The Tutorial
- Open a new image.
Settings: Dimensions = 210 x 210 pixels || Resolution = 72 || Background color = transparent
Load bead1.sel from your hard drive. Go to Selections > Load From Disk. Browse to your Selections folder, if need be.
Select gradient DejaVu_CC.
Settings: Style = Sunburst Gradient || Horizontal = 29 || Vertical = 25 || Repeats = 0 || Invert gradient = checked
Flood fill the selection.
Add a highlight.
Go to Effects > Illumination Effects > Sunburst.
Settings:
Color = #F4F2F2 || Rays Density = 0 || Rays Brightness = 0 || Light Spot Brightness = 100 || Light Spot Horizontal = 30 || Light Spot Vertical = 32 || Circle Brightness = 0
Continue around the circle until all six selections have been completed. Load each selection, fill with the assigned gradient, and apply the Sunburst Illumination Effect.
Note: all settings for the gradients remain the same for each bead, except as indicated. (There are no changes in the Sunburst Illumination settings.)
bead1: Gradient = DejaVu_CC • Invert gradient = checked
bead2: Gradient = SkyBlues_CC • Invert gradient = unchecked
bead3: Gradient = AMazed_CC • Invert gradient = unchecked
bead4: Gradient = SN_GorgeousFolly • Invert gradient = unchecked
bead5: Gradient = SN_Salmon • Invert gradient = checked
bead6: Gradient = SN_WinterNemesis • Invert gradient = unchecked
Create a subtle drop shadow (Fig. 5a - 5c), which will add depth and dimension to the beads.
Go to Effects > 3D Effects > Drop Shadow.
Settings: Vertical = 2 || Horizontal = 2 || Opacity = 83 || Blur = 12 || Color = #2A2522
  
Caution: assuming that you did all your work on one layer and that your background is transparent, save the bead set image to your hard drive and close the file in PSP. If you have more than one layer, delete any background layer and make sure that all of the beads are merged onto one layer before saving.
Reopen the file in PSP. The reason for these actions is so that you won't accidentally undo the shadow effect as you follow the rotation procedure, which comes next. Your bead set should now look like the one in Fig. 5c, above.
Open a second image.
Settings: Dimensions = 1262 x 632 pixels || Resolution = 72 || Background color = transparent
Open the grid.
Go to View > Grid.
Set the grid properties for the tube.
Go to View > Change Grid and Guide Properties.
Settings: Units = Pixels || Horizontal spacing = 210 || Vertical spacing = 210 || Line color = your choice || Snap properties = Leave Snap to grid and Snap to guide unchecked
You'll see that you have 18 cells - 6 cells across and 3 cells down - and each one needs to be filled! This is the grid for making your tube.
Copy the transparent bead set image shown in Fig. 5c.
Go to Edit > Copy, or use Ctrl+C, or click on the copy icon  .
Paste the image into the first cell of your tube grid.
Go to Edit > Paste > As New Layer (Ctrl+L), or as a new selection (Edit > Paste > As New Selection or Ctrl+E). Try to center the image in the cell, but precise placement is not necessary.
Deselect by going to Selections > Select None or using Ctrl+D.
Paste another copy of the bead set image into the second cell.
Rotate the bead set image. Go to Image > Rotate or Ctrl+R.
Settings: Right = checked || Free = checked || amount = 20
Continue pasting and rotating until all the cells have been filled.
You will be doing 17 rotations in all, increasing each previous rotation by 20. Click on the thumbnail of Fig. 7 to open a full-size graphic illustration of the rotations, which are also listed below. Once you have established a rhythm, it takes very little time to copy, paste, and rotate each bead image into its own cell. You may find it convenient to bring Fig. 7 into PSP to use as a reference as you work.
| Click on thumbnail |
Rotations |
 |
0 |
20 |
40 |
60 |
80 |
100 |
| 120 |
140 |
160 |
180 |
200 |
220 |
| 240 |
260 |
280 |
300 |
320 |
340 |
Note: It's important to copy and paste only from the bead set image in its original position. If you rotate a previously rotated selection, your tube will end up being very blurred.
Merge all the layers of your tube grid image.
Go to Layers > Merge > Merge Visible.
Caution: be careful not to flatten the image, which requires transparency for tubing.
Convert the grid image into a tube.
Go to File > Export > Picture Tube to open the tube dialog box (Fig. 8).
Settings: Cells across = 6 || Cells down = 3 || Total cells = 18 (PSP will automatically calculate this figure) || Placement mode = Continuous || Step size = 36 || Selection mode = Incremental || Tube name = your choice
Open a new window, 500 x 500, or any size that you prefer. (You may want to add a separate background layer and fill it with black so that you can better see what you're doing.)
Select the tube you just made: click on the tubes icon  . In the tool options window, select the tube, change the Scale to 20, leave the Step setting at 36, and start making beautiful jewelry!
Tip: When joining the tube ends, you won't get a perfect blend. Try adding a clasp (see the Downloads & Resources section above) or making one to cover the joint. (See figures 15 and 16 on the samples page.)
|
