PHOTOSHOP TUTORIALS/TUTORIALS
Here,I would describe and show you many techniques I use in layout making.You
do NOT have to give me any credits for making any graphics or layouts. However,
if you do, I would really appreciate. Here, you will not FIND tutorials
made by people, only tutorials made by me.Therefore, redistributing these
tutorials are not allowed. If you really need to, please ask me for permission.
Any comments or suggestions for the tutorials are welcomed. :]
Blending Layout Tutorial for Paint
I would like to thank EVERYONE that left a comment for that paint tutorial. I
didn't realize that many people lack paint, so I'll continue to make paint
tutorials since I don't see much paint tutorials around. =D This is a tutorial
for people who'd love to blend pictures in paint, to make a layout, or to make
graphics. It works, but not as well as other graphics program. You cannot blend
images like on one side, you have to blend the whole thing. And that is a
downfall.So, here's everything:
Final
Result:
To make a [paint] layout, you
need:
+Paint Paint
+Internet Explorer
+This Page to Be
Opened
+One Main [big] image.
+At least one
similar image to the main image.
Now that you have everything
need, you are ready.
Step 1: The Main Image:
[REMEMBER, click
on the images on this tutorial to open a new screen for a BIGGER VIEW!!!]For
this blending tutorial, I'll use images of Rinoa. Because I know everyone
hates loves Rinoa so much, and she's obviously not a biznatch
like most people thinks she is. do not think she is. Well, I
know everyone dislikes likes Rinoa, but she's my favorite
character. =D On forth...Main Images has to be bigger than the
rest.
So, you right click on the image, and click copy. Go to the Start
menu, Accessories, and then Paint. Click on the Paint program. On the top menu,
click on Image, and then select on Attributes. Or you can hold CTRL on your
keyboard and press "E".On Units, check on Pixels. On Colors, it should be
checked on Colors. For Width, type in 750. For Height, type in 700. Click
Okay.
Paste your image by holding Ctrl and pressing V.
When you paste it, it
should automatically be on the Marquee tool.  You can
drag the image around. I'll stick to the top left like how it was when I pasted
it.
Step 2: Secondary Images:
Go through the
whole process of selecting an image again. This time, it should be smaller than
the main image. I have chosen two pictures:
and
I'll call them secondary pictures. Go through the process
of opening two more paint windows. Yes, two more! After you open two, you should
have three now. One with the main image, and two that are empty. First, copy
your first image. Mine is Rinoa hugging Squall. So I right-click and copy.
Then, you paste it on your second paint window! It should be the second one
you've open, and it should be empty. 
Step 3: Blending Process:
Now, on your last
paint window [which is the only empty one now.], On the top, click on Images,
and then select Attributes. A new window should pop up for the Attributes the
bottom of the window, there's a choice between "Color" and "Black and White".
Select "Black and White" followed by [OK]. When the message comes up about how
you can't undo the action you've chosen, click on [Yes]. On the bottom of your
screen, the color selection should have changed into the pattern selection:
Next, click on the Rectangle Tool , and
select the third option for the tool.
Choose a pattern on your pattern selection. But be aware,
the WHITER the pattern, the more your image will blend into the main image. I
don't want the image to blend in that much, so I'll chose the seventh one on
the first row. [Note: The pattern I choose will cause the image to become
blue-er.]Manipulate and make a rectangle that is LARGER than your secondary
picture [the one that is located on your second paint window.]
Use the Marquee tool , and
construct a rectangle around the pattern you've just made. Right-click and click
on "Copy."
Revert back to your second paint window, with your secondary image [small
image of Rinoa]. On that paint window, select that Marquee tool . On the
options for the tool, click on the bottom option..
And on the Color selection, select Black as the secondary color. You
can do this by Right-clicking on the white color on the selection.
It doesn't matter what the first color is. Right-click anywhere
on the canvas, and choose "Paste". Drag the pattern over the image. This is what
it should look like. [pattern could vary the appearance]. 
Left click on a location outside of the marquee. This should unselect
the image. Use the Marquee tool, and make a
rectangle around the image. Right-click and copy. [you cannot directly right
click and copy after pasting the pattern. You must unselect the image and THEN
copy. So follow the instructions carefully]
Skim back to your first paint window [containing your main image]. Make
sure the secondary color is on WHITE.
It doesn't matter what the first color is. Using the Marquee
tool,
right-click and select paste. Make sure that you're on the bottom option with
the Marquee.
WHOOSH!! The image should blend right in! 
However, the pattern is still visible. =[ But you can always choose a
different pattern to see how well it blends. =D Aside from using the rectangle
tool, you can also use the Ellipse tool  too to
make the pattern. However, make the circle SMALLER than the image. Then repeat
with the same step as this. Then you'll have a circular blend. ^_^ I'll skip the
part of blending the second picture I chose, but here's the result by using the
Ellipse tool:
When you're blending in a second image, you can close both paint
windows down[ not the one with the main picture], and open two in place. Or, you
can make sure that your secondary color is on White, and click Ctrl+A to select
all, and right-click, and click Clear Selection. Then you can start off new!
[that was not a run-on sentence!]
Step 3 and 1/2:
I've decided to add
this. To make a circular blend, you repeat the same steps. When you make your
circular pattern, make it SMALLER than the image.
Compare: 
When you're copying your pattern, make sure while using your
Marquee tool, make the
rectangle BIGGER than the image!
See that? Then you copy it. When you paste it on your second paint window,
make sure the secondary color is black again.
Drag it around, and here's the result of what it looks like after you
paste the pattern on your secondary image.
That's not a very nice image... oh yeah, anyway.... Click on anywhere outside
of the marquee, and then copy it and paste it on the main image. Tada!!! A
circular blend! =D [this is a short section added after I've completed the
original since I suppose some people could have difficulties doing circular
blend alone.]
That's my final result in the blending. 
Step 4: Transforming Into A Layout:
From
here on, you can use the other Paint Layout Tutorial to finish up the image. Or you can
continue with what I'll be doing to this image. ^_^
Nothing much. Basically, you can close both of the paint
windows [not the one with your main image of course.] Using the Paint bucket
tool , fill
in the empty space with a background color. Any would do, just make sure it's
matching. [yes I'm getting undescriptive at the second xD]. I selected Black
from the color selection.
I'll go ahead and make a Gray border around the main image. Using
the line tool , make
vertical lines from right edge of the layout and down all the way. To make
straight lines, remember, hold the Shift key!! You can choose the thickness of
the line too, don't forget. I've decided to make multiple grayscaled lines. I'll
also make horizontal lines going through the top to CONNECT with the vertical
lines. 
Using one of the technique on the last layout tutorial for
paint, I'll use the airbrush tool , and
sprayed a border around the blended images. It's best to use the your background
color for the airbrush border. I chose Black, because that's my background
color. You can use any brush size, you want, but I chose the largest
size:
Also, using my airbrush tool, I sprayed
on the bottom of the main-image, so it looks like it's slowly fading away.
Again, I used my background color, and the largest brush size for the
airbrush. 
And then, I use the pattern blending technique! If you
don't know what that is, check out my last paint tutorial, and follow Step 4 of
the tutorial.
CLICK!
Here are the results: 
Yay! Now to add text. Click on the Text Tool , and
make a rectangular marquee for the text wherever you want on the Main Image.
Make sure you click on the bottom option for the tool.
With the cursor inside the marquee, right click and check
Text Toolbar. A toolbar should pop up and you should be able to edit your font
size, font, or make it bold, italic or underline! =D Select your color for the
font by the same way you usually select your color for your brushing.
If you don't like the colors on the color selection, you can
always double click on one of the colors to bring up the "Editting Colors"
window. Below "Custom Colors", click on any of the white boxes, and click on
the "Define Custom Colors >>" button.
Another window becomes attach, and you can start making your
own color. Basically, on the large color grid, you can click on a color you want
to use. On the right side, there's a Saturation Meter [I call it that]. You can
make your color brighter or darker.
After you're finish, click on the "Add to Custom Color" Button. And click
"OK" to the window. You can now use the color! =D I wrote the title on my
blended images. It says "By your Side" with the font: Violation.
[downloaded]
I've basically done everything! The design on this layout is basically with
the modules to the right of the line, and the blog on the left of the line.
After adding a few lines and words [plus credits], this is my final
result:
Pretty! =D
When you're done, click on "File", and click "Save As...".
On "Save as Type:", click on JPEG. Name your file name, and add background to
the end of the name. Hit Save. I named it Rinoa.
Step 5: Repeating Background:
Using the
marquee tool,, create a
marquee on the bottom half of the layout where everything looks the same
horizontally and vertically throughout.
Right-click and click on Copy. Open a new Paint program.
On your new paint program, click on Images at the top, then on
Attributes. Change the Width to 1, and the Height to 1. Make sure that the Units
are set to Pixels. Click okay. The Canvas should be barely visible right now. No
worries! Hold Ctrl and press V for a paste.
Now, the whole canvas should be wrapped around the background, so
there shouldn't be any white spots!
Now you're finish. Click on File, Save As... and on the "Save as
type:", select JPEG. Name your file name, and add background to the end of the
name. Hit Save.
Go to imageshack.us, click on browse, and upload both of
your files.
CONGRATS! You've just made your first layout on Paint! =D
Step 6: Coding
Problems:
[Copy and Pasted from the Other Tutorial].
Like the other tutorial, there shouldn't be any coding problems. Go to my other
layout tutorial, and start on the coding section. The only problem is probably
the "Cropping" part. But you'll do fine. Just guess on the number of pixels for
the Height and Width. That's what I did when I first started making layouts. I
didn't use the crop tool. Like for the header's height, or for the module's
width, just guess and input numbers. Easy.
ALSO!!! If you see the original Xanga modules
sticking out, be sure to delete unnecessary words in the codings for the
layouts. Like "Place your background color here". Just delete those extra words,
and the modules will be gone! =]
This tutorial took me 3 and a half hours. It was easier
because I didn't have to explain much, and I didn't have to take the time to
take screenshots of the Paint icons. Because I already had them from the last
tutorial. =D I also reused some screenshots too, and some of the instructions. I
hope everyone likes this tutorial, and very special thanks to FinalRest who apparently asked me for
some help with the coding and I thought to myself: I should make another paint
tutorial. [Yeah I'm that random.] But I've also wrote how to fix it at the end
too. ^_^ Good luck to all that tries. And the blending may not be as good as
photoshop or other graphics program, but it's still called blending.
=D
Final
Results:
Banner:
http://img124.imageshack.us/img124/3010/rinoajh3.jpg
Background:
CLICK!
And if you didn't notice on my screenshots, [LOL] over the
course of time, I listened to...
Utada Hikaru
Sum41
Coldplay
Gackt
Red Hot Chili
Peppers
The Killers
Just something noticable. xD I listened to them repeatedly
because I was too lazy to switch... >.>
More tutorials to come soon....
-Angel Wings, Ancient Whisper,
Aeris | 
