Stained Glass Oval Sun Catcher


	Oval Sun Catcher


	Create A Stained Glass Sun Catcher - Intermediate Plus Written For Paint Shop Pro 7 8 9 X Paint Shop Pro XI And X2 Photo + (Ultimate) Students Should Follow X’s Instructions

This tutorial demonstrates how to create a Stained Glass Sun Catcher. To work along, you are welcome to download the Start Images Here. Unzip the file and open the images onto Paint Shop Pro’s workspace.

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1/
Open your Start Images onto Paint Shop Pro’s workspace, and slightly extend the Silver Frame’s workspace by left-clicking and dragging out one of its corners.

Note
You are looking to activate the Butterfly and Flower Images (one at a time), and to Flood Fill them with Gradients. You will then Copy and Paste the Stained Glass Objects onto the Silver Frame; rearranging and resizing them to your liking using the Deformation, Deform or Pick Tool. For optimum results, it is advisable to start with large metallic objects then reduce their size with the aforementioned Tools after they have been Pasted onto the Silver Frame.

2/
To begin, activate the Silver Butterfly Image.

3/
Then from the left-side Tools Toolbar, activate the Flood Fill Tool.



And enter the following settings into the Tool Options Palette or Ribbon.

Paint Shop Pro 7

Paint Shop Pro 8 9 X XI X2 Photo +

Note
You may need to experiment with the Flood Fill’s Tolerance Setting.

4/
Now, introduce different Gradients into the Colour/Materials Palette’s Foreground and Background Swatches. (The Background has no bearing on the Flood Fill Tool’s result, therefore, ensure the Foreground Swatch displays your first Gradient).



Tip
You will find the next step easier if you Zoom into your image .

Now, left-click inside the butterfly’s transparent areas, being very careful not to click over the Silver Frame. If you do click the Silver Frame; click the Undo Arrow .

Then retrace your steps, and reapply the Flood Fill Tool, this time, keeping inside the transparent areas as much as possible.

Note
If your Flood Fill Tool repeatedly covers the Silver Frame; reduce its Tolerance value.



After you have applied your first Gradient; swap the Foreground and Background
Gradients - and continue left-clicking to fill the Silver Butterfly with your second Gradient choice.



5/
Then activate the Silver Flower Images, (one by one) - and Fill those with your choice of Gradients.

6/
Now, activate the Silver Frame, and fill it with a contrasting Gradient.

Tip
Disable the Flood Fill Tool by activating the Mover/Move Tool.

You have created your Stained Glass Objects, and are now ready to Copy and Paste them into the Silver Frame.

7/ Copy And Paste Your Flower And Butterfly Images Into The Oval Frame
Activate the Stained Glass Butterfly, and from the top menu, choose Copy. Then activate the Silver Frame and from the top menu, choose Paste As New Layer. Now, activate the Silver Flowers, and Copy and Paste those (as New Layers) onto the Silver Frame.
To save PC resources, (and to keep your workspace tidy); close the original Butterfly and Flower Images. Your workspace and Layers Palette will now resemble the following - and you are ready for the next step.

8/
Now, left-click and drag the Stained Glass Butterfly’s Layer to the top of the Layer Stack.
(Paint Shop Pro 8 9 X XI X2 Photo +; Layers then Arrange then Bring To Top).

9/
Activate the Stained Glass Butterfly Image, and from the left-side Tools Toolbar; Paint Shop Pro 7 8 9 - activate the Deform/Deformation Tool .

Or press your D key.

Paint Shop Pro X XI +, activate the Pick Tool. Or press your K key.

After clicking your Deform/Deformation/Pick Tool, the active Layer’s Stained Glass Object will then be surrounded by a large Vector Deformation Bounding Box.

Toolbar Paint Shop Pro 7 - Toolbar Paint Shop Pro 8 9 - Toolbar Paint Shop Pro X XI X2 +.

Paint Shop Pro 8 9 X XI X2 Photo +
From the Tool Options Ribbon - change the Mode to Scale.

Paint Shop Pro 7
As you resize the Deformation Bounding Box; (at the same time) press and keep pressed your Keyboard’s Alt Key; this resizes an object in proportion.

All Versions
Now, reposition, resize and rotate the Stained Glass Butterfly, so it fits nicely inside the Silver Frame.

10/
Then do exactly the same with the Stained Glass Flowers; activating different Stained Glass Objects either by left-clicking a Stained Glass Object with the Mover/Move Tool active;
or, by left-clicking their corresponding Layers in the Layers Palette.

Tip
You can nudge the Deformation Bounding Box into position pixel-by-pixel by tapping your Keyboard’s Arrow Keys.

Paint Shop Pro 7 only: Press and keep pressed your Ctrl Key, then simultaneously tap an object into position using the Arrow Keys.

Tip
You can also reposition the Stained Glass Objects with the Mover/Move Tool.

After you have repositioned your Butterfly and Flower Images, you are ready for the next step.

11/
Now, activate each Layer, (one at a time), then from the top menu, choose Effects then choose 3D Effects then choose Drop Shadow. From the subsequent Drop Shadow dialogue box, enter the settings of your choice, then click OK.

Tip
Preserve the Layers by saving your work as a PSP File.

Tip
Disable the Vector Deformation Bounding Box by activating the Mover/Move Tool.

12/
When you are fully satisfied with your Stained Glass Sun Catcher, from the top menu, choose Layers then choose Merge then choose Merge Visible.

Tip
For extra clarity, apply a Sharpening Filter to your Sun Catcher - I applied the Unsharp Mask Filter.

13/
Create a New Raster Layer and drag it below the Sun Catcher’s Layer - and Flood Fill the New Raster Layer with your choice of Solid Colour, Pattern or Gradient - ensuring the Foreground Swatch displays your choice of Fill Material.



14/
Then from the top menu, choose Layers then choose Merge then choose Merge Visible.

15/
Congratulations your Stained Glass Sun Catcher is complete and ready to optimise and save.

Tip
Due to the Gradients’ high colour count, it is better to save your work as a Jpeg, and not a Gif.

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