This tutorial has been created by gathering various random thoughts, floating around in my head and then attempting to organize them into a coherent
pattern, that is easily followed and produces the desired results. Please do not claim these thoughts as your own or people will think you are as
disorganized and wordy as I am!!! You are free to link back to this tut for personal and/or group use....if you want to use it for any other purpose,
please contact me directly.
This tut was created using PSP9 but I'm sure other versions would work just fine with the appropriate revisions. You will find all the supplies needed
to complete this tut....
Thanks to all the talented artists, who create and tube these things for us. To my knowledge, all these items are okay for CU, if any of these items are
yours and you do not want them used, please contact me and I will remove them, immediately.
Unzip the supplies, place the JM005.jgd file into your gradient folder, place the crumpled paper.bmp into your Texture folder, the PSPCheckered
Background.jpg into your Pattern folder, place the Edge Brush 04. pspframe file into your Picture Frame Folder and place the remaining tubes into their
appropriate folders.
I'm going to assume you have a good working knowledge of PSP tools and terms.
This is a simple QP to give you an idea of how I go about creating them.
I change my mind frequently, so I keep all layers UNmerged until the last possible minute.
OKAY! Let's do this!!!
I strongly suggest you use the same sizes, colors, textures, etc as I am....you can change them later.
Open New image....these are very large images, feel free to work with a smaller size.
You will have to resize the other tubes accordingly....
Flood fill with color of choice - I used #5959cb
Add (Copy and Paste) frame, with mover tool, move to upper left corner.
Add (Copy and Paste) doodle, move to lower right corner, move up one level in layer palette.
I strongly suggest you name your layers, with nothing merged it can get confusing....
Layer palette should look like this...
Click on the frame layer in your layer palette.
Using your magic wand, click in the center of the frame, 'marching ants' will surround the inside of the frame. Go to Selections, Modify, Expand, Expand by
5....the 'marching ants' should be on the white part of your frame. Like this...
In your layer palette, click on your background layer. Make sure you have your background layer highlighted.
Hit the 'delete' key on your keyboard.
You have just made your 1st quickpage....it looks like this....
Pretty lame....right??? DO NOT DELETE!!! We'll fix it!!!
This is where your creativity comes into play....the possibilities are endless, your own QP depends on your imagination, your knowledge of PSP, your
choice of tubes and flourishes, even the plugins you use! To get started, start with a theme, birthday, wedding, graduation, etc. OR make the QP for
someone or something specific, add favorite things and words that are representative of that person or thing. Try all those plugins you never have used.
Use the endless doodles and elements, you have collected. Try different placement of things, change the color, who knows, try it - you never know what will
be just the touch you are looking for to make your QP ----- Perfect!
----------There are frustrations too....not all things work the first time. Keep trying --------
Let's get this one done first!
In your History palette, undo until you have a solid background (no frame hole cut out of it )
First....the background. Let's make it a little more interesting.....
How about some texture?
Go to Effect, Texture Effects and apply any one of the textures, you like....
I'm using ....crumpled paper....with these settings
Still looks pretty dull to me....let's add some brush strokes....
Go to Effects, Art Media Effects, Brush Strokes....I used these settings.
Background looks good to me!
Okay....now....the frame
Click on the frame layer in your layer palette. Let's resize it.
Go to Image, Resize, use the following setting....
With your move tool....move the frame into the upper left corner, where you want it.
Hmmmm....still rather plain....let's add another frame.
On your layer palette, right click on the frame layer and duplicate. You should now have two frames....arrange them however you like. I decided to resize
my second frame....use the same technique as above. I resized my frame 85%. This is mine....
Let's add a little pizzazz to the frames!!!
Select your airbrush from your tool palette. I used the following settings....
On your layer palette...click on the frame layer.
Go to Selection, Select all, Float, Defloat....you should have 'marching ants' around your frame. Now....with the airbrush, set with the above settings....spray
your frame. Just lightly...don't over do. DO NOT DESELECT. Go to Adjust, Sharpness, Sharpen, deselect. Repeat above 4 steps with the smaller frame.
You should now have something like this....
Let's shadow the frames...I always put my shadows on separate layers, especially when making QP's, because I tend to change my mind a lot (as if you
haven't guessed!!! *g*) Give the "shadow on new layer" a try....you might be surprised how much time it saves you down the road! So....I'll do it my way
and if you prefer, you can keep the shadow on the same layer as the frame. You will have to adjust the blur and opacity.
Select the large frame layer on your layer palette. Go to Effects, Drop Shadow....use these settings
On your layer palette, click on the frame shadow 1 layer and slide the opacity arrows to approx 30. Go to Adjust, Blur, Gaussian Blur at 4 (between 3-5)
Repeat with the smaller frame. You should have something similar to this....
And your layer palette should look something like this....
Let's do something with the doodle....first let's duplicate it. Click on the doodle layer in your layer palette. Right click and hit duplicate. X out (close the
layer) copy of the doodle. Click on the visible doodle layer. On your materials palette, select the gradient JM005 . Use these settings....
On your layer palette, click on the doodle layer. Go to Selection, Select, Float, Defloat. DO NOT DESELECT. Add a NEW layer. Name this layer
gradient doodle. (It should be on top of your doodle layer) Be sure you are on this new layer, the gradient doodle layer. Flood fill with your gradient.
Deselect.
Go to Image....Mirror. This should move the doodle to the left side of the graphic....arrange to your liking.
On your layer palette (still on the gradient doodle layer change the layer 'Blend Mode' to overlay. Repeat this procedure with the other doodle....EXCEPT
change the gradient repeats to 2 X out the black doodle layers....you can delete them if you want. I usually "X" them out and move them to the bottom of
the layer palette in case, I need them later.
Let's flip the gradient doodle 2....Go to Image, Flip....move it into the right top corner. I moved my frames around and resized the gradient doodle by 85%
This is what mine looks like now....
Still needs something???
How about a bow?
Click on your top layer in your layer palette. Copy and Paste KSBBow 2, as a new layer, with mover tool, move the bow between the frames.
Go to Effects, Drop Shadow....use the following settings....
On your layer palette, click on the bow shadow layer, reduce opacity to around 30. Go to Adjust, Blur, Gaussian Blur 4. Click on the top layer of you layer
palette. Go to Image, Picture Frame, Select Edge Brush 4 with the following settings....
These next couple of steps are all subjective....your choice! I reduced the opacity on the gradients doodles to 46%. Click on the background layer, go to
Adjust, Sharpness, Sharpen. I decided at the last minute....to add the flower for a touch of color. Click on your top layer, copy and paste, SE Gentle
Breeze Accent as a new layer. You can put it in front of or behind the bow. I chose in front for more color, I erased parts of the stem from in front
of the bow. You will have to move the flower accent in the layer palette, depending on where you want it placed, in front of or behind the bow.
More changes....I decided to add a tad bit of purple spray paint to the frames....I used the same settings as above except I changed the density to 37 and
used color #cb92eb
Okay....
Let's call it done.
EXCEPT....we need to open the frames!
Click on the frame layer in your layer palette. Using your magic wand, click in the center of the frame, 'marching ants' will surround the inside of the frame.
Go to Selections, Modify, Expand, Expand by 5....the 'marching ants' should be on the white part of your frame. Same as we did in the beginning....In your
layer palette, click on your background layer, be sure you have highlighted your background layer. Hit the 'delete' key on your keyboard.
Find the PSPcheckered paper pattern in Material palette.
Click on your bottom layer in your layer palette. Add a new layer, named Checkered background. Flood fill with pattern. Move this layer to the very bottom
in the layer palette. X out the CHECKERED layer..Merge visible the remaining layers. SAVE as a pspimage file
OR
DELETE the checkered background layer and save in PNG format.
You have just made your 1st "real" quickpage....
Mine looks like this....
Thanks to Frankie for testing this tut, here are her results....
