Celebration Frame
It's quite a while since I last wrote an animation tutorial so having created the original of this stationery for a group I thought I would share it with you. Please, don't look at it and think that it is going to be very difficult to complete. Everything you need (apart from a tube and PSP of course) to produce an amazing animated stat is contained in the zip folder listed below. It uses no outside plugins, just PSP and you can make it as simple or as ornate as you want. So pull up your chair, make yourself comfortable and give it a whirl!
My thanks, as always to my fabulous testers at Force Fantastic who make it all possible.
This is what we will be making:
You will need:
PSP. I have completed this in X but it should work in 8, 9 and X1 too.
Supplies Zip Here (contains 3 masks, 1 selection, Font.) Unzip to a folder on your computer and transfer the masks to your PSP mask folder and the selection to your PSP Selection Folder, click to open the font and then minimize. It will show in your PSP text menu. If you already have PSP open you may need to shut it down and then re-open for these supplies to show.
OK. If you have everything in place we will begin!
1. Open a new image 600 pixels wide x 388 high
2. Choose and open your tube in PSP. A brightly coloured tube works well as does a black and white one. For the benefit of this tutorial we will be using black, white and one bright colour from your tube to create the frame this is purely because it makes it easier for me to explain the colour rotation but if you prefer you can use three bright colours of your choice as in the top example but you will need to keep track of which colour is which. Minimize your tube.
3. With step 2 in mind choose a background colour for your stationery and flood fill your image. Ensure that all colours you have chosen for your frame will be visible on the background colour.
Don't worry about the red and turquoise text until you get to step 20 where all is explained. Just follow the instructions in white for the next 15 steps.
4. Layers/New Raster Layer
5. Flood Fill Tool/Flood fill with black/your choice of bright colour/White
6. Layers/Load Save Mask/Load mask Celebration 1 using the following settings:- (These settings will be constant throughout this tutorial)
7. Layers/Merge/Merge Group
8. Layers/New Raster Layer
9. Flood Fill Tool/Flood Fill with White/Black/your bright colour
10. Layers/Load Save Mask/Load Mask Celebration 2
11. Layers/Merge/Merge Group
12. Layers/New Raster Layer
13. Flood Fill Tool/Flood fill with your choice of bright colour/White/Black
14. Layers/Load Save Mask/Load Mask Celebration 3
15. Layers/Merge/Merge Group.
16. Close your bottom Background colour layer by clicking on the eye in the layer palette.
17. Layers/Merge/Merge Visible.
18. Effects/3D Effects/Drop Shadow using the following settings:
19. Re-name your merged layer Blinkie 1/2/3 and close by clicking on the eye in the layer palette and re-open your background layer the same way.
20. That is all there is to it. Now we have to create two more Blinkie layers using exactly the same method but rotating the colours one step each time. So for layer two repeat steps 4 - 19 following the RED colour rotation instructions and then for layer three repeat steps 4 - 19 following the TURQUOISE colour rotation instructions.
Your Layer Palette should now look like this:-
You can if you wish at this point open each of the Blinkie Layers in turn and Adjust/Sharpness/Sharpen.
I will give instructions for creating the sidebars and animation a little later but at this point you need to decide exactly how you want to decorate your frame.
You can just add text (The font I have used is Tipsy Giggles. I have enclosed it in the zip for you)
You can add text and a tube. Your text should be on a layer above your background layer and your tube layer should be at the top above all of your blinkie layers.
You can use the enclosed selection to create a centre for a tube or text. Add a new layer above your background layer /Go to Selection/Load Save Selection/Load Selection from Disk and look for celebration Circle 001. Flood fill with a colour of choice, Inner Bevel using the following settings/Bevel 2/Width 27/Smoothness 40/Depth 2/Ambience and Shininess 0/Colour White/Angle 315/Intensity 45/Elevation 40. Add a texture if you wish and then position your tube or text accordingly. Some textures do not optimise very well and we will be trying to optimise the animation at 127 colours to keep the file size as small as possible. Please bear this in mind if you decide to use a texture but if you are not too concerned about the file size then choose whatever you prefer.
If you want to add your watermark place it on a new layer now.
OK. If you have your frame looking exactly how you like it click here to see how to create the sidebars and animate your celebration frame.