Christmas Ornament
Note: This tutorial is graphic and tool tip intensive. I could have made it short and sweet, but decided to do the intensive version to share tips and tools that make my PSPing much easier. I use scripts and presets for redundant activities, like my favorite inner bevels or bubbles settings. I included the presets I used as well as the gradients.
I used PSP 9 for this ornament.
No outside filters or files are needed for this tutorial.
Preparation and Optional installations:
(Do this before you start decorating your ornament if you want to use my presets and gradients. )Download materials here . Extract to a folder and open it.
1) I use a Boundscript in place of Selections> Select All ... Float .... Defloat.
A tutorial for making Boundscripts is here.
You can make and save your script as you use this tut or move selectallfloatdefloat.pspscript to your restricted scripts folder. Run it when you see the instructions to Select All > Float > Defloat.
2) Preset_BallsAndBubbles_candycaneball.PspScript - Move to your PRESET folder.
(C:\...\ My Documents \ My PSP Files \ Presets)
3) My gradients: These are in my PSP folders. I do not know the origin of these gradients but if you do, let me know and I will happily give credit to the creators.
(C:\...\ My Documents \ My PSP Files \ Gradients)
Candycane.pspgradient - I believe this is came with PSP 9.
goldgradient.jgd - This is a PSP 7 or older gradient.
KK_BerryDaiquiri.PspGradient - This is needed for the Balls and Bubbles candycane preset.
4) Twirl.PspImage - This is also part of the Candycaneball preset. Move to the Bump Maps folder in My PSP Files. (C:\...\ My Documents \ My PSP Files \ Bump Maps) |
Open a new image, 400 X 400, transparent background. Floodfill with a bright color so you can see your work easily. I chose RED.
Make sure your Layer Palette is visible. If not, press F8 to activate it.
Turn on your Rulers and Guides
View > Rulers
View > Guides.
Set up your guides to find the center point of your image. Drag the guide from the top ruler to position Y-200 and drag a guide from the left ruler to position X-200. If you don't know how to do this, see the tut on positioning guides here.
Layers > New Raster Layer.
Name it Ball.
Selection Tool > Circle --- Mode: Replace --- Feather: 0 --- Antialias Checked.
Position your cursor at the center point of your guides X: 200 Y:200 and draw a circle the size you want your ornament. Make sure to leave room at the top of the image for the hanger.
Floodfill with a light color. I used #e6ecf4.
Deselect.
TOPPER
Layers > New Raster Layer. Name it Topper.
Selection tool > Rectangle. -- Don't change the settings.
To center the rectangle, set two more guides at X: 175 and X: 225.
Draw a small rectangle between the guides over the top of your ball.
Floodfill it with your light color.
Deselect the rectangle and activate the Deformation Tool. Hold the Shift Key down and drag the bottom left corner out ten pixels... watch the numbers at the botttom right of the screen as they change... stop at X:165.
Drag the bottom right node (still holding the Shift Key down to X:235.
Click on your mover tool to get rid of the Deform Tool.
Activate your Ball Layer.
Selections > Select All
Selections > Float
Selections > Defloat
Highlight your Topper Layer.
Tap the Delete Key once.
This cuts an arc in the bottom of the topper.
Deselect.
Layers > New Raster Layer. Name it Hanger.
Make sure the Hanger layer is selected.
Selection Tool > Circle -- Same settings as before.
Place your mouse on the vertical guide above the topper. X: 200 Y: 45
Draw a circle outward so it just touches the top of the topper.
Floodfill with you light color.
Selections > Modify > Contract: 5
Tap the Delete Key once.
Deselect.
At this point you have 4 layers and the basic pattern for your Christmas bulb.
If you plan to make several ornaments, save this image as a PSP file, preserving all layers. Keep this pattern as your Master pattern. Duplicate the Master pattern, (Shift + D), delete the guides and close the original. Work with your duplicate.
Now let's make the bulb PRETTY! These are the instructions for using the gradients and settings I used. Feel free to modify them any way you want.
Activate your Ball Layer.
Selections > Select All
Selections > Float
Selections > Defloat
Floodfill with a pretty gradient. I used Candy Cane with these settings.
Do not deselect.
Selections > Modify > Expand: 2
Effects > Artistic Effects > Balls and Bubbles
Use my Preset: candycaneball or find one that you like by playing with the selections on all the tabs. When you are happy with the ball, click OK.
Deselect
Activate your Topper Layer.
Selections > Select All
Selections > Float
Selections > Defloat
Floodfill with a gold gradient with these settings.
Effects > Texture Effects > Blinds with these settings.
Effects > 3D Effects > Inner Bevel with these settings
I use this bevel more than any other inner bevel. I saved the preset - named it BugzBunny Egg for the image I was working on. The name is easy to recognize when I use the dropdown box to look for a preset.
Effects > 3D Effects > Dropshadow with these settings.
Vertical: 2
Horizontal: 0
Opacity: 65
Blur: 5
Color: #c8ad58
Deselect.
Activate your Hanger Layer.
Selections > Select All
Selections > Float
Selections > Defloat
Floodfill with the gold gradient.
Effects > 3D Effects > Inner Bevel with these settings
Hide or delete the background layer.
Use the Mover Tool to drag the Hanger down abit to touch the Topper. You can drag the Hanger Layer below the topper layer if you want.
Layers > Merge > Merge Visible.
You can add text to your Ornament.
Text on a curve... Using Vectors. Ack!
Use the Pen Tool with these settings.
Use any color for the foreground and null the background in the materials palette.
Click once on the left side of the bulb and once on the right side of the bulb to draw a straight line across the bulb.
Right click on the end node. If Convert to Path is not greyed out, click Convert to Path first. Right click on the end node and select Node Type > Curve Before.
Run your mouse over the line from right to left until your cursor changes to a set of two round arrows over the top of a nearly invisible node. Click, hold and drag the node upwards to the left to form a nicely curved arc.
Text tool with the settings in the example below:
Be sure Create As: Vector is selected.
I used #dfd57d for the forground and the gold fill gradient as the background fill.
Choose a pretty script font.
Hover your mouse over the center of the line you drew at the top of the arc until it turns into a rocking A.
Type your greeting or your name in the text box. You can adjust the position of the text along the line by grabbing the center node and dragging it to where you want it. Because it is locked to the line, it won't move up or down, just along the line.
VECTOR TEXT IS THE BEST TO WORK WITH...
Here's one of the reasons why.
If you want to move the text up or down on your ball, expand the Vector Layer in the palette so that you can see the New Path and Text layers. Click on the New Path Layer to activate the deform box around the line. Click, hold and drag the center node to move it wherever you want. You can drag the line up and down, use the edge and corner nodes to stretch or compress the line's arc. You can grab the rotation arrow and rotate your line to a different angle. The text will stay with the line. You can only drag the text to the left or right along the line but you can stretch or deform the text by activating the text layer and dragging the corner and edge nodes around. Holding the shift key and/or Ctrl key down when the deform box is active gives you more options with all the deformation tools in PSP. Play with these settings and watch how the cursor changes when you hold a different key down while hovering your mouse over any of the nodes. Hold Shift and Control down at the same time, then just the Shift Key and then just the Ctrl Key.
Play with the position of the text and some of the settings in the Text Tool Bar. Remember you can always undo your settings if you don't like what you did. |
When you are satisfied with everything, activate the Vector Layer and hide the New Path layer. You will only see your text over your bubble.
Right click the Vector Layer in the Layer Palette. Convert to Raster Layer.
Add an inner bevel or drop shadow to your text. Merge visible layers.
Selection Tool > Rectangle.
Use the Create Selection From > Layer Opaque (the middle button) to surround your image.
Selections > Modify > Expand: 10
Image > Crop to Selection.
Save as a PSP file as a tube and use your new ornament liberally in all kinds of tags through the holiday season!
I used different settings for this example. Anything goes... just play til you find what you want.
|
