Creating a glass ball tutorial

Step 1) Using the circular marquee tool, make a simple circle using any color you like. We will think red for this example.

Step 2) Change the glow color to black and change the blend mode to multiply to give the circle an inner-glow layer effect. The inner glow eliminates an angular deflection creating uniformity and should therefore be used instead of the inner shadow.

Step 3. Load the selection from the circular area and on a new layer drag the linear gradient (white to transparent) downwards from top (close to the bottom but not completely bottom).

Step 4. Now press Ctrl/Cmd+T to transform the white gradient. Drag the handles to bring it upwards halfway through, and drag it in a bit in from the top and sides. Create a merge composite layer: Hide the background - Create a new blank layer on top and then Press Alt+Ctrl+Shift+E (Option+Cmd+Shift+E on Mac) to create a merged layer on top.

Step 5 - Taking this merged layer, make a circular selection above larger than the original circle. Use your judgment on what looks right and then copy the section and paste it into a new layer. Now the top segment of the orb is done. Place it again in the exact position.

Step 6. Now to go onto the base of the orb. In a new layer create an eleptical shape that fits into the lower half of the circle. Duplicate this layer and reduce the size a little, as shown in fig.6.

Step 7) Choose the larger ellipse layer, pressing Ctrl/Cmd and clicking on the layer thumbnail to load its selection. Now drag across in the grey-white-grey-white-grey color combination with the cylindrical gradient tool.

Step 8. Duplicate this layer too and bring the duplicate upwards, as shown. Now place the white small portion up above the actual gradiated layer. Place it as shown in fig.8. Link both layers and reduce their size by a bit, so that the outer gradiated ellipse is just a bit within the red circle.

Step 9. Take the duplicated gradient layer and again select it , now giving it a slightly different gradient of greys and whites. Now bring the duplicated gradient layer down. arrange it beneath both the other layers, and position as shown in fig.9. It should be a visible from both sides as it is the rim of the orb.

Step 10) Remove the areas of the orb that are not needed. Keep Ctrl/Cmd pressed and click on the layer thumbnails; first choose the big outer rim ellipse, having the gray gradient, and then Shift+Ctrl/Cmd+Click on the thumbnail of the upper top portion layer. Now the 2 ellipses will be selected, but we need to also select the bottom portion of the orb. Choosing the Rectangular marquee tool, hold down shift and drag over the bottom portion. Inverse the selection (Ctrl/Cmd+Shift+I) and delete the central part of the orb.

Step 11. Now to create the glass portion. Create a circle of the same size of the orb, any color you want. Place it behind the other layers.

Step 12 -As with the first outer orb, give this circle the same inner-glow effect, bringing it forward to cover all but the red outer sections of the orb.

Step 13 -Make the fill amount =0 in the layer palette in order to make the layer invisible, but keeping the layer effects visible.

Step 14 -Create a white gradient reflection like in the red circle, in a new layer above the glass layer, to have a more realistic lighting effect. You will have to adjust the settings as needed to make it as realistic looking as possible.

Step 15) Select the base layers, which are the grey metal gradient layers and the white ellipse, merging them together. Press Cntrl+U to fine-tune the hue of the layer. Since it is at this point grey, click on colorize, and convert to a reddish color to keep with the color of the orb itself.

Step 16 -Lastly, make a very small drop shadow to the upper piece of the red orb, in order to create more realism. The lower portion may seem off, so create a new layer above the red lower orb portion. Select the radial gradient tool in the white to nothing option and drag from a point over the red to just a bit inward. Erase parts that are not enclosed within the red portion.

Now you have a glass ball. Any items can be displayed inside the ball now, but make sure they have a good reflection effect added on. This effect will provide the base a shiny and realistic look.