EASY~PEASY CURTAINS

Paint Shop Pro Tutorials by Karen

You might find yourself wishing you had some curtain graphics one day, maybe for a project, or to if you are making virtual room images... so why not make some. Here`s how I make mine.

Start a new image as in fig 1

Click on the selection tool icon, right click it and selects tool options. Make the settings as fig 2 then close the dialogue box.

Drag the pointer across the canvas (as far as you want one open curtain to go) and take the selection down the whole length of the canvas. (fig 3)

Keeping the selection, go up to effects / texture effects / sculpture, choose a pattern, rescale if needed, click OK. (fig 4)

( I am making tartan pattern curtains, if you want my tartan, right click the tile below and save on your hard disk. To use open in psp then minimise it (click the minus sign at the top)

(Alternatively, you could flood fill your curtains with a solid colour from the pallette...just leave out the texture/sculpture effect stage, choose a colour in the pallette and flood fill the selection on your canvas.)

Next, keeping the selection go to effects / texture effects / blinds, make the settings as fig 5, (rescale the fold size if required) and click OK.

Keeping the selection, go edit / copy , deselect then go edit / paste as new layer then edit / image / mirror. Drag the new curtain over to the right of the canvas then go layers / merge / merge visible. (fig 6)

Keeping your image open, start a new image as in fig 1. Click the selection tool, keep the settings as fig 2, then drag the pointer all the way across the top of the canvas, and down as far as you want the pelmet drop to go. (fig 7)

Keeping the selection, go to effects / texture effects / sculpture, keep the same settings and click OK. (fig 8)

Go back to effects / texture effects / blinds, keep the same settings and click OK. Keep the selection and go edit / copy then close the new image, it is no longer needed. Now we are back to the original image. Go edit / paste as new layer, drag the pelmet to the top of the canvas, make sure it is going across the whole width. ( use the deformation tool if needed to move it across a bit, especially if you have a check pattern, you want the folds slightly misaligned with the curtain folds to look more realistic!) Fig 9.

Deselect the pelmet then go up to effects / 3D effects / drop shadow, make settings as fig 10 and click OK.

Your pelmet should now look like it is "in front" of the curtains. (fig 11)

Real curtains would be gathered slightly more at the top where they are hung from, so now click the selection tool, use the pointer to select a portion of the top part of the pelmet, as much as you want your gathering to be (fig 12)

Now go to effects / texture effects / blinds, make the settings as fig 13 (resize your folds if required) click OK then deselect (fig 14)

The top of your pelmet should now look more realistically "gathered" Now go to layers / merge / merge visible. Next use the selection tool to select the blank part of the canvas, including the shadow from under the pelmet part (fig 15)

Hit delete or use the cutting tool, deselect (fig 16)

That`s it, you now have a set of curtains without needles and thread!!! Resize your image if required then save as tube or psp image for future use.

I hope you enjoyed this tutorial which is written for PSP V7, but should adapt for other versions.

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