American Eagle

Tutorial
PSP8 version

*NOTE*

Sometimes the links for filters change, it's difficult (and a lot of work) to
keep changing them on individual pages, so I have created a page with
links to filters and programs that I have used in my tutorials.
That way it is easier for me, because when there are changes I will
only have one page to update and hopefully better for you, because I'm
less likely to miss a page out when doing the updates :)

You will find links to filters/programs used in this tutorial Here
the link will open in a new window

Filters and programs used in this tutorial :-
Paint Shop Pro
Dragonfly's Sinedots II filter
Eye Candy 3

Materials :-
My sg_eagle pre-set, sg_eagle claw selections and sg_red white blue gradient Here
There is a text file included in the zip, if you don't know where to place the items.

An eagle head tube. If you haven't got one there are some available at:-
Jane's Place
Sandra Dee's World
Arleens Web Designs
Fluttrby Designs
put into the folder you keep for tubes.

I dedicate this tutorial to all of my
American Friends

some images have been made smaller to shorten file size

Step 1.
Open a new Image 250 x 250 transparent.
Flood fill with white and add a new layer
Go to Effects...Plugins...Sinedots...
Open the sg_eagle.cfg and choose the eagle preset
If you are new to sinedots and don't know how to open
the .cfg file click HERE for more information

If you have any problems downloading the sinedots preset
you can view the settings in a new window, by clicking Here

Some presets use different 'blend' settings and it is
important for this tutorial to make sure that the blend
in the sinedots setting is set to 'screen' like this:-

Change it in the drop down list if you need to,
otherwise the sinedots image will be on a black layer
instead of a transparent one. Click ok

Step 2.
We want to change the colour of the sinedots image.
Go to Colours...Adjust...Hue and Saturation...Hue Map
(I have written a tutorial on using the Hue Map
which can be found Here) but for this tutorial you only
need to use the following settings.

Click the reset button at the botton right
(this puts all the settings to default), then
change the saturation level to minus 100 and
the lightness level to minus 50.
This will make most of the sinedots image black,
but some of the lighter areas at the front will be
dark grey, which gives it a more 3 dimensional look.

To make the sinedots image a bit thicker go to
Layers...Duplicate...then Layers...Merge...Merge Down

Step 3.
Add a new layer. Open the Picture Tube. In the tool options
click on the window or it's arrow and from the list of tubes
choose the eagle head (jbeagle3), change the scale to 22
Place the head as in this screenshot, you can move it
with the Mover Tool if you need to.
If you are using a different eagle head tube you will need
to experiment with the scale.

Step 4.
Depending on the tube that you used the bottom edge of the
eagle's head may need to be softened a little. If it does
Activate the Soften Brush and use these settings,
Shape=round Size=12 Hardness=50 Step=4 Density=100 Thickness=100 Opacity=35 You can zoom in to see it better.

Step 5.
Add a new layer
For the claws you can either draw them yourself or use my
selections. If you are drawing your own, activate the Pen Tool.
Make the foreground colour #FFFFC0 and style Colour.
Make the background style Transparent.

Use these settings
Contiguous=unticked
Create as Vector=unticked
Simple mode=unticked
Mode=Drawing mode
Segment Type=freehand
Line style=Solid
Width=6,
Antialias=ticked
Draw the claws for one side, (use the next screenshot
as a guide). Duplicate the layer, then go to
Image...and Mirror...then Layers...Merge...Merge Down...

If you prefer you can use my selections.
Go to Selections...Load from Disk....
Load the eagle claws.sel and flood fill #FFFFC0

Your image should be similar to this

Step 6.
Go to Effects...3D Effects...Inner Bevel
Use the 'Round' preset, but change the Depth to 8

De-select.

Go to Effects...3D Effects...Drop Shadow...
Apply a drop shadow using vertical=5, horizontal=5,
opacity=80, blur=19.8, colour=black.

Step 7.
Turn off the visibility of the background layer,
By clicking the Eye for that layer in the layers palette
(layer 1) go to Layers...Merge...Merge Visible...
Turn the visibility back on by clicking the Eye
in the layers palette again.

The eagle needs a drop shadow, but before applying it
we will increase the canvas size, so that the shadow
around the edges isn't lost. I also removed some lines
from the bottom of the sinedot.

Go to Image...Canvas Size...
Make the canvas size 300 x 300 and in the placement area
choose the centre square.

Activate the eraser tool and use these settings
Shape=Round
Size=5
Hardness=100
Step=25
Density=100
Thickness=100
Rotation=0
Opacity=100
remove the lines at the bottom from both sides,
so that the image looks like this.

Apply a drop shadow changing the opacity to 40
and the colour to #000040, but leaving the other
settings the same as before, then repeat the
drop shadow with the horizontal and
vertical figures changed to minus 5

Step 8.
Change the foreground style to gradient fill
and click on the foreground styles box.
In the dialogue box click on the arrow of the
window and choose the sg_red white blue from
the drop down list and use these settings.

Make the background layer active
and flood fill with gradient

Go to Layers...Merge...Merge All.
Now we just need a frame.

Step 9.
Open a new image 300 x 300 and flood fill
with the sg_red white blue gradient. Go to
Effects...Distortion Effects...Spiky Halo
and use these settings

Step 10.
Add a new Layer Make the background style solid fill,
colour white and foreground style transparent.
Use the Preset Shapes Tool with these settings.
From the shape list choose Star 2
Retain style=unticked
Create as vector=unticked
Antialias=ticked
Line style=solid
Width=1
Make some random stars on the image then Merge all.

We will be using this as a pattern fill for
the frame. You can minimise it out of the way

Step 11.
With the image containing your eagle active,
go to Image...Add Borders...
Click the colour box and change the colour to
black and add a symmetric border of 8
Select all (ctrl + A) Go to
Selections...Modify...Contract...
Contract by 8. Go to
Effects...3D Effects...Cutout...
Use these settings
vertical=10
horizontal=10
opacity=30
blur=42.5
colour=black

Repeat the cutout making the horizontal
and vertical figures minus 10 (-10)

Step 12.
Go to Selections...Invert...(shift + ctrl + I)
Your border should now be selected.
Go to Effects...Plugins...Eye Candy...Glass
I have used the illuminated lumps preset
with the default settings. Here is a screenshot

Step 13.
Add a symetric border of 20
Select All (ctrl + A)
Selections..Modify..Contract...
Contract by 20, then Selections...Invert...
We are going to flood fill the selection
with the pattern that we made earlier.

Change your foreground style to pattern fill
Click on the styles box. In the dialogue box
click on the window, or it's arrow and choose
your pattern and use scale=60 and angle=45

Flood fill the selection.
Don't de-select as we are going to add a cutout.

Step 14.
Go to Effects...3D Effects...Cutout...
Change the vertical and horizontal figures to 2,
opacity to 77 and blur to 15 and the colour black.

Repeat the cutout with the horizontal
and vertical figures at minus 2

Step 15.
go to Image...Add Borders...
add a symmetric border of 8
Select all (ctrl + A) Go to
Selections...Modify...Contract...
Contract by 8. Selections Invert.
Apply Eye Candy 'Glass' with the same
settings we used in step 12.
De-select. I resized mine to 350 x 350,
then sharpened by going to
Effects...Sharpen...Unsharp Mask...
and using Radius=2.00, strength=50, clipping=15

I hope you enjoyed this tutorial.
I would like to give a big thankyou to Suz
for testing this tutorial for me

To see my other tutorials click Here

If you wish to contact me you can find an email address to use included on my Site Map

Home