Swirls and more Swirls SB Tutorial

By ©LismibaebisCreations
13 March 2009

I have used one of my own photographs for this tutorial

Skill Level: Advanced Beginner & Adventurous Others
No outside Filters
Knowledge of using Masks 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 PSP versions, some adjustments might be necessary)
Free 30 day PSP trial from Corel, available here

Image
Graphic of choice

Mask
lbm43, available here
or mask of choice

Performance Notes
This tutorial is in 4 parts:
- Preparation
- Swirls
- Masked Image
- Background

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

Interactive arrow-bookmark.
Click on the arrow and move it anywhere on this page to create a virtual bookmark. It will stay wherever you might put it until you close the browser(tab). Needs IE to work.

Preparation

1) Download the mask and save it to a folder you can easily find again

2) File > Open
Mask lbm43
Minimize mask

3) File > Open
Open image of choice

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

5) Image > Resize
Settings:
Resample using = Bicubic
Lock aspect ratio = Checked
Resize all layers = Checked
Resolution = 72.000 Pixels / Inch
Width = No greater than 400 Pixels
Height = No greater than 410
Write down new height

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

7) Layers > Promote Background Layer

8) Window > Duplicate twice
Minimize 2 copies

9) Dropper Tool (E)
Left click to choose a light Foreground color
(I choose #f1e5ef)
Background color = medium version of your Foreground color
(I choose #864a7c)

Swirls

10) Image > Resize
Settings:
Lock aspect ratio = Not checked
Width = 350 Pixels
Height = 350

11) Effects > Distortion Effects > Twirl
Settings:
Degrees = 720

12) Edit > Repeat Twirl

If you are not already working with Rulers:
13) View > Rulers

14) Selection Tool (S)
Settings:
Selection Type = Circle
Mode = Replace
Feather = 0
Anti-alias = Checked

15) Start in the middle (x = 175, y = 175)
and draw out to x = 314, y = 314

16) Image > Crop to Selection

17) Image > Resize
Settings:
Width = 100 Pixels, Height = 100

18) Adjust > Sharpness > Unsharp Mask

19) File > Export > Picture Tube
Settings: (Default)
Cells across = 1, Cells down = 1
Total cells = 1
Placement mode = Random
Step size = 200
Selection mode = Random
Scale = 100
Tube name = Choose something beginning with ! so that you can find it easily

20) Minimize file

Masked Image

21) Working on one of the duplicated images:
Layers > New Mask Layer > From Image
Settings:
Source window = lbm43
Source luminance = Checked
Invert mask data = Not Checked

22) Layers > Merge > Merge Group

23) Edit > Copy
Minimize masked image

Background

24) Working on the last duplicated image:

25) Image > Resize
Settings:
Width = 1280 pixels*****
Height = Your new height + 40 pixels
***** or width of your computer resolution, e.g. 1024 or 1680

26) Effects > Image Effects > Seamless Tiling
Settings:
Default

27) Layers > New Raster Layer

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

29) Left click to Flood fill new layer with Foreground Color

30) Layers Palette
Reduce opacity to 84

31) Layers > Merge > Merge Down

32) Effects > Artistic Effects > Topography
Settings:
Width = 49, Density = 35
Angle = 75
Color = Your Background color

33) Effects > Image Effects > Seamless Tiling

34) Layers > New Raster Layer

35) Picture Tube Tool (I)
Settings:
Find the tube you created earlier
Scale = 75, Step = 400
Placement mode = Random
Selection mode = Random

36) Draw across your Background Tile to your liking

If you don't like what you did:
Edit > Undo Picture Tube
and have another go

37) Effects > Image Effects > Seamless Tiling

38) Layers Palette
Reduce opacity to 15 - 25
(I reduced to 20)

39) Layers > New Raster Layer
Settings:
Blend mode = Soft Light

40) Flood Fill Tool
Left click to flood fill with Foreground color

41) Layers > Merge > Merge Visible

42) Edit > Paste As New Layer

If your masked image is no longer on the clipboard, go back to it and Edit > Copy

43) Move Tool (M)
Move masked image to the left hand side of your background tile

44) Effects > 3D Effects > Drop Shadow
Settings:
Horizontal & Vertical = 2
Opacity = 40, Blur = 20.00
Color = Very dark shade of your Background color
Shadow on new layer = Not checked
(Or a setting of your liking)

45) Layers > New Raster Layer

46) Picture Tube Tool
Settings:
Scale = 30
Go around the masked image to give it a kind of frame

47) Picture Tube Tool
Settings:
Scale = 20
Go around the masked image and add a swirl in the gaps of the larger swirls

48) Effects > 3D Effects > Drop Shadow

49) Layers > New Raster Layer

50) Add Watermark(s)

51) File > Export > JPEG Optimizer
Settings:
Set Compression value to = 20
Chroma subsampling = YCbCr 1x1 1x1 1x1 (None)
Save Exif data = Not checked

You are done!
Now you can assemble the stationery in LC or OE.
Please link tutorial to this page

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

I would like to thank the testers from Copyright Safe Tutorials who helped me make this tutorial the best it could be.

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