Penrose Triangle

Change your Canvas Size (under the Image menu) to 600 x 600.

Draw Guides

Insert a new layer. Rename it “outside guides”.

Select a light color.

Select the Line/Curve tool – set it to draw straight lines.

Drag out 2 angled straight lines like this (the first one from about the middle of the top)…

Draw similar lines for the left and bottom…

Insert a new layer, rename it “inside guides”.

Change the color to another light color.

Then draw angled lines to create an inner triangle (make sure to cross over the other inside lines a bit).

Draw Outline

Change the colors to the default.

  1. Draw a line from the top-inside corner to the bottom-inside corner.
  2. Adjust the inside circles to go to corners on the left/bottom as shown below.
  1. Draw a line from the same corners again.
  2. Adjust the inside circles to go to the corners on the right/bottom as shown below.
  1. Draw a line from the bottom corner to the inside corner as shown below.
  2. Adjust the top-inside circle to go up to the corner as shown below, and adjust the bottom-inside circle so it’s creating a straight line.
  1. Draw a line from the top-inside corner to the inside corner as shown below
  2. Adjust the bottom-inside circle to go up to the corner as shown below, and adjust the top-inside circle so it’s creating a straight line.
  1. Draw a line from the inside corner to the bottom corner as shown below
  2. Adjust the top-inside circle to go up to the corner as shown below, and adjust the bottom-inside circle so it’s creating a straight line.

Fix Outline Gaps/Extras

Hide the guide layers so you only see the outline.

Zoom way in on the outline and use the Space Bar to move around.

  • If there are any gaps, use the Brush tool to carefully connect the lines.
  • If there are any parts where the line extends, use the Eraser to carefully erase the extra bits.

Go back to 100% view.

Fill with Color

Duplicate the outline layer.

Rename it to fill.

Select the Paint Bucket tool.

Click in the areas with different colors.

Move the fill layer below the outline layer so you get a nice solid outline again.

Gradients

Gradient #1

Use the Magic Wand tool to click in an area to select it.

  1. Set the colors to a dark and medium shade of similar colors.
  2. Select the Gradient tool.
  1. Drag from the corner of the area like this.
  2. Deselect (CTRL+D).

Gradient #2

Use the Magic Wand tool to click in another area.

  1. Set your colors to 2 shades of the same color.
  2. Then select the Gradient Tool.
  1. Click and drag out from a corner.
  2. Deselect (CTRL+D).

Gradient #3

Use the Magic Wand tool to click in the last area.

  1. Set your colors to 2 shades of the same color.
  2. Select the Gradient Tool.
  1. Click and drag out from a corner.
  2. Deselect (CTRL+D).

Your layers are like this…

Canvas Size

Go to Image > Canvas Size … and set it to 700 x 700.

There should now be more room around your triangle.

Clouds

Insert a new layer at the top. Rename it “clouds”.

Set your colors back to default.

Go to Effects > Render > Clouds.

Double-click on the layer/name to open up properties.

Change the blend mode to Overlay.

Your final result…

Rotate the Triangle

  1. Duplicate the outline and fill layers.
  2. Move one of the fill layers below the top outline layer.
  1. Make the top outline layer active.
  2. Merge the top copies together.
  1. Hide the original outline and fill layers.
  2. Rename the top layer “combined”.

Select the Move tool …

Click on the canvas, then hover near and edge to rotate the triangle like this…

This is the final result…