Want to make a cool 3D design? In this lesson you will learn how to create an isometric landscape icon using only Photoshop.
Note: The author used paid materials. In the archive you will find an alternative version of the images to perform the lesson.
Step 1. Create a new document.
Create a new document of 800×500 px. Using tool Fill
(Paint Bucket Tool) (G), fill the background layer with gray (translator’s note: color # 858585). Then select on the toolbar Brush
(Brush Tool) (B) and draw a large spot in the center of the image (translator’s note: brush stiffness 0%, size 725 px. color # cccccc).
Step 2. Draw an isometric figure
Using the tool Pen 
(Pen Tool (P)), create the first isometric shape, which consists of two vertical lines and two oblique lines at an angle of 30º. After that fill the shape with black color and duplicate it once with Ctrl + J. Then flip horizontally duplicated figure, for this go to Editing – Transform – Flip Horizontally (Edit> Transform> Flip Horizontal), then fill it with gray color and place it as shown in the image.
Perform a free contour transformation (Ctrl + T) and enter the following data at the top:
- Scaling vertically: 86,602%
- Rotate: 30
- Horizontal tilt: 30
Press enter
Then duplicate the left side of the isometric figure Ctrl + J and display it horizontally. After that, move the right side of the isometric figure to the right.
Create a square of 270 * 270 px. Perform a free contour transformation (Ctrl + T) and see the following values at the top:
- Scaling vertically: 86,602%
- Rotate: 30
- Horizontal slope: -30
Press enter
Choose a tool Pen (Pen Tool) (P) and create the top for the isometric figure. Then fill it with a light gray color. After that, select the entire shape and change the size (make the shape shorter and wider) using the free contour transformation (Ctrl + T).
Step 3. Add a landscape
Paste the texture of the land you downloaded into the document. Rotate the texture by 30 ° and reduce Opacity (Opacity) up to 30%. Using the tool Rectangular lasso 
(Polygonal Lasso Tool) (L), select a specific area of the shape.
Copy and paste the selected piece of land to a new layer and increase the opacity to 100%. Duplicate the new layer (highlighted ground) and flip it horizontally (translator’s note: reduce copy opacity to 84%). Then remove the original image from the ground texture.
Paste grass texture
Now paste the grass texture. Apply to texture Free transform (Free Transform Tool) (Ctrl + T), select the option Perspective (Perspective) and change the perspective of the texture.
Using the tool Rectangular lasso (Polygonal Lasso Tool) (L), remove the overlapping sections of the shape. After that, the image should look something like this:
In order to create a shadow under the figure, you need to copy the grass layer and move it under the isometric figure. Then go to Image – Correction – Hue / Saturation (Image> Adjustments> Hue Saturation) and reduce the brightness to -100.
After that, go to Filter – Blur – Gaussian Blur (Filter> Blur> Gaussian Blur) radius 5 px.
Add stones to the landscape
Let’s start adding the rest of the landscape. Add a stone to a new layer. Then zoom out and try to choose an angle that would fit well with an isometric figure.
To clean the edges and remove part of the stone, use Eraser 
(Eraser Tool) (E) or add a layer mask to the image with a stone and a black brush. Walk around the layer mask.
Add water and trees
Place the texture with water on top of all layers, reduce Opacity (Opacity) up to 50%, select the tool Oval area (Elliptical Marquee Tool) (M) and select a specific area of water.
Then copy the selected water area with Ctrl + C and paste Ctrl + V onto a new layer. Move the layer of water under the layer of stone.
Duplicate the Ctrl + J layer. Then go to Editing – Free Transform (Edit> Free Transform) (Ctrl + T), slightly reduce and move the selected area to the left – down. After that, go to the bottom selected layer with water and select Image – Correction – Hue / Saturation (Image> Adjustments> Hue Saturation), reduce saturation to -100% and brightness to -50%.
Add a tree to a new layer. You can also use the top of the tree to create small bushes on the side of the rock.
Step 4. Draw shadows
Create a new layer, set the blending mode. Multiplication (Multiply), and draw a soft shadow with Brushes (Brush Tool) (B), this will give the image a realistic look. Walk if necessary Eraser (Eraser Tool) (E) to adjust color.
Step 5. Add highlights
Let’s finish drawing our icon by adding highlights! Create a new layer, set the blending mode. Overlap (Overlay), opacity set to 60% and a white soft brush (translator’s note: brush opacity 17%) walk on a tree, rock, grass, background to add glare. Continue to improve your image until you get the desired result.
So we’ve finished drawing an isometric icon!
