How to Draw a Laptop in Photoshop

Steven Snell, owner of Vandelay Design and founder of Designm.ag, is now providing premium resources for designer through Vandelay Premier. I'm lucky enough to be one of the early contributor for PSD mockup. This tutorial will show me how I create a laptop mockup for Vandelay Premier.

In this tutorial, we will be using basic tool such as rectangle, rounded rectangle, and pen to draw a laptop. I suggest you to know the basic of vector drawing in Photoshop.

Preview

Before move on to the tutorial, let's take a look at our finish laptop. This laptop is based on my Acer Aspire I had at home. Click on the image to see its bigger version, click here to see this mockup in Vandelay Premier.

Step 1

Start by creating a new file, size 1500x1200 px. Draw a box in the middle of the canvas using rounded rectangle tool with radius 15 px. This is going to be the laptop screen.

Step 2

Add layer styles Bevel and Emboss to add 3D effect and Gradient Overlay to get natural gradient in its color.

Step 3

Grab screenshot from your screen by pressing PrintScreen and paste it on to previous area. If you want to use a picture, make sure its size is proportional to screen resolution. I'm using screenshot from Vandelay Design website here.

Step 4

Add Inner Shadow to screen. This will add depth to the screen picture.

Step 5

Let's add front part of the laptop. Start by drawing a square and give it Gradient Overlay from gray to white.

Step 6

Activate direct selection tool, choose two points in lower part of the laptop and transform until they get closer.

Step 7

Click its middle part with pen tool and move it downward.

Step 8

Behind the square, draw a rounded rectangle with dark gray color.

Step 9

Again, draw a square then transform its lower part. Add Gradient Overlay with setting below.

Step 10

Draw a square on top. Add perspektif transformation until we have a plain for keyboard.

Step 11

From google image search for image of keyboard layout. You will get plenty of this using keyword "US keyboard layout". Using rectangle tool, draw shape covering all keypads.

Step 12

Select all paths the copy and paste them onto our laptop.

Step 13

Transform it until we have keyboard shape. See picture below for reference.

Step 14

Activate layer style Bevel and Emboss to add 3D effect and a bit Stroke to add lines around the keypad.

Step 15

Add another square and add transformation until it surrounded the keyboard. Lower Fill layer to 0% and add Bevel and Emboss.

Step 16

Using rectangle tool draw a  touchpad.

Step 17

Do some transformation until the touchpad is placed on the plain and add these layer styles.

Step 18

To add 3D effect, draw selection on laptop's corner and fill it with white. Reduce its opacity to 50% and add Gaussian Blur to soften it. Repeat this process to the other corner.

Step 19

Draw some rounded rectangle shape on lower part of the laptop. Perform skew transformation until it looks as if it is attached onto the laptop. Repeat this process to the other side. This shape is going to be the hot air vent.

Step 20

To add 3D effect, draw another highlight by painting white on lower corner of laptop. Lower down opacity to 50% to keep it soft.

Step 21

Draw shape forming a line on front of the laptop. Use dark gray for its color.

Step 22

Using pen tool, add two points on the line. Between them, add another two points then move them downward. See picture below for reference.

Step 23

Add layer style Bevel and Emboss to give it a 3D effect.

Step 24

Above the shape, draw a black line to give it different material between top and lower part.

Step 25: Add Audio Slot

Let add slots for audio. Start by drawing a small gray circle and add Bevel and Emboss.

Step 26

Once again, draw smaller circle inside the circle and give it Bevel and Emboss.

Step 27

Duplicate this hole twice.

Step 28

Draw a rounded rectangle then do some skew transformation until we have this shape. Add layer style Color Overlay and Outer Glow with same color to make it glow. Layer style Stroke will give it 3D effect.

Step 29

Repeat this process to draw another lamp, this time use different color.

Step 30: Screen Hinges

Draw shape of a semi tube. Add Gradient Overlay white to black.

Step 31

Duplicate previous shape and add layer style Gradient Overlay, this time use alternating color from white to gray as seen below. Lower down opacity of Gradient Overlay and change fill layer to 0%. This will add new gradient onto the shape and add metallic effect.

Step 32

Draw similar shape as previous shape but this time a bit longer. Use black for its color. This will add impression of back part of the hinges and make it 3D.

Step 33

Convert previous shape to selection by selecting it and press Ctrl + Enter. Create new layer and fill it with black and add Gaussian Blur. This will be hinge's shadow on screen.

Step 34

Repeat previous step to draw bigger semi tube.

Step 35

Laptop main body is attached to the hinges, of course we need to add more shadow. Add rectangular selection, fill it with black and add Gaussian Blur. Lower down layer Opacity to 50%.

Step 36: Webcam

Draw a rounded rectangle about screen. Add Bevel and Emboss and change fill layer to 0%.

Step 37

The making of a webcam is just simple. We just need to stack some circle with different color. See picture below for reference on the color I used.

Step 38

Next to the lens, let's draw a camera icon. This one is very easy. We just need to draw a rounded rectangle. On top of it, draw another rounded rectangle and add perspective transformation. In the middle, draw a cirle with subtract mode.

Step 39

We already had a laptop now. Still, I want to fix some minor details. One of them is adding depth into the screen. Draw a rectangle shape around the screen then give it layer style Bevel and Emboss. Change fill layer to 0%.

Step 40

Convert previous shape to selection. Add new layer then paint top part of the selection with black using soft brush. You can compare pictures below to see before and after paint some black on top and lower side of the screen.

Paint black on top and bottom of the screen

Empty on top and bottom of the screen

Step 41: Light reflection

Duplicate screen shape and remove all its layer style. Using pen tool draw shape below and change its mode to intersection. Add Gradient Overlay black to white. Change blend mode layer to Screen to retain only lighter color.

Step 42

Lower down layer's opacity to 20%.

Step 43: Shadow on keyboard

From its reflection, we can tell that there's light source on top right. In this condition, screen must also left shadow on keyboard. Paint shadow as seen below. Grab selection from keyboard shape and give it layer mask. Turn down shadow opacity to 10%.

Step 44: Laptop Feet

Draw two rounded rectangle shape in black and save it in this position. Repeat this process for the other side.

Step 45: Shadow

First, we need to add black shadow right under laptop's foot. Once again, using brush with lower opacity (30%), draw bigger and softer shadow.

Step 46

Create elliptical selection under the laptop. Fill it with black add big Gaussian Blur.

Step 47: Background and Floor

Background in this design is not complicated. I just use gray color so the viewer can focus on the laptop. Just draw a radial gradient from gray to white on Background layer.

Step 48

Hit Ctrl + J to duplicate Background. Perform transformation (Ctrl + T) and change its size until it looks like this.

Step 49

Finally, I add an adjustment layer Hue/Saturation and activate Colorize. Slide Hue and Saturation slider to change background color without changing its original image.

Final Result

Finally, here's my final result. Click on the image to see it in bigger size. If you want its PSD file, you can join toVandelay Premier for $9 a month.