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 seamless fill tiles.

My selection. Place this in a folder of your choice (I always place mine outside of PSP).

You may download all of my materials here.

My color chart. Right click on it and save it to your computer.

Step 1. Open a new image 250 x 250, white background.

Open up your color chart and paste it as a new layer onto your canvas. Move it to the very top out of the way. When you need a color, just use your eye dropper to select it.

Step 2. Add a new layer (name it "bottom"). Load selection 1 (go to selections>load from disk - then navigate to the location where you placed the selections you downloaded). Flood fill with the "01pillowfill" tile you downloaded. Keep selected.

Step 3. Contract the selection by 20 (go to selections>modify>contract). Add a new layer (name it "middle"). Flood fill with color #2. Keep selected.

Step 4. Contract by 5. Add a new layer (name it "top"). Flood fill with "02pillowfill.

Step 5. Now you'll go back and add a cutout to each of the layers. Make the "bottom" layer active. Float the pillow (you can do this by going to selections>select all>selections>float. Or, you can choose your selections tool (any shape), draw all around the pillow, then click inside on it - it will be floating now).

Set your background color to #1. Apply a cutout, using the settings in the screenshot. The shadow color is #1 from your color chart - just right click on the shadow color and you'll see the list of recent colors - just choose it). Repeat the cutout but change the horizontal and vertical to -3.

 

Step 6. Make the "middle" layer active. Float it. Set your background color to #3. Apply a cutout, using color #3 as the shadow color.

Step 7. Make the "top" layer active. Float it. Set your background color to #1. Apply cutout, same as before, but use color #1 as shadow color.

Step 8. And that's it, all there is to it! If you want to make another variation of the pillow, continue on to Step 9 below. If you don't want to make another one, then go to Step 10.

Step 9. Hide all layers except your color chart and background layer.

Repeat Steps 2-8 above, making the following substitutions:

• For the bottom layer, flood fill with "02pillowfill" but change the scale to 20%. Use color #4 for the cutout shadow color.
• For the middle layer, flood fill with color #5. Use color #1 for the cutout shadow color.
• For the top layer, flood fill with "03pillowfill" - set the scale to 60%. Use color #1 for the cutout shadow color.

When done, it should look like this:

Step 10. Save as a master psp file with all layers intact - it makes it easier to change things later.

Once you are satisfied with your creation, delete the color chart layer and hide the background. Turn off all the second pillow layers. Merge all visible layers. Save as a psp file. Then, turn off the merged layer and turn back on the second pillow layers. Merge them and save as psp file.

For the chest, I made these two variations and then changed the colors using the variations filter (you could also use the adjust>color function in psp). Or, you could make entirely different pillows for your chest.

I hope you've enjoyed the tutorial, and please let me hear from you!