Dragonfly

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 Sinedots II
Super Blade Pro

VM Natural filter
Render 2D Hyperclouds, or Mura Meister's 'Cloud'
(if you have 'Filters Unlimited
the render filter comes with it)
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_dragonfly.cfg, gradients and SBP presets Here

I dedicate this tutorial to Philipp Spöth
the author of Dragonfly's Sinedots filter

some images have been made smaller to shorten file size

Step 1.
Open a new Image 200 x 200 transparent. Flood fill with
a black, add a new layer and name it 'wing 1'
Go to Effects...Plugins...Sinedots...
Open the sg_dragonfly.cfg and open the 'coiled_cup' 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:-

Step 2.
Go to Effects...Geometric Effects...
Perspective Horizontal ...difference=100

Step 3.
Go to Image...Canvas size...
Tick the centre horizontally and vertically boxes
and change the size of the canvas to 400 x 400
then make the background the active layer and
flood fill with black.

Step 4.
Make 'wing 1' the active layer.
Click on the Deformation Tool. A box will surround your
sinedot wing. We are going to rotate the box in a clockwise
direction using the handle that I have arrowed.

The following screenshot will show you how far to turn it.
I have turned on the grid (found under view...grid...) and
changed the grid and guide properties (also found under
view...grid...) to 100 both vertical and horizontal and the
colour to red, so that it can be seen. This is to make it
easier for you to judge the amount of rotation.

Double click to remove the deformation box,
then Go to Effects...Sharpen...and Sharpen.
I also turned off the grid.

Step 5.
Click on the little arrow of the foreground styles
box and choose gradient as the style, then click on the
styles box. In the dialogue box, click on the window or
its arrow and select the gradient that you want to use
from the list. I used sg_pastels 1 with these settings

Activate the 'wing 1' layer
With the Magic Wand
match mode=RGB, feather=0 tolerance=0
sample merged unticked, click the black area
around your sinedot then go to
Selections...Invert...then Selections...Float...
Flood Fill the selection with your
gradient and de-select.

Step 6.
Go to Layers...Duplicate...Rename this layer 'wing 2'
Click the Deformation Tool again and move the handle that
I have arrowed inwards to make the sinedot a bit
narrower, like this screenshot
(don't remove the deformation box yet)

Now move this handle to rotate the sinedot
a little bit in a clockwise direction

You can either use the centre handle to reposition
this sinedot so that the pointed end touches that
of the one on the previous layer, then double click
to remove the deformation box, or remove the
deformation box first and the re-position
the wing with the Mover Tool
Go to Effects...Sharpen...and Sharpen.

Step 7.
Move this layer below 'wing 1' by opening the
layers palette and dragging it down.
Go to Effects...3D Effects...Drop Shadow...
and apply a drop shadow using horizontal=2,
vertical=2, opacity=65, blur=10

Make the other wing (wing 1) the active layer and
repeat the drop shadow, then turn off the visibility
of the background layer by opening the layer
palette and clicking the glasses. Go to
Layers...Merge...Merge Visible.
Rename the layer 'wings'
Turn visibility back on.

Step 8.
Use the Mover Tool to move the wings
nearer to the top of the image.

Change the background colour to white, and the style
to solid fill. Change the foreground style to null.

With the Preset Shapes tool type=elipse,
antialias ticked, create as a vector ticked,
make a long narrow cigar shape for the body
(as this is a vector PSP will automatically
make it on a vector layer).

Step 9.
Use the rotation node (just to the right of the
centre node) to rotate the elipse so that it runs
diagonally, then use the centre node to move move
it into position on the dragonfly wings.
I made mine a little too long, so I adjusted the size
by moving the top right corner handle inwards
You can use any of these handles to adjust the elipse in
different directions, so if your dragonfly's body doesn't
quite fit try making adjustments with the handles

When you are happy with the position and size
go to Layers...Convert to Raster Layer.

Step 10.
Select the body with the Magic Wand, go to
Effects...Plugins...SuperBladePro...and apply my
sg_ballbearings preset, or another of your choice.
De-select

Make a small elipse with the Preset Shapes Tool,
for the head, convert to Raster Layer, select and
apply SuperBladePro in the same way as you
did for the body. De-select

You can adjust the position with
the Mover Tool if necessary

Step 11.
Add a new layer
Swap the foreground and background style and colour
by clicking the double ended arrow, so that the
foreground is white and the background null

With the Draw Tool, type=freehand, width=2,
antialias ticked, create as a vector unticked,
draw an antenna, then with the paintb4rush shape=round,
size =4, put a dot at the end of the antenna.

Go to Effects...Texture Effects...
Sculpture... and use the 'silver' preset, found
in the dropdown list at the top of the dialogue box.

Go to Layers...Duplicate...
Click on the Deformation Tool rotate a little to the
right using centre right handle (in the same way you
did with the wing). Double click to remove the deformation
box and move into position next to the first antenna
using the Mover Tool, then go to Effects...and sharpen.
If the lines for the antenna have overlapped the
head just open the layers palette and drag the
antenna layers below the head layer.

Turn off the visibility of the wings and the
background, go to Layers...Merge...Merge Visible
Rename the layer body and turn visibility back on

Step 12.
Add a new layer
The dragonfly needs six long spindly legs.
Use the Draw Tool, type=point to point, width=2,
antialias ticked, create as a vector unticked, closed
path unticked. do a left mouse click on the body of
the dragonfly level with where the wing joins the body.
make a second click where you want to put the knee joint
and a third click for the ankle joint (I don't know if
dragonflies actually have knee and ankle joints LOL)
and one last click for the end of the foot.
You should have something similar to this

Finish by clicking outside the image
your leg should look something like this

You need another two similar legs for this side of
the body. If you draw each leg on a seperate layer
they can be moved individually or if you don't mind
them being exactly alike you could duplicate the layer
twice and move them into position with the Mover Tool
This was my first three legs

Turn off the visibility of all the layers except the
three legs, Merge Visible and turn visibility back on

Step 13.
Now we want three legs for the other side of the body.
Make the background layer active and add a new layer.
Make three legs for this side in the same way as before,
the joints will go in the opposite direction.
This was my first one

Turn off the visibility of all the layers except these
three legs, Merge Visible and turn visibility back on.
Apply the same sculpture with the silver preset that you
used on the antenna in step 11, to both of the legs layers.
Turn off the visibility of the background layer and
Merge Visible, then turn visibility on again. Rename the
layer 'dragonfly'. This is my screenshot

Step 14.
Go to Effect...3D Effect...Drop Shadow
using these settings

Step 15.
Make the background layer active. For the sky I have used
the Render filter. If you have filters unlimited apply
Render...Clouds(white/blue)...
If you don't have filters unlimited and are just using
Render, make the foreground colour white, background
colour #3886FE, then go to Effects...Plugins...Render...
and apply Clouds (fore-/background colour)

Now go to Effects...Plugins...VM Natural...
Lakeside Reflection...Change the horizon to 200
and leave the other settings at default

Step 16.
We will make some sinedot rushes next
Open a new image 100 x350 transparent
Go to Effects...Plugins...Sinedots...
choose the 'ribbon2' preset

Go to Image...Flip...
Make the foreground style gradient, click on the
styles box. In the dialogue box change the angle to 45
change the gradient in the window to 'sg_rushes'.

We are going to flood fill the sinedot, but first open
layers palette click off the red X which is on the
padlock at the far right, this will protect the
transparent areas of the layer while we flood fill.

Flood fill the layer with gradient.
Duplicate the layer and merge visible, then apply
the same drop shadow that you used on the dragonfly
Go to Edit...Copy...
this image is no longer needed

Step 17.
The background of your main image should still be active.
Go to Edit...Paste...Paste as a new layer. Name the layer
'rushes 1'. Use the Mover Tool to reposition the
sinedot rushes. Here is my screenshot.

Duplicate the layer and rename it 'rushes 2'.
Go to Image...Mirror...then Image...Resize...
Make sure that the all layers box is not
ticked and resize the layer to 60%,
then go to Effects...Sharpen...and Sharpen.
With the Mover Tool move this one so that it
slightly overlaps the larger rushes.

Step 18.
Make the background layer active and add a new layer,
naming it 'mist'. Click on the foreground styles box
and change the gradient to 'sg_dragonfly mist' leave the
other settings the same as before. Flood fill the layer,
then in the layers palette lower the transparency to 40

Turn off the visibility of the background and the dragonfly
layers and Merge Visible. Turn visibility back on.

Apply the VM Natural...Lakeside reflection, I changed the
horizon to 236 but if your rushes are a little lower or
higher than mine you will have to adjust this. The
horizon, on this layer should come about a quarter
of an inch above the bottom of the rushes, so that
they look as though they are in the water.

Step 19.
Go to Layers...Merge...Merge All...
Before framing resize the image to 300 x 300
Then Sharpen using the unsharp mask
radius=2.00, strength=50, clipping=15

For the frame, we are going to make a border on
the bottom and right side in one colour, then the
top and left side in another colour, which we will
repeat with alternating colours. I have used the same
SuperBladePro preset for both as the colour of the
border underneath changes the effect.

Make the foreground colour #CEBBCB and
the background colour to #26D0CE

Go to Image...Add Borders...
Untick the symmetric box and put these
figures in the border size boxes
top=0, bottom=10, left=0, right=10
You should have a border along the
right side and bottom of the image

Select the border with the Magic Wand,
go to Effects...Plugins...
Flaming Pear...SuperBladePro...
Apply the sg_misty rose preset
Don't de-select, we want to add a cut-out.

Go to Selections...Invert...
The selection will run along the
outside of your image, but inside
the bottom and right side border.

Go to Effects...3D Effects...Cutout...
Use these settings

Repeat the cutout, changing the horizontal and
vertical settings to negative figures (minus 30)

Step 20.
Click on the double ended arrow between the foreground
and background colour boxes under the palette, this will
swap the foreground and background colours.
Add another border, this time reversing the figures
(top=10, botton=0, left=10, right=0)
Select the border with the Magic Wand and apply
SuperBladePro using the sg_misty rose preset

Step 21.
Keep the same background colour
Add another border reversing the figures back again.
(top=0, botton=10, left=0, right=10)
Select the border and apply the SBP sg_misty rose preset.

Step 22.
Swap the foreground and background colours and
Add another border, reversing the figures to
(top=10, botton=0, left=10, right=0)
Select the border with the Magic Wand and apply
SuperBladePro using the sg_misty rose preset

Step 23.
repeat step 21

Step 24.
Repeat step 22

Then de-select

I hope you enjoyed this tutorial.
Thankyou to my very helpful testers
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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