Candy Kisses Header

PSP X

*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
Flaming Pear's Solidify
Mura Seamless Filters C

Materials :-
A tube of your choice
the wordart files, moonsurf texture the and mask Here
Unzip into a folder for your current work, move the mask into
your masks folder and the moonsurf.bmp into your textures folder
One of the wordart files is mine, but the other 2 and the mask were
not created by me, I'd like to thank whoever did create them.

some images have been made smaller to shorten file size

Step 1.
Open your tube in psp resize if necessary to
a maximum height of 420 pixels
Go to Image...Canvas Size...
Change the canvas size to 400 pixels width, 420 pixels height
in the placement section choose the centre left box
Your tube should be on the left side of yout canvas.

Use the Dropper Tool to pick a light colour from your
tube as the foreground of your palette, I used #F1D3B7.

Step 2.
For the background you could add a layer and flood fill with a
gradient, but I'm going to show you a little trick I often use to
get interesting backgrounds in colours that go well with the tube.

Your results won't be exactly the same as mine, but I
always think a bit of individuality is a good thing :)

Go to Layers...Duplicate...
Hide the copy of your tube layer by clicking the eye for that layer
in the layers palette then make the original tube layer active
With the Freehand Selection Tool
Selection type=Point to point
Mode=Add
Feather=0
Smoothing=0
Anti-alias=ticked
Select some small areas on your tube that have good colours. There isn't
really a right or wrong place to select, but the the areas at the edge of
the selection are where the colour is going to come from, so the selection
needs to go through the colours rather than around them.
See my screenshot below for an example

Go to selections...Invert...
then hit the Delete key...
Deselect
You should have something similar to this

Step 3.
The tube that I am using doesn't have a wide colour range and
The results over the next few steps are going to vary according
to your tube and the selections that you made, so my screenshots
are just examples, your results won't be exactly the same

Go to Effects...Plugins...Flaming Pear...Solidify A
Note*
I used Solidify A, but you can use Solidify, or Solidify B if you prefer.
Solidify generally gives a more subtle blend of colour and
Solidify B is stronger and more wildly spread.
The position of your little peices of colour from the tube can
also have an effect on the result, you could try moving them to
different positions before the filter is applied.
Have fun and do some experimenting. You can always use the 'undo'
option, or delete the layer, duplicate the tube and try again.

Step 4.
At this point there are a lot of opportunities for variation,
you could just use a gaussian blur to the bits of the original
image, or you could apply a plugin filter, or one of psp's own
effects, so I hope you will do some experimenting of your own.
This is what I did for this tutorial:-
Go to Effects...Artistic Effects...Topography...
Width=25
Angle=106
Density=6
Colour=#b82f25
Feel free to play with the settings

This is what mine looked like

Step 5.
Effects...Art Media Effects...Brush Strokes...
Softness=23
Bristles=56
Width=17
Opacity=100
Length=5
Density=17
Angle=266
Colour=black
feel free to play with the settings here too

This is what mine looked like

Step 6.
Add a new raster layer and flood fill with the light
colour that you picked as your palette foreground colour.
Go to Layers...Load/Save Mask...Load Mask from Disk...
From the dropdown list of masks choose 18MaskkelsWWA
Create mask from Source luminance
Fit to Canvas
Invert transparency=unticked
Hide all mask
(alternatively you could open the mask in psp and go to
Layers...New Mask Layer... From image...and choose the
18MaskkelsWWA mask from the dropdown list)

Go to Layers...Merge...Merge Group...

Go to Effects...Plugins...MuRa's Seamless...Emboss at Alpha
Use the default settings

Step 7.
Make your tube layer active and unhide the layer by
clicking the eye on the layer palette
Go to Effects...3D Effects...Drop Shadow...
These are the settings that I used
Vertical= -2 (minus 2)
Horizontal=2
Opacity=40
Blur=10
Colour=Black

Apply the same drop shadow to your 'masked' layer

Step 8.
Open the 3 wordart files which were in the download zip
They are called 09 words.psp, sg_justforyou-text.psp
and DDHeartSong0600111.psp

All 3 of the wordart files need to be changed to your
foreground (light) colour, do this by locking the
transparency of the layer on each one (click the padlock
on the right side of the layer palette) then flood fill
with your light colour. Click the padlock again when you
have finished the flood fill.

The 09 words.psp is larger than we want so resize it
(Image...Resize...) to 150 pixels wide
Edit...Copy...it can now be closed.

Back on your main image
Add a new layer
Edit...Paste...Paste as New Selection...
placing it in the top right section,
see my screenshot below

Deselect

Step 9.
Open the sg_justforyou-text.psp
go to Edit...Copy...it can now be closed
Back on you main image go to
Edit...Paste...Paste as New Selection
place it in the section just below the previous
text image, see my screenshot below

Deselect
On the layer palette change the Blend Mode
of this layer to Luminance(Legacy)

Step 10.
Open the DDHeartSong0600111.psp
go to Edit...Copy...it can now be closed
Back on you main image
Add a new layer then go to
Edit...Paste...Paste as New Selection
place it in the bottom section
text image, see my screenshot below

Deselect
This time change the Layer Blend Mode to Hard Light

Depending on your colours, you may want to add a drop
shadow (same settings as previously) to the wordart layers
this is optional

Step 11.
Go to Layers...Merge...Merge All(Flatten)
Selections...Select All...
Image...Add Borders...
Add a symmetric border of 10 pixels any colour
Selections...Invert...
Add a new layer and flood fill the selected
border with your light colour

Go to Effects...Texture Effects...Texture...
use these settings
Texture=moonsurf
Size=70
Smoothness=6
Depth=1
Ambience=0
Shininess=0
Colour=white
Angle=315
Intensity=50
Elevation=30
Deselect

Go to Effects...Plugins...MuRa's Seamless...Emboss at Alpha
Use the default settings

Step 12.
Go to Effects...3D Effects...Drop Shadow
Vertical and Horizontal=1
Opacity=50
Blur=5
Colour=Black
Repeat the drop shadow but change the
Vertical and Horizontal setting to minus 1
Go to Layers...Merge...Merge All...

If you want to create a side panelled background make
an Incredimail letter with this header go to
Page 2 Here

I hope you enjoyed this tutorial.
The technique of applying MuRa's Seamless Emboss at Alpha
to the mask layer, I learned from a tutorial by Kevin of
Kevin's Creations so I would like to thank Kevin for that
and also 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
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