PDN Fanatics

Making a Jewel - a tute from me at last! If there is anything that needs to be changed please let me know.

Plugins:
Align Object - http://forums.getpaint.net/index.php?showtopic=4193
Drop Shadow - http://forums.getpaint.net/index.php?showtopic=8375
Fast FX or Glow and Soften Portrait - http://forums.getpaint.net/index.php?showtopic=18819
Bevel Selection
Gaussian Blur
Circle text - http://forums.getpaint.net/index.php?showtopic=16643
Radial Blur Deluxe - http://forums.getpaint.net/index.php?/t ... dial-blur/
Zoom Blur Deluxe - http://forums.getpaint.net/index.php?showtopic=3122

Flag image: (http://www.google.com.au/imgres?imgurl= ... 22,r:7,s:0)
FONT: AEROFOIL http://www.dafont.com/search.php?psize=m&q=aerofoil

This is what you should end up with (or at least close to it):



Make sure you have all the plugins & font downloaded before you start. (The font goes into WINDOWS FONT folder.)

1. Start with a 3200 x 2400 canvas.

2. Make the background black.

3. New layer

4. Select yellow for the primary colour. Select Circle Text and Aerofoilput at capital A in the text box 40 times and the remainder settings as shown below:




5. Select Magic Wand at default, set the flood mode to global and click outside the circle. Press Ctrl + I to invert the selection.

6. Bevel selection at the following settings as shown below: (Depth @ 10, Highlight colour 225, 227, 107 Shadow colour 147, 126, 7)



7. Run Curves at the setting shown below:



8. Gaussian Blur @ 2.

9. Duplicate layer and set to Overlay mode. Save your work if you haven’t already done so. If you run out of memory, the program will crash and you’ll lose the lot.

10. On the layer beneath the Overlay mode, use Fast FX Glow – Radius: 6, Brightness -32, Contrast 48.

11. On this same layer run Soften Portrait. Mostly for this one I use the opposite to what we do here but each gold wire is slightly different and you should experiment. For this one we will leave the Softness @ 5, Lighting @ 20, Warmth @ 0.

12. Merge the 2 gold layers down.

13. New layer. Select brush width to 20. With yellow create a circle (hold down the Shift key) until it looks like it will cover the inner circle of the gold. You may have to use the rectangle select to position it. Avoid using the MWand to select and move as it will leave a single pixel line that will be hard to remove later. See below:



14. Repeat steps 5 to 12. Save.

15. Create a new layer above the black background.

16. Add an image of your choice. I chose the Australian Flag.

17. As an alternative, you can use an existing image. Open the image in Paint.NET, Ctrl + A then CTRL + C then Ctrl + V.

18. If you are using the flag image, Align Object and centre it.

19. Go to Layers and Rotate/Zoom to 2.00. Copy the layer and hide it (untick the layer). Got to layer below the one you just hid.

20. Radial Blur Deluxe @ 0 Steps and maximum amount or whatever you like.

21. Go to the hidden layer and unhide. Radial Blur Deluxe at the settings below:



22. Go to Render, Shape 3D, turn off the lighting and set to Half Sphere Map, everything else stays at default, as shown below:



23. Go to Layers and Rotate/Zoom at the settings below:



24. Select Magic Wand and set Flood mode to Contiguous. Select the layer with the plain gold circle, click inside the circle. Ctrl + I and go to the layer we just zoomed up and press delete.

25. Go back to the golden circle layer. Select the inner circle. Create a new layer just below the layer with our coloured circle. Change your primary colour to black and fill the selected circle with black. Select the coloured circle layer and merged these two layers down.

26. Deselect all. Go to golden circle layer and Drop Shadow at the settings below:




27. Select the golden circle text layer and Press Ctrl + F to repeat the Drop Shadow at the same settings.

28. There are a few edges showing through from the Drop Shadow on the wire frame, so go to the golden circle, select the inside of the circle, go to the Wire frame and press delete.

29. I used Helen’s Galaxy Ball Tute for the ball highlight: http://forums.getpaint.net/index.php?/t ... ntry265529

30. I duplicated the blurred flag layer and ran Zoom blur at maximum and high quality on the underneath flag layer. On the topmost flag layer I ran Drop shadow at maximum width and blur, twice. I merged all of the jewel layers except for the highlight, and then Drop Shadowed @ 1 with blur at max. I have attached a .PNG of the sparkle & the ball highlight. Please feel free to use either in any of your works.

31. Save your image as a .PDN That way you can re-use parts of the image or make any changes. Then save it as a .PNG, resize your image to 25% and save again before posting.

Gosh those attachments look huge! The look better in an image I promise!

I am looking forward to see how interpret the tute.

Wow this looks brilliant! I've tried and failed at making good looking gold wire, maybe this will finally help me accomplish that.
Great idea using the flag to make the jewel, I'll have to try that as well
This works excellent on it's own, but in addition to PeterPawns tutorials I'm sure this will help a lot of people understanding the different methods used
in making gold and jewel images and most of all inspire people to try different approaches and develop unique styles. Thumbs up!

Looks like a great tut Bbq . Nice one - and thanks very much for making it


Just one thing, the Ball Highlight attachment - is there actually anything there? It just looks plain white so how can we tell which part to copy?
Maybe if you posted it as a black image and whoever copies it can invert the colours as necessary.

Wow, you must have an enormous knowledge about all the plug-in in PDN. Really interesting tut. Lots of techniques i have never imagined.

Thanks for the tut barbieq. My result is on DA, and will soon be in my gallery.

Goonie - copy all of it, same with the sparkle. My background is black. If your right click on the image & save it you should be able to work with it. You may have to right click closer to the left edge until it gives you the option of saving etc. Both images will need to be resized. I have it as a .PDN - 2 layers - black underneath. How can I post it on here? Will Photobucket let me upload as a .PDN? Thanks for letting me know. I have always appreciated the time & effort it takes to write a tute - it's not easy for me at least.

Plugins are tools like different brushes, palette knives, air brush etc - the more we know how to use them the more pleasure we get from doing our artwork. In the early days I followed a lot of tute which gave me a good insight to how plugins work & a great deal of experimentation & advice from friends here.

The gold technique with the glow & soften portrait is from Peter Pawn. Our techniques are slightly different, reflecting preferred ways of working.

I hope the tute is easy enough to follow. Please ask me if if get stuck & I will help you here I can.

Chrisco has tested the tute for & so that I could make some refinements & my thanks go to him. He has posted up his attempt on DA.
http://www.barbieq25.deviantart.com/fav ... /#/d2z6100

Barbieq, I don't do tuts (only when I need them when I illustrate), but I have to say you're a genius. I love your idea of using the letters as the design. Lovely result and lovely tutorial.

Using letters in the design is brilliant. I've seen it done with calligraphy, too. I spent most of yesterday playing with circle text.

Here's mine:

I have never tried jewel work but i might just have a go at this one

I hope you do AFG. I'd love to see your take.

Blackpenny, what a stunning result! I love the colours. WOW!

Great plugin, Circle Text.

Thanks barbieq. I used a multicolour gradient for the image, duplicated it a couple of extra times and used Colour Zoom Blur.

And I'm still playing with Circle Text, trying different fonts. Too much fun.

Thanks for the tutorial barbieq25.

Made some changes to the metal effect
on the golden rataroo border.

Good to hear blackpenny!

Sarkut, it is wonderful. Rataroo, indeed! I love it. Now that has got me thinking. Thanks so much.

Finally I got time to do this, thanks so much barbieq25 for this lovely tutorial.

Sargon, that is fantastic! I love your outcome esp the gem. How did you do that? I love that effect. I remember that my father had some wallpaper like that but it was black. The highlights & shadows are very well done. Awesome outcome!