Pracken's Paint Shop Pro Tutorials

Pixel Christmas Village 6:
Log Cabin

This is a special tutorial for my friend LaVonne, who inspired me to create this log cabin for her. I hope it keeps you warm on many cold nights, and thanks for the inspiration!

This tutorial is part of my 2006 Christmas pixel village. I'm continuing to add items to this series, to give you even more choices to make lovely Christmas scenes. In this tutorial, I'll show you how I made the log cabin above. All the other items in the scene are items you'll find in this series of tutorials, and you'll find all the items here.

For this tutorial, you will need the following:

Paint Shop Pro. This tutorial was written for versions 10 (PSP X) and 9. However, you should have no problems doing the tut in other versions as well. You can download the latest PSP version demo here.

My canvas with pixel outlines.

My gradient (or one of your own if you prefer). Place it in whatever location you have your PSP gradients.

You can download all of my materials 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.

  • Each time you do a color change or major section, put it 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, 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.

  • When coloring the inside bits, make the black outline layer active, choose your magic wand and click inside the section you want to color. Then make the layer you want the color on active and flood fill the color there.

  • When coloring long lines, put your paintbrush down on the start, hold down your shift key, pick up your paint brush and put it down on the end of the line. Voila, line colored.

  • When coloring large similar sections (like roof tiles), color one. Then copy it and paste as a new selection repeatedly until the section is finished.

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

It will make your life easier if you minimize the steps in apply the inner bevel. You could go to Effects>3d effects>inner bevel each time, but that's a lot of steps. So, customize your workspace to add the inner bevel icon (note: it's a good idea to customize with other things too, if you haven't already done so).

To customize, right click on your menu bar (the very top of your program) and scroll down to the option to "customize." You'll see this menu pop up.

Scroll down to "Effects" on the left side. Then scroll down to the inner bevel on the right side. Click on it with your mouse an drag it to your toolbar. Move it to wherever you'd like it. Then click "close." Here's how my menu bar looks (I've indicated where I placed my inner bevel icon with a pink box in the screenshot below).

Ok, now you're all set. Whenever you want to apply an inner bevel, just click on your icon. Saves you lots of steps!

Step 1. Open up the pixel outline you downloaded. There are six layers: - a background, an outline of the image, and an outline of 5 different log lengths. As you work, you'll place everything on top of the outline layers.

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 3. Log Ends

These are the little log ends that are in between the main logs (and don't forget the three at the top center).

[Note: I've lowered the opacity of the outline layer so you can see the color application better).

Outline - 1
Inside - 2
Apply an inner bevel to the inside bits.


Add a drop shadow (effects>3d effects>drop shadow) to the inside end bits. To do so, just make that layer active, and use the settings in the screenshot below. [Note: In the screenshot, I'm only showing one section of log ends, but you will obviously do them all.

   

Step 4. Roof and Chimneys

Roof shingles outline - 3
Roof shingles inside - 4
Chimneys outline - 5
Chimneys inside - 6, (apply inner bevel)


Step 5. House Trim and Posts

Posts outline - 7
Posts inside - 8 (apply inner bevel)
Trim outline - 7
Trim inside 9 (apply inner bevel)
Ends at top of long posts (center section of house): outline - 1, inside - 2 (apply inner bevel).


Step 6. Windows, Door, Steps

Windows, Door outline - 7
Window frames inside - 9 (apply inner bevel)
Window latches - black
Window light - pracken_window gradient
Door frame inside - 8, 9 (apply inner bevel)
Door panels - 11
Door handle - black
Steps outline - 5
Steps inside - 6


Step 7. Rails

Rails outline - 7
Rails inside - 9 (apply inner bevel)


Step 8. Ok, now all you need to do is the logs for the house. you're going to do each log individually and then put them all together into the different sections of the house. You'll just need to be careful about the overlap and interlocking bits, but I'll give you some screenshots to help with that.

Make the "Log 1" outline layer active. Add a new layer and place it underneath the log end outline layer (the first one you did in this tutorial).

Paint the outer edge of your log with color #1 and the inside with #8 (put it all on one layer). (Note how you do not paint the ends of this log).

Now click inside the log and apply an inner bevel.

Move the log into place on your house - you can start at the top or bottom of the section, doesn't matter. Then copy the log (edit>copy) and paste as a new selection (edit>paste as a new selection). Repeat this process until the entire section is filled (note: once you copy the log to the clipboard, i.e., edit>copy, you don't have to repeat that. It'll stay there until you put something else on the clipboard. So all you need to do is just do edit>paste as a new selection). OR, you should have icons for each of these functions on your workspace. It's a lot easier to click those each time v. the text commands. If you don't have the "copy" and "paste as new selection" icons on your workspace, do a customization (same as you did above for the inner bevel) and add them there.

Look closely at my image to see the placement of the logs, being sure to line up the edges the same as mine.

Step 9. Make the "log 2 outline layer active." Add a new layer. Color log 2 using same colors as log 1. Apply inner bevel.

Copy and paste the log onto the house. Again, be careful to line up the edges correctly. You'll have overlap, like this.

Choose your eraser tool and erase any of the overlapping bits. You should have this.

Step 10. Make the log 3 outline layer active. Add a new layer. Paint it using same colors as before. Apply inner bevel.

Copy and paste this log onto the section of the house, like the screenshot. Line up the edges, and erase any overlapping bits.

Step 11. Make the "log 4" outline layer active. Add a new layer. Paint the log same colors as before. Apply inner bevel.

Copy and paste, same as before, onto the house. When done, you'll have overlap at the top. Use your eraser tool to get rid of it. Here's what you should have.

Step 12. Make the "log 5" outline layer active. Add a new layer. Paint the log same colors as other logs. Apply inner bevel.

Copy and paste the log onto the house. Again, you'll have overlap at the top, so erase it. Also, you'll need to draw the sides back of the horizontal log at the bottom.

Now copy this layer and paste as a new selection onto the window at the top left of the house (you may need to turn some layers off so you can see the outline layer so you can correctly place the logs).

Step 13. Now go back and take a look at your image. You'll probably have missing spots of color here and there. You'll have to determine what color they should be, particularly in the overlap areas where the logs meet other logs and the roof where the logs go onto it. Color in any missing bits (feel free to use my image to see what colors I've used).

This is also the time to correct any other errors you may have made and to change anything else you want changing.

Step 14. When you're satisfied with your image, save it as a master psp file, with all layers intact. That way you can go back in the future and make changes or make an entirely different version of the house by simply changing layer colors.

Then, delete the color chart and background layers. Merge visible layers. Save as a psp file.

And that's it, all done! If you'd like to add some holiday items like I've done in the scene above, just go the the pixel village page and make whatever items you wish. You'll find the entire series of tutorials here.

I hope you've enjoyed the tut!


:Terms Of Use:    :Tutorials Main Page:    :Homepage:     :Email Me:


Screenshots of programs used in this tutorial are copyrighted to their respective authors.
This tutorial was created on November 22, 2006.
All content, graphics, and tutorials on this site are
ŠPracken, 2003-2007