Pracken's Paint Shop Pro Tutorials

Mistletoe

I've always loved mistletoe and the idea of a Christmas kiss underneath it.  I don't often come across it on the web, and didn't have any in my files, so I decided to draw some, and this tutorial is the result.  There is a little drawing and shading involved, but I provide screenshots to assist you through them.

For this tutorial, you will need the following:

Paint Shop Pro. I used version 7.04 but if you are familiar with PSP, you should be able to convert the tutorial without problems. You can download the latest PSP version demo here.

My gradients.  Place these in your PSP gradient folder.

My selection and/or preset shape for the leaf.  I've provided both for you and you can use either one.  Place the selection file in your PSP selections folder. Place the shape file in your PSP shapes folder.

You can download all of my materials here.

Optional: I used Eye Candy 4000, but you can do a similar effect with PSP's inner bevel.

Step 1. Open a new image 300 x 300, background color of your choice.

Step 2. Add a new layer.  Set your foreground color to null and your background color to  green #6A7832.  First, you'll make a leaf.  To do this, you can use either my selection or a preset shape.

To use the selection, go to selections>load from disk, and navigate to the mistletoe selection.  Flood fill with green #6A7832.

To use a preset shape, select your preset shapes tool, find the pracken_mistletoe shape, and apply it.  The advantage of the preset shape is you can easily make the leaf larger or smaller.

Step 3. Set your foreground color to #5C682E and your background color to #CCD7A1.  Choose your draw tool and set it to freehand line, size 3.  Draw a small line down the center of your leaf (if you draw it at a bit of a curve, the two colors will show - straight lines will only show the foreground color).

Step 4. Choose your retouch tool - smudge brush, with these settings:  Size around 5, hardness 25, opacity 30, step 25, density 100.   Smudge the line just a bit to soften it.

Step 5. Add an inner bevel, with these settings (go to effects>3d effects>inner bevel).

     

Step 6. Choose the draw tool and set it to freehand line, size 2-3.  Foreground color is same as the leaf, background color null.   Add a new layer.  Draw some stems.

Step 7. Copy your leaf and paste it as new layers onto your stems.  Arrange each leaf as you wish.  You'll need to rotate some of them, and I've resized some as well (remember that if you resize, you'll need to sharpen).  Here's what I had when all the leaves were placed.

Step 8. Next, you'll draw the berries.  Choose either your selection tool (set to circle) or your preset shape tool (set to ellipse).   The color I used was #E4E2DC.  Draw a small circle.  If you have Eye Candy 4000, apply a glass preset  (setting: glass tubing, bevel profile: carve.  All other settings default).

Step 9. Copy and paste your berries as new layers and arrange as you wish.  Here's mine.

Step 10. Set your foreground color to gradient and choose my gold one.  Set your background color to gradient and choose my red one.  Both are at angle 90 and 0 repeats.  Choose your freehand draw tool, line size 2.  Add a new layer and draw a bow shape.

Step 11. Copy and paste as a new layer.  Mirror.  Move this layer into position.

Step 12. With your selection tool or preset shape tool, draw a small circle and place it in the center of your bow.

Step 13. Hide all layers except the bow and merge visible.  Make all layers visible again and then place the bow into position on top of your mistletoe.

Step 14. Add a new layer and place it underneath your mistletoe.  Choose your draw tool, set to freehand line, size about 12.  Set your foreground color to the gold gradient and your background color to null.  Draw two gold ribbons.

Step 15. With your selection tool (any shape) draw all around the outside of the ribbons and then click inside on the ribbon to select (you'll see marching ants).  Contract by 2.  Add a new layer and flood fill with the red gradient.

And that's all there is to it, you got mistletoe! Now I'm wishing a big ole Christmas kiss under it for all of you. lol 

I hope you've enjoyed this tutorial.  Please let me know if you have any comments, I'd love to hear from you.





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Screenshots of programs used in this tutorial are copyrighted to their respective authors.
This tutorial was created on December 8, 2003.
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ŠPracken 2003-2005