Okay, before I start with my actual post here, one thing first:
I painted myself a new Avatar with my graphic-tablet... still learning how to work that thing though. But I thought that Mini deserved a Mini! So I tried and as you can see THAT came out.
What do you think?
Now on with my post! This is a tutorail in 3 parts (because a couldn't squeeze ALL hopefully helping pictures for this tutorial in one post), for @crutledge who asked me a while ago how I make my ornaments.
Well... to be honest, most of the time I don't know
… because I'm still learning how to work with a graphic program
… because for most of my first posted covers it was a bit trail and error and 'hey, THAT looks good, lets keep it'.
So I can't explain everything that I did BUT I can try with some simple ornaments that are easy to make (only, how to make them in PHOTOSHOP or GIMP you have to find out by yourself, I only know how to work with PIXLR). PIXLR is an open source graphic program you can find
here. You work online, you don't have to install anything.
And some functions in PIXLR I already explained, so you can also look up my other posts
here,
here and
here.
AND don't be frightened by the looooong post(s), I just tried to explain as detailed as possible (with pictures and all) so you can hopefully easy follow AND there are some interstages, so you can stop when you have enough so you don't have to do it the whole way,-)
I also can upload a bunch of covers without anything on it (linen, leather... and other combinations). I created a few of them that I mostly use as ground covers for my ornaments by now. If you want to try more ornaments yourself... or if anyone else wants them (without trying to make ornaments).
Now, that said... here we go...
------------------------------------
Tutorial part 1
Start with the cover, to use as your ground layer.
Select 'Layer' and 'New layer' (picture01) on your upper toolbar, select the 'paint bucket tool' (picture02) on your left toolbar and paint it black (picture03). Black should be already selected but if not you can select the color at the bottom of your left toolbar (also picture02).
Go to 'Edit' in your toolbar and select 'Free transform', it will show a window around your cover. Put your curser on one of the left or right boxes in the corner of the window until your curser shows a dobble-ended black arrow.
Not a round black arrow because then you will turn the image! THAT option we will keep for later;-)
When you are happy, click somewhere to the side, the program will now ask you if you want to apply the changes (picture06) – say yes, when your done.
Select the 'move tool' (picture07) on your left toolbar and move your layer where you want it to be, for example the left side (picture08).
Now I mostly play with the layer options on your layer-window (right side). If they are not open yet, select the two-arrow button down below (picture09). Now change the mode and the opacity of the layer (picture10). I chose for this example ornament the 'mode: overlay' and 'opacity: 45' but play around and see what you like. Just keep in mind that it is more easy now to decide which look you want for your book because we will later work with copies of this layer for our ornament. Otherwise you will have to select the following steps for every layer.
Now right mouse-click on the layer in your layer window and choose 'duplicate layer' (picture11). You will see in your layer window a new layer. On your cover you will not see it directly because it is right over the other layer.
Go again to your 'move tool' on your left toolbar and move this new layer to the right side of the cover (picture12).
Duplicate this new layer again and move it somewhere to the middle (picture13). Then select 'Layer' on your upper toolbar and select 'Rotate layer 90° CW', the layer will rotate (picture15).
Now it is useful to select the 'zoom tool' (picture16) on your left toolbar and click with it on your cover...
See the next post to continue the tutorial here