PhotoImpactZone - Suncatcher tutorial

Remember those wonderful suncatchers your mother used to hang outside in the summer? This tutorial will show you how to make your own with PhotoImpact 5. We'll be using the following PI tools: Path Tool, Path Edit Tool, Material Box, and two color linear fill tool.

To begin, open a new file, 400x400, white canvas.

Click on the path drawing tool and select custom shape from the shape button on the attributes toolbar.

Scroll down to and select stars.

Draw an object, size is irrelevant at this point.

Select 3D Custom from the mode drop down list.

Select easy palette, material, bump, paper 002, and Click on the Material box and select the border/depth tab.

Enter the following information: Border 17, Depth 30, Max border 20, Type of border, Both.

Click on the bevel tab and select the bevel on the far right, then the left bevel joint selection just below. OK your choices.

Right click on the shape and select the properties box.

Click on position and size and enter 338/336 for width and height.

Now drag the shape to an open area of the workspace and leave it there.

Go back to the old space.

About path editing: The red control squares toggle between move path and modify path mode. To enter modify mode try clicking your mouse on the square, then releasing. If the cursor is now a small black square with left and right arrows, you are in the right mode. Just be sure you are moving the square, and not the little control boxes. If you move the wrong thing, just click on the back button and try again.

Click on Path Drawing tool, Custom Shape again. Select Dots, and draw the shape. Select 3D Round from the mode drop down list. Click on Material button, click on the border/depth tab, and change the type of border to in. With the new shape still selected, click on the path edit tool and then click the toggle button. Drag the two upper circles onto the face to make some round eyes. Then click on the upper right red square on each eye and drag them toward the eye's center. Drag the bottom small circle up where the nose should be. With your cursor on the nose, right click and select duplicate path. Drag it down centered below the nose.

In easy palette, click on material gallery, metallic, steel.
Right click on the shape and select the properties box.
Click on position and size tab and enter 264/260 for width and height.
Right click on the object and select duplicate.
Using the pick tool, select both objects, then click on the Center Both button on the attributes toolbar.
Select the top image and right click to bring up the properties box.
Change the transparency to 50%.
Change to path tool and select the lower image. Click on Easy Palette, metallic/copper 3.
Choose the material box. Settings should be identical to the stars shape, except border should be 4.

Now bring back the original object from the other frame, and align the three objects. This should get you in the ball park.
Last thing to do is select the linear gradient tool.
Click on two color on the attributes toolbar.
Then for color one enter R=255 G=128 B=0.
For color two enter R=255 G=000 B=255.
Select merge method difference. Drag your cursor from lower left to upper right corners and you are done!

Optionally, you may want to add bump maps, etc, to your final images.

Dont forget to post on Stephanie's BB.

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