Technique

~ This tutorial assumes you are familiar with the tools in PSP ~
It was written on April 16, 2009, using PSP 9, but it can be completed in most versions.
Tutorials are only guidelines, it's always fun to experiment with different settings on your own : )
 

This tutorial is not suitable for a beginner, it's geared more toward someone who is not only familiar with
vectors but is comfortable with the node edit functions in Paint Shop Pro.

~ SAVE YOUR WORK OFTEN ~
 

Open a new 'Vector' file; File > New



Click on the Preset Shapes tool, or type the letter 'P' to activate it.
Locate and load the 'Heart1' shape.  If you do not have this shape you can download it HERE.
Place it in PSP's preset shapes folder located in mydocuments\My PSP files\Preset Shapes.

Plug in the following settings in the Tool Options Palette:
(Retain style: Unchecked, Create as vector & Anti-alias: Checked, Line style: Solid, Width: 1.00

 

Step 2:

Creating the bow loops

In the Materials palette, set the Foreground color to black and the Background to a color of your choice.
I used #8a996d.

On your canvas, hold down your left mouse button and drag out your heart.
My heart is sized at about 90X80.

Rotate your heart 90 degrees to the left.
Image > Rotate > Free rotate

Grab the Pen Tool, or type the letter 'V' to activate it.
Edit your nodes so that the placement of the handles look similar to the image below.
(you will only be able to see the handles of one node at a time when editing)

I moved the top node up, middle node down and to the left a bit, bottom node down,
then rounded the corners using the node handles.


Remember, if you make a mistake, hitting Control 'Z' on your keyboard will undo your last move.

Still using the pen tool, click on the middle node to select it.
Right click on the node with your mouse and select 'Edit > Break'.
You now should have 2 separate middle nodes.

Zoom in closely and hover your mouse over the 2 nodes.
Click on the one that says 'Start' and pull it into the bow to create an illusion of a crease.


When you are done, pull out the node handle to round out the top of the bow loop again and
to close any gap that may be between the broken nodes.  We don't want any gaps in our loop.

---

Step 3:

Using the Move/Pick tool, move the bow loop up toward the top left of the canvas.

Duplicate and mirror your bow loop; Layers > Duplicate, Image > Mirror

Grab the Move/Pick tool again & move the right loop closer to the left loop. 
When you are happy with the placement of your loops, right click on the layer and select 'Merge down'
Double click on the layer and name it 'Bow loops'.

Click on the plus sign (+) next to the layer.  Notice that both bow loops are located in sublayers.  In order
to select a vector object from the layers palette, you must click on it's sublayer. 
You can tell if a sublayer is selected if the name is highlighted in bold.

Both of your sublayers should be selected, but if not, click on the first Heart1 sublayer. 
Hold down your 'Shift key' and click on the 2nd Heart1 sublayer.

---

~ Shading Effect ~
With both sublayers selected, right click on one of them and select 'Create Raster Selection'.
Create a new 'Raster' layer.
Selections > Invert
Effects > 3D Effects > Drop Shadow: -2, -2, 56, 48, #151711
Selections > Select none
Name this layer 'Bow loops shading'.

---

Inside Bow Loops
Because this is a 'vector' file, a new vector layer should automatically be created whenever you use a vector tool.
However, to be safe, I'm having you add a new vector layer where needed, not that I don't trust PSP or anything, lol.

Add a new vector layer; Layers > New vector layer.
Grab your Ellipse Tool, or type the letter 'Q' to activate it.

In the Tool Options Palette, change the Mode to: Draw Ellipse
All other settings remain the same as above.

Change your background color to one that coordinates with your bow loops.  I used #bba664.
Your Foreground color should still be set on Black.

Draw out a long thin oval shape.
Grab the Object Selection Tool, or type the letter 'O' to activate it; rotate the oval
into place on top of your Left Bow Loop.  You can thin out the bottom of your oval
by converting the shape to a path and using the pen tool to drag in the bottom handles.

Sample of mine:


When you are happy with your results, duplicate and mirror this layer, place the duplicate
on top of your Right bow loop.  Merge this layer down and name it 'Inside bow loops'.

In the layers palette, select both inside bow loops. 
Apply the above Shading effect, except change the drop shadow to
Horizontal & Vertical 1, blur 10.
Selections > Invert
Apply another drop shadow, changing the blur to 5.
Selections > Select none

Name this layer Inside bow loops shading.

---

Step 4 :

Adding the knot:

Add a new vector layer; Layers > New vector layer.
Grab your Rectangle tool, or type the letter 'G' to activate it.

Drag out a rectangle large enough to create your bow knot. 
I converted my rectangle to a 'path' and edited my nodes a bit for my knot. (see finished bow)

When you are happy with the shape of your knot, place it where you want it, name this layer 'Knot'.

Select the sublayer and apply the Shading effect in Step 3, changing the drop shadow as follows:
Horizontal & Vertical 1, blur 14.
Repeat drop shadow with Horizontal & Vertical at -1.

Name this layer Knot shading.

---

Adding the tails:

Click back on your Bow loops layer (bottom layer).
Add a new Vector layer, and move it to the bottom of the layers palette.
Layers > Arrange > Send to bottom

Change your Background color back to your original bow loop color.

Grab the pen tool, set the Tool Options Palette as follows:
Mode:  Draw point to point, Bezier curves
Connect segments, Show Nodes and Create as Vector:  CHECKED
Line Style: Solid, Line Width: 1

Draw out your left tail.  Below is an example of mine:
(I didn't close my top, but that's your choice - I've removed the color for tut purposes)



Duplicate this layer,   Position your tails where you like, when you're happy with the placement,
right click on the right tail layer and merge down.  Name this layer 'Tails'

Select them both and apply the exact same shading effect from Step 3.

Name this layer Tail shading.

---

Inside tails:

Add a new Vector layer.
Using the Ellipse Tool, follow the same steps we did for the Inside bow loops.
After you merge your ovals together, name the layer Inside tails.

Apply the same drop shadow effect as you did for the Inside Bow loops, but change the drop
shadow blur to 5 and do not apply the 2nd shadow.

Name this layer Inside tails shading.



Whew, are you still with me? We're almost done.
Don't forget to save your file.

---

Step 5:

Adding details

Click on your Bow loops layer (bottom layer).
Add a new Vector layer - Layers > New Vector Layer
 
Grab the pen tool again, set the Tool Options Palette as follows:
Mode:  Draw freehand
Connect segments and Show Nodes:  NOT checked
Create as Vector:  CHECKED
Line Style: Solid
Line Width: 1

In the materials palette, set the Foreground color to Black.
Set the Background color to Null (transparent)

Draw some lines across the both loops (under the knot) to simulate folds/creases.
When you are happy with your lines, duplicate the layer.  On the original layer,
double click on the sublayer, change the stroke width to 1.5 in the pop up box, hit ok.
Convert this layer to raster; apply a Gaussian blur of 1.5.
Adjust > Blur > Gaussian blur

Click on your top layer, add a new Vector layer.
Now add a line or lines for your knot.  Again, duplicate this layer.  On the original layer,
double click on the sublayer, change the stroke width to 1.5 in the pop up box, hit ok.
Convert this layer to raster; apply a Gaussian blur of 1.5.
Adjust > Blur > Gaussian blur

 Sample of my lines



Click on your Inside tails layer, add a new Vector layer.
Repeat the above process on each tail, if desired.

You are done! 
Save this file as a psp file and you will keep all vector objects
editable which is nice for changing colors, etc.


Thanks for stopping by, I hope you enjoyed this rather long tutorial ; )



 

~ This tutorial assumes you are familiar with the tools in PSP ~
It was written on October 12, 2008, using PSP 9, but can be completed in most versions.
Tutorials are only guidelines, it's always fun to experiment with different settings on your own : )

Materials needed: Alien Skin Xenofex 2; Crumble - Download Demo HERE This filter is optional, I've provided an alternative in Step 5.

Step 1:
Create a new file (File > New); Size: 525x525, transparent background.
In your Materials palette, change your foreground to a color of your choice.
Using your paint bucket, fill the canvas with your foreground color.


Step 2:
Effects > Texture effects > Weave
Plug in the below settings, then hit 'OK'.

(Gap size & Width 10, Opacity 1, Gap color black, Fill gaps checked)



Step 3:
Effects > Distortion effects > Pixelate
Plug in the below settings, then hit 'OK'.

(block width 5, block height 21, Symmetric not checked)



Step 4:
Layers > Duplicate.
Image > Rotate > Free rotate; right 90.
Lower the opacity of the duplicate layer to 58%.

On your canvas, right click on the 'Title bar', select copy merged.
Control 'V' on your keyboard to paste it as a new image.

Mimimize the original file for now.


Step 5:
Working on our merged copy file....
Adjust > Add/Remove Noise > Uniform, Mono, 3.

Your gingham is now complete.
I applied Xenofex 2 > Crumble to create a 'fabric' look.  But you can apply one of
PSP's texture effects as an alternative.  Below are the settings I used for both:

Xenofex / Crumble Settings:



PSP Texture Effect:
Effects > Texture effects > Texture
I choose the Granite 01 texture, but play around and find one you like.



Save your file as a .psp or .png and close it.


Let's have some fun with our original, unmerged file.
Maximize your original gingham file.
Bring the opacity of the top layer back up to 100%.

Now play with the blend modes on this layer to see what other effects you can create.

Changing the blend mode to 'Difference' will create a country check.
Try the 'Screen' mode for a plaid effect.

Experiment and have some fun!

Thanks for visiting, I hope you enjoyed this tutorial.

~ This tutorial assumes you are familiar with the tools in PSP ~
It was written on August 22, 2008, using PSP 9, but it can be completed in most versions.
Tutorials are only guidelines, it's always fun to experiment with different settings on your own : )
 

~ It's a good idea to read through each step before doing them ~

Supplies needed:
2 photo's/images of your choice.
One that you want to extract the colors from.
One that you want to apply those colors to.


Step 1:
Open the photo/image you would like to extract the colors from.
Duplicate it by holding down the Shift key and hitting the letter 'D' on your keyboard.
Close the original.

This is a sample of the image I used, I love the warm autumn colors this image contains.
(The original size was 450x338)


Effects > Distortion effects > pixelate
Set the block width and height to a size that you like, see below.

Here is how I set mine, but you may need to adjust your settings, depending on the size of
your original image.  Because mine was 450x338, 28 worked for me.



I now have my autumn color swatches that I can use in other projects.
Duplicate this file (shift D), save the duplicate copy to your computer for later use, then close it.
(I created a folder called 'my swatches' and saved this file there. )


Step 2:
Now we'll create an image palette from the remaining copy.

Go up to Image > Decrease color depth > 256 colors (8bit).
Select 'Optimized Medium Cut' and 'Nearest color', hit ok.

Image > Palette > Save palette.  Name your palette and click save.
(You can click on the 'Edit Paths' button to specify which folder the file is being saved to).

I saved mine to the default PSP folder located in 'my documents'.



You can close this image after it's saved.


Step 3:
Now for the fun part!
Open your 2nd photo in PSP (the one you want to apply the above palette colors to).
Duplicate it, close the original.

Follow the steps below:
1) Image > Palette > Load Palette.
Load the palette we just created above, check Nearest color matching. 
If a box pops up asking you if you want to flatten image, click 'yes'.

Your image should change to the colors in the palette.
The effect looks a little rough to me, so let's try to soften the effect.
(You may need to adjust the below settings, depending on your image)

2) Layers/duplicate, hide the duplicate layer by clicking on the eye next to it.
On the bottom layer, Effects > Softness > Soft Focus > Halo Medium.

(Here are the settings for the Halo Medium preset)


3) Unhide your duplicate layer and change the blend mode to Screen, lower opacity to 88.

4) It looks pretty good at this point, but if you would like it a little darker, go ahead and duplicate
the top layer.  Change the blend mode to Luminance, lower opacity to 30.

Here is a visual recap of the steps we just applied above:



Step 4:
Right click on any layer and select Merge > Merge Visible.
Save your image, and you are done!


I hope you enjoyed this tutorial; I would love to see your results.
You can send them to me at this email address: admin at suntiques.com







 

~ This tutorial assumes you are familiar with the tools in Fireworks ~
It was written in October 2005, using FireworksMX - I recently rewrote it using version 8.
It can be completed in the Adobe Fireworks CS3 version also.
Tutorials are only guidelines, it's always fun to experiment with different settings on your own : )


This tutorial can be completed in PS or PSP with some minor adjustments.  In PSP, try using a 3D cutout
or an inverted drop shadow to achieve an effect similar to the inner glow settings in Fireworks/Photoshop.

Before beginning this tutorial:
Download and unzip my Snowdrift preset.
Locate the directory that contains your Alien Skin/Eye Candy filters.
  Place my preset in the following folder:  Alien Skin\Eye Candy 5 Nature\Settings\SnowDrift


Step 1:
Open a new file, 300x300, transparent background.

Select the vector Ellipse tool from the Tools panel.
Draw out a circle measuring 221x221.

In the Property Inspector, change your settings to reflect the following:


(Circle width/height: 221, Fill color: C88933, Texture: Swish 18%, Stroke: None)


Here is what my circle looked like:



Step 2:
Still in the Property Inspector, click the Plus sign (+) next to 'filters' (Effects in MX)
to display the drop down list of available live filters and/or effects.

Apply the following effects, in the order listed below:

#1: Inner glow  -  #2: Add noise  -  #3: Inner glow



Your cookie should look something like this now.



Step 3:
Again click on the Plus sign (+) next to 'filters' and select EC5 Nature > Snowdrift.
Locate and apply the 'sprinkles' preset you installed earlier.

That's it, you're finished!
You can see my finished cookie in my sample tag at the top of this page.

Save your file as a Fireworks png so that you can edit the filters later, if needed.
  You can also copy the effects to another graphic, which is very cool.

I hope you enjoyed this tutorial; I would love to see your results.
You can send them to me at admin at suntiques.com.




 

~ This tutorial assumes you are familiar with the tools in PSP ~
It was written on May 2, 2008, using PSP 9, but it can be completed in most versions.
Tutorials are only guidelines, it's always fun to experiment with different settings on your own : )

 
I actually have a few different techniques for creating faux felt, but this one is so easy I thought I'd share it with you.
This tutorial covers making a circular button/tag.

Steps 1 through 4 guides you in creating the felt texture and is very easy to complete.
The remaining steps work with vector shapes and custom line styles which
are geared more toward the intermdiate/advanced user.

Before starting this tutorial:
Download and install the above filters - Remember to restart PSP after installing any filter.

Step 1:
Create a new file 400x400, white background.

Grab your Ellipse tool, or hit the letter ‘q’ to activate it. 
In the Tool Options Palette, set the Mode to ‘Circle’ and check ‘Create as vector’.

In the Materials Palette, set your Foreground color to null (transparent), Background color to #b64544.


Step 2:
Click on your canvas, hold down your left mouse button and drag out a small circle.

In the Tool Options Palette, set the Radius X and Radius Y to
89.50 as shown in the screenshot below:


In the Layers Palette, double click on the layer and name it ‘Shape’.

Center the shape in your canvas by going up to Objects > Align > Center in canvas.

Duplicate this layer, rename the duplicate 'Circle' and hide the layer by clicking on the 'eye' next to it.


Step 3:
Right click on the 'Shape' layer in the layers palette, select 'convert to raster layer'.
Set your Foreground color to #c76d6d, Background color should still be #b64544.

Selections > Select all - Selections > Float - Selections > Defloat.
Effects > Plugins > MuRa's Meister > Clouds.

Change the amount to 121 as shown below:

FYI:  The cloud effect changes each time you apply this filter, even when
you use the same settings.  With this in mind, clicking on 'reset' colors will
display different cloud effects, just pick one you like.

Selections > Select none.


Step 4:

Effects > 3D effects > Inner bevel.
Apply the following inner bevel:

Bevel #2, 31, 100, 7, 0, 0, white, 315, 30, 55

Adjust > Add/Remove Noise.
Check both Uniform & Monochrome, set Noise to 5%, hit ok.

Effects > Plugins > FM Tile Tools > Blend Emboss.
Leave settings at default, hit ok.

Our faux felt texture is complete!

Feeling Courageous?  Then keep going..........

---

We will now create a custom line style, similar to a blanket stitch.
I cannot take credit for this line style technique, I picked it up somewhere along the way.

You may need to adapt our custom stroke if you use a different shape or a different sized circle.

In the Layers Palette, select and unhide the 'Circle' layer.
Duplicate it, name the duplicate layer 'Stitches'.
Grab your Object Select Tool or hit the letter 'o' to activate it.

On your canvas, double click on the ‘Stitches’’ circle to bring up the Vector Property Dialog box.
Uncheck the fill box.
Check the stroke box.  Set the stroke width to 2, color black.

Click on the arrow next to 'Line style' to bring up the list of available styles.
Right click on the 'Dashed' style to select it.
 Click on the custom button at the bottom right of the screen.


In the ‘First Cap’ dialog area, set your start cap to ‘square’.
Set the Cap size to a height of 8, width of 1.
(see screenshots of both of these settings below)





Down in the ‘Style’ section, use the sliders (or plug in the numbers), and change
the Dash length to 23, and the Gap Width to 1. 




Select ‘Save as new’ and give your new line style a name.  I named mine ‘blanket stitch’.

This is what my stitches looked like at this point.


Right click on this layer and select 'Convert to raster layer'.
Go down to your 'Circle' layer.
On your canvas, select the circle using the Object Selection tool.
Selections > From Vector Object.
Selections > Invert.

In the layers palette, go back to your stitches layer and hit the delete key.
(This will delete the stitches that are outside of our circle)

Selections > Select none.

Right click on the 'Circle' layer and delete it.

Apply a slight drop shadow and/or bevel to your stitches, if you like, I used a drop shadow on mine.

You can also add some faux 'stitch holes'.  Just add a new layer, drag it under your stitch layer,
then paint small dark dots under each stitch.

I hope you enjoyed trying this tutorial; I would love to see your results.
Please send them to 'admin at suntiques.com' (sorry, have to fool the spam bots, lol).

~ This tutorial assumes you are familiar with the tools in PSP ~
It was written on August 14, 2008, using PSP 9, but it can be completed in most versions.
Tutorials are only guidelines, it's always fun to experiment with different settings on your own : )

~ This tutorial assumes you are familiar with the tools in PSP ~
It was written on January 9, 2007, using PSP 9, but can be completed in most versions.
Tutorials are only guidelines, it's always fun to experiment with different settings on your own : )

My Supply Download: Graphic08pattern Filters Used:    Greg's Factory Output Vol II - Pool Shadow You can find it HERE  (It's down toward the bottom of the page) The retouch or lighten/darken brushes are a good alternative to the above filter. They create the same effect, but it takes longer : ) Tools Used:    Preset Shape Tool:      Flood Fill tool:       Warp Brush:  Mesh Warp tool:

This tutorial is Easy Peasy!

Creating the ribbon:

Step 1:
Unzip the Graphic08 pattern, place it in your PSP patterns folder.
Unzip & install the filter into your plugins folder.
(Restart PSP after installation)


Step 2:
Create a new raster file (file > New), 2400x225, 300dpi, transparent background.

Over on your Materials palette, change your Foreground color to null (transparent).
Click once on your Background color square to bring up the Material properties dialog box. 
Select the pattern tab and load the Graphic 8 stripe pattern located in the drop down list.
Set the angel to '0', scale to '65'.  Hit 'OK'.

(Please note, if you use a different size canvas, you will need to adjust the pattern size)


Step 3:
Grab your flood fill tool (or hit the letter 'f' to activate it)
With your mouse, right click on your canvas to flood fill raster 1 with the pattern.

We need to increase the height of our canvas so we have more room to work.
Image > Canvas size - Keep the width at 2400, change the height to 897.


Step 4:
Selections > Select all > Selections float > Selections defloat.
Effects > Plugins > Greg's Factory Output Vol II > Pool Shadow.

Plug in the below settings, or play with the settings to find something you like:



Select None.
If you're unhappy with your results, hitting control 'z' on your keyboard will undo your steps.


Step 5:
We are going to warp our ribbon so that the knot will fit around it.

Type the letter 'd' on your keyboard to activate the deform tools.
Click the arrow next to the tool and select Mesh warp from the drop down list.

Change the settings in the tool options palette to reflect the following:


Drag the nodes to warp the ribbon. 

This is how I started mine, play around until you have something you like.
 - Remember 'control z' will undo your last step -


When you are done, hit apply (the check mark at the top left of the Tool Options palette).
  Using your move or pick tool, click on your canvas to release the mesh warp tool.


Step 6:
Creating the knot:

I like to use the rounded rectangle for this part, but you could easily copy a small
square of your ribbon and rotate it right 90 degrees.  You can skip down to
Step 7 if you are not going to use the rounded rectangle technique.

Grab your Preset shapes tool, (or type the letter 'p' to activate it) .
Select the rounded rectangle from the shape list in the Tool Options palette.

Go over to the materials palette and change the angle of the pattern to 90, scale to 55.

  Draw out a small shape for your knot. 
Right click on your knot layer and select 'convert to raster'.

Selections > Select all > Selections float > Selections defloat.
Effects > Plugins > Greg's Factory Output Vol II > Pool Shadow.

Change the diagonal setting to about 74 and lower the intensity to around 50.

Select none.


Step 7:
Grab your Brush Tool (or hit the letter 'b' to activate it)
Select the Warp Brush from the drop down list.

Below are the settings I used for the warp brush.
You may need to change the size, depending on your knot or the area you intend on warping.


Place the knot on your ribbon, and using the Warp Brush, shape it to fit.
You may also need to use the warp brush on the ribbon in order to achieve the look you want.

Here is how my knot looked after applying the pool shadow filter & using the warp brush:



Step 8:
When you are happy with the shape of your knot, add a small drop shadow to give it some depth.
Right click on the layer and select 'merge visible'.

Crop your image and save as a psp file.  If you created your ribbon at 300dpi, you should
be able to resize it for use on future projects, with minimal distortion.  The higher the dpi, the
better the quality, but that also means the larger the file, so be careful with that : )


Recoloring your ribbons:

You can easily change the color of this ribbon using PSP's Manual Color Correction adjustment.

Manual Color Correction may not show up under the Adjust drop down list in newer versions of PSP.
Follow the steps below to find out where it is hiding : )
 

Here is how you can add any missing tools/commands to your workspace.    Choose View / Customize  To add a Tool - In the Categories list, click Tools, find the tool you want, select it, hold your left mouse button down and drag it to the Tools toolbar.  To add a command -  In the Categories list, click Unused Commands, find the command you want, select it, hold your left mouse button down and drag it to a menu.

Ok, back to the coloring, lol.  
On your keyboard, hit 'control c' to copy your original merged ribbon.
Hit 'control v' to paste it as a new image.  Close out your original file (make sure you save it first).

Adjust > Color Balance > Manual Color Correction

The 'source' color stays the same for all ribbons you want to color.
Click on the color square under 'source' and plug in f5f5f5, or experiment with a color of your own.

Check 'Preset target color' to select a color from the drop down list.
Click on one of the colors and it will automatically be entered in the 'target' color area for you.

You can also plug in a specific color by checking Manual target color at the bottom of the screen.

Here is an example of one of mine:



Well, that's it, we are done!

I hope you enjoyed this tutorial; I would love to see your results.
Feedback is always welcome!



 

~ This tutorial assumes you are familiar with the tools in PSP ~
It was written on November 23, 2007, using PSP 9, but it can be completed in most versions.
Tutorials are only guidelines, it's always fun to experiment with different settings on your own : )

---

I enjoy making prim tags for my projects, but sometimes it's easier to just print some out, lol.
This tutorial will cover creating the pattern, which is also a good basis for making scrap and/or
aged paper, and I've included the above tag shapes as alpha channel selections in my supply download.

Add your favorite prim graphics before or after you print.
There are some great prim stamp kits available for us to play with.

 

Before starting this tutorial:
Download and install the filters - Remember to restart PSP after installing your filters.

The prim tags_canvas file located in my supply download contains alpha channel selections.
To load a selection, go up to Selections > Load/Save Selections > Load selection from alpha channel.


STEP 1:

Unzip & open the primtags_canvas.pspimage file in PSP.
Hold down the Shift Key and hit the letter 'D' to duplicate the file.
Close the original.

Open the fleckspattern.jpg in PSP and minimize it for now.

Grab your paint bucket tool (or hit the letter 'F' to activate it)
In your Materials Palette, set your Foreground color to #eedb9a, Background color to #b89243.



STEP 2:

Making sure you are on the Pattern layer, load selection #1.
Effects > Plugins > MuRa's Meister > Clouds.  Click on 'reset' colors
a few times until you get an effect you like, hit ok.

Keep selected all the way through Step 4.

This is how my cloud effect turned out, your image may look different:




STEP 3:

Type the letter 'J' to activate the Retouch brushes.  Select the Push brush from the dropdown list.

Plug in the following settings in the Tool Options Palette:


Shape: Round, Size: 163, Hardness: 0, Steps: 15,
Density: 100, Thickness: 100, Rotation: 0, Opacity: 43


Use the push brush to soften and blend in the cloud effect.  You won't need to blend it too much,
just enough to soften some of the contrast between the 2 colors.

Below is how mine looked at this point:




STEP 4:

Adjust > Add/Remove Noise > Add noise > Gaussian, Monochrome, 4.

Because these are prim tags, I like to add some paint spatter effects.
This can be done using the paint brush, but photoshop has a great pattern that will
create a similar effect, I've included it in my supplies.

Click on the foreground color in your materials palette and select the pattern tab.
  Locate the fleckspattern.jpg from the drop down list and load it.  Set the Angle to 0, Scale 100.

Add a new raster layer.
Fill the selection with the pattern and change the blend mode to Multiply.

Select none.

Right click on the Raster 1 layer (white background) and delete this layer.
Right click on any other layer and select 'merge visible'.

You should now have only one layer that looks similar to mine below.





STEP 5:

Load Alpha Selection: Tag01.
On the keyboard; hold down the 'control key' and hit the letter 'c' to copy the selection.
Again, hold down the 'control key', but this time hit the letter 'v' to paste as a new image.

You should now have the first tag filled wih your pattern, shown as a new image.
I used Xenofex 2/Stain filter to 'ink' the edges of the tag but you can use one of your own favorite methods.

Here are my Stain settings:


Save your tag as either a .psp or .png file and close it.



STEP 6:

Go back to the primtags canvas file.
Selections > Select none to remove the Tag01 selection.

Follow Step 5 for each of the alpha channel selections in the file.
There are a total of 5 different alpha channel selection tags, named Tag01, Tag02, etc.

That's it, we're done!

I hope you enjoyed this tutorial; please don't hesitate to contact me with any questions you may have.

In this tutorial, I hope to show you how to use the Pen, Rectangle and Brush
tools to create basic shapes for making ribbons and/or bows.

This tutorial was written on June 16, 2007, using PSP 9, but can be done in most graphic programs.
Tutorials are only guidelines, it's always fun to experiment with different settings on your own : )

-  A good working knowledge of Vector drawing tools is needed to complete this tutorial  -

Supplies needed: Corel Paint Shop Pro Tools Used: Pen Tool:       Rectangle Tool:        Object Selection Tool:      Paint Brush:

Tools setup:
Line Style (for all vector tools) - Solid.
Stroke width and Color - your choice.
Fill - Only used on the painted twisted ribbon.
Check 'Connect Segments', 'Create On Vector' & 'Show nodes' when using the Pen Tool.

I usually use a line width anywhere between 1 - 10 pixels when creating
my ribbons/bows, depending on whether or not I want an edge.

Create a new file (File >new), any size you like, transparent background.
Try one or all of the techniques listed below.


SHAPES 1 - Ribbon & Bow Loop:

Click HERE to view a sample of the finished product. Grab your Pen Tool, select Mode 'Point to Point - Bezier Curves:  Draw out a wavy line.  Below is what mine looked like: Duplicate your wavy line layer.  Making sure that the duplicate layer is the only layer selected; use the Object selection tool to move it down as shown below: Right click on the duplicate layer and select Merge > merge down. Selections > Select none. Grab the Pen Tool; change the Mode to Lines/Polylines: Add a new vector layer; draw a line connecting the left end of your ribbon. Selections > Select none.  Add another new vector layer and connect the right end. Sample of connecting lines: Selections > Select all. Objects > Group. Delete the leftover empty layer that PSP leaves after grouping layers. Name the Group layer 'Ribbon' and hide this layer for now. The benefits of grouping 'like' objects is that you can make changes to all of them at one time, just by double clicking on the 'group' layer. BOW LOOPS: Important: The width of your finished bow loop should match the width of your ribbon. Mine are larger for tutorial purposes only. Go up to Selections > Select none. Layers > New vector layer. Using the Pen Tool, follow the below steps, making sure you 'select none' after each step.  Group these layers as we did above and rename it 'bow loop'.  Hide this layer for now. BOW Knot: Selections > Select none. Layers > New vector layer. Draw out a small rectangle using the Rectangle tool . Objects > Convert to path. Use the Pen Tool to shape the rectangle into a 'knot' for your bow. Your ribbon & bow template is now complete.

SHAPES 2 - Twisted Ribbon:

Click HERE to view a sample of the finished product. Create a new file. Again, set your Pen Tool to Bezier Curves.  Draw out a shape similar to what I have below: (After drawing the shape, right click on any node that may need editing & change the 'node type' to Cusp - This makes it easier to reshape each section, as needed). This shape may now be duplicated then mirrored to create a 'twisted' ribbon effect. (I used the Lighten/Darken brush to finish my ribbon off)   Your twisted ribbon template is now complete. Painted Twisted Ribbon Click HERE to view a sample of the finished product. Step 1: Grab your paint brush tool (or click the letter 'b' to activate it). Click the 'Presets' button on the Tool Options Palette > click the black arrow. Change your brush setting to match mine below: Step 2: In your Materials Palette, set the Foreground color to a color of your choice. Draw a squiggly line on your canvas (see the image on the left of my sample for reference). When you have a shape you like, add some detail using the Retouch brushes.  The dodge and burn, or even lighten/darken brushes work great for that. I didn't spend much time on mine, but as you can see, the possibilities are endless.

SHAPES 3 - Thin floppy bow:

Click HERE to view a sample of the finished product. Create a new file. Set your Pen Tool to Bezier Curves.  Follow the below steps, making sure you 'select none' after each step.: BOW LOOP: Create a new vector layer and draw out your tail. TAIL: Use the same technique as we did in our first bow, grouping your loop layers, and creating a knot from the rectangle selection tool. Your thin floppy bow template is now complete.

Now that you have an idea of what steps to take, below is a sample
of some of my other finished bows, along with the shapes used to create them.

I hope you had fun trying this tutorial; I would love to see your results!