Eye of the Storm Tag

This tutorial was written on April 2nd 2006 and was rewritten and updated 20th April 2016
by Sandie © Artwork by EssexGirl, All Rights Reserved.
please do not copy it, or put it anywhere else without my written permission.

Filters and programs used in this tutorial :-
Paint Shop Pro
Mura Meister Copies

Materials :-
See the text file in the zip if you don't know where to put these items
My mask, fence post shapes, wordart tube and purple
gradient. The tin foil texture came with PSP, but I
have included it in the zip in case you haven't got it.Here
If you prefer the mask in jpg format you can get itHere

You will also need a tube of your choice.

Step 1.
Open the tube that you are going to use.
For the foreground of your materials palette, choose a
dark colour that will go well with your chosen tube.
Change the background of your materials palette to 'gradient'
Click on the 'Background and Fill Properties' box and from the
dropdown list of gradients choose sg_purple-shades (or a gradient
of your choice, that will go well with the colours of your tube).
For the style I used 'linear'
Angle and repeats=0
Invert=unticked
Texture=unticked

Step 2
Go to File...New...and open a new Raster image
Width=800
Height=640
Raster Background
Transparent

Flood fill with your foreground colour (I used #280430).

Go to Layers...New Raster Layer...
Flood fill with your gradient.
Go to Layers...Load/Save Mask...Load Mask from Disk...
(or open the mask in psp, minimise it, then go to Layers...New Mask Layer...From Image...)
Choose the sg_eye-of-the-storm mask
Create mask from = source luminance
Orientation = Fit to Canvas
Options = Hide all mask
invert transparency=unticked

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

Step 3
Open up your tube, go to Edit...Copy...
The tube can be closed now
Go to Edit...Paste as a new Layer
Depending on the size of your tube this layer may need
to be resized. If your tube is too large, go to
Image...Resize...Resample using Bicubic,
make sure the all layers box is unticked.
The amount of resizing will depend on the size of your tube
use my next screenshot as a rough guide.
Move into a position that you like, using the Mover Tool.
My tube is on the right side of the image (in my second
example at the end of the tutorial it is on the left side).

Go to
Effects...3D Effects...Drop Shadow...
Vertical and Horizontal = -5 (minus 5) opacity = 50 Blur = 10 Colour = black

Step 4
Change both the foreground and background to color #ffffff (white)
Activate the Preset Shapes Tool and choose Preset Shape

From the shapes in your Shapes List choose one of the sg_fence post shapes that
were in the materials zip. For this tutorial I have used sg_fence post 4

Retain Style = unticked (so the shape is in your foreground and background colours)
Antialias = ticked
Create as Vector = ticked
Line Style = solid
Width = 1

Starting just above the centre of your image drag the shape
out and down to approximately this size.

Right click on the Vector Layer in the layers palette and Convert to Raster Layer

Step 5
Go to Effect...Texture Effects...Texture...
Use these settings

Texture=tin foil
Size = 30
Smoothness = 0
Depth = 40
Ambience = 0
Shininess = 30
Color = white
Angle = 135
Intensity = 50
Elevation = 30

Go to Effects...3D Effects...Inner Bevel...
Use these settings

Bevel = 2
Width = 10
Smoothness = 25
Depth = 8
Ambience = -20 (minus 20)
Shininess = 35
Color = white
Angle = 315
Intensity = 35
Elevation = 60

Step 6
Go to Effects...Plugins...Mura Meister...Copies...
In the dropdown list of presets at the bottom left choose 'Line'
Change the 'number' setting at the top of the list to '12'.
This number may vary slightly depending on which fence post you used
and how wide you made your post, so if the posts look too wide apart,
or close togethet, try changing the numbet by 1, or 2 up, or down.
The rest of the settings stay the default

Go to Effects...3D Effects...Drop Shadow...
Vertical and Horizontal = 2 opacity = 75 Blur = 5 Colour = Black

The bottom of the fence needs to be right at the bottom of the image, so
if you have a gap between them (like I did), use the Mover Tool to move
the fence down to the bottom, taking care not to move it away from the sides.

Step 7
Next we will add a bar that goes across the width of the fence.
Go to Layers...New Raster Layer.
Activate the Selection Tool...Selection Type = Rectangle
and select a strip approximately 20 pixels deep across the image.
I have placed it where the bumps at the sides of the post go, but if you are using one
of the other fence post shapes, choose the position where you think it will look best.
You can always adjust the position with the Mover Tool after the srtip is made.

Flood fill with White
Select None
Apply the same texture effect and inner bevel that was used in step 5

Go to Effects...3D Effects...Drop Shadow...
Vertical and Horizontal=2 opacity=75 Blur=5

Go to Layers...Arrange...Move Down...

Step 8
Open the sg_storm.png wordart, or you can add your own wordart, or text.
Go to Edit...Copy...
On your image make the top layer active
Go to Edit...Paste as a new layer
Move into position with the Mover Tool

Go to Layers...Merge...Merge All...
Go to Selections...Select All...
Then Effects...3D Effect...Cutout...
Vertical & Horizontal offsets = 0
Opacity = 100
Blur = 25
Colour = Black
Select None

Go to Image...Add Borders...
Add a symetrical border of 2 pixels in black
Go to Selections...Select All...
Image...Add Borders...
Add a symetrical border of 20 pixels (any colour)
Selections... Invert...

Change the Background of your palette back to Gradient
We are going to use the same gradient that was used at the
beginning of the tutorial but this time tick the 'invert' box

Flood fill the selection with the gradient.
Select None

Here is another example in different colours.
I used dark grey instead of white for the fence post in this version

I hope you enjoyed this tutorial.
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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