This is a relatively easy method of achieving an underwater effect
on any 2D or 3D image. (
For this tutorial I used Paint Shop Pro
(PSP) version 7 and the following plug-in filters: Greg Factory
volume 2, Alien Skin's Eye Candy, Almathera's Puddle filter, and
Visual Manipulation's Natural Lightburst filter. All these freeware
filters can be found at the following web site:
www.graffici.com/commun/filtreindex.htm.) This tutorial was
written with the novice in mind. However, many different looks can
be achieved by adjusting the layer blend modes, layer opacity, or
effects settings. I usually start out by creating a new image. I
make sure that my new image is the same size as the final image
that I need and that it has a transparent background. In my new
image, I used the paint bucket in the toolbar to flood-fill the
background with a light to medium shade of blue; for this tutorial
I used #00C0C0. Then, I applied the
Effects [Image] / Plug-in
Filters / Greg's Factory Outlet Filters / Pool Shadow using its
default settings. On top of that, I applied the
Effects [Image]
/ Plug-in Filters / EyeCandy3.0 / Swirl filter--I toggled
through the dropdown menu and selected "Typical." (
Be sure to
click the filter's "checkmark" to apply.) The last effect I
applied at this time was
Effects [Image] / Blur / Gaussian
Blur with a Radius of 7.
To create this particular underwater effect, several duplicate
layers are needed. (
To duplicate a layer, select Layers /
Duplicate from the main toolbar. To name a layer, go to
Layers / Properties on the main toolbar, and type the name
in the box that opens. To view the different layers, click View
/ Toolbars in the main toolbar, and check the Layer Palette
box. I named my new layer "Shadowswirl".) With the
"Shadowswirl" layer active, I duplicated the layer. Then, I used
the
Effects / Geometric Effects / Ripple (
In PSP6, it's
Image/Deformations/Ripple). I used the settings shown in the
default. Then I applied the
Effects [Image] / Blur / Gaussian
Blur with a Radius of 10. I opened the Layer Properties box
(
Layers / Properties), renamed the layer "Ripple", and
changed the opacity setting to 60.
From here, I made the "Shadowswirl" layer active by clicking on it
in the Layers drop down menu (
or the layer palette) and
clicked
Layers / Duplicate. I then moved it above the Ripple
layer by dragging it in the layer palette. (
I could have done
the same by using Layers / Arrange / Bring to Top.) Then
I applied the
Effects [Image] / Plug-in Filters / Almathera / A
Puddle filter, with the default settings. I changed the name of
this layer to "Puddle" and selected a Blend Mode of Multiply and
the Opacity of 60.
At this point I placed my figures, image, tubes, and whatever else
I needed in my scene on top of these three layers. I used a dolphin
tube I created (
which is included, with 2 others, featured in
this Issue's CD-Rom) and the "resident" PSP grass tube. For the
larger example image, I created a scene in Poser, saved the render
as a TIF file and inserted it at this point. With the elements in
my scene completed, I made the Puddle layer active again and
duplicated it. I moved this layer above the scene. Then, I applied
the
Effects [Image] / Plug-in Filters / Greg's Factory Outlet
Filters / Sine Blobs III, using the default settings and also
the
Effects[Image] / Blur / Gaussian Blur with a Radius of
6.
On this same layer, I applied the
Effects / Illumination Effects
/ Sunburst with the default settings. (
If you are using
PSP6, you will not have the Illumination Effects that PSP7 does, so
you will need to go to Image / Plug-in Filters / VM Natural /
Lightburst use the default settings there.) I then changed
the name of this layer to "Sine Puddle," set the Blend Mode to
Dodge and the Opacity to 37.
The "Sine Puddle" layer has the most effect on the scene beneath
it--I adjusted this layer's Blend Modes and Opacity for different
light and dark effects until I was satisfies with the resulting
look. Finally, I duplicated the original Puddle Layer and changed
its name to "Top Puddle" and adjusted its Blend Mode to Multiply
and the Opacity to 23. At this point, I decided I was done!
(Remember, nothing here is cast in stone and this tutorial was
intended to provide some basics to get you started--play with the
background color, filter settings and layer settings to achieve the
look you want.
Most of all, have fun!)
About
dreamsosweet: Hi, and thanks for visiting, I'm
dreamsosweet, aka sweet....I've been here at Rosity since 9/01, and
have moderated the
Paint Shop Pro Forum since 2/02 - and I can
occasionally be found in 2D and Photography, or even OT and the
Tavern, although not as often as I'd like. My latest priorities are
an article and some freebies coming out in the upcoming "holiday"
issue of Rosity Magazine and, in real life, enjoying a long visit
from my Canadian fianc..and of course, I'm also always updating
my
SweetDreams
Digital site with new gallery images, PSP tubes, tutorials, and
products in the store...now all I need is about 4 more hours in the
day, LOL! I love working in PSP (just got V8, and am having such
fun with it!), Poser and taking pictures with my digital camera,
and once in a while I even try my hand at painting or drawing,
although that meets with limited success - as my forum friends will
tell you, my drawing skills have not progressed much past
kindergarten. ;-P I had my first "real" art exhibit over the summer
at a local community center (
Rosity
interview) - it was a very exciting and validating experience,
and I hope to follow it up with more! When I'm not on the computer,
I like to hang out with my daughter and our roommate Becki, her dog
and our 25+ cats, either in front of the fireplace or on our huge
deck overlooking our backyard woods and pond. I also love cooking,
reading, dancing, crocheting, home decorating, and any craft
involving a hot glue gun - and I've got the blisters to prove it,
too. ;-) Sweet aka Chele
The Magazine Interact Forum's Back Room is the
place to go for
editorials, magazine excerpts, discussions, and plenty of
surprises. Also, if you haven't done so yet, you can buy single
issues or the whole magazine collection in
our Marketplace. And don't forget that Issue
7 is now available! To find your way there, go to the Magazine
Interact Forum, and click on the link to the Back
Room at the top.
Comments