Design a Baroque Restaurant Menu

Baroque design is about drama:

• deep shadows with warm light coming out of them (chiaroscuro)
• gold ornament that curls and repeats
• a centrepiece that looks like an old-master painting

In this tutorial you'll make a 1000 × 1400 px menu for Quince & Elderberry, an imaginary candle-lit osteria. It has:

• a damask wallpaper made with the Kaleidoscope filter and Pattern Fill
• a triple gilded frame
• acanthus corners painted with 4-way symmetry
• flipped shell crests
• a crimson cartouche snapped to the grid
• curved text on a Pen path
• a velvet-and-quince still life, shaded with Dodge/Burn, Oil Paint and cast shadows
• a two-column menu with a right-aligned price column

The palette:

• near-black oxblood ground #140B09
• a gold ramp: #7A5418, #D9B25F and #F3DE9C
• crimson #4A0F1C and #8A2033
• quince yellow #C99A2E
• elderberry purple #2A0A34
• olive #4F5B23

Create a 1000 × 1400 document with a white background. Select Background, set the foreground to #140B09 and choose Edit → Fill.

Rename Layer 1 to Chiaroscuro. Choose the Gradient tool, set Type to Radial and click Advanced…:

• Make both stops #6B3219.
• Drag the first stop's opacity to about 85% and the second stop's opacity to 0.
• Click Done.

Drag from (500, 600) down to (500, 1300). This is the pool of candlelight that everything else will sit in.

Add a layer called Rosette. Choose the Brush (B) with colour #C99A45, Size 6 and Hardness 90. From the canvas centre (500, 700), draw straight up:

• a scroll about 130 px tall that curls over at the top
• a small side frond
• two size-11 dots

Keep all of it inside a narrow wedge above the centre. The Kaleidoscope only samples a thin slice of the image.

Choose Filter → Kaleidoscope…, set Segments to 10 and Rotation to 270, then click Apply. A rotation of 270° points the sampled wedge straight up, where you drew. At 0° it samples to the right of the centre and gives an empty layer.

On a portrait canvas the rosette comes out about 1.4× taller than it is wide. That's the next thing to fix.

With the Rectangular Marquee (M), select (408, 568) to (592, 832). Press V for the Move tool. Drag the bottom-middle handle up to y = 752, so the box is 184 px square. Press Cmd+D to commit.

1. Marquee a 240 × 240 tile around the rosette, from (380, 540), and choose Edit → Define Pattern.
2. Deselect and delete the Rosette layer.
3. Add a layer called Damask. With no selection, choose Edit → Fill so the layer covers the whole canvas.
4. Choose Edit → Fill with Pattern…. Set Scale to 130 and Column Offset to 50 for a classic half-drop repeat, then click Apply.

Open the Damask layer's effects button and set Blend to Soft Light. Click its opacity (100%) in the Layers panel and click the slider at about 60%. The wallpaper should whisper, not compete with the menu.

Add a layer called Gilt Frame and set the foreground to #D9B25F. Press Cmd+D before every marquee: a drag that starts inside a live selection moves the outline instead of drawing a new one.

1. Marquee (36, 36) to (964, 1364) and choose Edit → Fill. Then marquee (56, 56) to (944, 1344) and press Delete.
2. Fill (68, 68) to (932, 1332), then delete (73, 73) to (927, 1327).
3. Fill (84, 84) to (916, 1316), then delete (86, 86) to (914, 1314).

Choose the Magic Wand (W). Click the outer ring, then Shift-click the two inner rings to add them to the selection.

Choose the Gradient tool, set Type to Linear, and in Advanced… set five stops:

• 0%: #7A5418
• 28%: #D9B25F
• 50%: #F3DE9C
• 74%: #8C6420
• 100%: #D9B25F

Drag from the top-left corner (36, 36) to the bottom-right (964, 1364). The gradient only lands inside the wand selection.

Deselect, then add three layer effects:

• Drop Shadow: X 3, Y 5, Blur 8, Opacity 75, colour #050201
• Stroke: Width 2, colour #3A2208
• Inner Glow: Size 4, Opacity 55, colour #FFF1C4, for a polished edge

Add a layer called Acanthus Corners. Choose the Brush with #D9B25F and Hardness 90, and turn on both Symmetry Horizontal and Symmetry Vertical in the options bar. Every stroke in the top-left corner now appears in all four.

1. At Size 6, draw a big C-scroll from (96, 262) up and around to (252, 100), and finish with a small volute.
2. Add a curl at the bottom end.
3. At Size 2.8, draw an echo line just inside it.
4. Open the brush presets, set Taper to 60, and draw a few short size-9 leaf ribs across the scroll.
5. Set Taper back to 0 and add size-11 and size-6 dots.

Turn symmetry off, then add:

• Drop Shadow: X 2, Y 4, Blur 5, Opacity 75
• Inner Glow: Size 2, Opacity 70, colour #F3DE9C

Add a layer called Crest.

1. With the Lasso (L), trace a half-disc 46 px in radius sitting on (500, 88) and opening upwards.
2. Fill it with a Radial gradient: #8C6420, #F3DE9C at 35%, #D9B25F at 70% and #7A5418. Drag from (500, 88) to (500, 38).
3. Brush the ribs in #5C3D0E at Size 2.8. Click the hinge at (500, 84), then Shift-click seven points around the arc; each Shift-click draws a straight line.
4. Add a #F3DE9C boss dot at Size 7.
5. Give it a Drop Shadow (Y 5, Blur 8) and a 2 px #3A2208 Stroke.

With the Move tool active, click Duplicate Layer, then click the Crest copy row so it's the only selected layer. Marquee tightly around the copy and click Flip Vertical in the Move options bar. Press Cmd+D.

Drag the flipped copy with the Move tool until its flat edge sits on the inner rule at y ≈ 1311, centred on x = 500. Now the frame is symmetrical top to bottom.

Add a layer called Cartouche. Choose View → Show Grid. The grid is 32 px and Snap is on. With the Elliptical Marquee, drag from about (281, 95) to (721, 281). It snaps to the grid at 276, 92 to 724, 284.

Fill it with #4A0F1C. Then drag a Radial gradient of #8A2033, fading from full to zero opacity, from (440, 150) to (440, 330).

Deselect, turn View → Show Grid off and untick Snap in the options bar. Add three effects to the cartouche:

• Stroke: Width 5, #D9B25F
• Inner Glow: Size 18, Opacity 70, #1A0408, for depth
• Drop Shadow: Y 8, Blur 16, Opacity 75

Click an empty spot away from the cartouche with the Text tool (T). Pick Cinzel Decorative, weight Bold, size 100, colour #F0D48A, and type Q E. Press Tab to commit. Move it to the centre of the cartouche, with its top at about y = 152, and give it a small warm Drop Shadow.

Choose the Pen Tool (P):

1. Click (368, 140).
2. Drag from (500, 124) to (566, 124). This makes a smooth anchor with horizontal handles.
3. Click (632, 140).
4. Click Commit path in the options bar.

Select the Cartouche layer. Type Osteria · Barocca in empty space with these settings:

• Cormorant SC, SemiBold, size 15, colour #F0D48A
• Letter spacing 9 in the Text panel

Press Tab. With the text layer still active and the Text tool selected, choose your path from the Path dropdown in the options bar. The words wrap around the arc.

Type Quince & Elderberry in Pinyon Script at 92, colour #F3DE9C.

Centre it with its top at about y = 322 and add a soft Drop Shadow (Y 4, Blur 4, Opacity 50).

Add a Title Flourish layer. Turn on Symmetry Vertical, then Cmd-click (500, 452) to move the mirror axis there. Now paint the right half at Size 3.5: a wave from (512, 452) out to a curl at (690, 446), a dot at (700, 452), and a lozenge at the centre. The left half draws itself. Turn symmetry off.

With Title Flourish active, click New Group and name it Still Life. Inside it, add a Niche layer:

1. Draw an elliptical marquee from (190, 480) to (810, 840) and fill it with #080302.
2. Drag a Radial gradient with stops #4A2C14, #3B2410 at 55%, and a transparent end, from (420, 600) to (720, 820). The light falls from the upper left.
3. Add a 7 px #D9B25F Stroke.
4. Add a big black Inner Glow (Size 40, Opacity 90) so the corners sink into darkness.
5. Add a Drop Shadow.

Add a Drapery layer. With the Lasso, trace a wavy "ledge" edge across the niche at about y 726–744, then follow the lower arc of the oval back to the start. Fill with #5C0D20.

In Advanced…, make a folds gradient with seven stops that alternate dark and light:

• 0%: #3A0816
• 18%: #C8506A
• 32%: #5A0C1E
• 50%: #8E1B3A
• 62%: #3A0816
• 80%: #B4405C
• 100%: #2A050F

Drag it from (200, 760) to (800, 800).

A classic Baroque move is to let something spill over the frame. On the same layer, lasso a flap from (226, 736) down past the oval's edge to about (214, 874) and back up to (352, 790). Fill it and drag a five-stop gradient of #2A050F, #C8506A, #8E1B3A, #3A0816 and #1E0308 diagonally across it.

Deselect and choose Dodge/Burn (O):

• Dodge at Size 22, Exposure 22, down the fold crests.
• Switch to Burn at Size 30, Exposure 20, down the troughs.

Add a Drop Shadow (X 4, Y 8, Blur 12). Then apply Filter → Gaussian Blur… at Radius 3 to soften the brush marks.

Add a Cast Shadows layer first:

1. Fill two flat ellipses in #1A0A05: (392, 732) 214 × 48, and (575, 712) 150 × 36.
2. Gaussian Blur them at 10.
3. Set the layer to Multiply.

Now add a Quince layer. Lasso a slightly lumpy circle about 176 px across, centred at (440, 668), narrowing a little towards the top. Fill it with #C99A2E. Drag a Radial gradient from the highlight at (398, 622) to (540, 760) with these stops:

• 0%: #FFF1C4
• 12%: #F2D98A
• 50%: #C99A2E
• 85%: #6B4A12
• 100%: #3A2606

Deselect.

1. With Burn at Size 80, Exposure 18, sweep the lower-right third. Go over it again at Size 50.
2. Dodge a tiny highlight at Size 26.
3. Brush a soft stem cavity at the top: #4A300A, Size 14, Hardness 30, Opacity 70.
4. Add an Inner Glow (Size 34, Opacity 70, #4A2804) to round the edge.
5. Nudge the quince down so it sits on its shadow.

With the Move tool, click Duplicate Layer. The copy lands 10 px down and right, so drag it back, then rename the copy Quince Front. The original, underneath it, becomes Quince Back:

1. Select Quince Back and marquee around it.
2. Click Flip Horizontal, then press Cmd+D.
3. Marquee it again and Cmd-drag the bottom-right handle in to about 74%. Cmd keeps the proportions.
4. Press Cmd+D.

Move Quince Back so its centre is near (584, 650), partly hidden behind the front fruit. Apply Filter → Oil Paint… (Radius 3, Sharpness 1.5) to both quinces. The flat gradients turn into brushy, painterly patches of colour.

Add a Quince Blush layer.

1. Make Quince Front active and click it with the Magic Wand.
2. Switch back to Quince Blush.
3. Paint a soft #8A8A3A blush (Size 70, Hardness 0, Opacity 80) on the lower left. The selection keeps it on the fruit.
4. Deselect and set the layer to Soft Light. Real quinces keep a green tinge.

On a Leaves layer:

1. Lasso three pointed leaves from the stems at (436, 606) and (586, 590).
2. Fill each with #4F5B23, then drag a linear gradient across it: #1C2408, #4F5B23 and #8A9A48.
3. Brush the midribs in #1A2006 at Size 2.8.
4. Brush short #4A2E16 stems at Size 7.
5. Add a Drop Shadow.

On an Elderberries layer:

1. Draw thin #5B2A3C stems (Size 3) from (676, 556) out to six small umbels.
2. Click about 60 berries at Size 14, Hardness 95, in #2A0A34.
3. Go over half of them again at Size 8 in #4A1A5A to round them.
4. Add pale #E0C4EA glints at Size 3.2, up and to the left of each berry.
5. Add a Drop Shadow.

Marquee (640, 545) to (775, 735). Press Cmd+C and then Cmd+V; the paste lands in place on a new layer. Draw the same marquee again, then click Flip Horizontal and press Cmd+D.

Move the pasted cluster to the left side, centred near (290, 662), where it spills over the velvet flap. Rename it Elderberries Left and give it the same Drop Shadow.

Each section is four text layers:

• Heading: Cinzel Decorative Bold, 28, #E2BD66, letter spacing 3.
• Dish names: Cormorant SC SemiBold, 21, #F1DFB0, line height 1.4.
• Prices: the same as the names, but set to Align Right.
• Descriptions: Sorts Mill Goudy, 16, #C4A57A, line height 1.84, placed 27 px below the names.

The names, prices and descriptions are area text 340 px wide (drag with the Text tool). Put a blank line between the two items so that each description falls into the gap under its dish.

Positions:

• Left column: names at x = 160, prices ending at x = 470.
• Right column: names at x = 530, prices ending at x = 840.
• Headings at y = 900 and 1085, with the items 48 px below each one.

On a Dividers layer, draw the column divider in #CAA052 at Size 2.8:

1. Click (500, 905), then Shift-click (500, 1055).
2. Do the same from (500, 1095) to (500, 1235).
3. Add a lozenge at y = 1075 and dots at both ends.

Draw two small diamond fleurons at (292, 1268) and (708, 1268).

Type the footer Via dei Cotogni · Roma · MDCLXXXIV in Cormorant SC at 16 with letter spacing 2 and centre it at y = 1260.

Tidy up:

• Drapery: use the Eraser (E) at Size 34 to shave the flap's rounded bottom corners into a hanging point.
• Any gaps: fill them with the Clone Stamp (S). Alt-click good velvet at (420, 766), then paint over the gap.
• Corners: on Acanthus Corners, turn on Symmetry Vertical and erase the few dots that touch the Primi items. The matching dots on the right disappear too, so the corners stay symmetrical.

Add a Candle Glow layer at the top:

1. Click once at (400, 600) with a #FFB45A brush at Size 320, Hardness 0.
2. Apply Gaussian Blur at 60.
3. Set the layer to Screen at 55%.

The highlight on the fruit now has a light source.

Open the Project group's effects drawer and click Add Adjustment:

• Vignette at 45
• Photo Filter at Density 18

This darkens the edges like an old varnished canvas and warms the whole page.

In the Paths panel, click the selected path so its overlay stops showing. You can still move the whole still life as one piece: select the Still Life group and drag it with the Move tool.

Choose File → Quick Export PNG for the artwork, and File → Save Project to keep the layered .lopsy file.