60 Excellent Gadget Photoshop and Illustrator Tutorials

8 Feb 2010

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Designing your own (or redesigning existing) gadgets such as MP3 Players, Game Consoles and Computers is an incredible way to improve your general skills in Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator (or any other design-related software package for that matter). You’re bound to pick up new skills every time, even if you’re considered an expert.

The following round-up of tutorials consists of 60 great gadget tutorials. There is a selection of Photoshop and Illustrator tutorials so you can learn new tricks in two of the most used pieces of graphic software the world has ever seen.

There are hours and hours worth of tutorials to read through, from creating your own custom MP3 player to redesigning the legendary Apple iPods, and designing retro game cartridges to photo-realistic high-definition LCD televisions — this post has it all!

Audio Device Tutorials

The following audio related tutorials consist of MP3 players and iPods, CD players, speakers, headphones and wires. A large selection of the tutorials use gradient overlays to create realistic lighting and shadowed areas – this is definitely a compilation of tutorials you should spend some free time reading if you want to improve your skills using the various gradient tools that Photoshop and Illustrator have to offer.

How to Create a Zen Mosiac MP3 Player (Photoshop)

Designing a Black Zune 2 (Photoshop)

Make an iPod Classic (Photoshop)

Create a 3D MP3 Player (Photoshop)

Creating a Custom MP3 Player (Photoshop)

Create a Detailed Audio Player (Photoshop)

Create a Realistic Video iPod Nano (Photoshop)

Design an MP3 Player (Photoshop)

Create an iPod Shuffle (Photoshop)

Create a Zune in Photoshop (Photoshop)

Design a Vintage Radio Icon in Photoshop (Photoshop)

Create an Audio Receiver Illustration (Photoshop)

Create an MP3 Player Interface (Photoshop)

Create an MP3 Player Illustration (Photoshop)

Create a Skin for MP3 Player Zune (Photoshop)

Creating a CD Player (Photoshop)

How to Create a Stylish Pair of Headphones (Photoshop)

How to Make a Bangin’ Woofer Embedded in Wood (Photoshop)

Design a Vector Audio Speaker (Illustrator)

How to Create Stereo Headphone Plugs (Illustrator)

Create an Old TDK Cassette Tape (Illustrator)

Mobile Phone Tutorials

If learning how to create incredibly detailed buttons is something you want to do, the following tutorials are for you. In almost every tutorial listed below you’ll learn how to use fine strokes to add depth and detail to your gadgets, as well as using plenty of blending modes to add a realistic look to your two-dimensional models.

How to Create a Realistic iPhone (Photoshop)

Create a Nokia 5300 Cell Phone (Photoshop)

Designing a Loox Pocket PC (Photoshop)

Draw a Realistic Cell Phone (Photoshop)

Create a Mobile Phone Styled like the HTC Touch Diamond (Photoshop)

Design an Apple iPhone Mobile (Photoshop)

Create a Sony Ericsson W800 (Photoshop)

Create a Strawberry Mobile Phone (Photoshop)

Create a Realistic Blackberry Style Mobile Phone (Photoshop)

Design a Nokia 5800 XpressMusic (Photoshop)

Draw a Realistic Transparent and Neon Phone (Photoshop)

Create an iPhone from Scratch (Photoshop)

Design a Sleek Nature Themed Phone Advert (Photoshop)

Create a Sidekick LX Styled Vector Illustration (Illustrator)

Create an iPhone Style Vector Phone Illustration (Illustrator)

Gaming Device Tutorials

Due to the many various shapes and sizes in the following collection of tutorials, the only thing that really connects them is the fact that they are all some kind of gaming device, whether they be a gaming console system, a gamepad/controller or even a retro game cartridge. There are hundreds of tips you can pick up in these tutorials, and they are especially good if you are looking to improve your three-dimensional and composition skills.

How to Create a Realistic Game Boy (Photoshop)

Create a Sony Playstation 3 (Photoshop)

Create a Playstation Portable (Photoshop)

How to Draw a Microsoft Xbox 360 (Photoshop)

Design a Nintendo DS Lite (Photoshop)

Designing a Wii Mote Controller (Photoshop)

Create a Super Retro Game Cartridge Design (Photoshop)

How to Create a Super Retro Style Game Controller (Photoshop)

Design a Stylish Retro Game Boy Poster (Photoshop)

Camera Tutorials

Although this category is fairly small compared to the others there is still a lot to learn. Design a Canon digital camera and learn how to create a life-like chrome effect in Photoshop, or brush up on your three-dimensional and gradient skills in Illustrator.

Designing a Canon Digital Camera (Photoshop)

Create An Aperture Style Camera Lens (Illustrator)

Create a Detailed Camera with Photo Icon (Illustrator)

Computers, Monitors and TV Tutorials

If using transformation tools is something you want to be able to place in your skill list, these are some tutorials you should most definitely follow through. You’ll be using several tools to rotate, stretch, warp and distort simple shapes to produce the right composition and shapes to produce models of computers, monitors and televisions – from modern high definition LCD televisions to retro televisions and various editions of Apple Macs.

Create a Slick Black iMac (Photoshop)

LG LCD Monitor Icon (Photoshop)

Creating a MacBook from Scratch (Photoshop)

Make a Realistic LCD HDTV from Scratch (Photoshop)

How to Create a Photorealistic iMac and Magic Mouse (Illustrator)

How to Create a Colorful Retro Style TV (Illustrator)

How to Design the Apple iPad (Photoshop)

Computer Hardware Tutorials

Like in previous sections such as the mobile phone tutorials and computer, monitors and TV tutorials, you’ll be using a handful of techniques in the following category such as transformation tools and gradient tools. Follow these step by step guides to improve your all-round general skills such as making two-dimensional designs appear three-dimensional using only Photoshop or Illustrator, and adding incredible realistic detail using fine strokes and shadows.

Design a Shiny Photorealistic Apple Remote (Photoshop)