Valentine Heart Shaped Box

I've written this tutorial using psp 7, it can also be worked in other versions but the tool paths will be a little different.

This is a vector tutorial and if like me you prefer to keep your vector files intact for future use (I will try to explain the benefits of this a little later on in the tutorial) remember to save your work as a .jsl file rather than the standard psp file as this will keep your vector layers workable even after closing your file.

You will need PSP, you can download a 28 day trial copy from here.

We're going to start by drawing out all the layers first, then we will work with them afterwards.

Step 1; Open a new transparent canvas 400x400 name you image and save and please remember to click "save" after each step from here on in.

Add a new vector layer.

Set both your foreground and background colours to the same colour of your choice, I used colour #800000

Set your preset shapes tool to Heart #2 line width 1, antialias and vector checked and draw out your heart on the canvas then using the off centre handle, rotate it some to the left so that it looks like mine.

Step 2; Using the top centre handle pull down towards the bottom of your image to squish the heart down, like mine.

Step 3; When you have the heart looking just as you want it too, Duplicate this layer twice, double click the top copy and rename it "Box Lid" then hide this layer, we will come back to it later, all layers should remain as vector layers for now as we will be altering each one of them slightly along the way.

Step 4; In your layer palette, select "copy of layer 2" layer, double click on this layer and rename it "Rim" then click the + sign to expand the sub layer, right click on the sub layer and select properties, a small dialogue window will open, change your line width to 6 and make your background fill null, see screenshot below.

you should now have something like this.

hide this layer for the moment.

Step 5; In you layer palette select layer 2, double click this layer and rename to Box Base, then click the + sign to expand the sub layer, right click on the sub layer and select properties, a small dialogue window will open, change both your foreground and background to a nice gradient or pattern fill, I used a gold fill called ag7102002gold, size 100, angle 315 (unfortunately I can't offer it for download as it's not mine, I think it came as a supply with a tutorial at some stages) you should now have something like this, see screenshot below.

Step 6; Grab the central node and move the image down towards the bottom of the canvas a bit, then unhide your "Rim" layer to help you line it up, you should now have something like this.

Step 7; Staying on your "Box Base" Layer, Add a new vector layer and name it Box Back, select your preset shapes tool and chose the rectangle shape, still with antialias and vector checked, with your foreground null and your background the same fill you used for your Box Base, draw out a rectangle from one side of your heart across to the other, and the same depth as the distance between the base and the rim, like this.

I've turned off the base layer in my screenshot, so you can see more clearly.

Duplicate this layer, layers/arrange/move down, double click this layer and rename it box front. Now hide the layer you named Box Front and select the Box Back layer.

Step 8; In you layer palette, click the + next to the Box Back Layer and select the sub layer rectangle, click on your object selector tool and select node edit. move the upper centre node of the rectangle to meet with the "V" shape in the heart rim and the lower center node of the rectangle to meet with the "V" shape in the base, they need also to line up vertically, one above the other. Move the upper left node to line up with the furthest left point of the rim and the lower left node to line up with the furthest left point of the base. Take the upper right node and line it up with the point of the heart rim on the right side, and do the same with the lower right node, lining it up with the point of the heart base on the right side.

Holding down the shift key, add two nodes, both top and bottom on each side of your centre nodes, moving them into line around the rim and base of your heart box, you can right click on them and select cusp to make them more maneuverable, that way you can pull the handles independently of each other to shape it just exactly as you want, you should now have something that looks like this.

Step 9; In your layer palette select the "Box Front" layer, once again click the + next to the layer to expand the sub layer right click on rectangle and select properties, change your fill colour from the pattern to the solid fill you were using, then using the object selection tool once again edit the nodes as you did in the last step, this time lining them up with the front rim and front base of the heart box, see below.

once you are done and happy with what you have, you should have something that looks like this.

duplicate this "Box Front" layer and in your layer palette, double click and rename it as "Box Lid Front" then move it up until it's just underneath your "Box Lid" layer and hide this layer.

Your layer palette should now look like this.

It's looking good huh! ok take a quick break and go have a stretch and grab a coffee and when you get back we'll get on with the lid.

Right click in your layer palette and select view/invert, your layer palette should now look like this, your box is hidden and you can just see the two layers of your lid.

Step 10; In your layer palette select the "Box Lid Front" layer and expand it by clicking on the + as described before, click on the rectangle sub layer and grab your preset shapes tool, you should now see the handles on your image again, grab the lower central handle and push it upwards just about half way, you need to use your judgment here, this will be the depth of your box lid, you can turn on and off the "Box Front" layer it may help you decide how deep you want to make the lid, at this point you can also grab the central handle and move the "Box Lid Front" up a little if need be and you can also grab your node edit tool and adjust and nodes that may need tweaking slightly so that it meets up nicely with the "Box Lid" layer, with no gaps.

Step 11; Select the "Box Lid" layer, now here's where you get to do your own thing, you can either leave it as it is, or you might want to put a nice pattern on it. I wanted it to look like padded, patterned satin so I went this way.

click the + to expand the layer, then select the heart sub layer and right click to select properties. Leave the foreground colour as you have it and the line width 6, then make the background colour null. Take your magic wand tool with settings RGB Value, Tolerance 0, Feather 0, layers merged, unchecked, and click in the empty space in the middle of your lid, layers/new raster layer, layers/arrange/move down, selections/modify/expand by 1 and flood fill with the pattern you wish to use, I used the psp pattern "Red Lava" at scale 50 angle 315. Keep the selection and apply the following inner bevel. Double click this layer in your layer palette and rename to "Padded Insert"

Selections/Select none.

** Just a note here to let you know, that we have now completed making the various parts for this box, the following steps work the layers to make the end results look nice and acceptable, the instructions given from now on assume that you will only be wanting to make the one box and that you do not want to keep your vector files for further use, therefore we will be converting each layer to raster as we go along. If however you do want to keep your vector files to make further different coloured/patterned boxes just by editing the properties in the vector files and without having to draw them all out again, you can do one of these two options.

(1) you must save your .jsl file now, then duplicate the window by using the keyboard shortcut shift+D or by going window/duplicate on your browser, you can then close your original image and continue to work on your duplicate.

OR

(2) you can continue to work on your original image as I do but in all of the following steps after making your selections from vector objects, do not convert your layers to raster but instead go to Selections/promote to layer and apply the bevel or effect on the promoted layer, this will leave your vector layers unharmed by creating a raster carbon copy.

You will need to give each promoted layer the same name as it's vector counterpart and in order to keep the layers in the correct order I tend to move them all up above the vector layers one at a time as I go along, so that I have the worked promoted selections at the top of the layer palette and the vector layers at the bottom and all in the same order.**

Whichever way you chose is up to you.

Step 12; Click on the sub layer of your "Box Lid" layer, and go to Selections/From Vector Object, layers/Convert to raster layer, Effects/3D effects/Inner Bevel and apply the frame preset. Selections/Select none.

Step 13; Click on the sub layer of your "Box Lid Front" layer, and go to Selections/From Vector Object, layers/Convert to raster layer, Effects/3D effects/Inner Bevel and apply the following inner bevel.

Selections/Select none

Now Make sure you have all your layers hidden except "Box Lid", "Padded Insert" and "Box Lid Front" layer, they should be in the layer palette in that order from top down. Layers/Merge visible and rename to "Lid", hide this layer.

Step 14; Click on the sub layer of your "Rim" layer, and go to Selections/From Vector Object, layers/Convert to raster layer, Effects/3D effects/Inner Bevel and apply the frame preset. Selections/Select none.

Step 15; Click on the sub layer of your "Box Front" layer, and go to Selections/From Vector Object, layers/Convert to raster layer, Effects/3D effects/Inner Bevel and apply the same inner bevel as in screenshot above.

Hide all layers except the "Rim" layer and the "Box Front" layer, In your layer palette click on the "Rim" layer so that it is selected and grab your lasso tool set at point to point, feather 0, antialias checked and draw out a selection on the rim that encloses all of the "Box Front", double clicking back at the beginning of the selection (a), then click on the rim (b) see screen shots below.

Selections/Promote to layer rename to "Front Rim", hide "Rim" layer so only "Front Rim" and "Box Front" layers are visible and go Layers/Merge visible, rename to "Box Front" Hide this layer for now.

Step 16, unhide your "Rim" layer, "Box Back" layer and "Box Base" layer.

Click on the sub layer of your "Box Back" layer and go to layers/Convert to raster layer.

Click on the sub layer of your "Box Base" layer, and go to Selections/From Vector Object, layers/Convert to raster layer, Selections/Invert, Effects/3D effects/Drop Shadow and apply with the following settings, H=-4, V=4. O=100, B=30 I used colour #928238 to go just a little darker than my gold fill, you will need to select a colour just a little darker than the fill you used. Reapply the drop shadow changing H to 4.

Make sure all layers other then these three are hidden, Layers/Merge visible and rename to "Box Back".

Ok if you chose option (1) not to keep your vector layers or you worked on a copy of your original image your layer palette will now look like this

If you chose to continue working on your original image and promoting all the selections to layers (option2), your layer palette will now look like this.

Step 17; In your layer palette click on your "Lid" layer and using your deformation tool move it over some, to where you want it to be you can even angle it a bit to please the eye, this is entirely up to you and your taste as to where and how you decide to place it.

Step 18; Select you "Box back" layer and Add a new raster layer, name this layer contents and use it for filling your box with candies, chocolates or whatever you want.

Once you are done, Window/Duplicate, Close original image, Merge all visible and tube or do what you intend to with it.

Here's another I made just by changing the colours and patterns of the vector layers through properties.

Results from my testers

Thank you Pansy for testing this tutorial for me

This tutorial was written 01/02/04 and is the property of and © Graphics @ Barbara's Place 2004