The first major practice one needs to learn to effectively use Photoshop is layering–and is it ever important! For my initial Photoshop weekly Design Showcase, I was assigned to create a BLT sandwich graphic for the fictitious Albert’s Grille. Provided with the images to create the tasty lunch special, had to use a variety of tools to design the finished product.

I began by making the tablecloth for the sandwich to sit on. Since I have little experience using the brush tool, I decided to try testing it out to make background. After choosing a traditional red, I set the opacity of the tool to 50% to give it a realistic look. I set ruler guides to help me create even spaces.

After I finished the table cloth, I started to build the actual sandwich. I opened each of the layers as separate files and used the magic wand tool to create transparent backgrounds behind the ingredients. I layered the plate, bread, lettuce, two tomatoes (I duplicated my original layer and rotated both) and bacon strips, then added mayonnaise and mustard again using the brush tool. I finished the sandwich with a top layer of bread, and voilà, I had created a sandwich.

I chose the typeface Palatino Linotype Regular, as I felt that it conveyed the mood I wanted to portray for the restaurant.

Creating the BLT was a fun assignment. It gave me the chance to brush up on some Photoshop basics, as it has been a while since I have done much with the program. I look forward to upcoming projects where I can continue to expand my skills and express my creative freedom.