How to Draw a Steaming Hot Chili Pepper in Photoshop

Once again we will use our strategical layer ‘Shape 1 copy’. [CTRL] + Click on its thumbnail so you will have a selection. Then go to Select > Transform selection. Now you can odify our selection like a normal layer. Right click on the pepper and you will get a context menu, choose Warp. You can also go to Edit > Transform > Warp, but this is way faster.

If you will achieve similarity- apply the transformation. Your selection should looks like this. Just try to not get onto upper edge of pepper with selection.

Fill it with #f8eceb color and remember about new layer. Maybe I am a bit annoying, but working with layers is very important and you have to teach yourself to use them.

Blur this layer with Filter > Blur > gaussian blur, set the radius to 15px.

Get the Eraser tool, choose ‘Stripes 1’ as brush tip and apply following settings

Now just set the right brush size and start to erase edges

In the end you can blur it a bit with Gaussian blur filter, but it is not necessary

Step 13 – Tonal texturing

It is hard to apply some texture to pepper’s surface, it is advanced thing which requires 3D program to set proper lightnings, reflections etc, for the pepper isn’t perfect smooth, yet it’s texture is almost invisible. Instead of rack ourselves we will apply a little tricky tonal texturing. It’s not superb-looking thing, but gives us some simulation of undulation. First of all, prepare the brush. Create new document with 500×500 px in size and place some bigger and smaller black dots all around the document. Then go to Edit > Define brush preset (Name it ‘texture brush’).

Create new clipping layer mask. Pick the color of #49090a. Set the settings of a brush as follow:

Then start to cover bottom part along the pepper.

Change this layer’s blending mode to Vivid light with 20% opacity.

Select the color of #c7161d. Remember- new layer. Then doodle inside the middle part of pepper. Change this layer to Lighten blending mode with 40% opacity.