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Making stars with layers
PSP 7
Making your own stars is really very simple. This tutorial has 21 steps but is not difficult nor really time consuming after you've gone through it once. :)
You will use layers, the line tool, the motion blur filter, the rotate feature, and the airbrush in this tutorial. I used white for this star, but if you prefer another color, any light/bright color will work equally well. Enjoy!
This tutorial was inspired by a PSP5 Tutorial at DK1098's. I make extensive use of layers in mine.
1. Create a new image: 300x300, Resolution = 72
Background color = Black
2. Create a new layer by clicking on the "new layer" button on your layer control palette. (If you don't see your layer control palette, press the letter l and it will appear)
Name it "Vertical" when the Layer Properties window pops up. Leave all other settings as they are. Click OK
3. Activate the Draw tool
.
Set your Foreground color Style to Solid - White.
Click the triangle (1). Choose Solid from the flyout menu (2). Click on the color swatch and choose white.
Set Background Style and both Textures to Null.
Open your Tool Options Palette. (If you don't see it, press the letter O and it will show up)
Set to Single Line,
Width=1,
Antialias=UNchecked,
Create as vector=UNchecked,
Close path=UNchecked.
Watch the bottom left corner of your PSP window. When the circled numbers are the same as mine, let go of your mouse button. Don't worry about the other numbers.
5. Go Effects/Blur/Motion blur
Set Direction Angle to 0 deg and Intensity to 35 pixels.
OK
It should now look like this.
6. Create another new layer and call it "Horizontal"
7. Holding down your shift key, draw a horizontal line that is 65 pixels long. Try to center it with the vertical line, but don't worry if it isn't perfect because we'll use the mover tool to line things up later.
Watch those numbers again until yours look like these circled ones.
8. Go Effects/Blur/Motion blur
Set Direction Angle to 90 deg and Intensity to 35 pixels.
OK
The hard part is done now. :)
Now it should be looking like this...
If yours is really off center, use the mover tool
to get it closer.
9. Duplicate "Horizontal" layer by right clicking on it and choosing "Duplicate" from the dropdown menu.
10. Make sure your duplicate layer is active.
Go Image/Rotate :
Set Direction Right
Degrees = Free 45
"All layers" - UNchecked
Now you should have an image looking like this...
11. Duplicate the Horizontal layer again (not the copy you already made because each time you rotate the same image, it loses some quality)
12. Making sure your new copy is the active layer go to Image/Rotate
Set Direction to Left
Leave deg at 45
Use the mover tool to center any lines that need it. Zoom in if you need to.
13. Hide your background by clicking on the little icon glasses to the right of the layer name.
You won't be able to see your star right now, but that's ok.
Right click on one of the layer buttons and choose Merge/Visible.
Now you will only have two layers; Background and merged. You can rename the merged layer to Star if you want to.
Turn your background back on so you can see the star again.
14. Create a new layer and call it Blur
15. Select the Airbrush tool
.Set your Foreground color Style to Solid - White.
Click the triangle (1). Choose Solid from the flyout menu (2). Click on the color swatch and choose white.
Set Background Style and both Textures to Null.
Open the Tool Options palette. Set as follows: Shape = Round
Size = 90
Hardness = 0
Opacity = 30
Step = 10
Density = 100
16. Place your cursor in the center of your star and quickly click 2 or 3 times.
NOTE: You may skip steps 17 & 19 (creating new layers) if you like. I put everything on a new layer so that I can move it around if I need to.
17. Create another new layer.
18. With the airbrush still selected, change the brush size to 50. Click quickly in the center of your star 1 or 2 times.
19. Create another new layer.
20. With the airbrush still selected, change the brush size to 30 and click quickly in the center of your star 1 time.
21. Hide your background layer again, and merge visible. Save a copy in PSP format so that you maintain the layers in case you want to do something more with it another time.
You're done!
Now you are ready to make your star into many different sizes & colors and turn them into tubes...
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