Description: This tutorial shows how to create
a beautiful lace fan using many PI tools and how to alter the colour
of the lace to suit every occasion and image. If you're doing this
tutorial as a part of the Beginner's
Workshop, you'll find that the tools covered in this tutorial
are those already covered in previous projects which will not only
reinforce what you've already learned, but will show you how versatile
PI is.
My terms of use for this tutorial are simple....What
you create using this tutorial is yours to do with as you please.
A link back to this tut is appreciated but is not a requirement. The
tutorial itself along with the images herein are copyrighted to me
and all rights are reserved.
Please remember to save often!
| 1 |
|
Standard Mode vs Basic Mode
PhotoImpact 10 has two work modes, Basic and Standard.
Basic Mode features a simplified workspace with larger buttons
and the most common functions whereas the Standard Mode displays
all of the functions. We will be using the Standard Mode
in this tutorial.
To check your mode, click Workspace on the Menu
Bar. If the Standard Mode is greyed out, that means you are already
in the Standard Mode. If not, click Standard Mode now.
Warning: If
you switch from Standard to Basic Mode, and you have custom settings,
you will lose all your custom settings.
|
| 2 |
|
Let's get started!
Click on File/New/New Image and open an RGB canvas with a Custom
Colour of black (or some other dark colour) and a User-defined
width of 400 pixels and a height of 400 pixels.
Once you're sure that the settings are correct, click on OK.
|
| 3 |
|
Unzip and open the lace file you downloaded for the purpose of
this tutorial and drag it to the centre of your new canvas.
*** With the lace selected go to
Photo/Photo Frame. Use the following settings: Style = Magic Frame;
Effect = Mesh: Outer edge = 20; Inner edge = 20; Noise = 300;
Be sure that Border is checked and that you're using the one colour,
white. Click on OK ***
Repeat from *** to ***
a second time.
Repeat from *** to ***
a third and final time but being sure to alter the following settings:
Outer edge = 20; Inner edge = 0; Noise = 250.
|
| 4 |
|
Use the Path Drawing Tool with: Custom Shape = Shape S38; Mode
= 3D; to create a shape that spans from the centre to the side
edge of the lace. Reduce the height of this new shape to about
half it's original height and then fill it will the Copper 6 metallic
preset found in the Material Attribute Gallery in the Easy Palette.
|
| 5 |
|
Right click and select to duplicate this shape, then click on
Edit/Rotate & Flip/Rotate Horizontally. Position over the
lace as shown in the example on the left here.
|
| 6 |
|
Use the Path Drawing Tool with: Custom Shape = B45; Colour =
White; Mode = 3D; to draw a shape approximately 1/3rd the length
of one of the arms you just created. Reduce the height of it to
about half it's original height. Position this newly created B45
shape over the left arm.
|
| 7 |
|
Use the Path Drawing Tool again: Shape = Rounded Rectangle;
Colour = Gold or same preset as used on the arms; Mode = 3D; to
draw a very slender bar that will attach to one end of the white
B45 shape as shown in the image on the left...It should reach to
almost the end of the lace area. Select both the white B45 shape
and the thin bar then right click and select to group them. From
now on this grouped piece will be known as the strut. |
| 8 |
Transform Tool
|
In the Toolbar, click on the Transform Tool.
In the Attributes bar, click on the Rotate Freely
icon.
Ensure that the Rotate by degree is 25.00 and the
Copy rotate as Clockwise.
On the strut you will see a centre of rotation symbol. Using
your mouse, left click on it and whilst holding down the left
mouse button drag that symbol to the far right end of the strut.
By doing this you will cause a pivot type of rotation in the next
step.
Click on the Copy rotate icon 
6 times.
|
| 9 |
|
Delete the original strut and then use your layer manager to
ensure that the Copper 6 coloured arms are in the top position.
Your fan should now look something like the image shown on the
left.
|
| 10 |
|
White is nice, but lets add a bit of colour to the lace of this
fan.
First you need to select the lace by clicking on it and then
click on Adjust/Colour Balance. When the colour balance window
opens, ensure that the Smart tab is selected and that the Real-time
preview is checked.
By clicking on the lace in the preview window, you will select
the current colour which of course is white.
Right click on the desired colour and select the colour you'd
like your fan to be.
Click on the preview button to view the changes made and if you're
happy with it, then click on OK.
|
| 11 |
|
Another way, and perhaps
easier way to alter the colour of your lace is to click on the
Preset tab.
Ensure that the Tone balance
is set on Highlight and that Real-time preview is checked.
Move the slider of the Thumbnail
variation until you see a selection of thumbnail colours that
you particularly like, then start clicking on the thumbnails
until the colour you'd like for your fan to be is the centre
colour.
Click on the preview button
as many times as you like until you're sure that the colour
selected is the one you want your lace to be before clicking
on the OK button.
|
| 12 |
|
Finally, click on the lace to select it and use the Object Paint
Eraser Tool to erase all areas of lace below the arms.
|
| 13 |
|
Unzip and open the tassel downloaded at the beginning of this
tutorial, or create your own tassel to add a finishing touch to
your lace fan.
With the Object Paint Eraser Tool still selected, click on the
Trim  button
in the attributes bar.
Now that you have completed your fan, you can right click to
select all objects, right click again to group and then save it
to your easy palette for future use and because you've not merged
anything, you have the option of changing the colour as shown
how to do above to suit any image.
|
I've been playing around with changing the colour of the
lace and found that if you duplicate the lace, make it slightly larger
and then set it on the lower level, you can create something like this....
