©Cathy's Corner - One Summer Night Tutorial

This tutorial was written by Cathy on April 22, 2002.
This tutorial just shows you what can happen when you are working
in PSP and doing just about anything else!!!
I happened to be listening to one of my all time favorite songs
"One Summer Night" by The Danleers
and saw an image by Jody Bergsma which seemed to fit the song.
(It was very tempting to put the music on this page, but I resisted!!! LOL)

(Click on the above graphic for an explanation of the FBN skill ratings.)

***** August 24, 2003 *****
I updated this tutorial to include selections for using
Paint Shop Pro Version 8.
Please download the correct zip file for the version you are using.

I would like to thank my fellow FlyByNight members for testing this
tutorial and being kind enough to point out all my typos!

For this tutorial you will need:

Paint Shop Pro, which you can get at the Jasc site

My zip file - click the folder and save to your hard

Unzip the file you downloaded, and:

1. Place the TreeBark2.bmp file in your Paint Shop Pro/Textures folder
2. Open "cc_denim_fill.jpg" in PSP and minimize until needed.

This file contains selections for Paint Shop Pro Version 7

Unzip to a folder on your hard drive.

This file contains selections for Paint Shop Pro Version 8

Unzip to a folder on your hard drive. In PSP8 make sure you add this folder to your selections under "Edit Paths" (available when you choose "Selections/Load From Disk"). You can delete this after you complete the tutorial.

Also helpful is a computer, chair, electricity, background music, drink and snack of choice....you get the idea!!!

* * * PREPARATION * * *

For this tutorial, we will be using selection files. Selection files CAN NOT be "opened" in Paint Shop Pro - they can ONLY be "loaded" into an existing canvas. The selections files are in the folder named "cc_summer_night_selections" which is included in the zip file you downloaded. You can place this folder anywhere on your hard drive. When the tutorial calls for loading a selection file for the first time, go to Selections/Load From Disk

and browse to this folder to find the file you need. Paint Shop Pro will now default to this folder until you tell it otherwise.

You may notice that I do not tell you to deselect before loading a new selection. This step is not necessary, as loading a new selection will automatically deselect your prior selection.

Here are the tools we will be using for this tutorial:

Disk Load Selection
Flood Fill
Invert Selection
Drop Shadow
Airbrush
Save

The best advice I can give you is to SAVE, SAVE, SAVE!!! There's not much worse than losing all your hard work due to a program or computer lock up or melt down!!! So...save your work often...I will be putting reminders throughout the tutorial:

Save

As with any of my tutorials, please feel free to use any colors you like to create you own unique image.

Open a new image 350 x 350, transparent background, 16 million colors. Save as "summer_night.psp". Now you can save at any time by hitting your Save Icon .

Okay, let's get started...

* * * PART I - LOG * * *

1. Add a new layer and name it "log".

2. Load "log1.sel".

3. Expand your selection by 5 pixels.

4. Flood fill with #E2AA78.

5. Change your foreground color to black.

6. Change your foreground texture to TreeBark2.

7. Flood fill again with your new color/texture.

8. Change your texture back to null.

9. Apply a motion blur: Angle: 90; Pixels: 10.

10. Load "log1.sel".

11. Invert selection.

12. Delete.

13. Load "log1_trim.sel".

14. Flood fill with black.

15. Add a new layer and name it "log center".

16. Load "log2.sel".

17. Flood fill with #816144.

18. Load "log2_trim.sel".

19. Flood fill with black.

20. Apply a drop shadow:

Horizontal and Vertical: 2;
Opacity: 40
Blur: 15
Color: black

21. Load "log2.sel".

22. Invert selection.

23. Delete.

Save

This is what we have so far

* * * PART II - GIRL * * *

1. Add a new layer and name it "neck".

2. Load "neck.sel".

3. Flood fill with #F2E1D9.

4. Add a new layer and name it "dress".

5. Load "dress.sel".

6. Flood fill with #FCD6E6.

7. Invert selection.

8. Apply a drop shadow:

Horizontal and Vertical: 5;
Opacity: 50
Blur: 50
Color: #CE1467

9. Add a new layer and name it "dress edge".

10. Load "dress_trim.sel".

11. Flood fill with black.

12. Deselect.

13. Apply a Guassian blur of 2.50.

14. Load "dress_trim.sel".

15. Flood fill with #CE1467.

16. Load "dress.sel".

17. Invert selection.

18. Delete.

Save

19. Add a new layer and name it "dress sleeve".

20. Load "dress_sleeve.sel".

21. Flood fill with #FCD6E6.

22. Invert selection.

23. Apply a drop shadow:

Horizontal and Vertical: 3;
Opacity: 50
Blur: 25
Color: #CE1467

24. Add a new layer and name it "dress sleeve edge".

25. Load "dress_sleeve_trim.sel".

26. Flood fill with black.

27. Deselect.

28. Apply a Guassian blur of 2.50.

29. Load "dress_sleeve_trim.sel".

30. Flood fill with #CE1467.

31. Load "dress_sleeve.sel".

32. Invert selection.

33. Delete.

Save

34. Add a new layer and name it "collar".

35. Load "collar.sel".

36. Flood fill with #CE1467.

37. Contract by 1 pixel.

38. Flood fill with #FCD6E6.

39. Load "collar_trim.sel".

40. Flood fill with #CE1467.

41. Add a new layer and name it "hair 1".

42. Load "hair1_sel".

43. Flood fill with #B67A62.

44. Contract by 1 pixel.

45. Flood fill with #F7DB91.

46. Load "hair1_sel".

47. Invert selection.

48. Apply a drop shadow:

Horizontal and Vertical: 5;
Opacity: 50
Blur: 50
Color: #B8460E

49. Add a new layer and name it "hair 1 trim".

50. Load "hair1_trim1.sel".

51. Flood fill with #B67A62.

52. Load "hair1_trim2.sel".

53. Flood fill with #B67A62.

54. Add a new layer and name it "hair bow".

55. Load "hair_bow.sel".

54. Flood fill with #CE1467.

55. Load "hair_bow_trim.sel".

56. Flood fill with black.

Save

This is what we have so far

* * * PART III - BOY * * *

1. Add a new layer and name it "arms".

2. Load "arms.sel".

3. Flood fill with #B67A62.

4. Contract by 1 pixel.

5. Flood fill with #F6E5DC.

6. Load "arms.sel".

7. Invert selection.

8. Apply a drop shadow:

Horizontal and Vertical: 5;
Opacity: 50
Blur: 20
Color: #B76761

9. Add a new layer and name it "shirt".

10. Load "shirt.sel".

11. Flood fill with black.

12. Contract by 1 pixel.

13. Flood fill with white.

14. Add a new layer and name it "shirt stripes".

15. Load "shirt_stripes1.sel".

16. Flood fill with black.

17. Load "shirt_stripes2.sel".

18. Flood fill with #DFEFFD.

19. Load "shirt_stripes3.sel".

20. Flood fill with #787BBC.

Save

21. Add a new layer and name it "pants".

22. Load "pants.sel".

23. Flood fill with #2C4052.

24. Contract by 1 pixel.

25. Flood fill with "cc_denim_fill.jpg". (Included in the zip file.)

26. Effects/Edge/Enhance.

27. Apply a Guassian blur of 0.75.

28. Load "pants.sel".

29. Invert selection.

30. Apply a drop shadow:

Horizontal and Vertical: -8;
Opacity: 50
Blur: 40
Color: #2C4052

31. Add a new layer and name it "pants trim".

32. Load "pants_trim1.sel".

33. Flood fill with #AAACBE.

34. Load "pants_trim2.sel".

35. Flood fill with #2C4052.

36. Deselect.

37. Apply a Guassian blur of 0.75.

38. Add a new layer and name it "belt".

39. Load "belt.sel".

40. Flood fill with #2C4052.

41. Add a new layer and name it "belt loops".

42. Load "belt_loops.sel".

43. Flood fill with #2C4052.

44. Contract by 1 pixel.

45. Flood fill with "cc_denim_fill.jpg". (Included in the zip file.)

Save

46. Add a new layer and name it "pockets".

47. Load "pockets.sel".

48. Flood fill with #2C4052.

49. Contract by 1 pixel.

50. Flood fill with "cc_denim_fill.jpg". (Included in the zip file.)

51. Effects/Edge/Enhance.

52. Apply a Guassian blur of 0.75.

53. Invert selection.

54. Apply a drop shadow:

Horizontal and Vertical: 4;
Opacity: 50
Blur: 10
Color: #2C4052

55. Add a new layer and name it "pocket trim".

56. Load "pocket_trim.sel".

57. Flood fill with #2C4052.

58. Add a new layer and name it "hair 2".

59. Load "hair2_sel".

60. Flood fill with black.

61. Contract by 1 pixel.

62. Flood fill with #D6B592.

63. Add a new layer and name it "hair2 trim".

64. Load "hair2_trim1.sel".

65. Flood fill with black.

66. Load "hair2_trim2.sel".

67. Flood fill with #B67A62.

Save

This is what we have so far

* * * PART IV - SKY * * *

1. Add a new layer and name it "moon and stars".

2. Load "moon.sel".

3. Flood fill with black.

4. Contract selection by 1 pixel.

5. Flood fill with #F7D885.

6. Load "stars.sel".

7. Flood fill with black.

8. Contract selection by 1 pixel.

9. Flood fill with white.

Save

10. Add a new layer and name it "sky".

11. Flood fill with #5B5E8B.

12. Add a new layer and name it "sky2".

13. Change your foreground color to #B5B8D5.

14. Choose your Airbrush Tool and use the following settings:

Round
Size: 255
Hardness: 15
Opacity: 25
Step: 1
Density: 25

15. Using single clicks "paint" some color all over your sky, placing a little more color near the top. (We're doing this on a separate layer so that you can just hit your delete key and start all over without hitting the undo key over and over.)

16. Add a new layer and name it "ground"

17. Load "ground.sel".

18. Flood fill with #4C693F.

19. Add a new layer and name it "ground2".

20. Change your foreground color to #BFD5B5.

21. Using your airbrush (same settings) paint some color on your ground.

22. Merge Visible the following layers:

sky
sky2
ground
ground2

23. Move this merged layer to the bottom.

Save

This is what we have so far

* * * PART V - FINISHING IT UP * * *
Since we have everything on separate layers, you can add anything you'd like to your image at this time. Duplicate your image and work on the copy, saving the original with all your layers intact. Add a new layer for anything you'd like to add, then arrange your layers as needed. You can add drop shadows for more definition as I did to my header graphic. Add the frame of your choice. You can find many wonderful frame tutorials at FlyByNightGraphics. Click out the tutorial section and see what my fellow FBNers have to offer.
Here are a some samples


If you'd like to use your image for a greeting card, as shown below, click here to see how I did it...

I hope you enjoyed this tutorial as much as I enjoyed writing it!!!

Thanks for stopping by Cathy's Corner! I hope you enjoyed your visit...come back soon!