This tutorial will show you how to make the lamp posts you see in my scene.

My canvas with the pixel outline. You can download it here.

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

First, a few notes.....

My image is just a guide. Feel free to change the colors, or add other effects to your liking. I put everything on its own layer (and name each one). That way you can easily go back and change colors later and correct any mistakes you've made. It makes a lot of layers, but it also keeps things organized and will save you a lot of heartache, especially with an image that has as many pixels as this one.

It makes it easier if you enlarge your graphic (use your magnifier tool) so you can see the pixels clearly. Feel free to save my images in this tut too, and enlarge them as necessary to see.

The basic procedure for each piece will be the same. You'll add a new layer. Choose your paintbrush tool and set the size to 1 and paint the outline of the piece in a darker color and then paint the inside in a lighter color (Hint: to do the inside coloring, make the outline layer active, choose your magic wand and click inside the section you want to color - then apply the color on your new layer).

I've applied an inner bevel to some pieces, using the settings in the screenshot below (I'll tell you when to apply)

Step 1. Open up the canvas you downloaded. There are twolayers: a background and a lamppost outline.

Open up the color chart you saved. Copy and paste it as a new layer onto your image. Move it to the top, out of the way. When you need a color, just click on it with your dropper tool.

In the following steps, I'll show you the colors I used for each section of the graphic - feel free to change these as you wish.

Step 2.

Turn your lamppost outline layer on.

Outline - 1 Inside - 2, 3 (apply inner bevel) Top outline - 4 Top inside - 5, 6 (apply inner bevel) Flame - 7, 8 (apply inner bevel)

Turn all layers off except for what you just colored. Merge visible layers. Save as a psp file.

Step 3.

Turn color chart and background layer back on. Add a new layer and place it underneath your merged lamppost. Choose your airbrush, using settings in the screenshot.

You want to make a little glow behind your lamp. Spray some of color #8.

Now choose your smudge brush, using settings in the screenshot.

Soften the colors out until you have a nice warm glow.

Merge your lamp post and glow layers together and save as a psp file.

I also made a version adding a bow. Just open up your bow and paste it onto your lamp post. Merge the two layers and save as a psp file.

Step 4.

If you want to make more lamp posts later, just save your original canvas with the pixel outlines and reuse it.

To return to the pixel village series of tutorials, go here.