Halloween is in the house! Start to make Halloween content for your social media! Here’s how to create a Halloween chalkboard art sign with chalk text in Adobe Photoshop.
Tutorial assets
During the development of this tutorial, the following assets were used: BD Cartoon Shout font
All of the textures we will be using in this tutorial (wood and chalk) were created using Photoshop filters.
Create a new 1000 x 1000 px document. Create a new layer and press Shift-F5 to fill it with color # 62c3c9 or any other color you like.
Select the Pen Tool (P) and draw a speech bubble shape.
Draw a Vector Shape in Photoshop Using the Pen Tool
To make a curved line, click and hold the mouse and drag.
To change the smooth anchor to a sharp point, keep Alt-Clicking the anchor point.
Step 1
Set the foreground color to # 1a1a1a and # ffffff for the background color.
Create a new layer and name it Chalkboard Texture. Press Shift-F5 to fill it with color # 1a1a1a.
Fill Layer with Color
Step 2
Go to Filter > Noise > Add Noise, and set the number to 50%.
Noise Filter in Photoshop
Step 3
Go to Filter> Blur> Motion Blur and set the Angle to 50 and Distance to 19 pixels.
Step 4
Use these settings and go to Layer > New Adjustment Layer > Levels.
Levels Adjustment Layer in Photoshop
Step 5
Right-click and choose Merge Layers to pick the Chalkboard Texture layer and Level Adjustment. Rename the new layer Chalkboard Texture.
Merge Layers in Photoshop
Step 6
Press Control-J to duplicate the Chalkboard Texture layer and name it Chalkboard Text Texture.
Duplicate Layer in Photoshop
Step 1
Hide the Chalkboard Text texture layer.
Right-click and choose Build Clipping Mask on the Chalkboard Texture sheet.
Create Clipping Mask in Photoshop
Clipping Mask in Photoshop
Step 2
To repeat the Speech Bubble Form sheet, press Control-J and name it Chalkboard. Rename the initial layer Wooden Frame.
Duplicate Layers in Photoshop
Step 3
Set the Wooden Frame layer's Fill to 0% and add a Stroke layer style, color # 000000.
Stroke Layer Style
Right-click and select Convert to Smart Object on the layer.
Convert to Smart Object
Step 1
Press Shift-Control-N to create a new layer. Name the layer Wooden Texture.
To fill the layer with color # 1a1a1a, click Shift-F5.
Fill Layer with Color
Step 2
Go to Filter> Render> Fibers to create a wood texture.
Fibers Filter in Photoshop
Step 3
Right-click and choose Build Clipping Mask on the Wooden Texture sheet.
Create Clipping Mask
Step 4
Select the Wooden Frame and the Wooden Texture layer and move them above all the other layers.
Move Layers in Photoshop
Step 5
Add this layer style to the Wooden Frame layer:
Drop Shadow (color # 000000)
Inner Shadow (color # 000000)
Bevel and Emboss (color #ffffff and # 000000)
Color Overlay (color # c86800)
Add Layer Styles in Photoshop
Wooden Frame
Add this layer style to the Chalkboard layer:
Drop Shadow (color # 000000)
Inner Shadow (color # 000000)
Inner Glow (color #ffffff)
Color Overlay (color # 393838)
Add Layer Styles in Photoshop
Chalkboard with Wooden Frame
Step 1
Add a Happy Halloween text layer using the color #ffffff.
Text Layer in Photoshop
Step 2
Add this layer style for the Happy Halloween text layer:
Inner Shadow (color # 000000)
Outer Glow (color #ffffff)
Inner Glow (color # 000000)
Stroke (color # 000000)
Add Layer Style in Photoshop
Step 3
Also, add a Color Overlay, blend mode Normal, opacity 100%, using the color you like. I'll be using a green color tone # d1ff6e.
You can also change the Stroke color to use any color you like.
Chalk Effect Text Style
Step 4
Right-click on the Happy Halloween text layer and choose to Convert to Smart Object. Set the blend mode to Screen.
Chalk Effect Text Style in Photoshop
Step 5
Make your Chalkboard Text Texture layer transparent to create a more realistic chalk effect. Right-click on the layer and choose Create Clipping Mask for the Happy Halloween text layer.
Also, set the blend mode to Multiply.
Chalk Texture Text Effect
Step 6
To make the colors more vivid, add a Levels setting. Right-click and select Build Clipping Mask on the adjustment sheet.
Add Levels Adjustments in Photoshop
Step 1
Use the Pen Tool to make chalk strips.
Chalk Piece Shape
Step 2
Add these layer styles to create a realistic chalk strip:
Drop Shadow (color # 000000)
Inner Shadow (color # 000000)
Bevel and Emboss (color #ffffff and # 000000)
Color Overlay (color # f2f2f2 for white chalk and # c1e053 for green chalk)
Chalk Piece Layer Style
Congratulations! You are done!
You've learned in this tutorial how to create a chalk effect in Photoshop from scratch using filters.
If you want to make Halloween chalkboard art for your Halloween decoration, make sure at least you have these materials: Chalk and blackboard/chalkboard. Making chalkboard art itself quite difficult especially for people who don’t usually do handwriting.
One Halloween decoration that is interesting is the Halloween chalkboard art. Not many people know that writing on the blackboard and turning it into artistic writing is not without technique. Not just writing or drawing on a blackboard. Usually, we have to measure the board first, then decide what concept to make, then sketch it on paper, then do it on the chalkboard.