Dragon Hugs Tutorial

I claim the copyright to this tutorial.  You are free to do whatever you please with the dragon you make (except make money from it), but please do not take my tutorial.  Do not send the tutorial through email.  Only share my link.

I consider this tutorial for intermediate to advanced level, but I included some graphics so that maybe beginners can follow it.  If you have any questions, please feel free to email me. 

This tutorial uses selections that I have made.  Click on the link to download the zipped file of the selections, then unzip into a separate folder. 

To do this tutorial you will also need Paint Shop Pro.  I used Paint Shop Pro 7.0 .  You may download a free trial at Jasc.

Remember to save as a psp file often!

1.  To begin, open a new file, 600 by 600, 72 resolution, transparent background, 
     16.7 million colors.

2.  Go to Selections--Load from disk.  Find the folder where you saved the selections, 
     and choose wings.sel.  Click ok.

3.  Click on the Paint can (flood fill)  icon on the left side.  Click on the foreground 
     color box and change it to color #008000.  Then with the paint can left-click inside 
     the wings selection and flood it with that color.

4.  Click on effects--Noise--add.  Set to 6% and random.  Click ok.  See figure below.

5.  Click on Colors--adjust--brightness/contrast.  Set the brightness= - 25 (negative 
     25), and contrast= 0.  Click ok.  See figure below.

6.  Click on Selections--Modify--Contract.  Set to 10.  Click ok.

7.  Click on colors--adjust--brightness/contrast.  Set the brightness= 20, and  contrast 
     = 0.  Click ok. 

8.  Click on Selections--Load from Disk.  Choose wingshadow.sel, and click ok.

9.  Click on colors--adjust--brightness/contrast.  Set the brightness = 20, and contrast 
     = 0.  Click ok.

10.  Click on Selections--Load from Disk.  Choose wings2.sel, and click ok.  Flood fill 
     this selection (left-click with paint can) with the same color in your foreground 
     (#008000).  Go to Effects--Noise--Add.  Set to 6% and random and click ok.  Click 
     on Colors--adjust--brightness/contrast.  Set the brightness = -25 (negative 25), 
     and contrast = 0.  Click ok.  Save the file.

11.  Click on Layers--add a New Raster Layer.  (We will always be adding raster layers.)

12.  Click on Selections--Load from Disk.  Choose body.sel and click ok.  Flood fill this 
     selection with the same color in your foreground (#008000).  Go to 
     Effects--texture--fine leather.  Make the settings the same as these:  color = 
     #0F570F, angle = 30, blur = 5, Number of furrows = 10, length of furrows = 4, 
     transparency = 250.  (See figure below).

13.  Click Selections--Invert.  Click Effects--3D Effects--drop shadow.  Make the 
      settings match these:  vertical = 0, horizontal = 0, opacity = 70, blur = 40, and 
      color = #0F570F.  (See figure below).

14.  Click Selections--Load From Disk.  Choose Tummy.sel   Change the background 
       color to #CB4A03.  Flood fill the selection with this color by right-clicking with 
       paint can. 

15.  Click Selections--Load From Disk.  Choose tummyshadow.sel  Click 
       colors--adjustments--brightness/contrast.  Set brightness = - 25 (negative 25), 
       and contrast= 0.  Click ok.

16.  Click Selections--Load from disk. Choose tummylightshadow  Click 
       colors--adjustments--brightness/contrast.  Set brightness = 15, and contrast= 0. 
       click ok.

17.  Click Selections--Load from Disk. Choose tummylighthadow2   Click 
        colors--adjustments--brightness/contrast.  Set brightness = 15, and contrast = 0. 
       click ok.  Save the file.

18.  Click Layers--add new raster layer.

19.  Click Selections--Load from Disk.  Choose legs.sel  Flood fill this selection with 
        color #008000 by left-clicking with paint can.

20.  Click Effects--texture--fine leather.  Same settings as before:  color=#0F570F, 
        angle= 30, blur=5, number of furrows = 10, length of furrows = 4, transparency = 
        250.

21.  Click Selections--Invert.  Click Effects--3D Effects--Drop Shadow.  Same settings as 
       before, except Change blur= 20.  Settings:  vertical & horizontal = 0, opacity = 70, 
       blur = 20, and color = #0F570F.

22.  Click Selections--Load from Disk.  Choose feet.sel  Flood Fill with same green color 
       (#008000) by left-clicking with paint can.  Click Effects--texture--fine leather. 
       Same settings as before:  color=#0F570F, angle = 30, blur=5, number of furrows 
       =10, length of furrows=4, transparency=250.  Click Selections--Invert.  Click 
       Effects--3D Effects--Drop Shadow.  Same settings as before, except Change blur= 
       20.  Settings:  vertical & horizontal = 0, opacity = 70, blur = 20, and color = 
       #0F570F.

23.  Click Selections--Load from Disk.  Choose feetshadow.sel  Click 
        Colors--adjustment--brightness/contrast.  Set brightness = 15, and contrast = 0. 
        Click ok.

24.  Click Selections--Load from Disk.  Choose feetshadow2.sel  click 
       Colors--adjustment--brightness/contrast.  Set brightness = 35, and contrast = 0. 
       click ok.  Save the file.

25.  Click on layers--add new raster layer.

26.  Click Selections--Load from Disk.  Choose arms.sel  Flood Fill with same green 
       color (#008000) by left-clicking with paint can.  Click Effects--texture--fine 
       leather.  Same settings as before:  color=#0F570F, angle = 30, blur=5, number of 
       furrows=10, length of furrows=4, transparency=250.  Click Selections--Invert. 
       Click Effects--3D Effects--Drop Shadow.  Same settings as before, except Change 
       blur= 20.  Settings:  vertical & horizontal = 0, opacity = 70, blur = 20, and color = 
       #0F570F.

27.  Click Selections--Load from Disk.  Choose hands.sel  Flood Fill with same green 
       color (#008000) by left-clicking with paint can.  Click Effects--texture--fine 
       leather.  Same settings as before:  color=#0F570F, angle = 30, blur=5, number of 
       furrows=10, length of furrows=4, transparency=250. 

28.  Click Selections--Load from Disk.  Choose handshadow.sel  click 
       Colors--adjustment--brightness/contrast.  Set brightness = 35, and contrast = 0. 
       click ok.  Click Selections--Load from Disk.  Choose handshadow2.sel   click 
       Colors--adjustment--brightness/contrast.  Set brightness = 35, and contrast = 0. 
       click ok.  Save the file.

29.  Click Layers--add new raster layer.

30.  Click Selections--Load from Disk.  Choose ears.sel  Flood fill with the red 
       background color  (#CB4A03) that you used fro the tummy, by right-clicking with 
       the paint can.  Click Selections--Load from Disk.  Choose mouth.sel  Flood fill 
       with the green foreground color (#008000), by left-clicking with the paint can.

31.  Click Selections--Load from Disk.  Choose head.sel  Flood Fill with same green 
       color (#008000) by left-clicking with paint can.  Click Effects--texture--fine 
       leather.  Same settings as before:  color=#0F570F, angle = 30, blur=5, number of 
       furrows=10, length of furrows=4, transparency=250.  Click Selections--Invert. 
       Click Effects--3D Effects--Drop Shadow.  Same settings as before, except Change 
       blur= 20.  Settings:  vertical & horizontal = 0, opacity = 70, blur = 20, and color = 
       #0F570F.

32.  Click Selections--Load from Disk.  Choose headshadow.sel  Click 
       colors--adjustment--brightness/contrast.  Set brightness =  -20 (negative 20), and 
       contrast = 0.  Click ok.  Click Selections--Load from Disk.  Choose nose.sel  Click 
       colors--adjustment--brightness/contrast/Set brightness = - 35 (negative 35), and 
       contrast = 0.  Click ok.

33.  Click Selections--Load from Disk.  Choose eyes.sel  Flood fill the selection with 
        white, by changing the foreground color to white (#FFFFFF) and left-clicking. 
        Click Selections--Load from Disk.  Choose eyes2.sel  Flood fill the selection with 
        black, by changing the foreground color to black (#000000) and left-clicking. 
        While still selected, choose an inner bevel by clicking on Effects--3D Effects--Inner 
        Bevel, and choosing these settings:  pie shape, width=14, smoothness=15, 
        depth=12, ambience=0, shininess=50, color=white, angle=315, intensity=50, and 
        elevation =30

34. Save this as a psp file, keeping the layers. 

35.  Open up the gift tube that you want to use.  I have included a heart tube in the 
       zipped files.  With this tube file active, click Edit copy.

36.  Now we will add the gift between the arms and the hands layer.  On the Layer's 
       pallette, click on Layer 4. 

37.  Now click Edit--paste as new layer.  You might have to resize this layer, until it's 
       the right size, so that the tube does not extend beyond the hands.

38.  To resize, click Image--Resize.  click on the circle before Percent. Choose a percent; I 
       chose 75.  At the bottom, make sure that "resize all layers"  is UNCHECKED. 

Then I used the mover tool, and moved the heart up to place it right.

39.  Then Save the file.
 
 

©  Dragon's Breath (aka The Dragon Lord), December 27, 2002.  This tutorial and the Dragon Hugs graphics, are copyright to The 
      Dragon Lord, 2002.  Please do not remove this tutorial from my site.  Share my url.