November 24, 2007

 

This Tutorial and All Graphics including = Feather Tree, Iced Alpha, Iced Tile,

Masks, and Animation MNG's are

©rae

 

The tutorial and supply folder are not to be shared/redistributed
        at other Groups, Messageboards or through Email;
tutorial may not be translated and shared/published at other Groups,
Messageboards or through Email etc
Nor may you copy this tutorial/rewrite it and/or claim it as your own.
Filenames and Image Information are to be remain intact.
Please text link to the Verve Homepage

 

 

~*~*~*~  

Supply Folder Here

 

 

~*~*~*~

 

 

 

1.  PSP ~ Open a blank canvas = 600 X 400

Flood Fill ..here is the set-up for Materials Palette :

 

 

2.  ~ Add a New Raster layer

 

 

3.  ~ Add another New Raster layer = above 'iced' mask

Right click at Filigree mask layer : 'Merge Group'

Add a Drop Shadow to the Filigree :

 

Turn OFF the 'bkgd' layer

Merge the two Mask layers ~ rename as 'Frame'

Highlight and Turn the bgkd layer ON

 

 

4.  ~ Copy 'raeFirTree'

Mover Tool = position the tree to the left a bit (you'll make the final placement later)

 

 

 

5.  ~ Highlight the 'bkgd' layer = add a New Raster named 'Snow back' :

Open your Lasso Tool :

Draw a softly curved line approximately one up from the bottom = then pull your lasso tool around the outside of the canvas so that it surrounds the sides and the bottom 

 

Flood Fill  = here is your Materials Palette set-up :

 

 

 

6.  While at the 'tree' layer :

With your lasso (same settings) draw another selection at the same height but somewhat opposite the curves of your background snow = like this :

**the reason I have you make your snow so high is so that more of the White portion of the gradient fills the selection = if you place the selection lower , it'll be very blue

Before you move on to the next step = take a moment to set the 'Smoothing back to 10' (default)  ..  at your Lasso Tool

 

 

 

7.  ~ I added some stars with a brush = this is optional, of course

        **If you prefer to leave your snow as is = move on to Step #8

If you want to add the starry snow, here's how :

 

Materials Palette :

 

 

 

 Go to View > Palettes > click 'Brush Variance' to open that palette :

 

Set it Up like this :

 

Highlight the 'snow back' layer :

Change the Brush Size to 130 :

 

here's mine :

 

Before moving on = take a moment to reset the Brush Variance to Default by clicking the 'default' arrow, shown below:

      ..then Close the palette (using the X = top right of the palette)

 

 

 

8.  ~  Bring up 'raeIcedAlpha' canvas :

Once you have all your letters at the canvas :

 

 

 

9. ~ ok!  If you have your Tree, your Alpha, and your snow layers as you like :

 

Open Animation Shop :

 

Duplicate the frame :

 

 

 

10.  ~ Open 'raeFrostySwish'.mng :

Bring up your 40 tree frames :

  ..it's pink here .. and the ani-frame lightened = so you can see what I'm talkin'bout!

 

Mosy Importantly = Play your animation.  Judge for yourself ... and if you don't like the placement?    Undo and try again.

 

 

 

11.  ~ Open 'raeFrostyStarShower'.mng :

Bring up your 30 tree frames :

Rae's going to try and reel you in now!  I don't think you want to add more than Nine star showers to you tree.  The file-size of this tag is going to be painful as it is...especially if you add sparkles, later! 

Plus?  more than Nine is Over-kill *wink

As well, I have to caution you Not to add your star showers Too Low at the tree.  If you go lower than I'm about to show you = your showers will fall well below the tree and it won't look right.

Ok..  here is a demonstration of where I placed the first three showers at the tree = the blue circles are the Start Point of each shower :

 

Here is a diagram of the Nine Showers that I've placed = three down the middle..three at each side/staggered from the opposite side

 *notice = they do not have to be at All outer branch-tips to look good :

           

 

 

Now = Resize 80% Bicubic *especially Before adding sparkles (I resized them already..any smaller and they'll barely be visible)

 

 

 

12.  ~ To Sparkle?  ..  or Not To Sparkle??

..I don't know!  There is a LOT going on in this tag, pixelwise   ..which means having to size Down 80% before Optimizing..  and STILL!  ..  this puppy will be a monster of kb's.

I added sparkles to the corners and middle/sides in random sets of 10 frames only.  This way the sparkles shine out more like they do in nature.  They won't all sparkle at the same time.

~ Select 10 frames by holding Shift between the first and the 10th = then paste your sparkle in at a couple of places.  Then select a new set of 10 frames from your 30 and repeat.   Look to the top of page and see how mine sparkle randomly = that may help you get the idea

~ I also Animation>reverse frames/sparklies after the first set of pastes  ..just to change up the animation a bit

 

I placed mine into the frosty frame only.  You can place yours into the snow..or into your icey name..but just remember = they will easily punch your tag file-size to the moon..  so be careful and restrain yourself *winking again. 

**It can be very helpful to place some sparkles then Optimize so that you can see if you are creating a monster.  If you can live with more, then you can add more. 

Make sure to have your Optimization Wizard set to 'Create a New Animation from the Optimized Animation' ..so you'll always have the Original at hand.

 

 

Finally..Optimize using the Wizard Please!

=  File > Optimization Wizard :

 

 

Hope you had fun!

Ü ~rae