Rain, Rain

I own the intellectual copyright for the written tutorial.  What you make is yours, but please do not take my tutorial.  Share only my link.

This tutorial is intended for beginners to learn how to use a mask.  If you have any questions, please feel free to Email  me.

To do this tutorial you will also need Paint Shop Pro.  I wrote this with  Paint Shop Pro X2, but the steps may also be done in any version.  You may download a free trial at Corel.

Remember to save as a psp file often!

Download the supplies.

1.  open new, transparent image, size 800 x 500 pixels

2.  Flood-fill it with a dark or medium color.

3.  Layers > New Raster Layer

4.  Flood-fill this layer with white.

5.  Layers > New Mask Layer > From Image  CHECK Invert mask data

6.  Right-click on the top layer and choose Merge > Merge Group

7.  Set the layer blend mode to soft light.  (In the example at the bottom I used  Hue (Legacy).  You might want to try other blend modes)

8.  Layers > New Raster Layer

9.  Choose the selection tool

10.  In the selection toolbar, choose the Custom Selection icon

11.  Set Top = 0, left = 225, right = 575, bottom = 500

12.  Flood-fill the selection with the same color you used in step 2.

13.  Selection > Modify > Contract by 15 pixels

14.  Press the DELETE key

15.  Open up the tube you want to use. Edit > Copy

16.  Click back on your rain image.  Edit > Paste as new Layer

17.  Selection > Invert    Press DELETE key (to remove excess part of tube)

18.  Selection  > Invert  (again)

19.  Layers > New Raster Layer

20.  Effects > 3D effects > Cutout  Set:  Vertical & Horizontal = 0, opacity = 65, blur = 25, shadow color = black

21.  Selections > Select None

22.  Right-click on top layer and choose merge > merge Down

23.  AGAIN -- right-click on top layer and choose merge > merge down  (you should now have 3 separate layers--background, white mask layer, and merged frame/tube layer)

24.  Image > Resize  Set width & height to 75%, take Check OFF Resize all layers 

25.  Effects > Image Effects > Offset  Horizontal = 0, Vertical = NEGative 60, Custom, Transparent

26.  Right-click on the top layer and choose Duplicate

27.  Image > Resize  Resize to 75%, take check OFF resize all layers

28.  with the mover tool, move the smaller image to the right.

29.  Right-click on top layer and choose Duplicate

30.  Image > Mirror   Now that small frame should ALSO appear on the left, backwards

31.  Right-click on the top layer and choose Merge > Merge Down

32.  With the magic wand, click somewhere off the small pictures.  This should select all the space that is around the small pictures. 

33.  Effects > 3D Effects > Cutout    Vertical & Horizontal = 0, Opacity = 65, Blur = 25, color = black

34.  Drag the small frames layer below the big frame layer

35.  Choose the pen tool.  Set the pen tool to segment, CHECK Connect Segments, CHECK show nodes, Width = 25

36.  Set the foreground color to a dark color from your tube, background color to NULL

37.  With the pen tool left-click on the left side, just under the small frames  and then left-click again on the right side of the image.  You should see a node at the beginning and end of the segment.  Left-click and hold on one node, and drag it off the picture.  Do this to both nodes, so that the line runs off the edge. Click the green check to apply the line.

38.  Check your layer palette and make sure that this line vector layer is below the large frame layer.

39.  Right-click on the line vector layer and choose Convert to Raster Layer

40.  Right-click on the line and choose Duplicate.  HIDE this duplicate.

41.  Click on the first line layer that you made.

42.  With the magic wand, select the line.

43.  Effects > Texture > Texture.  Set the texture = fine or coarse grain, size = 25%, smoothness = 10, depth = 3, ambience = 0, shininess = 0, color = white, angle = 315, intensity = 50, elevation = 30

44.  Choose the Rectangle Selection tool.  Draw a selection rectangle around the large frame.

45.  Press the DELETE key. This will delete the part of the line behind the large frame.

46.  In your layer palette, UNHIDE the duplicate line layer and drag it to the top.

47.  Choose a light color from your picture. With the magic wand, select the second line.  Fill it with the light color.

48.  Effects > Texture > Texture.  Apply the same texture as before.

49.  Effects > Image Effects > Offset.  Horizontal = 0, Vertical = NEGative 25, Transparent

50.   Choose the Warp Brush

51.  In the Warp Brush toolbar, set the warp mode to pinch (3rd one), size= 200, hardness = 0, strength = 100, step = 25, Check Best Quality

52.  Left-click TWICE on the center of the ribbon line (where the pink x is)

53.  Image > Add borders,  Symmetric, size = 3, color = same color used in Step 2

54.  Decorate your image with some embellishments.  Add your text and watermark.

55.  Save this as a JPEG.  File > Export > JPEG Optimizer

Another Example:

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