Chain Links

1. Open a new image that is 500 wide by 500 high, RGB, 72ppi, white.

2. Hit your D key. Select the paint bucket and fill the background with black.

3. Insert a new layer. Use the rectangular marquee to select a fixed size of 100 wide by 50 high.

4. Click on your channels panel and save selection as a channel. Click Select=>Deselect.

5. Click Filter=>Blur=>Gaussian Blur. Set the Gaussian Blur to 10.5
6. Click Image=> Adjustments=> Levels. 

Drag the right hand slider uptop towards the middle(150). Drag the left hand slider to the middle(145). This will clean up the channel so you no longer have a rectangle but a shape with rounded corners.

7. Control click the Alpha1 channel to select the shape.

8. Click back on your layers palette and select layer 1. Hit your X key to reverse your colors and use your paint bucket fill tool to fill the selection with white.

9. Click Select=>Modify=>Contract. Set the contract to 8. Hit your backspace key to clear out the center. Control Click the layer1 to select the ring.

10. Click on your channels palette and save selection as channel (alpha 2). Click Select=> deselect. Click Filter=> Blur => Gaussian Blur. Set to 3 pixels.

11. Click back on the layers palette and highlight Layer 1. Click Filter=> Render=> Lighting effects.

• light type = directional
• light = on
• Intensity =35
• gloss =14
• material=69
• Exposure= 0
• Ambience
• Texture Channel= ALpha 2
• whit is high = checked
• height = 50.

12. Click Filter=>Render=>Lighting effects again. This time use Spotlight with the following settings.

• spotlight, on
• intensity 35
• focus = 69
• gloss= 100
• material = 100
• exposure = -5
• ambience = 0
• texture channel = alpha 2
• white is high
• height = 50

Constructing a chain

13. Duplicate layer 1 to make 3 copies. Leave layer 1 alone. On layer1 copy AND layer 1 copy3, Click Edit=>Transform=>Flip Verticle.

14. Select your Move tool. Move layer1 copy to the right so that the chain link just overlaps layer 1 chain link .

Use the move tool to move layer1 copy2 to the right so that the link overlaps the layer 1copy link.

Use the move tool to move layer1 copy3 to the right so that the link overlaps the link of layer 1 copy2.

15. Add a layer mask to layer 1 copy. Select your # 9 paint brush and Paint Black in the mask where layer 1 copy crosses layer 1 on the top to reveal the link below.

16. Add a mask to Layer1 copy2 and paint the black where the layer1 copy2 link crosses layer1 copy on the bottom.

17. Add a mask to layer 1 copy3 and paint black on the mask where this link crosses the layer1 copy2 link uptop.

Colorizing Chain

18. Turn your background layer off. Click on your top layer and Insert a new layer(layer2) Click Cntrl, Alt, shift E. Turn off all layers except layer 2 and turn background back on.

19. Click Image=> Adjust=> Hue/Saturation.

• check colorize
• hue=27
• saturation = 35
• Lightness =+28

Rusting Chain

20. Click Filter=>noise=> Add Noise.

• amount = 25%
• Distribution = Uniform
• Monochromatic = checked.

You can stop here if this is the rusty look you want. If you want a more machined look on your chain, continue.

21. Click Filter=>Brushstrokes=> Crosshatch

• Stroke Length = 5]
• Sharpness = 6
• Strength =1

22. Apply blending options that will work for your situation such as drop shadow, inner glow, etc.