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Step 1) Using the circular marquee tool, make a simple circle using any color you like. We will think red for this example.

Step 2. Give the circle an inner glow layer effect, just change the glow color to black and the blend mode to multiply. Why am I using the Inner glow instead of the inner shadow? Because inner glow doesn’t have an angular deflection, and thus is easily uniform.

Step 3 – Load the selection from the circular area. Drag the linear gradient (white to transparent) downward from the top making sure it is close but not completely at the bottom in a new layer.

Step 4. Now press Ctrl/Cmd T to transform the white gradient. Drag the handles to bring it upwards halfway through, and drag it in a bit in from the top and sides. Create a merge composite layer: Hide the background – Create a new blank layer on top and then Press Alt Ctrl Shift E (Option Cmd Shift E on Mac) to create a merged layer on top.

Step 5. take the merged layer and create a circular selection above. the circle should be much larger than the original circle. Again use your eyes to tell you what seems right, then copy the section and paste it in to a new layer. This creates the top portion of the orb. Place it again in the proper exact position.

Step 6. Now to go onto the base of the orb. In a new layer create an eleptical shape that fits into the lower half of the circle. Duplicate this layer and reduce the size a little, as shown in fig.6.

Step 7. Select the larger ellipse layer and load its selection by pressing Ctrl/Cmd and clicking on the layer thumbnail. Now select the cylindrical gradient tool and going with the grey-white-grey-white-grey color combo, drag across.

Step Again, duplicate this layer bringing the duplicate upward. Place the small white portion above the actual gradiated layer. Link both of these layers reducing their size some, so that the outer gradiated ellipse is just within the red circle.

Step 9) Select the duplicated gradient layer, now giving it a faintly different gradient of greys and whites. Bring the duplicated gradient layer down, arranging it under both of the other layers. Position it to where it is visible from both sides since it is the rim of the orb.

Step 10) Remove the areas of the orb that are not needed. Keep Ctrl/Cmd pressed and click on the layer thumbnails; first choose the big outer rim ellipse, having the gray gradient, and then Shift Ctrl/Cmd Click on the thumbnail of the upper top portion layer. Now the 2 ellipses will be selected, but we need to also select the bottom portion of the orb. Choosing the Rectangular marquee tool, hold down shift and drag over the bottom portion. Inverse the selection (Ctrl/Cmd Shift I) and delete the central part of the orb.

Step 11 -Now to create the glass portion. Create a circle of the same size of the orb in any color and position it behind the other layers.

Step 12 -As with the first outer orb, give this circle the same inner-glow effect, bringing it forward to cover all but the red outer sections of the orb.

Step 13 -Make the fill amount =0 in the layer palette in order to make the layer invisible, but keeping the layer effects visible.

Step 14 -Create a white gradient reflection like in the red circle, in a new layer above the glass layer, to have a more realistic lighting effect. You will have to adjust the settings as needed to make it as realistic looking as possible.

Step 15. Now select the base layers, ie the grey metal gradient layers and the white elipse, and merge them together. After this press Cntrl U to adjust the hue of the layer. Since it’s grey, click on colorize, and adjust to a reddish colour in keeping with the colour of the orb itself.

Step 16. Finally give a very slight drop shadow to the upper portion of the red orb, just to attain more realism. Secondly the lower portion seems off. SO create a new layer above the red lower orb portion. Then select the radial gradient tool, and select the white to nothing option. Now drag from somewhere above the red to a little bit in. Erase portions that arent contained within the red portion. Check Fig.16. to see the effect.

You orb is ready. You can display any items in there now, just make sure any Items kept in have a good reflection added on. This will give the base a shiny appearance.

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