LOVE BLOCK TUTORIAL
This is a very easy, basic kind of tutorial, so good for those who are beginners, are getting used to the program, or have been away for a while and need a "refresher" course! This also leaves room for variations, such as using scraps and/or accents - or not! You could also add word art or other kind of decorations. The only limit is your imagination.
This is the tag we will be making:
Easy level - Basic knowledge of PSP is needed.
Materials Needed
1. Paint Shop Pro (used Version 9, but can be done on any version)
2. Scraps (optional) - I used hrtstring_mdh.psd (click on it to download .... have had this for a long time.... these are "accents" and don't require credit)
3. WordArt (Optional) I chose not to use any.
4. Tube/Photo of Choice - "Valentina" by Elias Chatzoudis. Purchased when he was with MPT (My PSP Tubes). I'm not sure if he is still selling tubes and if so, where. If you use this tube, please be sure you have the proper, valid license to use it.
Filters Needed
Outside Filters:
1. DSB Flux > Bright Noise (if you don't have this, you can use the Noise filter that comes with PSP)
That is part of PSP:
1. Blinds
2. Weave
3. Gaussian Blur
4, Unsharpen Mask
5. Add/Remove Noise > Add (for those who don't have DSB Flux > Bright Noise)
Optional Filters (for Name/Text/© Info)
2. Eye Candy 4000 > Gradient Glow (on © info)
Fonts used
2. Eye Candy 4000 > Gradient Glow (on © info)
Fonts used
1. For "love" text: "Love Boho"
2. For the heart for the "O": If you choose to not use the Love Boho Font, you can use a heart shape or a dingbat font with hearts to make the heart inside the "O".
3. For copyright info: Joystix
4. Name: Channel
*Please note that I typically add my drop shadows last. I will give the drop shadow settings that I have used at the end of the tutorial HOWEVER feel free to use your own settings if/when you would like.*
*If you have difficulty seeing the screenshots, click on them to enlarge.*
👉👉 *If you find a step missing, or have questions, please do not hesitate to get in touch with me and let me know!* 👈👈
On to the tutorial!
1. Install the font(s). (Alternative: You can open and minimize the font; it should show in PSP. I use a free font program called Cfont Pro - it temporarily installs the font and will uninstall it when you shut down your computer.)
2. Open a new file, 800 pixels x 450 pixels, 100 ppi, transparent. (Don't worry, we'll be able to crop down and resize it later.) At this time, also Shift+D on your tube (this will make a copy of your image) - then close out the original, then minimize it for the time being.
3. On your new file, using the Rectangle Tool with white as both your foreground and background, create a rectangle with these settings:
Convert to Raster. Move over to the left side (leaving enough room to the right to fit 3 more rectangles). Once you are happy with the placement, duplicate it.
4. Using the Move tool, slide the duplicate over just a little to the right. You don't want a big gap; about 6-10 pixels should be enough. I did 6 however up to 10 pixels is fine and still works. Once you are happy with the placement, merge down.
5. Duplicate that. Mirror, then move them together so that the middle gap is evenly spaced like the other gaps. When happy with placement, merge down. You should now have all 4 rectangles on 1 layer.
6. Go to Selections > Select All > Float > Defloat. You should now have marching ants around the 4 rectangles. On your bottom layer, it should be empty. Click on it. Go to Selections > Modify > Expand > by 4 pixels. On that bottom layer, fill it in with a gray color (such as a medium-to-black gray). When done, go to Select None. This will remove the marching ants.
When done, it should look something like this:
7. In your materials palette, choose 2 colors from your tube. Make the foreground a darker color than the background. Go to the layer with the 4 white rectangles, and go to Selections > Select All > Float > Defloat, create new raster layer, then Selections > Modify > Contract > by 3 pixels. Floodfill with your background color. Select > Select None.
8. With the colors you chose in step #7, using your text tool, Make a capital "L" using these settings (it's going to be large!):
If you find you need to reverse the colors, or choose lighter/darker shades of your tube colors then by all means, please do. I initially tried the lighter color as the foreground and I didn't like the way it looked with my colors, especially against the backdrop of the pink rectangles I have under the letters.
Move it to the first rectangle and place it how you want it. Use my tag as a guide. Ultimately the 4 letters are going to look offset from each other.
When happy with placement, convert to raster.
9. Do this for the other 3 letters. Be sure to use the capital "O" so the heart in the center shows. Note that it's a little wider than the other letters so you might need to make it slightly smaller. Place each letter on it's respective rectangle and then convert to raster when you are happy with the placement.
10. Once you have all the letters placed where you want, close all layers except the 4 with the letters, and then Merge Visible. Now all the letters should be on the same layer, on their own.
11. While still on the layer with the letters, go to DSB Flux > Bright Noise and use the following settings:
12. Go to your rectangles that were floodfilled with the color from your tube. Using the PSP Filter "Weave" (Effects > Texture Effects > Weave), apply the following settings:
13. At this point, copy and paste your tube onto your tag file. Resize if needed (I sized it down slightly, by 80%), then place as desired.
14. Go to Edit > Copy Merged. Edit > Paste As New Layer. With the Copy Merged Layer active, move it around with your move tool so that the main elements - such as the rectangles - are lined up with the ones underneath. In essence you are wanting everything lined up with each other. Once that is done: Adjust > Blur > Gaussian Blur ... radius: 10.00. Move to bottom layer. Resize using these settings, being sure that "Resize All Layers" is NOT checked:
Duplicate this layer and resize it again, this time by 85%. On this layer, Adjust > Blur > Gaussian Blur ... radius: 20.00. Set layer properties to Burn, 100%.
15. On the bottom blurred layer, go to Effects > Texture Effects > Blinds using these settings:
16. With the hearts I provided (Supplies/Scraps, above). Using your Freehand Selection tool, go around one of the heart "sets" you wish to use, and then copy and paste as new layer on to your tag file. Duplicate it twice so you should have 3 layers of hearts (1 set per layer). Feel free to resize if needed, place randomly as desired. (Two of them I resized 85%, and one I resized 75%.) If you are placing any near your tube, place them under the tube.
17. If you wish to add anything else - accents, scraps, word art, etc - now is the time.
18. Once you are satisfied with your tag, now it is time to resize. Go to Image > Resize and use the following settings, making sure you are resizing on PIXELS and not PERCENT, and being sure that "Resize All Layers" IS checked (ignore info in the "Print Size" area except for the resolution - all other info is irrelevant):
19. On EACH LAYER you will apply the following PSP Filter with the following settings: Adjust > Sharpen > Unsharpen Mask:
(For a short cut, after you click on each layer, hold down Ctrl + Y and it will "repeat last action" which will be the Unsharpen Mask with these settings)
20. Once you've done Unsharpen Mask on each layer go back to the darker rectangles that we did Weave on, and then apply Adjust > Sharpness > Sharpen.
21. At this point, add drop shadows to your different layers. For those who are interested, here's what I used:
Using the PSP Drop Shadow filter (Effects > 3D Effects > Drop Shadow) ~
For the tube:
V: 3
H: -3
Opacity: 65
Blur: 12.00
Color: Black
For the other layers:
V: 1
H: -1
Opacity: 50
Blur: 6.00
Color: Black
H: -1
Opacity: 50
Blur: 6.00
Color: Black
22. Now it is time to crop. Using your crop tool, use the following settings:
You are only concerning yourself with the "merged opaque" setting -- all the other settings/numbers are irrelevant as we are not making a custom crop selection.
23. Add your crediting info, and your name. If you wish to use the settings I did for the gradient glow on my © info and name:
Eye Candy 4000 > Gradient Glow:
22. You're done!! I'd love to see what you come up with and thanks for checking out my tutorial!
