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 transparent PSP files. Download them here. My gradient. Place this in your PSP gradients file. Download it here. Optional: Kai's Power Tools 6 - Gel (you can do the tutorial without this). Optional: Eye Candy 4000 (you can do the tutorial without this).
Step 1. Open up a new image 500 x 550, background color of your choice. Step 2. Add a new layer. Load selection 1 (go to selections>load from disk - then navigate to the location you placed the selection files you downloaded). Open up "01palette." Flood fill with brown #B38254. Or, if you wish, flood fill with another color or a wood texture.
Step 3. This step is optional. Add a new layer. You'll be adding a little shading. I chose 3 colors: a dark brown #7C5B3A, orange #B97D47, and a light brown #EAE0D6. Choose your airbrush and use the following settings. Spray on some color in a pattern similar to mine below.
Step 4. Choose your retouch tool, smudge brush and use the settings in the screenshot below. Smudge the colors around until you have something similar to mine.
Step 5. Hide the background layer and merge the visible layers (go to layers>merge visible). Apply an inner bevel with the settings in the screenshot below.
Step 6. Next, we'll add the blobs of paint. You can make your own with KPT Gel, or if you don't have that filter, you can use my transparent PSP files (just skip this step). To make your own, open KPT6 Gel, Click on "environment" and then choose the "wood" setting (see white circled area in screenshot below).
 The 3-D Lighting setting isn't too important, so you can put it on anything you like (or just leave it on the default setting). Change your colors to whatever color you want. I painted on a little circle of color using the "thin brush" (it's the second one from the left-see the white circled area in the screenshot below). You can play with the settings until you find something that you like.
 Using the "twirl brush" (see white circled area in screenshot below), twirl the blob of color around until you get something you like.
Step 7. Experiment with different textures, colors, etc Make as many paint blobs as you wish. Changing the environment map and the colors will change the look of the blob. When done, you can also colorize the results using PSP colorize function or the variations filter. If you have not made you own paint blobs and wish to use mine instead, open them up now and copy/paste them onto your graphic (put each one on a separate layer). I've included 6 colors for you. Note: the first color will be the color of the text on your sigtag. Arrange the colors on your palette as you wish. When arranged, this is what mine looked like.
Step 8. Next, you'll be making the dripping part of the paint that falls down to your text. If you don't have Eye Candy, you can use my drip psp file (it's in the materials you downloaded), and skip to Step 9 below. If you have Eye Candy, continue with this step. My text is going to be the pink color of my first paint blob. Whatever you've chosen for yours, make that layer active now. Duplicate the layer twice. Choose one of these layers (turn the other one off for the moment if you wish). Apply Eye Candy Drip filter, using these settings
Now erase the top part, just leaving the dripping
Step 9. Next, you'll make the trailing color that goes down to your text. If you do not have Eye Candy, you can use my file (it's in the materials you downloaded). Open it up, copy/paste as a new layer, and place it underneath the last layer (the drips). Then you can skiip to Step 12. If you do have Eye Candy, continue with this step. Make the other copy of the pink paint blob active. Place this layer underneath the last layer (the drippy one). Choose Eye Candy Motion Trail filter and use these settings:
Step11. Choose your Interactive Deformation tool. While holding down the "ctrl" key on your keyboard, click on one of the boxes on the bottom and pull out.
Step12. Now we'll add the text. Add a new layer. Set your foreground and background colors to the same as your paint blob. Click on the font tool and choose a font of your choice - size will vary depending on the font - mine is about 48. Now you can deform the trailing color layer as much as you need to to fit your font (or you can leave it as is if you like that effect).
Step 13. Now to make your brushes. Add a new layer. Set your foreground and background colors to #985C12. Choose your preset shape tool, ellipse (antialias checked, line width 1), and draw an elliptical shape for your brush. Apply an inner bevel using settings below. (Note: the screenshot of the brush is actual size).
Step 14. Add a new layer. Load selection 2. Flood fill with my gradient (in the materials you downloaded) - set the angle to 0, repeats 0. Apply an inner bevel, same settings as before.
Step 15. Add a new layer. Choose your draw tool, single line, size 2. Set your background color to null. Set your foreground color to the gradient, but change the angle to 90. Draw a vertical line. Apply an inner bevel, same settings as before.
Step 16. Add a new layer. Load selection 3 from disk. Flood fill with #60442D. If you wish, you can add some shading - just use your airbrush (same settings as before, but change brush size down to about 1-2) and spray on color. Then use smudge brush (same settings as before except size 5-10), and smudge it around. 
Step 17. Turn off all layers except the brush pieces. Then merge visible layers. Copy and paste as a new layer twice (so you will have 3 brushes). Arrange the brushes in a pattern that suits you (you'll want one relatively close to the first paint blob and the dripping) Here's what mine looks like.
Step 18. Open up the flower psp file you downloaded in my materials. Copy and paste it as a new layer, onto the top of your brushes.
Step 19. Now you are basically done. I added just a few finishing touches: I added a little bit of paint on the end of the brushes - just spray it on with your airbrush and smudge a little bit. I decided to lower the opacity of the dribbles a bit, down to about 40 (slide the slider on your layer palette). Finally, I added a drop shadow to the flower and brushes (horizontal 2, vertical 2, opacity around 30, blur 4).
Save as a master .psp file with all layers intact - that way you can go back later and change things around as you wish. Then, delete the background and merge visible layers. All done! I hope you've enjoyed this tutorial.
|