I claim the copyright to this tutorial.  You are free to do whatever you please with what you make, but please do not take my tutorial.  Do not send the tutorial through email.  Only share my link.

This tutorial was created for some friends of mine who wanted to begin learning more about PSP.  It is intended for intermediates to learn how to use preset shapes and to shade.  If you have any questions, please feel free to email me.

To do this tutorial you will also need Paint Shop Pro.  This tutorial is written for Paint Shop Pro 8.  You may download a free trial at Jasc.

I used the Bubbles and Ball feature of PSP 8 and Eye Candy 4000.

Note: My PSP 8 came with the fire environment map needed in the Bubbles and Balls filter.  If yours did not, download here.

Remember to save as a psp file often!

Before we begin, you might want to study the PSP tool bars.  I have labeled the tools on another page.  Click on the link and it will open a new page.  You may want to keep this page open while you work on the tutorial, to refer to the names now and then.  PSP Tools

Now that you have studied the tools, let's begin!

1.  Open a New transparent image, size 400 x 400.

2.  Choose the selection tool from the tool menu.  In the tool Options, change the selection to Circle shape.  Start your cursor at the center of the image and drag a circle selection out.

Note:  It is important that you keep the circle selection throughout the tutorial.

3.  In top menu, click on Effects > Artistic Effects > Balls and Bubbles.

It should open with the first tab (Shape) chosen.  Set the Preset to Space Bubbles.  and then set to Single ball or bubble.

4.  Click on the second tab--Surface.  Set the color to red, Opacity = 68, Shininess = 97, Gloss = 25.

5.  Click on the third Tab--Maps.  Select Environment map on the right, and choose the flame image from the drop down menu.

6.  Click on the 4th tab--lumination.  Set the ambience  to 26 for both maximum & minimum, Light 1, and Color = #E8785A.

7.  Open up the tube you want to use in your bubble.  In top menu, click Edit > Copy.

8.  click on Bubble image.  then in top menu, click Edit > Paste > As New Layer.  In the Layer Palette, drag the tube layer below the bubble layer.

9.  In top menu, click Selections > Invert.  Then on keyboard press delete key to get rid of the part of the tube that sticks out beyond the bubble.

10.  In top menu, click selections > Invert.

11.  In Layer Palette, right-click on tube layer and choose New raster layer.

12.  Drag this layer to the bottom.

13.  Change your foreground color to #e8785a, same color used in bubble setting.

14.  Flood-fill the bottom layer with that color.

15.  In Layer Palette, click on top (bubble)  layer.

16.  Right-click and choose Merge > Merge Visible

17.  In top menu, click Effects > Plugins > Eye Candy 4000 > Fire.  Apply these settings:  Direction =90, column length = 113.29, Flame Width = 11.34, Side taper, = 28.35, Movement = 10, Check Denser Flame, Check Start from Far Side.

18.  In Layer Palette, right-click on layer and Choose Duplicate.

19.  In top menu, choose Image > Resize.  Resize to 40%.  Be sure that Resize All Layers is UNCHECKED.

20.  With the mover tool move the smaller bubble into place.

21.  Right-click on the smaller bubble and choose Duplicate.

22.  With the mover tool, move this layer to the left side.  Then drag the layer down to bottom, so that it looks like the smaller bubble is behind the larger bubble.

23.  Select your Text tool.  Use some fat font.  I chose Bell Bottom Font.  Set my Foreground and Background to the same flood-fill color as before, size =108, Stroke = 1.0.  Type in your text and keep selected.

24.  In top menu, choose Selections > Load/Save Selections > Save Selection to Alpha Channel.

25.  In top menu, click Effects > Plugins > Eye Candy 4000 > Fire.  Apply the same Fire settings.

26.   In top menu, click Selections > Load/Save Selection > Load Selection from Alpha Channel and choose the selection you had made before with your name. 

27.  In Layer Palette, right-click on top layer and choose New Raster Layer.

28.  In top menu click Effects > 3D Effects > Cutout.  Apply these settings:  Vertical & Horizontal = 3, Opacity = 100, Blur - 40, Color = #D43D02.

29.  In Layer Palette, Right Click on Top layer and choose Add New Raster Layer.

30.  Choose the Airbrush tool, with these settings:  Size= 20, hardness = 25, step = 25, density = 25, thickness = 50, opacity = 50.

31.  Airbrush some white highlights onto the edges of the letters.  See pic below.

32.  In top menu, click Adjust > Blur > Gaussian Blur.  Set Radius = 6.00.

33.  Hide the 3 bottom layers (3 bubbles)  by clicking on the eyes. 

34.  Right-click on the top layer and choose Merge > Merge Visible.

35.  In top menu, choose Effects > 3D Effects > Drop Shadow.  Apply these settings:  Vertical and Horizontal = 3, Opacity = 100, Blur = 2, Color = #732C05

36.  Unhide all layers. Right-click on one of the layers and choose Merge > Merge Visible.

37.  Save this image as a GIF.

 Please do not remove this tutorial from my site.  Share my url.