Brushfinch Tag Tutorial

By LismibaebisCreations
4 March 2021

I used the awesome artwork of Enliven Designs.
You can buy Michelle's 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 portrayed bird is a "fulvous-headed brushfinch".

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

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 Struggle Stories

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 filter
(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 #d7d18f)
Right click to choose a very dark Background color
(I chose #1f1c0a)

5) Edit > Copy

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

8) Right click to flood fill with Background Color

9) Layers > New Raster Layer

10) Selections > Select All

11) Edit > Paste Into Selection

12) Selections > Select None

13) Effects > Plugins > MuRa's Meister > Copies
Settings: Wallpaper
Number = 20
Shift X = 50, Shift Y = 50
Angle = 0, Rotation = 100
Attenuation = 0, Scale = 100
Thru BG Range = 0
Fade Out = 0

14) Layers > Merge > Merge Down

15) Effects > Reflection Effects > Kaleidoscope
Settings:
Horizontal offset = 72
Vertical offset = -93 (Minus)
Rotation angle = 320
Scale factor = 61
Number of petals = 17
Number of orbits = 1
Radial suction = 78
Edge mode = Reflect

16) Effects > Distortion Effects > Wave
Settings:
Horizontal displacement
Amplitude = 56, Wavelength = 1
Vertical displacement
Amplitude = 2, Wavelength = 31
Repeat = Checked

17) Layers > Duplicate

18) Layers Palette
Change Blend Mode to Burn
(Or a setting of your liking)

19) Edit > Paste As New Layer
(Your tube)

20) Image > Resize
Settings:
Resample using = Bicubic
Lock aspect ratio = Checked
Resize all layers = Not checked
Resolution = 72.000 Pixels / Inch
Width = 80%
Height = 80%

21) Edit > Repeat
If necessary - until you have as much of the tube visible as you want

22) Move Tool (M)
Move tube to either the right or left of the tag

23) Adjust > Sharpness > Unsharp Mask
Settings:
Radius = 1.00, Strength = 47
Clipping = 5
Luminance only = Checked
(Or a setting of your liking)

24) Effects > 3D Effects > Drop Shadow
Settings:
Horizontal & Vertical = 5
Opacity = 80, Blur = 20.00
Color = Black
Shadow on new layer = Not checked
(Or a setting of your liking)

25) Layers > Duplicate

26) Image > Mirror

27) Layers Palette
Change Blend Mode to Luminance (Legacy)
And:
Reduce opacity to 56
(Or a setting of your liking)

28) Layers > New Raster Layer

29) Selections > Select All

30) Flood Fill Tool
Right click to flood fill new Layer with your (dark) Background Color

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

32) Left click to flood fill with your Foreground Color

33) Selections > Modify > Contract
Settings:
Number of Pixels = 1

34) Right click to flood fill with your Background Color

35) Selections > Modify > Contract

36) Left click to flood fill with your Foreground Color

37) Selections > Modify > Contract

38) Right click to flood fill with your Background Color

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

40) Edit > Clear

41) Layers > New Raster Layer

42) Effects > 3D Effects > Cutout
Settings:
Vertical & Horizontal = 0
Opacity = 85, Blur = 20.00
Color = Black
Fill interior with color = Not checked

43) Selections > Select None

44) Layers > New Raster Layer

45) Add your artists copyrights

46) Text Tool (T)
Settings:
Font = Struggle Stories (or Font of choice)
Size = 48 Points (or what suits your Font and Text)
Alignment = Center
Direction = Horizontal and Down
Anti-alias = Sharp
Stroke width = 1.2
Create as Vector
Auto kern = Checked
Kerning = 0 (or what suits your Font and Text)

47) Type Text of choice and click on Apply

48) Layers > Convert to Raster Layer

49) Move Tool
Move text to place of choice

50) 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

51) 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.