Pretty Gift Bag Tutorial

Pretty Gift Bag

This tutorial was written using PSP 7 but you will be able to work it with other versions, but some of the tool paths will be different.

You will need PSP, you can download a 28 day trial here and a tube, I can't offer this particular one for download, but you can find a nice selection of anime tubes here and here

Step1; Open a New Transparent Image 230x400. Set your foreground to null and your background to the colour or pattern of your choice, I used colour #FFE7FF. Take your preset shapes tool, set to rectangle, with vector and antialias both checked, draw out a rectangle on your canvas like so.

In your layer palette, double click on this layer and name it front.
Grab the middle handle on the right side and holding down the shift key pull down a little so that the top and bottom line are at an angle, like this

Step 2; Add a new vector layer and name it right side, change your background colour to a contrasting colour of your choice, I used #8A048C and draw out another rectangle next to the front, taking care to line it up to both the top and bottom of the front, like so.

Step 3; In your layer palette click on the + next to the front layer, when the layer has expanded click on rectangle to select it, Selections/from vector object, Selections/promote to layer, name this front and move it to the top of your layer palette. Selections/invert, Effects/3D effects/Drop Shadow, and apply a drop shadow with these settings, H+V=4, O=30, B=20, colour=a darker shade of the fill you used, I used colour #8A048C. Reapply this drop shadow, changing both H+V to -4.
Selections/select none.

Step 4; Add a new vector layer, set your foreground to white and your background to null. Grab your preset shapes tool once more, this time select the ellipse shape and set the line width to 3. Holding down the shift key draw out a small circle on your image, this will be one of the eyelets, grab the central handle and position it near to the top of the front and left of centre, when you are happy with what you see go Edit/copy, Edit/paste as a new vector selection and position this eyelet in line with the other, but right of centre this time. once you are happy with the position of your eyelets, go to your layer palette, click on the + next to this layer to expand it, you will see 2 sub layers, both called ellipse, hold down your shift key and click on both of them, they should now both be selected, go Selections/from vector object, Selections/promote to layer, Effects/Texture effects/sculpture, and select the gold preset. Selections/select none.

Step 5; Take your magic wand tool, with settings RGB Value, Tolerance=0, Feather=0 and holding down the shift key, click inside each eyelet with it, Selections/Modify/expand by 1, then in your layer palette, click on your front layer to select it, then click on the scissors, this will remove the pieces of bag front from inside the eyelets. hide all layers except the front and the eyelets, then go Layers/Merge visible, rename this layer front, your image should now look like this.

Step 6; Duplicate this layer and rename it to back, using the mover tool move it up and over to the right some, like this, then in your layer palette grab this layer and move it down so that its beneath the right side layer. You will now see the back of the bag behind the front, if you need to adjust the position some, you can at any time, by using the mover tool.
You should now have something like this.

Step 7; Click on your right side layer, grab your preset shapes tool and holding down the shift key grab the centre right handle and move it upwards so that the top of the side lines up with the top of the back. You can also adjust the left side line at this stage too if need be, so that it is in line and meets perfectly with the front, once you are happy, go Selections/from vector object, Selections/promote to layer, Selections/invert, Effects/3D effects/drop shadow and apply a drop shadow, using the settings H+V=4, O=50, B=20 and use a darker shade of your fill for the colour, I used #400040. Repeat this drop shadow changing H+V to -4.
Stay selected, take your mover tool and move this side panel to the far end of your bag, line up the top corner and right side with the left top corner and left side of your back panel, and the top left corner with the top left corner of the front, never mind if the side hangs out past the left side of the front, or front the bottom, we can fix that in a moment, you just need to make sure that the back and top lines all meet right now, rename this layer left side. Your image should look like this.

Step 8; Selections/Invert and click back onto your right side layer and convert to raster. Selections/Invert and apply the same drop shadow and as in step 7, remembering to repeat it changing the H+V values. Selections/select none, and this is what you should now have.

Step 9; We are now going to get rid of the surplus side panel on the left side. Click on your front layer, selections/select all, Selections/float, Selections/invert, then click on your left side layer, grab your eraser tool, size 20, Hardness 100, Opacity 100, Step 1, Density 100, and carefully erase all the surplus side panel on the outside left and under the bottom of the front. Selections/select none.

Ok now your layer palette should look like this.

Now we will add the handles and decoration.
Step 10; Click on your front layer and add a new raster layer, name it handles. take your tube tool and select the rope tube, Scale 50, Step 5, then click the second tab on the top of the tube tool and set it to read Random and Incremental.

Now draw your rope handle coming from one front eyelet to the other. Duplicate this layer, then using your mover tool, move it over to line up with the eyelets on the back of the bag, then in your layer palette move this layer down below the back layer.
Your image and layer palette should now look like this.

Step 11; Hide all your layers except the top three, that's handles, front and left side, select left side and go Layers/Merge all visible, rename this layer front.
Now, select the back layer, add a new raster layer and name it knots. take your tube tool with the same settings as before and draw a small knot on top of each eyelet, then hide the front layer and unhide the three layers, right side, back and copy of handles, click on copy of handles and go Layers/Merge visible, rename this layer back. Your image should now look like this. keep all layers except the back layer hidden for now.

Decoration:
You may wish to decorate your bag differently to me, that's fine, but this is how I did mine.

Step 12; With your back layer selected, make your background colour white and your foreground colour null, click on your text tool and select your font and size, bearing in mind that this text will be running down the side of your bag, make sure antialias and vector are both checked. Type in the text you want, I typed "New Years Survival Kit" on mine, apply your text, then using the rotation handle on the text turn it and position it so that it runs down the bag side. Selections from vector object, layers/convert to raster, effects/3d effects/sculpture and apply the gold preset. Selections select none and apply a light drop shadow if you wish, I used H+V=-1, O=100, B= 2.4, colour black. Layers/Merge visible and rename back. Add a new raster layer and name it contents, this is where you will add your goodies to the bag. Hide all layers.

Step 13; Unhide your front layer and select it. In your colour palette toggle your foreground/background so that the foreground now becomes white and the background null. Select your preset shapes tool, same settings as before, antialias and vector both checked with line width at 3, holding down the shift key , draw out a circle and place it in the centre of your bag front, Selections/from vector object, layers/convert to raster layer, Effects/Texture effects/Sculpture, and once again use the gold preset, I also applied the same drop shadow. Selections/select none.

Step 14; Toggle your foreground background settings again, so that the background colour is now white, Select your text tool with the same settings as before and apply the text you want to the front of your bag, I typed mine as "Groovin Gals" and "2004", once again use the handle on the text block to place your text where you want it, then Selections/from vector object, Layers/convert to raster, Effects/Texture effects/sculpture, and apply the gold preset, I also applied the same drop shadow. Selections/select none.

Step 15; Add a new raster layer, select your tube tool and apply your tube to the front of your bag, add a drop shadow to your tube and you're done. All that is left to do is to merge, so making sure all layers except front and above are hidden, layers/merge visible and rename front, you should now have an image and a layer palette that look like this.

Step 16; you can now delete your lower three layers if you wish, just keeping the three layers back, contents and front, on your file, name and save as a .psp file, then when you are ready you add contents to your bag on the empty contents layer, merge visible and tube.

Results of my testers

Thank you Pansy and Wendy for testing this tutorial for me

Pansy's