Bird in Nest
Tutorial

PSP 7

*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 Sinedot II filter
Render 2D Hyperclouds, or Mura Meister's 'Cloud'

Materials :-
My sg_bird and nest.cfg Here
(Unzip .cgf file into a folder you have made for Sinedots II presets)

some images have been made smaller to shorten file size

step 1.
Open a new image 250 X 200 transparent, flood
fill with black to make it easier to see the sinedots,
add a new layer and name it 'body' go to
Effects...Plugins...Sinedots...
open the sg_bird and nest.cfg choose the bird_body preset.
if you are new to sinedots and don't know how to open
the .cfg file click HERE for more information
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.
Go to Image...Mirror...this will turn the body in the
opposite direction. The canvas needs to be enlarged so
go to Image...Canvas size...change the canvas size to
400 x 400 using this placement (screenshot)

Make the bottom layer active and flood fill with black

Step 3.
For the head, open a new image 200 x 150 transparent
I have flood filled so that you can see the sinedot
easily. Add a new layer, then go to
Effects...Plugins...Sinedots...
choose the 'head' preset, (there is another preset
there called 'bird_head2' which you can use instead
if you prefer, I used that one in the picture at
the end of the tutorial). Change the
blend to 'screen' and click ok

go to Edit...Copy...
this image can be closed

Step 4.
Make the body layer active, add a new layer,
name it 'head' and paste as a new selection
positioning approximately as the screenshot
then de-select

Step 5.
With the freehand (lasso) tool type=point to point draw a
selection around the beak, as in this screenshot, the
inside of the selection line runs along the join between
the face and the beak

go to Selections...Promote to layer...De-select
the beak can now be coloured seperately from the head
I found a wonderful new (well new to me) way of colouring
sinedots, in a great 'Caterpillar tutorial' at B J Webart
there is a link to B J Webart at the bottom of the page.

I'm going to use the method found there to colour
the beak, bird, nest and tree branch

Step 6.
Make the foreground colour on the palette
yellow #ffff00 and the background orange #E07824
and change the style to gradient, click on the
style box under the palette

and in the gradient dialog box select
#1Foreground/Background with these settings

Make sure that you are on the 'promoted
selection layer' go to Selections and select all,
then Selections...Float...
use the paintbrush with these settings

Paint the selection. De-select. If it needs
another coat of paint just repeat the select all,
float, paint and de-select.

Step 7.
Before colouring the birds head and body I
merged those two layers together. Turn off
the visibility of the 'beak' and the background
layers by opening the layers palette and clicking
the glasses on those layers, then go to
Layers...Merge...and Merge Visible
name the merged layer 'bird',
visibility can be turned back on

For my bird I changed the foreground colour to
#E8C986 and the background to #FFFFE3 with the
same gradient style as before this makes my bird's
tail area slightly darker than the head.

Use the same select all, float, paint and de-select,
if you prefer you can use another colour,
colour combination, or leave unpainted.

Step 8.
To make an eye add a new layer and use the
Selection tool type=elipse to make an elipse
positioned where you want the eye. It can be moved
with the mover tool when its finished if it's not
quite right. Change your palette to white solid fill
and flood fill the selection, go to
Effects...3D Effects...apply Inner Bevel...
using these settings

Add a new layer and make a smaller elipse for the
inner eye, flood fill with black and go to
Effects...3D Effects...Inner Bevel...
use the round preset, this is one of Psp's supplied
settings which you'll find in the drop down list, under
presets at the top of the Inner Bevel dialog box

Turn off the visibility of the background layer
and Merge Visible, then turn visibility back on

Step 9.
For the nest open a new image 250 x 150 transparent
flood fill with black and add a new layer, go to
Effects...Plugins...Sinedots...choose the nest preset
change the blend to 'screen' and click ok

Step 10.
I painted the nest in the same way as the body and beak
select all, float and paint, instead of using a gradient
fill, I used psp's shredded wood pattern, so change the
palette to pattern fill and choose shredded wood
with a scale of 50

this is the nest

the nest will need to be squashed down a bit with
the Deformation Tool but the amount will be easier
to judge when the nest is under
the bird, so go to Edit...Copy...
this image can be closed

Step 11.
On the bird image make the top layer active and
add a new layer. Paste as a new selection underneath
the bird and de-select.

Click on the Deformation Tool and lower the depth to
about two thirds by moving down the centre top point.

Double click to remove the deformation box

Step 12.
Now a branch to sit the nest on
open a new image 400 x 300 transparent
flood fill with black and add a new layer
go to Effects...Plugins...Sinedots...
choose the branch preset, making sure that
the blend is 'screen' click ok

go to Image...Flip...

Step 13.
To make it look more like a tree branch I used the
same painting method as before (select all/float/paint)
with the pattern fill called 'phone pole' this is one
of psp's own patterns. I used a scale of 50%
(I liked the twisty look it gave to the branch)
I wanted to make it a little darker so went to Colours...
Adjust...Brightness/Contrast...
brightness=-10(minus 10), contrast=21.

go to Edit...Copy...
this image can be closed

Step 14.
Make the bottom layer active and paste as a new layer

If you need to, use the Mover Tool to adjust
the position of the bird and the nest.
I moved mine nearer to the centre.

To make the tree less bare put a few leaves
on the branch. I used Psp's 'Summer Leaves'
tube scale=50 and put each leaf on a seperate
layer so that they could be moved with the Mover
Tool I deleted those I didn't want, some I flipped,
mirrored or rotated before re-positioning,
you can use as many, or as few as you want.

Step 15
For a sky background make the bottom layer active,
make your palette foreground and background the colours
that you want your clouds and sky to be, then go to
Effects...Plugins...Render...
adjust the settings until you find an effect that you like.
Alternatively you could use Mura Meister's cloud,
choosing appropriate background and foreground colours.

Turn off the visibility of the background layer
make one of the other layers active and merge visible
go to Effects...3D Effects...Drop Shadow...
and use these settings

Finish with a frame

This is a version I made using the other head preset

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

There is a link Here to B J Webart
the Sinedot caterpillar tutorial which you can find there,
is where I learned the method of painting sinedots which
I used in this tutorial.
It's a lovely site and worth a visit

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