Cameo Tutorial © Icelady Design

This tutorial is written by Lisbeth S. Andersen. The tutorial is mine, but what you make of it, is yours to do with whatever you like.

This tutorial is written for psp7, but can easily be done in psp8 and psp9.

Tools you need: Paint Shop Pro and SuperBlandePro.

Click on the file below to download my zip-file containing SBP-presents, meneka_pearl-tube and the dingbat-fonts.

Remember: Save often!

Start with a canvas, size 300x300px, 16.7 mill color and transparent background. Fill layer 1 with black (make you see better what you're doing *S*), and use to get the meneka_pearl-tube, and use the setting shown below:

scale 15
step 60
placement mode: continuous
selection mode: incremental

Place the marker at the position 0,0 and click once. Place the marker at the position 299,299 - hold down the shiftkey and click once again. You now have a straight line with pearls across the canvas.

Do the same again at the following positions: 50,0 and 299,250 - 100,0 and 299,200 - 150,0 and 299,150 - 200,0 and 299,100 - 250,0 and 299,50 - 0,50 and 250,299 - 0,100 and 200,299 - 0,150 and 150,299 - 0,200 and 100,299 - 0,250 and 50,299.

Dublicate the layer - image rotate 90 degree to the right. Remember to uncheck "all layers". Hide the backgroundlayer (the one you filled with black) and merge visible. Save this as a psp-file - for later use.

You can make a squarepattern using as well - with this setting:

Type: single line
Width: 3-4px
Antialias: ikrysset

Place the marker at the following positions while holding down the shift-key: 0.0 - 50,0 - 100,0 - 150,0 - 200,0 - 250,0 - 0,50 - 0,100 - 0,150 - 0,200 and 0,250. Then go on the same way as with the pearls.

Ready to go on with the egg? *grins*

Get the pearlpattern - dublicate image (shift+D) and close the original. Effects - geometric effects - circle. Now - choose the shape you want your egg to have. If you want another shape (like an egg f.eks.), choose effects - geometric effects - perspective vertical (minus) 30-40. If you want an oval shape - effects - geometric effects - perspective (minus) 30. Do the same again, but change the value to +30.

New canvas, size 450x450px. I like large workspaces *lol*. Fill the first layer with black. New layer and make an oval with , choose ellipse with antialias checked. Fill with gradient (foreground color: white, background color: gray (#808080), sunburst) as shown below:

Then effect . noise - add 3% uniform. New layer and change blend mode to burn. Sett foreground color to a solid color - optional. I have chosen #3D9BB9, and this is how mine turned out:

New layer - save the selection to Alpha Channel (selections - save to alpha channel) - selections - select none. Highlight the image with the pearl oval (or egg shape), edit - copy. Minimize the image and highlight the image with the egg. Edit - paste - paste as new selection. Use to ajust the pearls to fit the egg. Save this selection as well (on the alpha channel). Better safe than sorry, so I always save my selections - just in case *S*. This is how mine turn out - so far:

Now is the time to decorate your egg. Decorate it just the way YOU want. I've used the dingbat font "DBL Faces from the past" for the face in the middle and added a SuperBladePro preset. Then drop shadow with these settings: H&V=0, opacity=70, blur=10, color=black.

Just don't forget to add a new layer each time. I've also used and made an oval in the middle - highlighted the layer with the pearls and hit the delete-key. I saved this selection too (alpha channel) *grin*. Then selections - modify - expand 1px, made a new layer, filled with a color (this oval was removed later, so which color doesn't matter).

Selections - modify - contract 4px. Hit delete-key. Chosen and meneka_pearl and put some pearls (scale 15) around the ring (on a new layer). I do this the easy way: put on a pearl, edit - copy - edit - paste - paste as new selection - and keep on paste till I have covered it half way around. Then copy and paste as new selecion - image - mirror and move it in place.

The next I did was to put on some gemstones. Used the same method as for the pearls. Finally I used dingbat font (Curly Art Nouveau).

Hide the layers - exept those two with the perle oval and the pearl circle and merge visible. Add some shadow with these settings: H&V=0, opacity=70, blur=4, color=black).

I recommend to save this image with the layers intact and keep working on a dublicated image (shift+D). In that case you can change anything you want about the decoration without making a new egg. *S*

When the cameo is finished, you can change the background to any color or pattern you want. Hide layer 1 and merge visible. Add some shadow. I used these settings: H&V=3, opacity=56, blur=10, color=black). Repeat but change H&V=-3.

~^~ Happy creation ~^~

If you have any questions, mail me!