How to Make Crop Circles in Photoshop CS3

Crop circles are mysterious round (sometimes highly detailed) patterns that somehow appear without any disturbance or attention in the middle of a field of grain crops. Although crop circles have gained popularity, they may date back to or before the year 1678 when they were depicted in a woodcut titled “Strange News out of Hartford-shire.” Although it may be difficult to commandeer a field and plow your own crop circles, you can create your own electronic ones using Photoshop CS3, a graphics package available from the Adobe Creative Suite.

  1. Open Photoshop and click “File,” then “Open” and browse to where you have a photo of a grain field. Double-click the image so it opens in your workspace.
  2. Step 2

    Click the “Lasso” tool on the “Tools” palette on the left side of your screen. Draw a circle on part of the grain field. A dotted, blinking line appears. Press “Ctrl” and “C” on your keyboard. Then press “Ctrl” and “V.” Nothing really seems to have changed, but if you check the “Layers” palette on the right side of the screen, a new “Layer 1″ has appeared. Right-click it, select “Layer Properties” and change the name to “Circle 1.”

  3. Step 3

    Click “Image,” then “Adjust” and choose “Hue/Saturation.” Move the “Hue” slider bar to the left or right to lighten up the circle. Jot down the number in the “Hue” box, then click the “OK” button.

  4. Step 4

    Click “Filter,” then click “Stylize” and choose “Emboss.” The circle takes on a look as if it was flattened into the grain; move the “Angle,” “Height and “Amount” slider bars to determine exactly the depth of the crop circle. (Optional) Note down the three numbers.

  5. Step 5

    Click back to the “Background” layer on the “Layers” palette, then make another circle, slightly smaller, next to the first crop circle. Press “Ctrl” and “C,” then “Ctrl” and “V.” Rename the new layer “Circle 2.”

  6. Step 6

    Click “Image,” then “Adjust” and choose “Hue/Saturation.” Instead of moving the slider bar, type in the “Hue” number to get it the exact same color as the first circle. Repeat the “Emboss” process, choosing the same numbers or slightly different ones to show a variety of crop circle depths.

  7. Step 7

    Continue adding new layers of crop circles to form a pattern as desired.

Tips & Warnings
  • You can use Photoshop to create crop circles on any backdrop or background, it need not be a grain field. Simply open the photograph and perform the steps as instructed. You can also create crop circles on a blank background by clicking “File,” then “New.” Choose your dimensions for the file and select “White” as the “Contents” background.