. Be amazed and learn as master digital artist Bert Monroy takes a stylus and a digital pad and treats it as Monet and Picasso do with oil and canvas. Learn the tips and tricks you need to whip those digital pictures into shape with Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator. In this episode, Ben shows you how to create a magical enchanted dagger in Photoshop.

In a two part episode, Bert shows us how to create a Medieval dagger and cover. This week, Bert begins by making the enchanted dagger's majestic handle.

Bert creates the shape of the dagger by using the pen tool as a mask. Bert adds texture to the main body of the handle (to create a pearl effect) by using various filters, such as Filter-Render-Fibers (adjusting variance and strength), Filter-Blur-Gaussian Blue, Filter-Blur-Motion Blur, inner shadow layer style and dodge tool for a lightened edge.

To create the golden tip of the handle, Bert creates a new layer and makes the shape using the elliptical tool, filling it with a golden color. To add various tones to the tip, Bert uses the dodge and burn tool.

For the side handles, Bert creates the shape using the pen tool as a mask, filling it with a golden color and implementing various effects. Bert duplicates the layer to add dimension and uses the Satin layer style, dodge and burn tool and filter-blur-gaussian blur (to remove the hard edge of the top layer).

To make a gem for the dagger, Bert creates a small red circle, adds noise (filter-noise) and adds a crystal effect (filter-pixilate-cystalize) and drop shadow layer style.

FInally, Bert adds a symbol for the handle using an image previously made in Illustrator and adjusting the opacity, and adding a bevel/emboss and inner shadow layer style.

Search Pixel Perfect on WonderHowTo for more Photoshop episodes from this Revision3 show.