Country Button Background Tutorial by Whisper

Country Button Background
& other good filler tiles!
Tutorial by Whisper

(Page done in the Tinker Toy font.... Grab it here if you would like to!)

This tutorial was created and put on this site on July 8, 2002.
It is property of and ©2001-2002 to Whisper's Web Works.
Please do not copy or place this tutorial or any of the graphics on any site,
email or elist without written permission directly from me. If you would like to share the url for this tutorial, you may do so without writing for permission, but I always welcome a "who, where" email. Thank you.

For this tutorial you will need:
PSP 7 ~ download a trial version.
Simple's Filter ~ download here.

Open a new image:
75 x 75 pixels
Transparent
16.7 Million colors

Flood fill with a medium color, I am using #EAE0C8.

Set your foreground to a darker or contrasting color, I am using #5A769C.

Grab your airbrush tool and set to:
Round
Size 130
Hardness 20
Opacity 50
Step 25
Density 15

Center your cursor and just spray a quick "squirt".

Effects > Blur > Gaussian Blur > Radius 0.50 > ok.

Add a new layer.

Choose your draw tool and set to:
Single Line
Width 2
Antialias checked
Line Style Dash Dot Dot

Draw two lines, one that goes from the top left corner to the bottom right corner, then one that goes from the top right corner to the bottom left corner.

Add a new layer.

Open your color palette.

Set your line color to one of the Custom spots, to do that.....

Make sure the New Color box has your line color in it then click on the Add Custom button.

(Click for a larger view.)

Set your foreground to null and background to solid, open your color palette.

Click on the spot that has your line color in it.

Now lower the Light number. This will darken your color. I lowered mine to 90.

(Click for a larger view.)

Choose your shapes tool and set at:
Ellipse
Antialias checked
Vector checked
Line width 1

Draw a circle about 14x14. (If you hold down the shift key while drawing the circle, it will remain true.)

Objects > Align > Center in Canvas.

In your Layer Palette right click on your vector layer and convert to raster.

Right click again and duplicate.

Image > Resize > Percentage of original 85, all layers UNchecked and maintain ratio checked > ok.

Selections > Select all.

Selections > Float.

Choose your fill tool.

Set your foreground to solid and choose your line color from the custom spots in your color palette.

Left click and fill your little circle.

Selections > Select none.

Activate the dark circle layer.

Effects > Blur > Gaussian Blur > Radius 0.50 > ok.

Effects > 3D Effects > Drop shadow > these settings:
Horizontal & Vertical 0
Opacity 60
Blur 4.9

Add a new layer.

Layers > Arrange > Bring to top.

Set your foreground to the darker color and your background to null.

Choose your brush tool and set at:
Round
Size 2
Hardness 55
Opacity 100
Step 1
Density 100

View > Zoom in by 5.

In the button dot three "holes".

Effects > Blur > Gaussian Blur > Radius 0.50 > ok.

That's it!

To make the lil' dot background....

Open a new image:
50 x 50 pixels
Transparent
16.7 Million colors

Flood fill with a medium color, I am using #EAE0C8.

Set your foreground to a darker or contrasting color, I am using #5A769C.

Set your airbrush to:
Round
Size 130
Hardness 20
Opacity 50
Step 25
Density 15

Center your cursor and just spray a quick "squirt".

Effects > Blur > Gaussian Blur > Radius 0.50 > ok.

Add a new layer.

Your foreground should be set to the darker color and your background to null.

Choose your brush tool and set at:
Round
Size 3
Hardness 55
Opacity 75
Step 1
Density 100

View > Zoom in by 5.

In the center dot three "holes".

Click your copy button then your paste button. Now your dots should be in an image of their own. Activate your background image and hit the delete key. Right click in the top bar (where the star is in the screen shot) and paste as a new layer.