Crop Circles

 You will need to download one of these pictures to complete this tutorial.

• green wheat
• golden wheat

1. Open the image you wish to use. Type in a character, or webding to use with this. A beginner may want to use Arial black letter O at about 300 pt
2. Rasterize the text by right click on the Text Layer and selecting Rasterize.
3. Click Edit=> Transform=> Distort. Distort the rasterized text layer to match the perspective of the scene. Make the foreground bigger, the background smaller and distort ide to go with the land contours.
4. Control-click the text layer to select the text..
5. Click on the channels panel and Click Select > Save Selection and name it Alpha 1.
6. Duplicate the alpha channel in the channel's palette. It will be named Alpha 1 copy.
7. Turn the eye icon on for both alpha channels.
8. Select the Move tool, Highlight the channel Alpha 1 copy and move the alpha 1 copy image up so it is slightly off from the alpha1 channel..
9. Click Image > Calculations. 
   • Alpha 1 as source 1 channel
   • Alpha 1 copy for the Channel in Source 2.
   • Choose Subtract for the Blending and click OK.
   • this is named Alpha 2
10. Click back on the RGB channel. Then click the layers panel.
11. Insert a new layer above the layer with the text.
     
12. Click Select => Load Selection and choose Alpha 2.
13. Hit your D key. Click edit=> Fill set to

    • foreground color
    • 100 % opacity

14. Insert a new layer.
15. Using the Rectangular Marquee tool, select a rectangle around the text.
16. Use the dropper tool and select a dark color from the surrounding grasses. Use the Paint bucket tool to fill this rectangle.
17. Click Filter => Noise => Add Noise with a setting of 25.
18. Click Filter => Blur > Motion Blur direction vertical (90) with a distance of 20.
19. With the motion blurred noise layer highlighted, cold down the control key and hit G.
20. Click on the background layer.
21. Using the Rectangular Marquee to select a rectangle around the entire shape of the text layer with a little extra on the sides.
22. Select  Layer=>New=> Layer Via Copy.
23. Grab this layer with your mouse and Move the layer in the palette so it is on top of the layer with the text.
24. Control click on the new layer.
25. Click Filter => Blur => Radial Blur
    • Spin mode with an
    • amount =10.
26. Click edit => Transform => Distort and Distort this layer it so it matches the angle of the text layer..
27. With the motion blurred noise layer highlighted, cold down the control key and hit G.
28. Apply Lighting effects if you wish, using the alpha 2 for the texture channel so to cast a shadow into the crop circle.