MAKING A "GLASS" PANEL

Paint Shop Pro Tutorials by Karen

Most of us have digitally added frames to pictures, but how many have noticed there is something missing? Take a look at a real framed picture, what has it got?...yes, Glass! Wanting to add a finishing touch to my framed pictures, I went looking at tube and graphics sites hoping to find what I had in mind, but couldn`t find it. Then I thought...well, I managed to learn how to make "glass" for globes, so why would it be any harder to make a "glass panel" and tube it? This is how I made mine ( see sample photo above).

Open a new transparent image as fig 1.

Drag your pointer and draw an oblong on your canvas ( fig 2) Then go to layers and click on layer 2. Right click your oblong then go to layers / convert to raster. ( fig 3)

Go to selections / select all. Click on your selections tool and then click on your rectangle to select it (fig 4). Do not deselect at this point, but go to layers / add new raster layer ( fig 5)and click ok.

Next go to effects / 3D effects / cutout, make your settings as fig 6 and click ok.

Go back to layers / new raster layer and click ok ( settings as fig 5 again) Then go to effects / 3D effects / cutout and change settings as in fig 7 and click ok.

Go back to layers / add new raster layer ( as fig 5 again) and click ok. Click on your paintbrush tool, right click it and select tool options and set it as in fig 8. Close dialogue box.

"paint" highlights around the top left corner and bottom right corner- you won`t be able to see anything at this stage so don`t overdo it - (see sample photo at  beginning). Next go to effects / blur / gaussian blur and make settings as fig 9 and click ok.

Go to layers and click on layer 2. Right click on your rectangle and hit the delete button. You should now have a clear "glass" rectangle - although as it needs to be very suptle to appear as glass, it will be difficult to see on the canvas! ( fig 10)

Now go to layers / merge / merge visible - then edit / copy / edit / paste as new image. Your "glass" is now ready to tube, go to file / export / picture tube. Name your image and click ok. You now have a clear glass effect, which would be ideal to add the finishing touch to framed pictures, or to use as window panes, glazed doors etc. You can make your glass in portrait orientation as in this tutorial, or landscape as in the sample photo, or you can just use the deformation tool and rotate it on your picture to fit. If adding to framed pictures, put the glass on last and use the deformation tool to fit it just inside the frame. If you put it on before the frame you will lose the glass edges. I hope you enjoyed this tutorial which is written for P.S.P Version 7, but should easily adapt for other versions.

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Go layers new raster layer, accept the default settings and click ok. Set your foreground colour to white. Click on your preset shapes tool then right click on it. Select tool options then choose oblong, (settings as fig 2a) then close dialogue box.