Building the inner brackets (2 of 4)

If you hadn't guessed yet, we are apparently making Tony Stark's first arc reactor, built with scraps while he was imprisoned in the cave (in the movie version, anyway). I liked the rougher, handmade look of it and it makes for a more interesting image. It has a circular grate in the middle, one that might seem daunting to build at first, but with the trick we learned in the last tutorial, it should be easy. 

Use the Ellipse tool to make a new Shape layer with PMS 432. Pantone greys are really helpful here, because you can get nice different colors to represent different kinds of metal. What we want here is a dark, bluish grey. Cut out the inner circle, either by duplicating the outer path, Transforming it down, then pressing the Subtract from shape area (-) button; or by holding down ALT/OPT when you make the second circle. When you have the ring made, hold down ALT/OPT and use the Rounded Rectangle tool to cut out a little vertical shape that is actually known as a lozenge. Use a high value for its Radius so that the ends are really round. Based on my reference material, I counted 30 of these little holes, which divides nicely into 360. Select the lozenge with the Path Selection tool, Copy and Paste, then Transform. Move its reference point to the center of your design (guides are essential here), and type 12 in the Set rotation field. Now, you've got your second hole. Copy/Paste it again, then choose Edit> Transform Path> Again, or the keyboard shortcut of CTRL(PC)/CMD(Mac)+SHIFT+T. This might seem like a lot of keys, but if you already know the shortcut for Transform, just add a SHIFT to it and you're there. Do this 28 more times and you have all the holes, perfectly placed. Not so hard, huh? The last step is to add a Layer Style. Use a Bevel and Emboss and Inner Glow as on the previous pieces, but you could also give it a bit of texture with Pattern Overlay. I found that Photoshop's own Molecular pattern actually worked okay, with the settings shown.

There are three wider brackets on top of this ring, radiating out from the center. Use PMS 432 and the Rectangle tool to make them. Do the vertical one first. It has three different rectangles, all on the same Shape layer. To turn the middle one into a trapezoid, select it, then Transform it a little with Perspective. When you have this one complete, select all three rectangles with the Path Selection tool, and use our Transform Again trick to make the other two. See how handy this is? I'll bet you find all sorts of uses for it. Give it the same Layer Style as the ring below, but I don't think it needs the texture.

These brackets have three grooves embossed into them. This is easily taken care of with thick lines or thin rectangles on a new Shape layer clipped to the brackets layer. After making the first three vertical ones, you'll use our good ol' Transform Again trick for the others. A bit of Outer Bevel should do the trick for the embossing. You can use the same colors and Blend modes from other layers, then adjust the Size and Style of the Bevel and Emboss as needed. Even though there is no light source yet, we need to keep it in mind as all these pieces are being built. The trapezoidal parts of the brackets are facing inward, toward the light source, so they need to reflect some light. Make a new vector circle and clip this Shape layer, along with the grooves layer, to the main brackets. Use 431 as the color and set the Blend mode to Screen. Lower the Fill and give it a Layer Style as shown. The Stroke is the same bright blue we used on the outer ring in the first tutorial. Give this layer a raster Layer Mask, make a selection with the Elliptical Marquee, and fill it with black so that the vector circle is only visible where it intersects the trapezoid shapes. Go to the Blending Options for this layer and choose Layer Mask Hides Effects under the Advanced Blending section. This is why we used a raster mask instead of cutting this hole out with another vector path.

There are bolts attaching these brackets to the grated ring. Make a circle with the Ellipse tool using 431 as the color. This layer should not use the brackets layer as a Clipping Mask. Add Layer Styles as shown. The real trick here is that we are going to fake the side of the bolt head with a Drop Shadow. With the Spread all the way up to 100%, you can use any Size and still get a crisp edge. With a little adjustment, it can make the circle look like a short cylinder. Add the usual other effects. The Inner Shadow will be a bright blue in Color Dodge to simulate the light hitting it from above.

At this point, you may be tempted to make the other bolt heads on the same layer with Transform Again, but that won't work. Because of the view, each bolt is at a different angle and the sides need to point toward the center. Duplicate each layer, move the bolts into position, then adjust the Drop Shadow's and Inner Glow's Angles. Each layer here will need a different angle. For the hex openings on the tops, use the Polygon tool, set the Sides to 6, and make a little hexagon on a new Shape layer. Use PMS 432, set the Blend mode to Multiply, and lower the Fill a bit so it's not too dark. Unlike the bolt heads, the three hexagons can all be on the same Shape layer. Add the usual Layer Style, but on this layer, give it a small, dark Inner Shadow on the top left to make the hexagons look like recessed holes.

The last step in this tutorial is to make the innermost ring. It should look like glossy chrome, so use the Ellipse tool to make a little ring, connecting the inner edges of the three brackets. Use 425 as the color. The glossy look is achieved simply by Bevel and Emboss settings. The key here is the Ring Contour. Choose light and dark greys from the same ramp as 425 for the Highlight and Shadow. Color Dodge for the Highlight is also important in getting a shiny, metallic look. That's it for now; the inner structures are complete.