To create the tube painting you need Paint Shop Pro and an understanding of how to use and manipulate layers. You'll need to save this framed picture of the tulips I used for the wall hanging:
Download these tubes [located on my Pixel Art by Joyce Web site]:
White ShelfSave this blue background tile:
1. Unzip and install all the tubes
2. Open the framed picture of the tulips, make a copy and close the original. Resize it from its 290 x 290 size to the size you want for your painting. I resized in 75% increments until it was the size used in the collage painting. Set aside the small painting for now. My collage painting has not been reduced, so use it as a guide for all your tube scaling sizes.
3. Open the blue tile image.
4. Create a new image 500 x 500, transparent.
5. Add a new raster layer, flood fill with pattern - the blue tile. Close the tile.
6. Add a new raster layer, find the white shelf tube, leave it scaled at 100%. Place your cursor in the center of your blue image and down towards the bottom. Be sure to leave room under the brackets. Add a drop shadow with these settings: Color, blank; Opacity, 65; Blur, 6.5; Vertical and Horizontal, 2. Or adjust to suit whatever you thinks looks best.
7. Copy the resized tulips image, paste as new layer. User the mover tool to place it above and in the center of the shelf. If desired, add drop shadow with same settings as in #6. I did not add one. Close the tulips image.
8. Now add the rest of the tubes, one at a time and always on a new raster layer. Scale each tube to a realistic size. Because the objects will sometimes appear to be hanging in space and not sitting on the shelf, move the layers behind the shelf layer when needed. Add a drop shadow to each object as in #6.
9. When you've finished placing each tube, rearrange anything you wish simply by clicking on the object's layer to make it active and then move it to another location.
10. Save as a PSP file - then if you need to or want to change anything later, you can still work with all your layers. Merge/Visible, Add a new raster layer. Select the text tool and type your name or whatever you wish just below the shelf. I used about a point 10, Arial font, bold. Move it to the center and up so that the top is in part of the shelf's drop shadow. To give it the engraved look, select Image/Other/Emboss. Deselect, Merge/Visible.
11. Crop your painting by using the Selection tool set to rectangle, enclose your painting leaving enough room around the edges so the shelf and objects are not against the sides, then crop to selection. Notice that the flower in my vase is too close to the top edge, and when framed appears to be touching the frame. Leave more room than I did.
12. With your foreground color set to white, add a border of 10 pixels. Select it with the magic wand, then do an Inner Bevel with these settings:
13. Do an Outer Bevel using these settings:
13. Use the eyedropper to select the blue color of your background. Then add another border of 15 pixels. Select it with the magic wand, flood fill with the blue. Do and Inner Bevel, and then an Outer Bevel using the same settings as in #12.
14. Click on the blue color you used above and select another blue at least two or three shades darker. Add a third border of 20 pixels. Select it with the magic wand, flood fill with the new darker blue. Do an Inner Bevel and an Outer Bevel using the same settings as in #12.
That's it! Finished. Save your tube collage painting as a JPG.
All the objects in this tutorial were made by me using tutorials from these places:
The white shelf is the Simple Shelf tutorial from Website Design & Graphics by Dizzinz. The teddy bear, flower, bowl are tutorials from Liz. Her new home page is Pixelating Graphics & Design [her tutorials are only available on CD now]. I made the glass of wine from the tutorial HERE. If any of these sites have moved or changed their URLs, please let me know by contacting me from the hyperlink to my name on the bottom of this page.
