Here’s a preview of the final effect we’re going to be creating. It shows both the wooden speaker, as well as the jet black version.

As usual, create your canvas. I went with 675×600px.

Then, make an outline similar to what I did below. (Note, each color represents a different layer)

Next. grab this wood texture for your speaker. Open it up in it’s own document, and cut out a rectangle that’s slightly taller then it is wide, and then drag it into your speaker document. Then, squish it until it’s slightly bigger then the side panel.

Then, select the side panel (Select -> Load Selection), then Select -> Invert. Move back to the wood layer, and hit delete.

Repeat the same steps we just did, except for the top panel. As well, rotate the wood texture 90 degrees, so it’s at the correct angle.

Then, cut out a piece of the wood texture that’s a bit bigger then the front panel edging. Repeat process used in the last step to delete the excess.

Once again, Select (Select -> Load Selection) the side. Then, grab the gradient tool, and set it to Linear, Black to transparent. Then, make a gradient like you see below. Repeat the same step for the top panel.

Now apply the following Blending Options to the front panel.

• Inner Shadow: Opacity 100%, Distance 0px, 40px
• Gradient Overlay: Linear, #3c3c3c to #121212

Next, make a circular ring, and distort it (Edit -> Transform -> Distort) so it’s slightly smaller on the right side. Then, delete the center of the ring, leaving about 20px around the edge.

Set the layer’s Blending Options to:

• Color Overlay: #404040
• Inner Shadow: Opacity 100%, Distance 0px, Size 7px

Now we’re going to add a center cone to the speaker. Make a smaller, distorted circle inside the outer edge, and apply the following Blending Options.

• Gradient Overlay: #f1e282 to d3a42a
• Inner Shadow: Opacity: 65%, Distance: 0px, Size 20px

Next, make a new layer on top of the speaker cone layer, and make two triangles with the Polygonal Lasso Tool, one on each side of the cone, with the point of the triangle in the center. Then, apply a 6px Gaussian Blur to the layer. Set it’s opacity to 50%.

We’re going to add the center of the speaker cone now. Make a small circle in the center of the cone, and distort it to be a touch smaller on the right side. Then, apply the following layer style to the layer.

• Drop Shadow: Opacity 100%, Distance 0px, Size 18px
• Inner Shadow: Opacity 100%, Distance 0px, Size 46px
• Color Overlay: #272727
• Stroke: Size 2px, Color #595959

Now it’s time to add a bit of shine to the center of the cone. Make a new layer on top of the center of the cone. Then, grab the Elliptical Marquee Tool, and make a small circle in the upper right corner of the speaker cone center. Fill it with white. Then, apply a 5px Gaussian Blur to the layer. Finally, set it’s opacity to 50%.

Now it’s time to merge all the layers of the speaker cone we just made. This includes the edge, the cone, the center of the cone, and the shading we just added. Then, duplicate that layer, and move it up the speaker. Scale it down about 50%. Finally, change the new layer’s Hue (Image -> Adjustments -> Hue/Saturation) to a different color that you like. I used blue.

Next, define this as a pattern. Then, create a new layer, and fill it with the pattern.

Now, use the Distort tool (Edit -> Transform -> Distort) the layer is slightly smaller on the right side. Then, scale the pattern down so it’s big enough to still cover the front of the speaker.

Next, Select (Select -> Load Selection), then (Select -> Inverse) the front panel of the speaker. Move back to the pattern layer we just added, and hit delete.

Duplicate the front panel of the speaker, and move it above the pattern layer. Select the Pattern layer (Select -> Load Selection), and then move back to the front panel layer we just duplicated. Hit delete. Then, deselect the selection (Select -> Deselect). Finally, delete the pattern layer.

Apply the following settings to the layer we just worked with in the last step. We’ll call this the screen layer from now on.

• Drop Shadow: Opacity: 100%, Distance 0px, Size 5p
• Gradient Overlay: #3f3f3f to #121212

Now duplicate the front panel layer again, and move it ontop of the screen layer. Apply the following Blending Options to the layer.

• Fill Opacity: 0%
• Inner Shadow: Opacity 100%, Distance 0px, Size 50px

Time to add a bit of shine to the speaker. Grab the Elliptical Marquee Tool, and make a circle that’s about twice as wide as your speaker. Then, position it so it’s shifted about 50% over from the center of the speaker. If you want to see how I positioned mine, look at the picture at the end of this step.

Then, do Select -> Inverse on the selection. Next, grab the Paint Bucket Tool, and fill the inverted selection with white. (Make sure it’s in it’s own layer). Finally, select the side of the speaker with Select -> Load Selection, then do Select -> Inverse. Move back to the white layer we just added, and hit delete.

Apply the following Blending Options to the layer.

• Opacity 31%
• Fill Opacity 26%
• Drop Shadow: Opacity 42%, Distance 0px, Size 3px
• Gradient Overlay: Linear White to transparent

Now, repeat the same steps on the front, and top of the speaker.

Time to add a bit of a shadow to the bottom of the speaker. Make a new layer below all the others. Then, grab the Polygonal Lasso Tool, and make a selection that’s about the same size as the base of your speaker. Fill it with black, and apply a 6px Gaussian Blur.

Making your speaker jet black

If you’d also like a jet black speaker, keep reading.

Open up the Blending Options of your side panel, and apply the following gradient overlay.

• Linear, #121212 to #383838

Once you’ve done that, repeat it with the top of the speaker.

Finally, apply the following Blending Options to the front edging.

• Inner Shadow: Opacity 75%, Size 4px
• Color Overlay: #3c3c3c

Alright, that’s it! Stay tuned for our next edition of Design Your Desk, when we’ll be looking at the creation of a mouse for your iMac or Macbook.