Tulip

by kim@pixelbit.com

The inspiration for this tutorial came from an actual photo taken by a friend. This tutorial reproduces that photo.

Needed Zip file

Tulip.zip

This tutorial will be an exercise in lightening and darkening.

Rule of thumb...always LIGHTEN before DARKENING.

Blending is always a good idea.

Always keep selections in tact while lightening or darkening.

Please open a new transparent image 614 X 461.

Flood your image any color you like.
I prefer black so my screen shots show a black background, but you are free to use any color you like.

Make a layer named leaf1

Selections > load from disk >leaf1.sel.

Fill with a medium green color.

Use your retouch tool set to lighten. Use these settings.

Lighten around the edges.

Use your retouch tool set to darken, darken the middle as shown below.

Apply Inner Bevel using the PILLOW preset. Raise the Ambience to 60.

This is the only Inner bevel setting used in this tutorial. Inner Bevel is to be applied to EVERY layer except the bottom layer that you filled with a solid color.

Make a new layer called leaf2.

Load lead2.sel.

Fill with your green color

Lighten the edges and darken the center as shown below.

make a new layer named leaf 3

load leaf3.sel.

Fill with your green color.

Lighten the right edge.

Lighten the upper part of the left edge

Darken the center and the bottom part of the left edge as shown below.

Make a new layer named tulip1

Select a medium shade color. I prefer blue but you are free to use the color of your choice.

HINT..make a new 100 X 100 image and fill with your color so that you can use your dropper tool later to get your color back.

Load tulip1.sel.

Fill with your color.

Lighten the right side and darken the left side.

Make a new layer called tulip2

load tulip2.sel.

In this selection we are going to concentrate on the center of the petal.

Lighten the top, especially in the middle. Darken the bottom.

Make a new layer named tulup3

Lighten the top and darken the bottom.

Make a new layer named tulip4

load tulip4.sel.

Again, lighten the top and darken the bottom.

Make a new layer named tulip5

load tulip5.sel

Lighten the while selection here.

Make a new layer named tulip6

load tulip6.sel.

This is a very small selection. Lighten the upper half by clicking above the selection.
If you click inside the selection, too much will be lightened.

Do the same to darken the bottom.

Make a new layer named tulip7

load tulip7.sel.

Using the image below as a guide. lighten the upper right and lower left areas.

SLIGHTLY darken the area in the center.

Make a new layer named tulip8

load tulip8.sel.

Again, using the image below as a guide, lighten the upper right area.

Darken the lower left edge.

Now its time to make the center if the flower. I called it a stem, its not but....ok here we go.

Make a new layer called stem1

load stem1.sel.

Fill with a pink or orange color.

Slightly lighten the top and darken the bottom.

Make a new layer named stem2

load stem2.sel.

Again, lighten the top and darken the bottom.

Make a new layer named stem3

load stem3.sel.

Slightly lighten the top.

Slightly darken the middle

Seriously lighten the bottom, as shown above.

Make a new layer named stem4

load stem4.sel.

Darken this whole selection.

ok we're done with the stem, lets get back to the tulip.

Make a new layer named tulip9

load tulip9.sel

Use your dropper tool and click on your 100 X 100 that you prepared earlier to get your color back

Fill your selection.

Lighten the top and edges

darken the center.

make a new layer named tulip10

load tulip10.sel.

This is a very very small selection, darken the whole thing.

Make a new layer named tulip11

load tulip11.sel.

Lighten the edges and darken the center.

Deselect anything that is still selected.

You may delete the bottom layer if you like.

Merge visible layers

VOILA.

I hope you have enjoyed this tutorial. If you have any questions or comments, feel free to email me at:

kim@pixelbit.com