Candle Tutorial

PSP9 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 Pro7
Dragonfly's Sinedots II filter you can get
Fantastic Machine's Paint Engine
OPTIONAL: Super Blade Pro

Materials :-
There is a text file included in the zip, if you don't know where to place the items.
My sg_candle.cfg, candle flame selection file and golden smoothie SBP preset Here
Nanson's 'Ribbon' gradient, it is on page 4. There are some
beautiful gradients to be found, so take a look around while
you're there, A link is Here

some images have been made smaller to shorten file size

Step 1.
This tutorial was originally written for PSP7 and used the Sinedots filter
and PSP's Geometric Effect...Perspective...Vertical, to create the flame
for the candle. Unfortunately the Perspective effect works differently in PSP9
and distorts the sinedots shape too much to use, so I have made a selection
file for creating the candle flame, which you can downoad in the section above.

Open a new image 200 x 200 transparent
Flood fill with a dark colour, it doesn't matter what colour
you use, because you can change the background later.

Add a new layer naming it 'flame'.
Go to Selections...Load/Save Selection...
Load Selection From Disk...
load the candle-flame.sel

Step 2.
Make the foreground colour of your palette
#C00000 dark red and the background #FFFF40 yellow.
Change the foreground style to gradient fill,
click on the foreground styles box and in
the dialogue box choose these settings
style=linear gradient, angle=0,
repeats=0, invert gradient unticked

You can try different colour combinations, or a plain colour
Flood fill the selection with the gradient.

Don't de-select yet
An optional step is to apply SuperBladePro

Go to...Selections...Float...(ctrl+F)
Go to Effects...Plugin Effects...
Flaming Pear...SuperBladePro...
Apply the sg_golden smoothie preset,
or another of your choice.

The colour of my flood fill shows through the SBP preset.

Step 3.
Go to Image...Canvas size...
Change the canvas size to 400 x 600
In the placement area, choose the 'top centre' box

Change your palette foreground back to the dark
colour that you used to flood fill the background
layer and the style back to solid fill. Make the
bottom layer active and flood fill with your dark
colour, then add a new layer naming it 'candle'.

Step 4.
We need to open a new image to make the candle.
Open a new image 120 x 370 transparent.
You can add a new layer and flood fill if you
want to, but it's not necessary as we will be copying
and pasting the the sinedots candle on to the main
image straight away, I have only done it here so that
the image is visible in the screenshot.

Go to Effects...Plugin Effects...Dragonfly...Sinedots...
Choose one of the candle presets that are in the
sg_candle.cfg there are 2 to choose from.
This screenshot uses the candle1 preset

Step 5.
Go to Edit...Copy...(ctrl+C)
This image can be closed.
On your main image with the 'candle' layer active
Go to Edit...Paste...Paste as New Selection (ctrl+E)
Watch the co-ordinates at the bottom left of the screen
and place your candle shape at co-ordinates 142,213.
De-select.

Step 6.
If you want the candle to be more solid you can
duplicate the layer once or twice (more if you
want to). Make the 'candle' layer active, go to
Layers...Duplicate...repeat (ctrl+y) until you are
happy with the thickness, then turn off the visibility
of the background and flame layers by clicking the
'Eye' for these layers in the layer palette.
Go to Layers...Merge...Merge Visible...
then re-name the merged layer 'candle'.
Turn the visibility of all the layers back on.

I duplicated my candle layer twice, then merged
the candle and duplicates together.

If you want to change the colour of your candle,
you can do it by locking the layer transparency,
and flood filling, to do this open the layer palette,
click on the padlock at the far right end of the candle
layer. It will remove the X and turn blue, (this will protect
the transparent areas), flood fill with a gradient, pattern
fill, or solid fill. Don't forget to unlock the trasparency
by clicking the padlock again when you have finished.

I flood filled my candle with a gradient called
'ribbon' which I got from Nanson's Place. If you
want to use the same one there is a link at the top
of the page. You might find something you like
better while you're looking around :)

These are the settings I used for the gradient fill.
Angle=0, repeats=2 invert gradient ticked

Depending on the colours you use and whether you want
your candle to be on a light or dark background, you
may want to duplicate and merge the candle layer again,
this is just personal taste. I duplicated my candle
layer again and felt that looked better. Try it, if you
don't like it you can always delete the duplicate layer.
If you decide to keep it don't forget to make the other
layers invisible and merge visible the candle layers.

Step 7.
Make your bottom layer active and
add a new layer, naming it 'wick'.
Make the foreground solid fill in a
beige or fawn colour. I used #D7CAAF
Make the background palette style null

Use the Pen Tool with these settings
create ons vector=unticked
Contiguous=unticked Simple mode=unticked Mode=Drawing Mode
Segment type= Freehand
Line style=Solid
Width=8
Antialias=ticked
Draw a line for the wick, I curved mine a little.

Go to Effects...3D Effects...Inner Bevel...
Use the round preset, but change the width
and the depth down to 2. You will find the
presets in the dropdown list at the top centre