Icy Background

Here you're going to learn how to make a nice Icy background, just like this one:

Ok, let's get started.

Step 1: A new image

Ok, open up a new image (I used 200x100, but you can make this as big or as small as you want).
Now, we need a new layer so go ahead and make one of those (New > Layer > New...).

Now go to the 'Edit' menu and click on 'Fill...' this will take you to a little pop-up window. Scroll through the different patterns until you find one that is named "Metal Landscape". Click OK.

Your image should now look something like this:

Quick Notes: New Layer > Fill > Pattern "Metal Landscape"

Step 2, 3, 4 and 5: The Hard Part

Here's the tricky bit... we're going to be using the 'Wind' filter for this, as well as the rotate function.
First, go to the 'Filter' Menu, then 'Stylise', then click 'Wind'. [Method: Wind, Direction: From the right]

Once you've done that, Rotate the whole image by going to the 'Image' menu then to 'Rotate Canvas' 90 degrees CW.
Once it's been rotated, use the wind filter again. Then, rotate again.

Repeat the wind filter and rotation until every side of the canvas has been 'filtered'. It should be looking like this:

Quick Notes: Filter > Wind ... Rotate 90 degrees ... Filter > Wind (Continue this cycle until the image is flipped back to the original position) ie. 4 times.

Step 6: Colouring

Ok, the hard bits over... you can basically sleep through the rest of this.
Go to the 'Image' menu, then click 'Adjustments' then choose 'Colour Balance'.
This will take you to a screen with 3 bars on it. Push the first one all the way to the left (Where it says Cyan) and push the bottom one all the way to the right (where it says Blue). It should now look similar to this:

Quick Notes: Image > Adjustments > Colour Balance [Cyan 100% + Blue 100%]

Step 7: Finishing Off

Last thing! Go to the 'Filter' menu, then 'Artistic' and then select 'Cutout'. Input the following values into the places:
- Number of Levels: 8
- Edge Simplicity: 2
- Edge Fidelity: 2

It should now to look like this:

Quick Notes: Filter > Artistic > Cutout [Levels: 8, Simplicity: 2, Fidelity: 2]

and you're done! Congrats!

Problems? Questions? I'll be more than happy to walk you through if you Contact Me.