' Popsicles '   ©rae   Conceived by and written by Rae (Raeniel) for PSP version 8 & 9..  June 01, 2006   This tutorial and it's graphics are not to be redistributed to other Groups, Messageboards or through Email, etc.  ..  without Permission.     Once you've downloaded the graphics/supplies - please leave the filenames and ©Information intact raePopsicles ©rae

*click for  supply  folder ~Open at PSP : raePopsicles dots frost paths SummertimeBkgd ~Open font 'Porkys.ttf' and minimize ~Move the 'lyndiebrush' .JBR file to your Desktop : PSP > File > Import > Custom Brush Navigate to your desktop Brush file I chose 'Lyndiebrush 412 003' for the tut

1.   Open a transparent canvas = 400 X 200 Flood Fill = #035DB1 Image > Add Borders :    {the following description of how I created the wrapper is reminiscent of the 'Popsicle' brand wrapper..See it here.  You can decorate yours however you like} Open 'red dots' > Copy Paste as a New Layer Mover Tool > Position dots into the center/top border Duplicate Image > Flip Duplicate Image > Rotate > Free Rotate :   Mover Tool > Align the dots at one side (lightened for screenshot  ..  as well, disregard my name in there)    Duplicate Image > Mirror Now yours should look like this :

2.  Open Paintbrush > Default+Round Size = 120 Hardness = 95 *I used the Red at the dots #FC155B Click to place a circle off to the right / inside the blue area Paintbrush > Select the LyndiBrush (412 003 or any brush you prefer) Size = 130 I used #FEEA40 click a few times (*without moving your brushtip) to deposit full density of color here's mine :

3.  Paintbrush > select 'Line Horizontal'   Color = #DBD9D9  Position your brush just below the top edge & Click to place a line   Move to the bottom - just above the edge Hold Shift & Click to place an edge of 'lines' at the margin *if you go off -center and lines are visible into the blue area - Undo Twice and try again    When you have a straight set of lines : Duplicate Image > Mirror Turn OFF the background layer = we only want the lines visible Merge Visible Duplicate Turn the background (blue with dots, etc) ON Select the Merged layer (lines) : Duplicate Open your Mover Tool : Place your cursor over your image Directional Arrow Keypad > Click UP once Layer Palette = change the Blend Modes as shown :    Merge visible

4.  Ok.. now we're going to rip the edge..tear that package open!  First, a lil more room will be helpful..  so we'll make a large canvas to work in : Image > Canvas Size :   Layer Palette > Add a New Raster Layer = named 'Bottom' Pull it under your 'Merged' layer = to the bottom of the Palette Rename the topmost layer to 'Top' Highlight the 'Top' layer : Select All > Float Highlight the 'Bottom' layer Flood Fill with White Select None Highlight the 'Top' layer Open your Lasso Tool :   Draw a squiggly line from below the top right corner.. down **after drawing your 'rip' with the lasso = loop around the outside and meet back at the start-point = closing the loop   Keyboard > Delete Keep Selection active Adjust > Add/Remove Noise > Add Noise :   Select None Now we'll rip the Bottom - Lasso an area again but think about making it appear, somewhat as an 'opening', not necessarily a mimick of the top rip **again = close the loop by drawing your lasso underneath the top portion of the wrapper and meet the starting point     Selections > Invert Keyboard = Delete Keep Selection active Adjust > Add/Remove Noise > Add Noise *same settings Select None ..here's mine

5.  Time to add your text..  but.. before we do that.... **hint = Copy one of the 'raePopsicles' and paste it over your wrapper As A New Layer and Resize to 130%, so it will be wrapper-size (*we'll replace it with a fresh popsicle, later) Move it to the side.. approximating it's placement for your final tag/animation..  Use it as a visual guide, for now, so to determine Where and How Large, etc. to make your text I used the font = Porky's for my tag ..  I used Fill, only, for one line of text and Outline for the other..  do what you like, here.. and write what you fancy for example :

6.  When your text is complete = Turn OFF the 'Bottom' layer Highlight another layer and Merge Visible > Rename to 'Top' Now we'll crumple your wrapper with AlienSkin Xenofex {First settings if you are using Xenofex2 ~ Second settings for Xenofex1} Highlight 'Top' layer Effects > Xenofex2 or Xenofex1 > Crumple    Xenofex1 ~Crumple   Highlight the 'Bottom' layer  apply Xenofex2 or Xenofex1 > Crumple      Xenofex1 ~Crumple   7.  Now, we'll add drop shadows = we need to remove some, after the first application, so we'll not have overlap and a doubling of shadow density : Highlight the 'Bottom' layer > Add a New Raster Layer for the drop shadow Now highlight the 'Top' Layer > Select All/Float While selection is active - Highlight the New Layer and apply the Drop Shadow :      Select None Now, Highlight the 'Bottom' Layer  Selections >Select All/Float Selections > Invert Keep Selection active = Highlight the New Raster (drop shadow layer) : DELETE at your keyboard Select None *Turn OFF or Delete the big Popsicle Merge Visible all wrapper layers Drop Shadow *new settings      Here they are - using Xenofex2 (top example)  Xenofex1 (bottom example) :  *resized for screenshot   Finally ..  Resize your wrapper so it'll be the right proportion for the popsicle Image > Resize = 70% Bicubic (*only the wrapper)

8.  Time to position your popsicle with your wrapper... **I also added a layer for *temporary* background color Select a Popsicle > Copy & Paste over as a New Layer > Name = Popsicle Once you've decided, highlight the bottom layer = the wrapper Add a New Raster layer *for the popsicle drop shadow Highlight the Popsicle layer > Select All/Float Keep selection active > highlight the New Raster layer Drop Shadow : with 'last used' settings   Turn OFF the 'Popsicle' layer and any background color layer Merge Visible the wrapper and drop shadow Rename to 'Wrapper' 8a.  ~  If you want to Add Text to the popsicle  ~ I've tried it two ways = one Vertical text (short names - 3 to 4 letters) and one Horizontal text, rotated (for longer names) ********************************************************** Here = Vertical (short names) : Text settings = use Kerning to move your letters close together    I used : Background = White (Foreground = Null) **Color is unimportant since you'll be Deleting that text layer. Apply your text : Object Selector tool - rotate and adjust your text to Center and align parallel to the sides of the popsicle     **further widen, etc. as you like Convert to Raster Rename to 'Text1' ********************************************************** ~ Here = Horizontal (longer name/text) Text settings = use Kerning to move your letters close together   I used : Background = White (Foreground = Null) **Color is unimportant since you'll be Deleting that text layer. Apply your text : Object Selector tool - rotate and adjust your text to Center and align parallel to the sides of the popsicle                                **further widen, etc. as you like Convert to Raster Rename to 'Text1' ********************************************************** How I created the text effect : Highlight 'Text1' layer Add a New Raster layer - named 'Text2' Add another New Raster - named 'Text3' Highlight 'Text1' layer Select All / Float - keep selection active Highlight 'Text2' layer Drop Shadow :  << pick a highlight color - from your popsicle   Selections > Invert Highlight 'Text3' layer Drop Shadow :  << pick a dark, shadow color - from your popsicle Select None DELETE 'Text1' layer 'Text3' layer = change Blend Mode to 'Burn' Duplicate   **I dropped the Text2/Highlight transparency just a bit..  your call on that Turn OFF any background color layer Merge Visible the text/popsicle/wrapper layers

9.  Now we'll add the frost-swirl and begin building the images for animation. {if you haven't done so..  you'll want to add a new layer and pull it to the bottom.. Flood fill with a dark color = so you'll better see what you're doing with the airbrush/frost  ..  OR  .. *I'm adding this late and after writing the tut = use the Summertime background, included in the supply folder} Highlight the 'Popsicle' layer : Add a New Raster Layer = named 'Frost' Duplicate Highlight 'Frost' layer Open your Airbrush : Color = White with these settings :   Draw a line on a diagonal with an 'S' shape ..  draw another at 'Copy of Frost' layer **I've included my two lines at the Supply folder - you may paste them to your canvas as a guide, if you like Airbrush, with white, at bottom half of pospsicle, on your 'Frost' layer..  then at top half of popsicle, on your 'Copy of Frost' layer :   Open Lasso Tool / Freehand setting : Hold shift and select out small bits, as shown, to clean up at the curved portions of frost .. at the popsicle edge   Keyboard Delete Select None Turn OFF 'Copy of Frost' layer and any background color (*unless you want it at your tag) One last thing before we move on = Open your Preset Shape tool Foreground - any color  ..  Background - Null Draw a rectangle around your image, leaving plenty of space between it and the popsicle/frost/wrapper/shadows.  Increase canvas size if you want to be sure to have enough space.  **we're doing this so that your layers, in the next steps, will place correctly .. the rectangle will be cropped off before you move to Animation Shop

10.  Lasso Tool > Feather = 4        at 'Frost' layer : Draw a selection along the edge of the popsicle and surrounding all frost - forward   Delete Merge Visible Drag layer off palette and drop into your workspace = it will make it's own image/canvas Return to your work layers Undo back to the full line of frost without a selection

11.  Lasso Tool : Draw an arc selection through the frost - a third of the line - and surround the area ahead :   Delete Merge Visible ~ drag and drop into your new canvas = it will make it's own layer Undo back to the full line of frost without a selection

12.  Lasso again with the arc shape : selecting ahead by another third..  surrounding the forward frost   Delete Select None Open your Eraser :   Softly = erase the frost from the right side - think of a 'Comet shape' Leave some soft bits of frost to form a comet point     Merge Visible Drag to your new canvas Undo back to a full line of frost / no selection

13.  Lasso again : lasso-arc near the left edge Delete Select None Erase to a comet shape **Lasso area - left example   **Erased - right example Merge Visible Drag to your new canvas Undo back to full line of frost

14.  Lasso, but backwards : arc at opposite side of popsicle - one third in Delete Select None Erase to a soft, comet shape :   Merge Visible Drag to your new canvas Undo the Merge (*No need for full frost line)

15.  Erase softly to a comet shape tail :   Merge Visible Drag to your new canvas Undo the Merge

16.  Erase again in a soft arc :   Merge Visible Drag to your new canvas Undo the Merge

17.  Erase again :   Merge Visible Drag to your new canvas Undo the Merge

18.  Erase again - leaving just a bit behind    Merge Visible Drag to your new canvas Undo the Merge Turn OFF (or Delete) 'Frost' layer

19.  Turn ON 'Copy of Frost' layer : Lasso along the Right edge / surround the forward frost   Delete Merge Visible Drag to your new canvas Undo back to full frost line without an active selection

20.  Lasso with an arc - one third in :   Delete Merge Visible Drag to your new canvas Undo back to full frost line without an active selection

21.  Lasso with an arc to about the middle : Delete Select None Erase end as before :   Merge Visible Drag to your new canvas Undo back to full frost line without an active selection

22.  Lasso an arc near the Left edge : Delete Select none Erase to a comet shape :   Merge Visible Drag to your new canvas Undo back to full frost line without an active selection

23.  Lasso..backwards  Draw an arc one third the way from Right edge :   Delete Select none Erase to a comet shape Merge Visible Drag to your new canvas Undo Merge

24.  Erase to a comet shape :   Merge Visible Drag to your new canvas Undo Merge

25.  Erase again.. leave a tail :   Merge Visible Drag to your new canvas Undo Merge

26.  Erase ..last time!  ..leave just a bit   Merge Visible Drag to your new canvas Undo Merge

27.  Turn OFF 'Copy of Frost' layer Merge Visible Drag to your new canvas Crop to remove the vector rectangle - be careful not to crop off any frost, etc.! Save As a PSP Image

28.  Phew!  ..  almost done Open Animation Shop : Browse to open your saved PSP Image Select Frame #1 > Hold Shift > Scroll to and Click Frame #8 (*selecting all 8 frames) Animation > Frame Properties > Display Time = 4 Select Frame #9 > Hold Shift > Scroll to and Click Frame #16 Animation > Frame Properties > Display Time = 6 Select Frame #17 Animation > Frame Properties > Display Time = 50   File > Optimization Wizard :         Colors tab = Optimized Octree .. Error Diffusion

Hope ya had fun!  ..  Now we'd Love to see yours!!