Wylder's "Catch a Falling
Star" Tutorial
Additional Notes
Additional Notes for newer
users of the Eyecandy filters:
Most filters can be applied as many times as you like. The random seed
button will change the effect in little ways, so you get a slightly
different look each time you change it. I used the fur filter about 3
or 4 times, each time changing the random seed until I liked the effect
I got (you can preview the effect before you hit the OK button, or just
hit the Undo and try again).
Layers are a bit more complicated. To view your layers palette, go to
View> Toolbars> and make sure that Layer Palette is
checked. There is another option: Enable automatic roll-ups. This is
useful, as you can open the palette whenever you need it, but keep it
out of your way while you're working. You can "lock" the palette open
by clicking on the little down-arrow on the palette bar (labelled
"Layer Palette"), then unlock it by clicking on the small up-arrow on
the bar. Alternatively, you can simply move your mouse pointer to the
palette bar, which should then open the palette, where you will see all
your layers.
Background layers cannot be moved. You can duplicate the layer using
the menu Layers> Duplicate, then you can floodfill your
background with whatever color you like.
To move a layer, open your layer palette, click on the layer listed in
the palette that you want to move, and drag it to the new position.
Alternatively, you can go the the Layers menu, click on Arrange, and
move the layer up one, down one, to the top or to the bottom. So, in
the first case, if your new circle layer is Layer 3, open the layer
palette, click on Layer 3, then drag it to between Layer 1 and Layer 2.
In the second case, go to Layers> Arrange> Move Down.
Once you get the hang of layers, you'll be glad they exist! That is the
secret to great postwork: sometimes 20 or more layers to get the effect
you want.
On the fur filter dialog box, you have several options: Density, Curl
size (pixels), Curliness, Length (pixels). Then you have some
checkboxes: Draw only inside selection, Color hairs uniformly, Seamless
tile. There is also a color box and the random seed button, with a
numerical box next to it. Let me explain the function of each of these:
Density determines how many "hairs" are in the effect. Higher density =
more hairs; lower density = fewer hairs. Play with it and see what
happens to your selection.
Curl size (pixels) determines the distance between curls or waves in
the effect. Smaller curl size = tighter curls, longer curl size =
looser curls. If you set it to the maximum, you will get straight
"hair." Again, play with this to see what happens to your selection.
Curliness determines how curly an effect is. A higher number = culier
effect; a lower number = straighter effect. Again, play with this to
see what happens to your selection.
Length (pixels) determines how long the effect is. A higher number =
longer hair; a lower number = shorter hair. Again, play with this to
see what happens to your selection.
Checkboxes:
Draw only inside selection will prevent the effect from exceeding the
boundaries of your selection. The effect will stop at the edge of your
circle. I would leave this unchecked for this image. There are reasons
to use it, but for now, this is fine to leave unchecked.
Color hairs uniformly: if you are applying this filter on an empty
layer, you must use this option for at least the first application. If
you are applying it to a colored surface (such as your circle), you
still need it checked for at least the first application. What it will
do is to make all the hairs the same color, which is the color in the
large square under this checkbox. Make sure this is set to a nice
orange or orangey-red for your fireball effect.
I'm going to tell you now about the other tab on this filter dialog,
then I'll come back to the main dialog tab. Click on the tab labelled
"Lighting." Here you will see several more options: Light direction
determines the angle from which light hits the effect. Highlight
brightness determines how bright a highlight is: a higher number =
brighter highlights; a lower number = dimmer highlights. Below that is
the Highlight color swatch box, where you can choose the color of your
highlight. For your image, try to pick out a nice deep yellow or
red-orange to give some variety to your fireball. Adjust the highlight
brightness and light direction until you like the overall effect, then
click on the Basic tab again.
Next is the Seamless tile box. It creates a seamless tile of the
effect. Leave this unchecked for now.
Finally, the Random seed button will change the effect randomly. Click
it a few times until you get an effect you like.
Once you have an effect you like, apply the filter to your selection.
Go back to the Effects menu. At the bottom of this menu, you should see
the Fur filter. Click on it, and click your Random seed button again,
and play with your settings to find another effect you like, and apply
that, as well. Keep going until you like the overall effect.
Go to Effects> Plugins> Eyecandy 4000> Fire...
From here, make sure that the checkbox labeled Start from far side is
CHECKED. That will ensure that the flame is applied for the whole
circle. The rest is just playing with the controls, as with the Fur
filter.
In the Color tab, just check the box that says "Natural Spectrum."
In the Basic tab, Direction is the direction the flame goes; Column
length (pixels) determines how long the flame is (you will probably
want a long column length); Flame width (pixels) determines how wide
each flame in the effect is (for your image, you may want a very wide
flame to give the impression of a single tail); Side taper (pixels)
determines the amount of tapering of the flame (a high number creates a
sharp tapering; a lower number creates a more gradual tapering - you
will probably want a lower number here); Movement adds wiggle to the
flame, but it's more noticeable in a wide selection that goes straight
up and down.
Check boxes:
Denser flames makes more individual flames in the effect; Start from
far side will fill your selection (I know, it doesn't make any sense to
me, either). If Start from far side is checked, Draw only outside
selection will be grayed out (this one makes no sense, either, since
you either have to check the Start from far side to fill the selection,
or it will *only* draw outside the selection...). Finally, the Random
Seed button will generate different effects to your flames.
These techniques can be applied to any image. I hope you have found
this tutorial interesting and informative. If you create an image using
this tut, I'd love to see it. Email me at wylder@wyldebrydes.com.
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