This tutorial was written on January 15th 2003 and © by Lady Oz. You may make a copy of this tutorial or print it out for your own personal use ONLY. Do not send through emails nor put on your own site, but if you would like to LINK to my tutorials please do so. Also what you create belongs to you, I only own this tutorial and wish it to stay on this page. *s*.
*Disclaimer* I got this cute idea from an Australian Muffin recipe book called 'Muffin Magic' by Diana Linfoot... not only does it have the most delicious recipes but also the cutest illustrations. I thought that it would be a good idea to do a series of these fun tutes for the Cafe menu in 2003. My muffins aren't exactly like the ones in this book, this one in particular, as I try to give them a personal touch, but they are similar.
The sound control for the midi now playing is at the bottom of this page...if you want to hear it again. *g*
This tutorial uses vector shapes and some shading, though it is not really hard....you can save the Muffin as a preset shape as well as a tube. *s* It is assumed that you have a good working knowledge of PSP.Please email me if you encounter any problems due to my instructions or mistakes, so that I in turn can correct them. I'd love to see your results and don't forget to share any good ideas or additions you may have! *s*
What I used for my muffins.
PSP 7
download a free trial version.....you won't be sorry...but you will be hooked. *s*
Choc Muffin preset download and extract to your preset folder in PSP.
Tools you will be needing to do this tutorial are as follows:
Preset Shapes
Object Selector
Draw Tool
Retouch tool
Layer Visibility Toggle
Now to make the St. Patrick's Day Muffins! *s*
Step 1* Open up a transparent image size around 500 x 500 16 million colours (24 bit). Don't forget to save as you go along....name your layers as we finish each one, unless you choose to do otherwise. *s* Save as a PSP file!
Step 2* Foreground #2E160C
Background #71351B
These are the colours that I used
on this muffin....yep, a chocolate one....with green peppermint topping, *s*
Add and change the nodes around as in the pic opposite. >>>>>>
Antialias...checked
Create as Vector checked
Line width 1
Draw an oval shape in the center of your canvas. This is for what I will refer to as the 'muffin'.
Save!
Step 3* Add a new Vector layer...for the 'top'
Keeping the same colour and settings.....draw another shape for the muffin top.
You can also do this by using the Draw tool
Make sure that you have this horizontally centered in the same way as we did for the muffin.
Now make a duplicate of this layer....this will be the 'icing'. Right click on this layer in the layer palette and choose properties...change the colours to:
Foreground #028002
Background #02A202
Then move the nodes around to make it look like a layer of icing. I reduced the size of this layer to about 80%, but made sure that the 'resize all layers' box was unchecked.
Save!
Step 4* With the 'muffin' layer highlighted, add a new Vector layer....call it 'eye'
Foreground #028002
Background #FFFFFF
Keeping the same settings as previously...but line size 2 .....draw a shape for the eye.
Change the colours to:
Foreground #028002
Background #02A202
Call this layer 'iris'...draw a circle and fit it into the eye shape.
Now change the colours to:
Foreground Null
Background #028002
Draw a small circle for the pupil .....position it inside the iris.
Draw a thin ellipse shape and edit the nodes to form an eyebrow shape....or you can use the Draw tool.
Copy this Eye by right clicking on the layer and choosing 'Duplicate'....call it 'Eye 2'....Mirror.
Save!
Step 5* Add a new Vector layer for the nose.
Foreground #2E160C
Background #71351B
Make a small shape for the nose and move the nodes around
for the shape you want.
Save!
Step 6* Add a new Vector layer. This will be the mouth.
Foreground #B12E1D
Background #EE9C8E
Make a small shape for the mouth and move the nodes around for the shape you want.....I added two more on the far left and right sides.
Add a new Vector layer for the cheek.
Foreground #B42A20
Background #E25D56
This is what we have so far.
Save!
Step 7* Add a new Vector layer....for the 'arm' Foreground #028002
Background #02A202
Duplicate this layer and then 'Mirror'.....adjust the nodes to put the arm into another position if you like.
Save!
Here's what we have so far.....finished as far as the vectors are concerned. *s*
Step 8* Grab the Object selector
Do not deselect.
Now make your Layer Palette active and look for this new group...which will be at the bottom of all the layers. Change the name to whatever you wish to call it for your shapes library....in my case it was loz_chocmuffin. Also, more importantly, give this new name to the Group 1 layer, which is just below the one you've just renamed....otherwise when you save the preset shape, it will save as Group 1 no matter what you may choose to call it.
*I have only just found this out after pulling my hair out so many times, wondering why my new shape could never be found under the name I gave it and that every one was saved as 'Group 1'......aaaargggggh! LOL See my screen capture below to see what I mean....they have since been changed to the correct names. *s*
Please note that all the layers above this layer are now empty as they have been transferred to your new group....but don't delete them as when we are finished, we will undo the grouping and revert back to the way they were.
Do not deselect.
Right click on image again and choose 'export shape'. Give your shape a name and OK it. You will get a warning message...(I chose not to get this message every time) that's okay just click OK.
Step 9* **Open up a new image and test out this shape before going on to convert the layers to raster...better safe than sorry. *s* To do this you need to look through your preset shapes Your new vector shape will show up in your Layer Palette as 'Layer 2' and will have a little plus '+'sign at the side of it. Click on it and you will see all the vector layers that you saved in your group...sometimes we miss one or two....that's okay, just drag them into the group.
*Note that even though it has saved in the name that I gave it...all the layers below reverted back to the name of the shapes that they were made with....i.e.: Ellipse....Drawing etc.....now this bugs me, so if anyone knows a way of keeping the name that we give each of the layers...please, please let me know as it will save me a whole heap of time searching for the answer. LOL
Once you know that it is safely there and is correct...close it up and go back to your original image that you were working on.
I find that if I right click my image and choose 'ungroup'...it stays grouped...so I just use the undo
button on my taskbar...... you can do the same thing by going to Edit...Command History....highlight 'group'....hit the 'undo' command.... I don't usually use this unless there are lots of moves to undo.
Now onto converting to raster layers and dressing this lady up a wee bit. *s*
Tutorial by Mary Newton aka Lady Oz aka Lady Newtonia © 2003
