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Blended Fan Banner
Tutorial
There are many methods for
blending your banners. This mask/smudge technique
is the first one I learned. I still like the effect
and use it often. Hope you enjoy it!
This tutorial is written for
PSP8. The only supplies you will need are 3
screencap images and the Conte Mask. This is a
standard Jasc mask, so you probably already have it
installed. You probably also have your own images
to use in your banner. But I have included the mask
and the images that I used
Here just in case. Unzip the mask to your Mask
folder (usually at C:\Program Files\Jasc Software
Inc\Paint Shop Pro 8\Masks). There is also a mask
included for PSP7. I also used a few custom brushes
which can be downloaded
Here,
but that is optional. And I used
Eye Candy 3 on the border. Also optional. The
font I used is Chase Callas, but you can use any
font that you like.
Open a new Canvas,
500x200, transparent. Open your 3
screencap images. Resize
if needed so that the height is just slightly more
than 200 (the height of the banner). I resized mine
by about 90%. My screencaps were very dark. So I
used Enhance Photo> One Step Photo Fix on each of
them. This may not be necessary if your images are
already clear.
Now change each of the 3 images to
Greyscale. Image>Greyscale. Then
increase the color depth of each. Image>Increase
Color Depth>16 Million Colors.
Apply the Conte Mask to each of
them. Layers> Load/Save Mask> Load Mask
from Disc. Use these settings.
Merge Visible (do not flatten).
Your images should now look like
this.
Copy the first one (Edit>Copy)
and Paste it onto your blank canvas (Edit>Paste>Paste
as New Layer). Use your move tool to scoot
it over to one side. Copy the next image, paste as
a new layer and scoot it to the other side. Copy
the last image and paste as a new layer in the
center. You should now have something similar to
this.
You should have 4 layers - Raster
1 is blank. Rasters 2-4 have your images. Click on
the Flood fill tool (it looks like a bucket).
Change your foreground color to #D2BBA0 and
floodfill Raster 1.
Turn off Raster 4
(your center image) by clicking on the eye in the
layer palette. Click on your Smudge tool
and use these settings.
Smudge just a little along the
inside edges of your Raster 2 and Raster 3 photos.
One of my photos also had a distinct white line that
I didn't like. So I smudged it a little as well.
Don't overdo the smudging - just a little so that
the line isn't distinct.
Turn Raster 4 back on and smudge
along the edges of it also. If you oversmudge or
accidently smear their face, just hit Ctrl-Z to undo
it.
When you have it nicely blended,
Turn off Raster 1, then
Layers>Merge> Merge Visible. Turn
1 back on.
Click Here to Finish |