How to Make a Mask

For those of you who don't know much about making masks, this tutorial is for you.

I'm writing it in Paint Shop Pro, but it should be translatable to other graphics programs as well.  You can literally make a mask out of anything...Preset Shapes, Dingbat fonts, Photographs, Word Art, brushes, outside graphics filters, tubes, scrap elements, etc.  Please keep in mind, though, that most artists, photographers, and scrap kit makers do NOT allow you to make masks/brushes with their work, so you should make sure of the Terms of Use for whatever you are wanting to use.  If in doubt, ask the artist/maker for permission.  However, if you are going to use tubes, scraps, or photographs, it is always best to use those items that you have made yourself.

First, how do masks work?  They work on a grey scale with black blocking out all the color from the background you are working on to white which allows all the color to show through.  Here is a very simple mask I made to show how varying shades of black/grey/white show on a background.

 

If you would like to use this in any of your creations, simply right click and save.  This is what the mask did with a royal blue background.

Note:  There is actually a white rectangle at the end of the grey ones and at the beginning of the blue ones.

So, here are the instructions I used to make a simple heart mask.  This will make the exact same mask I have at the bottom of the post.

Supplies
Paint Shop Pro (I used version 9, but it should work in other versions.)
Mura's Meister Copies

1.  Open a new canvas 800 x 800 and flood fill it black.
2.  With your preset shape tool draw out a small vector shape in the color white.  I used a heart.
3.  Objects>Align>Center in Canvas
4.  Apply Mura's Meister Copies with the following settings.

 

 

5.  Duplicate Layer and resize duplicate to 60%.
6.  Repeat twice more, always duplicating and resizing the smaller layer.  You should have 4 layers of heart circles.
7.  Hide your background layer and merge visible.
8.  Adjust>Softness>Soft Focus with the following settings.

 

9.  Crop your canvas to your liking.
10.  Unhide your black background layer and save as a JPEG.  This is my finished project.  You can also embellish with brushes, sparkles or other shapes.

JBG Seadream Snags

OK.  So I thought I was done playing with this kit.  Then I saw this little porthole element that I somehow missed, and I knew I had to do something with it.  It's just a simple little tag, but I didn't want to detract from my little element.

The tube is by Jasmine Becket-Griffith.  Her tubes can be purchased at CDO.

The scrap kit is the gorgeous kit Blue Bay by P-O Concept and can be purchased at PFD and S&Co.

Someday Word Art and Snags

One of these days, I'll catch up.  I just need like a month off work.  I made these for a challenge in one of my groups a few weeks ago.  I loved the quote, so I made a word art for it.  The quote was spelled wrong, so it is wrong on the snags, but I corrected it for the word art share.

You can download the word art at 4shared.

 

And here are the snags.

 

Scattered Shapes

This tutorial was written by me on 4/14/2014.  Any resemblance to any other tutorial is purely coincidental.

Supplies
Paint Shop Pro (I'm using version 9, but this should work in other versions.)
Tube of choice.  I'm using one by Jasmine Becket-Griffith under license from CILM.  You can now purchase her tubes at CDO.  Please do not use her artwork without a license.
Preset Shapes of Choice
Mura's Meister Copies
Alien Skin Eye Candy 5: Impact - Perspective Shadow (optional)
Eye Candy 4000 - Gradient Glow (optional)

1.  Open a new canvas 600 x 250.
2.  Paste your tube as a new layer.
3.  Apply Mura's Meister Copies>Wallpaper Rotate with the default settings.  (If your tube is smaller, you may want to apply it again to make sure your canvas is filled.)

4.  Adjust>Blur>Radial Blur with the following settings.

5.  Set your foreground to null and your background color to a color from your tube.
6.  Draw a small preset shape as a vector.  (I chose a star.)
7.  Objects>Align>Center in canvas
8.  Convert to raster layer.
9.  Effects>Mura's Meister>Copies Wallpaper Perspective with the following settings.

10.  Add a drop shadow of your choice.  I used the following settings.

 
11.  Change your foreground color to a different color from your tube and draw another shape of your choice.  (I chose a circle this time.  You can use the same shape if you like.)  Place this shape somewhere near where your original shape is, but do not overlap it.
12.  Convert to raster layer and apply Copies again with the same settings.
13.  Drop shadow.
14. Repeat steps  11 - 13 with a different shape.
15.  Copy and paste your tube as a new layer.  Resize and position where you like.  I kept mine the original size and moved it to the right.
16.  Add a drop shadow.  I used Eye Candy 5:Impact>Perspective Shadow with the following settings.

17.  Add a new raster layer and flood fill with a color from your tube.
18.  Selections>Select All.
19.  Selections>Modify>Contract by 3 and hit delete on your keyboard.
20.  Add your copyrights and name.
21.  I applied Eye Candy 4000>Gradient Glow with a width of 3 and the fat preset to my name.
22.  Save as a JPEG or PNG.

Blue Alice PTU Tutorial

This is an original tut by me.  Any resemblance to any other tut is purely coincidental.

Supplies
Paint Shop Pro.  I'm using version 9, but this will work in all versions.
Tube of choice - I'm using one by VeryMany.  You can purchase her tubes at her shop here.
PTU Scrap kit "Blue Bay" by P-O Concept.  Kit can be purchased at PFD and S&Co.
Font of choice.  The one I'm using is called  Abelard.

1.  Open a new canvas 800 x 800.  (Remember, I like a lot of room to play with.)
2.  Copy and paste element PO-bl87 as a new layer.
3.  Copy and paste element PO-bl16 as a new layer.
4.  Add a drop shadow of choice.  I used V&H 2, Opacity 50, Blur 5.
5.  Copy and paste element PO-bl25 as a new layer.
6.  Resize this layer to 85%.
7.  Copy and paste your tube as a new layer.
8.  Drag tube layer under your bubble layer.  Resize as needed and position where you like under the bubble.
9.  Duplicate this layer and add a drop shadow to the original.
10.  Set your selection tool to circle with a feather of 0 and draw a circle approximately the size of the bubble.  It does not have to be exact.
11.  Invert selection and hit delete on both of your tube layers.
12.  Drag the copied tube layer above your bubble layer and lower the opacity to 50.
13.  Copy and paste element PO-bl48 as a new layer and position near the bottom of your tag.
14.  Add a drop shadow.
15.  Add some elements of choice.  I used PO-bl39 and PO-bl96.
16.  Crop your excess canvas.
17.  Resize to your liking.  I left the header for this tut at the original size.  I resized the tags to 60%.
18.  Add your copyright credits and name.
19.  Save as PNG or JPEG.

Tin Steampunk Snags

I've got more new snags for you featuring the artwork of Tin and the awesome kit "Steampunk Airship Regatta" by P-O Concept.

You can purchase tubes by Tin at CDO.

You can purchase the kit Steampunk Airship Regatta (part of a collab) at S&Co.

Please do not use the tube or the kit without purchasing them first.