Thursday, November 18, 2010

Beginner Forum Set Tutorial




Supplies Needed

Image of Choice – I'm using a wonderful image by Darriel Jenkins, http://www.renderosity.com/mod/gallery/browse.php?username=ryo80
*Used with permission granted to Shewolfs Domain yahoo group 

Font of Choice – I'm using Dynomite Spark Thin

Optional – Animation Shop, Eye Candy

Let's Get Started!

Open image of choice. If image is larger than 500 pixels in width, resize to width of 500. If smaller than that, don't resize to make it larger, just work with it as is. Duplicate it, we will use one for the tag & one for the avatar.

Activate your Crop tool. Set it to a width of 500 (or the width of your image) and a height of 250. Move the crop box around until you get the area you want to use for your tag. Hit the check mark to apply crop.

Activate your Preset Shape tool. Choose the rectangle tool.

Set your stroke/foreground color to null & your background/fill color to a color from your image. I used #bf4b01.

Draw a long thin rectangle out on your canvas. Convert to raster layer.

Rotate your shape so it cuts across the canvas. I rotated mine 55 degrees to the left, but the exact angle will depend on the image you choose.

Apply a texture effect to your shape. I used Blinds, 3, 25, Light from the top, color #482d1a.

Save.

Add a new raster layer, should be your top layer.

Selections>Select All

Flood fill with the same color your used for your rectangle.

Selections>Modify>Contract by 5 pixels.

With your flood filled layer still active, hit the Delete key.

Selections>Select None.

Save.

Add a drop shadow to your border & your rectangle. I used 0, 0, 55, 10, black. Save.

Add your copyright info.

Add your name/text. Rotate it the same amount you rotated your rectangle & place it over the rectangle on your canvas.

Add a gradient glow (optional, use Eye Candy: Gradient Glow) and drop shadow to your name.

If you'd like to add simple animation to the rectangle/border, follow the instructions below, otherwise – you're done with your tag!

For your avatar – 

Crop a 150 x 150 portion from your original image. Repeat the steps you used to create the border. Add your name & copyright info.

For animation -

Activate your rectangle or border layer – whichever you want to animate.

Go to Adjust>Add/Remove Noise>Add Noise. Choose settings “Uniform” and 60%, Monochrome should be CHECKED.

Edit>Copy Special>Copy Merged

Go to Animation Shop and Edit>Paste>As New Animation (or CTRL+V)

Back in PSP, Edit>Undo (or CTRL+Z)

Go to Adjust>Add/Remove Noise>Add Noise. Choose settings “Uniform” and 61%, Monochrome should be CHECKED.

Edit>Copy Special>Copy Merged

Go to Animation Shop and Edit>Paste>After Current Frame (or CTRL+Shift+L)

Back in PSP, Edit>Undo (or CTRL+Z)

Go to Adjust>Add/Remove Noise>Add Noise. Choose settings “Uniform” and 62%, Monochrome should be CHECKED.

Go to Animation Shop and Edit>Paste>After Current Frame (or CTRL+Shift+L)

Still in Animation Shop – Edit>Select All (or CTRL+A)

Animation>Frame Properties – Change the display time to 15

View>Animation – You can speed up the “twinkling” by changing the display time to a number lower than 15, or slow it down by using a higher number.

When you are happy with it, save as GIF and you are done.

Here's another example of the tut, using artwork by ©Khaosdog, www.khaosdog.de (Used with permission of the artist)






Sweet Nothings


Supplies needed:

Scrapkit of choice - I used Bluedream Designs' FTU kit “Sweet Nothings”. You can get this great kit & more freebies at her blog - http://bluedreamdesigns.blogspot.com/

Tube of choice – I used Keith Garvey's tube “Robin”, which can be purchased at MPT. You must purchase the tube & obtain a license from MPT in order to use this artwork.

Font of choice – I am using “Diskus”, you can use any font you want.

Mask of choice – WSL Mask 079, which you can get from her blog - http://weescotslasscreations.blogspot.com/

Optional Plug-In – Eye Candy Gradient Glow

All links and supplies shared with permission.

This tutorial is written using PSP X2, but should be easy to do on other versions. It is written assuming you have a general working knowledge of PSP.

Let’s get started!

First, open a new canvas 500 x 500.

Flood fill the canvas white.

Open Paper10, copy & paste onto your canvas.

Apply WSL mask 079.

Activate the mask layer & resize just that layer 125%

Merge mask group together.

Save your work.

Open Paper5, copy & paste onto your canvas.

Open Frame1, copy & paste onto your canvas.

Open your tube, copy & paste close-up onto your canvas. Move it above Paper5 but below Frame1.

On your close-up layer, Mirror (CTRL+M). Arrange it under the frame as you like.

Change Blend Mode of close-up layer to Luminance (Legacy).

Save your progress.

Activate your frame layer.
Using your magic wand tool (tolerance and feather set to 0, mode set to add, match mode set to none), click INSIDE your frame.

Selections>Modify>Expand by 5 pixels.

Selections>Invert (CTRL+Shift+I)

Activate your Paper5 layer and hit the Delete key on your keyboard.

Activate your close-up layer and hit the Delete key on your keyboard.

Selections>None (CTRL+D). Save.

Activate your close-up layer, right click on layer palette, choose Merge>Merge Down.

Repeat to merge your frame down onto your close-up & paper.

Save.

Activate your crop tool, select the entire canvas, and crop (gets rid of any paper outside of the canvas area).

On your merged together frame layer – resize 90%

Apply a drop shadow to your frame layer. I used 5, 5, 25, 6, black, then again using -5, -5, 25, 6, black.

Save.

Copy & paste your tube onto the canvas. I resized mine 85% to get it to fit.

Arrange it how you like & add a drop shadow. I used 4, -4, 40, 8, black.

Save.

Open Flower Doodle & resize 65%. Copy & paste onto your canvas, below frame layer & above masked layer.

Move the doodle to the top left corner of your canvas.

Duplicate your doodle layer, Mirror & Invert the doodle & arrange how you like.

Open Flower1, resize 85%, arrange how you like. Add drop shadow, I used 3, 3, 40, 5.

I added the saying “Whisper Sweet Nothings To Me” at the top in #605342, then added a gradient glow of 5, using color #fcdcde. Drop shadow used is 2, 2, 45, 2, color #29231d.

Save.

If you are going to resize the tag, do so now BEFORE you add your copyright info.

Add your copyright info/license number/tagger’s mark. Save.

Add your name or other text, hide the white background, save as .png file, and you are done!

I would love to see your results! Email them to tutsbyj0eswife@gmail.com

This tutorial was created on November 18, 2010. Tutorial is © tutsbyj0eswife and is registered with TWI.

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