Amaya Tag Tutorial

By LismibaebisCreations
4 September 2021

I used the awesome artwork of Marina Ermakova.
You can buy her artwork from different outlets. I bought it from Creative Fabrica.
I have a subscription, pay monthly and can download what and as much as I want.
The image is from the album "Cute Bears in Love".

Skill Level: Advanced Beginners
Knowledge of using Filters necessary
(or learn how to get started with my ABC Tutorials)

This tutorial is my own creation; any resemblance to another tutorial is purely coincidental

Program shortcuts will be given in parentheses

Needed

Paint Shop Pro - I used X2
(Tutorial will work with other versions)
Free 30 day trial from Corel, available here

Image

Tube of choice

Filters

Impressionist, available here

MuRa's Meister > Copies, available here

Eye Candy 4000 > Gradient Glow
(email me Lismibaebi at gmail.com for a link)

Font

Font of Choice – I used National Primary (Free to use)

Performance Notes

This tutorial is in 2 parts:
- Preparation
- Tag

The settings for different Tools and Effects will stay the same throughout the tutorial, unless new setting instructions are given

Don't forget to save your work often

Click on the arrow and drag it to mark the progress on this page.

Preparation

1) Download and install filters
(If necessary)
(If you install filters you need to restart PSP afterwards)

2) File > Open
Open image of choice

3) Window > Duplicate (Shift + D)
Close original

4) Dropper Tool (E)
Left click to choose a light Foreground color
(I chose #ffefc5)

5) Edit > Copy
Minimize

7) Edit > Paste As New Layer

8) Image > Resize (Shift + S)
Settings:
Width = 80 %
Height = 80
Resolution = 72.000 Pixels / Inch
Resample using = Bicubic
Lock aspect ratio = Checked
Resize all layers = Not checked
ok

9) Edit > Repeat Resize
Repeat until you have the tube showing to your liking.
Depending on the tube you work with, you might choose to resize in 50% steps to start with

10) Layers > Duplicate
Turn off visibility of duplicated tube

11) Activate original tube layer
Effects > Plugins > MuRa's Meister > Copies
Settings: Wall Paper(rotate)
Number = 20
Shift X = 50, Shift Y = 50
Angle = 0, Rotation = 100
Attenuation = 0, Scale = 100
Thru BG Range = 0
Fade Out = 0

12) If the layer is not completely covered:
Edit > Repeat Copies

13) Effects > Plugins > Impressionist > Impressionist
Settings:
Style > Pointillist > Small Daubs
Background = Image
Brush Size = 100%
Coverage = 95%
Pressure = 103
Apply

14) Effects > Reflection Effects > Rotating Mirror
Settings:
Horizontal offset = -16 (minus)
Vertical offset = -1 (minus)
Rotation angle = 124
Edge mode = Reflect

15) Effects > Distortion Effects > Warp
Settings:
Center offset
Horizontal (%) = 90
Vertical (%) = 0
Settings
Size = 92
Strength = -55 (minus)

16) Layers > Duplicate

17) Image > Mirror

18) Layers Palette
Reduce opacity of layer to 50

19) Layers > Merge > Merge Down

20) Effects > Edge Effects > Enhance

21) Layers > New Raster Layer

22) Flood Fill Tool (F)
Settings:
Match mode = None
Use all layers = Not checked
Blend mode = Normal
Opacity = 100

23) Left click to flood fill
new layer with Foreground Color

24) Layers Palette
Turn on visibility of duplicated tube

25) Layers Palette
Make sure the Foreground Color layer is activated
Time to play:
Reduce opacity to your liking
and/or
experiment with different blend modes
I chose blend mode "Difference" with 100% opacity for this tag

26) Layers Palette
Make sure the Tube Layer is activated
Adjust > Sharpness > Unsharp Mask
Settings:
Radius = 1.00, Strength = 47
Clipping = 5
Luminance only = Checked
(Or a setting of your liking)

27) Effects > 3D Effects > Drop Shadow
Settings:
Horizontal & Vertical = 0
Opacity = 70, Blur = 12.00
Color = Black
Shadow on new layer = Not checked
(Or a setting of your liking)

28) Move Tool (M)
Move tube to position of your liking

29) Layers > New Raster Layer

30) Selections > Select All

31) Flood Fill Tool
Right click to flood fill new Layer with the color of choice
I chose black for this tag

32) Selections > Modify > Contract
Settings:
Number of Pixels = 2

33) Edit > Clear

34) Selections > Select None

35) Effects > 3D Effects > Drop Shadow

36) Layers > New Raster Layer

37) Add your artists copyrights

38) Text Tool (T)
Settings:
Font = National Primary (or Font of choice)
Size = 48 Points (or what suits your Font and Text)
Font Style = Bold
Alignment = Center
Direction = Horizontal and Down
Anti-alias = Sharp
Stroke width = 1.0
Create as Vector
Auto kern = Checked
Kerning = 0 (or what suits your Font and Text)

39) Type Text of choice and click on Apply

40) Layers > Convert to Raster Layer

41) Move Tool
Move text to place of choice

42) Effects > Plugins > Eye Candy 4000 > Gradient Glow
Settings:
Basic:
Glow width (pixels) = 3.00
Soft Corners (%) = 25
Overall Opacity (%) = 100
Draw Only Outside Selection = Checked
Color = Color of choice

If you do not have Eye Candy 4000,
use a Drop Shadow of choice

43) Adjust > Sharpness > Unsharp Mask

44) File > Export > JPEG Optimizer
Settings:
Set Compression value to = 10
Chroma subsampling = YCbCr 2x2 1x1 1x1
Save Exif data = Not checked

You are done!

I hope that you enjoyed doing this tutorial. If you have any questions, please email me:
Lismibaebi at gmail.com
I would love to see what you create with my tutorial.

A special "Thank you" goes to my Tester Group.
Your help, support and patience has made all the difference.