Creating Bgs using effects in Paint Shop Pro

[matthew]

Creating abstract and grungy backgrounds for signature banners in Paint Shop Pro

To kick start things I use a grunge brush to make a basic background. I'm using an almost black colour (#0a0a0a) in one colour box, and an almost white colour (#f5f5f5) in the other. If i just used white and black I wouldn't be able to colourize it. You can use this background to follow the tutorial



I have all my favourite effect Icons across the top of my workspace like this



Which include the following effects and adjustments

Blinds
Buttonize
Dropshadow
Enamel
Inner Bevel
Wind
Edge preserving Smooth
Curlicues
Displacement Map
Lens Distortion
Polar Coordinates
Ripple
Punch
Sculpture
Skew
Spiky Halo
Topography
Twirl
Warp
Wave
Colour Balance

Also I've made a custom Palette, with most of the different effects and adjustments.




It makes experimenting with all the different effects much easier.


Duplicate the background layer (Layers > Duplicate)

and select Colour Balance (Adjust > Colour Balance > Colour Balance) and make these settings

75
20
-75


Go to the Tools Palette and select the Eraser Tool and make these settings

Size: 90
Hardness: 50
Opacity: 25


Erase some of the duplicated layer to reveal the original colour beneath





Then merge (Layers > Merge > Merge Down), and duplicate.


Again, select Colour Balance, and make these settings

-20
20
-75

and repeat the process.





now try some effects. remember to Erase when needed using the method above, merge down and duplicate.

---

Select Skew (Effects > Geometric Effects > Skew) and make these settings

Vertical: Checked
skew Angle: 45
Repeat: Checked

press ok

Eraser Tool: yes

---

Select Sculpture (Effects > Texture Effects > Sculpture)

Pattern: Cactus
Size: 40
Smoothness: 15
Depth: 100
Ambience: -100
Shininess: 60

Colour: #ffffff
Angle: 45
Intensity: 80
Elevation: 40

Press ok and reduce the layer's opacity to 30

Eraser Tool: yes

---

Select Blinds (Effects > Texture Effects > Blinds)

Width: 2
opacity: 10
Colour: #ffffff
Horizontal: Checked

press ok

Eraser Tool: yes

select blinds again and change the horizontal to vertical

Width: 2
opacity: 10
Colour: #ffffff
Light from Left/Top: Checked

press ok.

Eraser Tool: yes

---

Select Inner Bevel (Effects > 3D Effects > Inner Bevel)

Bevel Type: 8
Width: 8
Smoothness: 10
Depth: 10
Ambience: 40
Shininess: 10

Colour: #ffffff
Angle: 225
Intensity: 30
Elevation: 40

Eraser Tool: no

---

Select Wave (Effects > Distortion Effects > Wave)

Horizontal

Amplitude: 55
Wavelength: 15

Vertical

Amplitude: 65
Wavelength: 65

press ok

Eraser Tool: yes

---

Keep experimenting with all the different effects and settings. the possibilities are endless. ;D

[Ellie]

Awesome tutorial. I'm going to give it a try today. I don't experiment with nearly as many effects as I should, so I'm sure I'll learn lots of new tricks.

[Michael]

(O).(O) Gwah! It's magnifico!!! I mucho lovos this tutorial! Marvelous!

[Michael]

lol... I did everything that you said (minus the erasing on some parts) and it ended up like this:

The main difference was color.... and I didn't have a horizontal option for the blind effect so I had to rotate it and then rotate it back. lol...

EDitL but it was fun so thanks! ^_^

[Ellie]

Well, here's my end result. I think it turned out pretty good!



However, when I tried playing around on my own I ended up with this blob of... I'm not sure what. But it doesn't look very good. lol

[Michael]

lol.... mine would've ended up SO much worse than that. I didn't even attempt to.... ^_^

[~•XyMiC•~]

you should have done this before becuse my PSPX trial ended today

[Michael]

You can download another... just from another site that promotes Corel...

[Aled]

I wold really like to get PSP9 now .....mmm ive jsut had an idea...ive finally got a job you see so over time i might be able to svae up enough, but thats not for definate but i really want ot give this ago, Mikey you know where ot get loads of PSP9 trials, any links pleeeease?

[~•XyMiC•~]

I know a way to use PSP X over and over again from the same site, but I'm not going to try it. It's wrong to do that.

[Aled]

yeh i did that with PSP 9 :S but i deleted it eventually but do you know any sites to get a trial from?

[~•XyMiC•~]

nope, but I'll try to find it!

[Michael]

lol... I DLed PSP9 probably three times and then X three times. I didn't think anything of it... just that we were only allowed three trial versions. lol...

[~•XyMiC•~]

I told you I'll find it . Download it here It's PSP 9 Trial

[GeEq]

Here's what i got from that

[gottibxi]

is this a good one