~ Reason For The Season ~
(come join us, just click on the link above)

Any other tutorial that is similar to this one is purely coincidental and no infringement of any other artist and/or tutorial writer is intended.

Hope you enjoy this tutorial...


This tutorial was written with Paint Shop Pro7-
I'm sure it can be done in other versions with just a few adjustments.

These are the supplies you will need to complete this tutorial


Paint Shop Pro  Click here to get a 30 free trial here

Supplies, download here...

Angel Font Scrip is also in the supplies ~

Eye Candy 4000 here

Don't forget to add your font and plugin before opening your PSP...

Artwork by Tom Dubois, please visit his beautiful work here...

I'm not sure who the author is...of the other tubes,

If anyone knows who they belong to and will email me...
I will give credit where credit is due...

Remember to save often, and Good Luck~

1.New Image 400 by 400

2.On the color palette, foreground  pattern/ xmas gold

background null

3.Preset Shape / rounded rectangle / these settings
4.In the left hand corner of your work in progress,
draw out a rounded rectangle 

I will not give you extra measurements because I have found that everyone likes them different.

5.Layers/ Convert To Raster Layer

6.Effects/3D Effects/ Drop Shadow..
with these settings

7.Layers/ dulicate

8. Image/mirror

9.Mover tool ... move side by side

10.X off layer 1
11.Layers/ Merge / Merge visible

12.Layer/ duplicate

13.Image/ flip

14.Mover tool/ Move, place under the top layer

15.With Layer 1 still X'ed off layers/ merge /merge visible

16.Hold down the shift key on your keyboard/ grab your magic wand and click within each rounded rectangle

17.selections/ Modify / expand by 10

Yours should look something like this....

18.Click On the Jesus Is Born picture that came in your supplies
Edit/ Copy

19.Click back on work in progress, and Edit/Paste/Into Selection


20.Selections /Select None

21. Click On the Jesus tube

22.Edit/ Copy

23.Click back on work in progress, and Edit/Paste/As A New Layer

24.Mover Tool/ move to the Upper Left Hand Corner

25.Smudge Brush
as you can see, the tube leaves a line in the center and hides the little girl, we want her to show and the lines gone...

Using the smudge brush with the below settings lets fix this...
26.You may also want to use the earser brush, and make sure the gold side on the left ...is not covered with the tube

Now Yours should look something like this


27.X Off Layer 1, Layers/Merge/MergeVisible

28.Crop image leaving just a few pixels all around your work in progress


29.UN X layer 1
Make sure It is the active layer ( In blue)
Flood fill with the gold pattern

30.Image/Add Borders

31.Add a border of 5 pixel in white,

32.Magic wand, click within the border you just added..

33. Flood fill with #4D0405

34.Both Foreground and background back to the gold fill pattern

text....
35.Try Not to cover up all the candles when you add your text ~
I used the Angel Font, size 16

with the settings below

36.Layers/Convert To Raster Layer

37. Effects/3D Effects/ Drop Shadow.. same settings as before



Layers/Merge/Merge Visible

I had to use the Zoom tool /for the *FUN PART*...
In your supplies you will find two different sizes of the flame tubes...
small & large

38.I copied and pasted the small one first and placed on all the candles except for the 2 larger candles...then I used the duplicate layers
Edit/ Copy
Click back on work in progress, and Edit/Paste/As A New Layer
39. Layers/duplicate

40.Mover Tool/ move over the candle that you want a flame on ...

When You are satisfied with the candles you want to light...

41.Layers/Merge/Merge Visible

42.Freehand tool/  point to point /feather 0 /Antialias checked


43.Hold down your shift key on your keyboard and go around all the flames you just added...they should have ants going around all of them now

44. Layers/Duplicate

45.Layers/ Duplicate again

You should have 3 layers now
all the layers should have ants marching around the flames you added

46.X off Layers 2 & 3

Make sure layer 1 is the actice layer ( In Blue)

47. Effects/ Plugins/ Eye Candy 4000/ Fire

these settings

48. X off layers 1 & 3

Make 2 your active layer


49. Effects/ Plugins/ Eye Candy 4000/ Fire

same settings but change the random seed to 100


50. X off layers 1 & 2

Make 3 your active layer

Effects/ Plugins/ Eye Candy 4000 /Fire

same settings but change the random seed to 250

51. Save as a PSP File

52. Open Animation Shop

53. file/ open the file you just saved

54.Edit/Select All

55.Animation/ Frame Properties
Change the number to 25

56. Check your animation in your view animation,
on the tool bar...at the top left

57. If you are happy with your work... File/ save as a gif



I hope you enjoyed this tute,
If You need help please email me