This tutorial was inspired by the beautiful Deco Ladies created by FlyByNight- D. J. Walker. She has posted two tutorials of her designs that you can go and see by clicking on the links. Please try them out and I assure you, you will have fun doing them. The Deco Lady The Deco Lady II I have named this lady Denise after a special friend who is creative, artistic, kind and willing to share her talents freely with others. When creating this image, I wanted to represent what I thought was a spirit of elegance, and someone pretty in looks, thought and deed. If you don't know Denise, you might recognize her by what others call her - Mahogany. Her website was one I was fortunate enough to find when I first started learning Paint shop Pro. Her tutorials taught me so many things and they continue to teach me new things even now. I continually use her BladePro settings as a major part of my art work and have fallen in love with the gradients she creates. If you have looked through my pages of blank snowglobe bases, all the gradients highlighting the little images are Mahogany's. She has even been kind enough to let me offer her lace and bladepro image in the zip file for you. At the end of the tutorial, you will find the link to her site. If you have never visited before, please have a wander through all she has to offer. You will not be disappointed, I promise you. In the extras zip file you will receive the hair, the full sleeve and a partial piece in case you want to create your own unique sleeve, and Mah-lace 36. Your image is yours to do with as you see fit - I place absolutely NO restrictions on what you do with her. Just have fun! This tutorial was completed using PSP7 but can easily be done in PSP6. What You Will Need: Paint Shop Pro: download a trial version here Zip of my selection files: you can download it here Zip of all the extras mentioned above: you can download it here Mahogany's Blade pro preset called "gold nugget": download here Let Me Say Just Before We Begin This tutorial is "screenshot free". I did each item on a separate layer. I gave several layers (except the face details ) a drop shadow. We will do them all at the end. If you see the shortform "ff" - it stands for floodfill. PLEASE save your work often!! I did it after every layer. It is better to be safe than sorry. (1) Open a new image 550 x 550, 16 mil colours, transparent background. (2) Add a new layer and floodfill it with a colour for ease of viewing. (3) Create a new layer and load selection "rightarm.sel" ff - #8A6C58 (4) Create a new layer and load selection "rightsleeve.sel" Open the corresponding psp image from the zip; copy; return to the working image; edit - paste - into a selection. You can male a change here if you wish to use the sleeve piece I provided and create your own sleeve. I used this piece then copied and mirrored, did three layers and then deformed the image to bring it closer in to the top and wider at the bottom. (5) Create a new layer for the right earring which we will return to later. (6) Create a new layer and load selection "neck.sel" ff - #8A6C58 ; apply the "pillow" inner bevel but change the ambience to +50 and the shininess to +35. (7) Create a new layer and load selection "head.sel" ff - #8A6C58 ; apply the "pillow" inner bevel and leave the ambience at +50 and the shininess at +35. (8) Create a new layer and call it "lips" Create a new layer and call it "shadow1" Create a new layer and call it "shadow2" Create a new layer and call it "eyes" (9) Create a new layer and load selection "facedetails.sel" Flood fill with black, Make sure you enlarge and use the paintbucket. Avoid the spray can because it makes it much darker than it should be. (10) Return to the lips layer. using paintbrush size 3, hardness 10 opacity 80, paint colour #BC6E4C colour in the lips. In any of the settings, I have only mentioned the numbers I have changed rather than all the values. (11) Return to the shadow1 layer. Using #7F5D41, paintbrush size 6, hardness 80, opacity 100 paint on the first colour on the lid just above the eye. Apply a gaussian blur of 2.00 Don't go right to the eyebrow. If it goes in the eye area, don't be concerned because it will be covered when you add the white. Lower the layer opacity to what pleases you. I left this one at 100. (12) Return to the shadow2 layer. Using #B9A48A, paintbrush size down to 4, paint in uppershadow line; apply gaussian blur of 2.00; then lower layer opacity to your liking. I used 50. (13) Return to the eyes layer. Paint in the white area. Return to the face details layer and using white add 1 drop of white to each pupil to act as a highlight. (14) Create a new layer and load selection "hair.sel" Open up the psp hair image; copy; return to working screen and then edit - paste - into a selection. (15) Create a new layer and load selection "topdress.sel" ff - black (16) Create a new layer and load selection "topdress.sel" Open up the psp Mah-lace 36 image; set your floodfill settings for 80% size and angle 45; flood fill with the lace. (17) Create a new layer and load selection "leftarm.sel" ff - #8A6C58 (18) Create a new layer and load selection "leftsleeve.sel" Open up the psp sleeve image; copy; return to working screen and then edit - paste - into a selection. If you changed your sleeve, make the same changes here. (19) Create a new layer for the front earring. Open up the psp image of the earring form and then apply the bladepro setting Mah-goldnugget. If you wish to use another bladepro setting or even another earring you have, do so. Remember, this is your image. I used paintbrush size 25, hardness 60, opacity 100, to add one black circle in the middle of the top of the earring. Now, copy this and return to your working image and paste into place. Also retun to the layer we made for the other earring and paste it into place as well. (20) Now is the time to go and apply the drop shadows. I did not apply a shadow to every layer because some just didn't look right. At this point I also floodfilled my bottom dark layer to something lighter to make sure I could see the shadow and was pleased with it. These are the settings I have used. If you would like to alter them as we go, please feel free to do so. Remember, this is YOUR image. I will list the numbers only. The first two stand for horizontal and vertical. The third is the opacity level and the fourth is the blur. The colour is black. The layers and settings are: right arm: 3, 3, 60, 10 right sleeve: 3, 3, 60, 10 earrings: 1, 1, 60, 5 head: 3, 3, 60, 10 hair: 3, 3, 60, 10 black dress: -3, -3, 60, 10 left arm: 3, 3, 60, 10 left sleeve: 3, 3, 60, 10. then reapply using -3 and -3 You can decide whether you want to give any other layers a shadow. My suggestion is to save this image, as is, in PSP format with all the layers intact. This will make it easier if you wish to go back and colourize the layers to make a totally new look for Denise. To carry on with her in this outfit, shift D to make a duplicate and close your original. Now you can merge all the visible layers. You can make her into a tube now too. Give her a nice backdrop and then you can resize her and then frame her if you wish This is the image from my CD collection that gave me the inspiration for the face. I hope you have enjoyed creating Denise. I know I have. This is my little tribute to a great presence on the web. Make changes in patterns, decorations, etc. Enjoy your new creation as much as I did. If you have any problems or need further explanations, please feel free to email me here Visit Mahogany's Site MAIN TUTORIAL LIST This tutorial was posted at the site of "P. Ann's Place" July 2, 2002 and written by Pat Sherman. All I ask is that you do not claim it as your own.