Spinning Top Tutorial PSP X This tutorial was created March 17th 2002©Copyright Artwork by EssexGirl updated for pspX Jan 2007 please do not copy it, or put it anywhere else without my written permission. *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 Materials :- My selection file Here Unzip into your selections folder The sinedots .cfg that I used in my original psp7 tutorial is Debs DeHaven's, which she gave me permission to use. *Sadly, Deb DeHaven passed away on May 7, 2005 She wrote lots of great tutorials for PhotoImpact including several that used the sinedots filter Her tutorials are still available Here* some images have been made smaller to shorten file size

This tutorial was originally written for PSP7 and used the Sinedots filter and PSP's Geometric Effect...Perspective...Vertical. Unfortunately the Perspective effect works differently in PSP9 and X, this distorts the sinedots shape too much to use, so I have made a selection file to use instead, which you can find in the materials zip. step 1. open a new image 400 x 400 Flood fill with a dark colour, then add a new layer Go to Selections... Load/Save Selection...Load Selection from disk Load the spinning-top selection Flood fill the selection with white, then de-select

Step 2. Go to Layers...Duplicate...then Image...Flip... Go to Layers...Merge...Merge Down... Go to Effects...Reflection Effects...Rotating mirror... Horizontal offset=0, Vertical offset=0, Rotation Angle=23, Edge mode=repeat

Step 3. Using the Freehand Selection Tool (lasso), Selection type=point to point, feather=0, smoothing=0, Anti-alias=ticked, select the bottom area of the spinning top Go to Selections...Float... flood fill the floating selection with gradient. You can get a stronger colour by clicking more than once. The gradient I originally used is fading spectrum by Peggy Jentoft. I no longer have a link for this, but you can use a gradient of your choice I used style=Linear, Angle =24, Repeats=0 and ticked the invert gradient box. De-select

Step 4. There is a small gap in the handle With Pen tool Mode=Draw lines and polygons, Connect segments=unticked, Create on Vector=unticked, Show nodes=unticked, width=2 Foreground colour=white, draw a short line between the two sections to fill the gap. You can either do this on the layer with the sinedots image, or add a new layer first and merge down when you are happy with the join.

Step 5. Change the palette foreground to the colour that you want the handle to be, I used #80FF80 Use the Freehand Selection Tool (same settings as previously) Select around the handle Go to Selections...Float, and flood fill selected area. You can fill more than once for a stronger colour Then go to Effects...3D Effects...Inner bevel... use these settings De-select

Step 6. Go to Effects...3D Effects... Drop Shadow...using these settings

Step 7. There is rather a lot of wasted space surrounding the spinning top so use the Crop Tool to select the area that you want to use for your picture and double click to crop. This was how much I cropped away

Step 8. You can leave the background as it is if you want to, but I flood filled mine with a gradient fill using background #004000 and foreground #000040 style=linear, angle=0, repeats=0 Finish with a frame of your choice

I hope you enjoyed this tutorial. Thankyou to my great testers To see my other tutorials click Here

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